Mastering Thematic Toy Rotation: How to Organize Your Storage Room for Success

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Organize Your Preschool Storage Room for Toy Rotation

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the mountain of toys cluttering your childcare facility or preschool classroom? Don’t worry! Toy rotation is your secret weapon to streamline playtime and create a more engaging environment for your young learners. By organizing your storage room effectively, you can rotate toys in and out of your space, keeping things fresh while reducing clutter. Let’s dive into how to organize your storage space for seamless thematic toy rotation!

New to toy rotation?

Too many toys can overwhelm both you and the children in your care. Toy rotation is the process of displaying only a select few toys while storing the rest and rotating them periodically. This method offers many benefits, including:

• Increased engagement: Fewer toys out at once can help children focus on play and creativity.
• Better organization: With less to clean up, children can more easily clean up independently.
• Easier decision-making: Having fewer choices allows children to pick toys more easily without feeling overwhelmed.

Creating a space for storage

Jen H.

The foundation of effective toy rotation is an organized storage area. Whether you have a designated room, closet, or even an under-bed container, it's crucial to make space for excess toys and materials.

• Consider your storage options: If you have the space, convert a small room into a storage area. Alternatively, add shelves to your garage or use a closet. IKEA offers a lot of different options for toy storage. If you have limited storage options, or are looking for storage tips for your home, consider this detailed post.
  
• Adjustable shelving: For maximum flexibility, use adjustable shelving units. This will allow you to rearrange based on the toys you need to store.
• Measure before purchasing: Before buying storage bins, measure the space to determine what will fit.
  

De-Clutter First

The first and most important step is to de-clutter. Go through all your toys and get rid of anything that’s broken, unused, or unnecessary. Donate or sell items that no longer serve your classroom’s needs. Remember, a clutter-free space is easier to manage and offers more room for the toys that truly matter.

Sorting and Categorizing Toys

Once you’ve de-cluttered, it’s time to sort your toys. Consider categorizing them by learning centers or themes to make it easier to rotate them later on.
Here’s how you can start:

1. Learning Centers: Sort toys into categories like dramatic play, cognitive, fine motor toys, construction, and gross motor toys.
2. Subcategories: For example, break down dramatic play into smaller categories like dress-up, play food & dishes, dolls, and accessories.
3. Themed Prop Boxes: For pretend play themes like a doctor’s office or grocery store, consider organizing these into “themed prop boxes” that are easy to rotate in and out.

Danielle C.

Organize Toys in Containers

Now that your toys are sorted, it’s time to place them into containers.

• Label everything: Use masking tape or clear labels to easily identify what's inside each box. This will save you time during rotation.
• Storage options: Store your toys in clear containers for easy visibility. Recycled containers, like lunch meat boxes, are a great option for small items like math counters or manipulatives.
  

Jen H.

Special Storage Options for Different Types of Toys

• Construction Toys: Organize construction toys into subcategories such as building sets, transportation toys, and blocks. Store larger items like play sets on the bottom shelf or on the floor.
• Gross Motor Toys: For toys like balls or balancing equipment, use lightweight hampers or large bins. Store pop-up toys folded and neatly stacked or flat under a bed
• Dramatic Play: Create Prop Boxes.Organize items within each box into smaller categories. For example, in a "Grocery Store" box, you might separate play food, pretend money, and shopping carts into different sections. You can use smaller bins or Ziploc bags inside the box to keep things from getting mixed up. Grouping similar items together makes it easier for you to find.
• Puzzle Storage: Puzzles can be tricky to store because of their shapes and the potential for missing pieces. For easy organization, use stackable bins with lids to keep each puzzle's pieces together. Store puzzles in their original boxes or clear plastic containers, and make sure the box or container is labeled with the picture of the completed puzzle for easy identification. For more ideas on creative ways to store your puzzles, check out our detailed puzzle storage post.
  

Heather H.

Rotating Books

Some educators opt to store their theme books in boxes alongside other materials, but I found that many of my books didn’t fit well due to their awkward sizes. Plus, I often used the same books for multiple themes, and hunting through boxes each week wasn’t the most efficient system.

Instead, I preferred to organize my books on sturdy bookcases (IKEA's Billy Bookcases worked great for this!). I kept them out of reach of the children, in my storage room, and each week, I rotated new thematic and “evergreen” books into the children’s bookshelf.When organizing your books, choose a method that makes it easiest for you to locate them. Personally, I sorted mine by season first, then by theme. For general books, I organized them by topic (like colors, shapes, letters, etc.).

If you're using shelves to store your books, be sure to divide them in a way that allows for quick access. To create divisions, you can use magazine holders, laminate paper dividers, or even labeled paint sticks—an inexpensive option that works well!
For more tips on organizing your books and creating an accessible library space, check out our related post on organizing books.

Organize Manipulatives in Clear Containers

Manipulatives like counting blocks, buttons, pom-poms, or mini erasers are great hands-on learning tools, but they can easily get mixed up if not properly stored.

• Use Clear Bins or Containers: Store these items in clear plastic bins or jars so you can quickly see what’s inside.
• Label Containers: Label each container with its contents (e.g., "Math Counters," "Animal Figurines," "Pattern Blocks") so you can grab exactly what you need.
• Separate by Color or Type: For even easier access, organize manipulatives by color, size, or type. For example, use one bin for all red items, one for blue, and so on.

Tip: Consider using stackable bins or drawer units to save space and keep everything neatly contained.

Store Loose Parts in Clear Containers

Amanda W.

Loose parts, such as small natural materials (like shells, rocks, pinecones), craft supplies (buttons, beads, sequins), or sensory items (rice, sand, cotton balls), are great for imaginative play but can quickly become a mess.

