Organise your home for the school summer holidays
You may be a really organised person who does not have to prepare their home for the school holidays. But some of you (like me) will know a good sort out is required before the kids are home for the summer. Here is a guide to clearing the clutter and having a good sort out to get your home summer holiday ready.
Time to go
Some toys are outgrown; you know it and the kids know, it but for some reason they stay in the toy boxes taking up space and adding to the clutter. It’s time to be ruthless, so gather them up and pop them in a bin liner. Tell the kids what you have done and let them have a quick peak in if they must. Anything they are desperate to keep can be stored but perhaps limit this to two items each? Take the rest to a charity shop or stash in your garage for a future car boot.
Broken toys that are unfixable, games with pieces missing and incomplete puzzles just need to be binned straight away, they are just frustrating and space consuming.
Photo Credit: Pink Moose
Rotate toys
If you have a lot of the same thing e.g. 3 tubs of red paint, 4 skipping ropes, and 2 sets of playing cards then chuck the extras in a box and store them. The fewer items children have out the easier it is for them to keep tidy and find in the first place.
Rotating toys is also a good idea. Put a few games and toys away and some craft supplies and then half way through the summer switch these with some currently in use. The stored toys will feel like new to the children and will keep their play fresh and interesting.
Sorting and Storing
Children are more likely to do things ‘properly’ if they can find items needed easily. So, for example, they are more likely to wear a bike hat if it’s on a peg next to their bike. They are more likely to use a painting apron if there is one near their paint box. Group like objects together and have a place for everything. If there is a box just for paintbrushes your child is likely to pop the one they use back in there, they are even more likely to do this if the box of brushes is stored near the box of paints. Getting organised now will save you work in the long run (well that is the theory.)
Start as you mean to go on
It’s time to pump up the football, replace batteries, and wash down the playhouse. The kids are coming! Doing these jobs now will make their toys much more attractive to them.
It’s also a good idea to put a couple of rules in place now or your home could descend into chaos over the summer, Perhaps a regular family tidy up before lunch and before supper would be a good rule to put in place? This will help you keep on top of the tidying. Food is always a great motivator and kids that are involved in tidying never make as much mess as those that aren’t!
How is this money saving?
Children will enjoy playing at home more if their toys are accessible and in good condition. Throwing away clutter and being organised will make your child’s play so much more fun. As a result they will then cease to hassle you about going out all the time, new toys and paid for entertainment (we can hope!) Keeping your home in order will make playing at home easier and you (and they) won’t feel the need to escape it so often!
This is an exerpt from our VERY soon to be launched e-book Frugal and Fun: Enjoying the school summer holidays – the thrifty way. It will be packed full of brilliant ideas of how to enjoy the school summer holidays on a budget .
