I posted about how to keep things organized in Part 1. But how do you get there?
This is something there really is no shortcut to doing. You should start by going through what you have now for toy storage and emptying it all out. I prefer to do this with no kids around, but mine are still pretty young. If your kids are older, it might work to bring them in and have them help.
Start seeing what types of toys you have, and work with what you have. I found most of my toys bins on sale or in the thrift store, and we’ve adjusted it as we go to make it work for us.
Once you have things emptied out, you can start sorting into bins, including those to give away (toys in good condition that you’ve simply outgrown or don’t like) and those to throw away (toys with broken or missing pieces). If you’re on the fence about something, you can always put it into another box, tape it up for a month (put the date on it or you might forget!) and see if you miss anything. Often, you won’t. Start assigning homes to the toys you will keep.
Make labels and tape them to the toys’ new homes. If I don’t feel like laminating, I will simply use packing tape to cover the note card, and then it’s still mostly immune to rips and tears–two big hazards for paper in our house. If you have little kids, be sure you include a picture, either drawn or printed (clip art works well for this). You want everyone to be able to see what should go where.
Next, decide on a system. Are you going to clean up every day? Once a week? What happens to toys that are out of place? How much will adults contribute?
When your kids go to play the next time, go with them and give them a tour. Show them where things go and how the signs work (above, below, or under the toy?). Explain your system for keeping things organized.
It will take a little more work while you are getting started with things. There will be reminding and there will be testing. Adjust as needed! But if you follow your plan, you will get more organized!