• Clear Glass Jars or Plastic Containers: Store loose parts in clear jars or plastic containers so you can see what’s inside. Label each container with its contents for quick identification.
• Segmented Storage for Small Parts: If you have tiny items (such as buttons or beads), use containers with dividers to keep things separated and easy to grab.

Tip: Use color-coordinated containers or clear bins for aesthetic appeal and easy visual organization.

Use Over-the-Door Organizers for Small Items

Use Over-the-Door Organizers for Small Items
If you're short on storage space, consider using over-the-door organizers with pockets to store smaller items like flashcards, stickers, or other materials that don’t take up much space.

• Multi-Pocket Organizers: These can be used to store a variety of items, such as flashcards, small toys, mini erasers, or alphabet and number cards.
• Color-Coded Pockets: If you're organizing by theme or subject, color-code the pockets to make it even easier to find what you need.

Tip: Opt for fabric organizers with clear pockets to provide both visibility and durability.

Amanda W.

Store Craft Supplies in Drawer Units or Craft Caddies

Craft supplies like markers, crayons, glue sticks, scissors, and stickers can quickly become disorganized in a preschool setting.

• Use Multi-Drawer Units: Keep markers, crayons, and other small items in multi-drawer units. Label each drawer with its contents to make it easy to grab what’s needed.
  
• Craft Caddies for Easy Access: For frequently used items like glue and scissors, use a craft caddy or tool organizer that can be moved from table to table during activities.

Tip: If you have limited space, use a rolling cart for portable storage that can be moved around as needed.

Use Pegboards for Hanging Tools and Materials

For tools like scissors, rulers, or even art supplies like tape and glue, a pegboard is a great space-saving option.

• Install a Pegboard: Install a pegboard on the wall to hang frequently used items. Hooks, baskets, and shelves can help you organize everything neatly and make it easy for you to grab supplies.
  
• Label Hooks or Baskets: Use labels or color-coded tags to indicate which materials go on which hook or in which basket.

Tip: Keep small items like scissors or hole punches on lower hooks so children can easily access them during activities

Store Sensory Materials in Ziplock Bags or Plastic Bins

Sensory materials like rice, beans, sand, or water beads should be stored carefully to prevent mess and ensure safety.

• Ziplock Bags for Small Quantities: For smaller quantities of sensory materials, use resealable Ziplock bags (Store away from children). Label them with their contents and store them in a bin (away from students) for easy access.
• Plastic Bins for Larger Quantities: Larger sensory materials can be stored in plastic bins with lids. Be sure to keep them out of reach of young children when not in use.

Tip: Keep sensory bins closed securely to avoid spills and accidents. Also, make sure all materials are non-toxic and safe for children to handle.

Create an Organized Art Supply Station

Art supplies like markers, crayons, paint, brushes, and paper can become cluttered quickly. Set up an art supply station to keep your Art Supplies organized and accessible for creative activities.

• Art Supply Cart: Use a cart with multiple tiers to store a variety of art supplies. Label each tier (e.g., “Crayons,” “Paint,” “Brushes”) for easy access.
• Mason Jars for Paintbrushes & Tools: Use mason jars or small containers to store brushes, pencils, and other tools. Keep them organized by type (e.g., paintbrushes, glue sticks, pens).

Tip: Store paper, construction paper, or scrapbooking paper flat to avoid wrinkling and to maintain easy access for projects.

Create an Outdoor Storage Area for Large Materials

If you use larger outdoor items like balls, jump ropes, or outdoor art supplies, designate an outdoor storage space to keep everything in one place.

• Outdoor Bins or Shed: Use large bins or an outdoor shed to store items like sports equipment, outdoor games, or gardening tools.
• Label Everything: Just like in your indoor storage, make sure each container or section of the shed is clearly labeled with the items inside.

Tip: Use weatherproof storage options to protect materials from rain or sun exposure.

Inventory what's left

Now that you've decluttered and organized your toys, it's time to create an inventory. This step will ensure you know exactly what you have and where it’s located, making it easier to manage your toy rotation.
For each item, be sure to include key details such as:

• Item Name
• Description
• Quantity
• Condition
• Location

This list will help you quickly locate items when needed and make future decisions about what to rotate or replace.
Your inventory can be useful in several ways:

• Shopping: Take your inventory with you when shopping to know exactly what you already have and what needs replacing.
• Theme Units: Easily pull out the toys you need for specific themes or units by referencing your inventory.
• Prop and Theme Boxes: Keep track of what’s in your prop boxes, ensuring each box has all the materials it needs for themed play.
  

Interested in making the process even easier? Check out how to digital inventory for your thematic materials and download a free template!

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Plan your Toy rotation

With your space organized and your inventory in place, it’s time to plan your toy rotation. Decide how often you'll rotate items (weekly, bi-weekly, or another schedule that works best for you). Then, pick a time to do the rotation that aligns with your routine. Many teachers find that doing this on a Friday afternoon is the perfect time, so the classroom is fresh and ready for the new week on Monday morning.

Set a Regular De-Clutter Date

To maintain an organized space, set a recurring time to de-clutter your storage area. Schedule periodic check-ins to review and reorganize as needed. An annual decluttering day, ideally tied to a seasonal event (like a spring or summer toy sale), can help you stay on top of things. Plus, any money raised from selling unused toys can go towards replenishing your stock with new materials for your program.

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With a little planning and organization, toy rotation becomes a smooth and manageable process. Not only will you save time and reduce clutter, but you'll also create a more dynamic and enriching learning environment for your young learners.

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