I was not prepared for how quickly our home would turn into a playroom. We’re barely past one year old and already everywhere you look in our house you’ll find toys. Inside, outside, in the bathroom, in the basement.

In preparation for our neighborhood yard sale, we decided it was time for our first official toy purge. If we as adults are overwhelmed by the amount of toys in our home, it is safe to assume our barely toddler daughter also is. Purging toys was a little more challenging than I thought it would be, mostly due to sentimental reasons.

To help with this I followed some guidelines for what to keep and what to pack up.

What to Toss

Pack up any toys that are:

• broken
• missing pieces
• essentially a duplicate to another toy

What to Keep

Try your best to keep only toy that encourage creative and constructive play. Some general guidelines are:

• Team play toys: think costumes, dishes and board games
• Open ended play toys: magna tiles, blocks, legos
• Art and music toys: any toy that makes a musical sound doesn’t count here!
• Role play toys: play kitchens, dolls, costumes
• Toys that encourage physical activity: swings, balls, sports equipment
• Learning toys: books, puzzles and memory cards
• Toys that require engagement: play dough, play animals, action figures

What you do with toys you purge is up to you- we try to sell some of Facebook marketplace, garage sales or Ebay and put the money into Baby G’s savings. Whatever is left we donate locally to those in need.

What are your best tips for keeping toys under control?