Max out the play potential in your home

Compiled by Ariella Schiller

Keep It Simple

Kids get overwhelmed when they see boxes with different types of toys mixed together. Buy a few large sets of specific types of toys, like Lego, Magna-Tiles, Menchies, Playmobil. When you have a lot of a specific type of toy, such as 150 Magna-Tiles instead of 20 or 30, they’re more likely to play with it for long stretches of time because they’re less limited in what they can build.

Keep like toys together in clear boxes. I’ve found that generally children don’t combine different sets of toys, like Magna-Tiles and Lego, when they play. They prefer to stick to one type. They’ll only mix toys with a theme or purpose. For example, if I put out a box of blocks and a collection of animals, they’ll play really creatively. And when they need to clean up the blocks and animals, each have their very clear boxes, so cleanup will be a breeze.

Discard toys that don’t fit easily into a category or you can’t create a collection of. When my kids come home with cheap prizes or small gift sets, like a little doll figurine that comes with a little tricycle, then unless I have other sets of dolls this size, or a box of dolls and accessories, I usually throw it out after they’ve played with it for a few days.

Water Wonder

One of my favorite toys is an electric toy sink that keeps the water continuously coming out of the faucet. There are so many great ways to use it. Just put a towel on the floor underneath it or place it in a bathroom to avoid slippery messes, then hand them dirty cars or toy dishes and some soap and sponges. Then watch the magic: A child entertained for more than two minutes, and their motor functions are developing — win-win!

Avigail Zelmanowitz is a morah who’s done research on all things play-related, so you don’t have to.

Take Note

Use different colored Magna-Tiles on your fridge to hang up notes and reminders, either one color for each person in the family, or one color for type of note, such as blue for shopping lists, red for permission slips.

Gifted

Grandparents often express their love with gifts — toys, games, books, arts and crafts projects. All of these items take up space; space that many families don’t have. How can they still do this without overstuffing your home? One idea is to ask grandparents to gift the einikelach with things that don’t take up space: a trip to an amusement park or other fun outing, a visit to the ice cream store, subsidizing music lessons or gymnastics classes, or maybe even a subscription to a magazine that can be used by the whole family.

Dvora Henner is a home organizer and life coach, who coaches women in time management and concerns related to home organization.

Book Bosses

Moms Who’ve Done Their Research

Ruchi, mom of seven, shares her favorites:

1. A Thread of Kindness

A picture book by Leah Perl Shollar (Hachai, 2019). This book is an olden-day style story about tzedakah, complete with illustrations. It gives over a beautiful message, told in simple but powerful language.

2. Manny in a Pickle

A picture book by Sari Grunwald (Israel Book Shop, 2017). This is a bright, modern, and funny story. Readers will laugh at how ridiculous Manny is, and then upon reflection realize how many of us have a little bit of Manny inside us… and that we need to remember not to act like him....

3. Chaim Ephraim and the Shabbos Guests

A picture book by Lori Holzman (Feldheim, 2015). This book has a nice rhyme with a repetitive “chorus” that kids can say along with you. Rachel Edelstein created dramatic illustrations that complement the child’s point of view.

4. Invisible ME

A teen novel by Tzipi Caton (Targum Press, 2009). This is a powerful story about a teen with selective mutism, written in a way that is compelling and not heavy.

Fun and Festive

Put two drops of red food coloring and two drops of blue food coloring into your milk carton and watch your milk turn into cotton candy colors! Write happy birthday on the outside of the carton. It makes for a fun and festive breakfast.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 921)