You just took a look in your child's room and see the usual mess: toys scattered everywhere to the point of breakage! You dread what has to happen next: the endless, ongoing struggle when you ask your children to clean it up. The dilly-dallying young children master so perfectly when they don't want to clean up the glorious mess they just created can make us just a little crazy!
Here's a different kind of solution to that problem: consider storing toys in your child's room so that clean-up is easy and becomes a learning activity. It's simple, really. You just provide a space for each category of toys in a container that is easy to handle and makes the toys easy to see. You also want to place toys and shelves on the child's level for easy, independent access. By child's level is meant that nothing would be above the height the child can easily reach, i.e. not at adult height level. All shelves, storage containers, toys and materials should be reachable easily by the child.
In my previous article we discussed the division of your child's room into play sections that encompass all possible types of play: a pretend section, an art section, a construction section and a toy section. When young children put toys in these various sections they learn to categorize and make sense of the world around them.
We'll look at each of these sections separately and talk about how to store the materials included there.
Place a few wall hooks in the pretend section for hanging dress-up clothes. Be sure these hooks are at the child's level. If the room is large you could purchase a small toy closet instead, though that isn't necessary and will take up more space. A toy bed for dolls and teddy's would be a good place for the babies to rest (when they aren't already sleeping on your child's bed! ) Dishes and kitchen items could be stored on and in your toy stove and refrigerator if you chose to include these. A small open shelf unit is an alternative for storage dishes, pots and pans. Cooking items such as pine cones, bottle caps, etc. may be stored in cardboard boxes or microwave containers on the small stove or shelf.
Art materials need containers to hold crayons, paints, glue, brushes, and odds and ends like bits of wood, sequins, carpet scraps, etc. all mentioned in my last article. See-through containers work best since they allow the child to choose desired items without hauling everything out of a box to see what's inside.. Microwave or cardboard containers are good for this purpose. You can choose the size and shape needed for each item. Flat containers work well for items such as bottle caps or its of wood; long round containers for brushes; larger flat containers for paints and crayons. A low open shelving unit is ideal for storage of these containers since it will be easy for children to return the items to their location after use. Construction and writing paper would go on one of the low shelves.
It would also be helpful to label storage containers as well as their spot on the shelf. You could use a picture of the item to label it, since most young children don't read enough for words to make sense. A photograph or a cut-out of the item from its' original box can easily be glued onto the container. Another label on the shelf where the container is stored is helpful. This helps your child keep things organized consistently instead of just throwing containers here and there and then wondering what's what the next time she wants to work with these materials.
Materials in the toy section may also be placed on a low shelf unit placed at the child's level. Containers for magnets, scales and balances, washers, etc. may be added in microwave dishes or cardboard containers.
Storage of construction materials might be placed on the same shelf as the toy section on the lower shelf since these materials might be heavy. Washers, magnets, scales and balances, etc. may be stored in microwave dishes or cardboard boxes as well.
Initially you may want to work together with your child to clean up the materials and help her to understand the process. Make the clean-up playful by singing songs and playing games such as who can put away the most toys in the shortest time. Some parents may even want to arrange the room together with your child and share the decisions of what goes where.
Note that when your child cleans up her materials in this type of room arrangement she is learning to categorize, a very important skill for young children to master. To know that the world is not just a random and confusing place, but that there is a pre-existing order is a foundation for future learning including reading, writing and numbers. To know that a teapot goes in the pretend section, a paintbrush in the art section and so on, is a lesson that will provide a good foundation.
While this type of room arrangement takes some initial thought and time on your part, it is so worth it in the long run. Not only will you will save time on clean-up day after day but your child's play will be more meaningful. And your child will get to the point where she does it independently. Instead of the same old tug-of-clean-up-your-room-war, you and your child can have more fun, quality time together.
Ursula Ansbach, owner My Baby Furniture Plus, baby furniture; Educator, Teacher, Parent.
http://www.mybabyfurnitureplus.com
