Spring Cleaning the Old Toys

Twice a year, parents get unusually panicky. We’re talking Christmas and Birthday’s here. Why is this a cause for panic? It’s the biannual toy clear out time. Around 2 weeks before Christmas or Birthday’s it’s time to get the charity bags out and fill them with all of the unused toys in order to make way for the new ones. It’s difficult to be ruthless as some toys hold fond places in your heart. Other toys, it’s hard to decide whether your child has really grown out of them.

However, be harsh with yourself. You need to make way for the new toys. If old puzzles are scattered into several toy boxes, then they haven’t been used for a while and you can get rid of them. If the old building blocks haven’t been got out for several months, they can also be moved on to the next owner or stored away safely in the attic.

There are lots of ways you can pass on your toys. If you have friends and relatives with children, you can hand your toys straight on to them. If you’re feeling charitable you can drop them off at your local charity shop. Freecycle websites are a great way of handing on your items to new owners too. Alternatively if you wish to profit from your old toys you can always sell them on to a new owner via sites such as eBay. It’s a good time to round up the broken bits and pieces too and stick them out for the rubbish men.

A birthday should be a time for your child to scream in delight at their new rocking horse or dolls house. It shouldn’t be a day that sends you spiralling into despair. Get your calendar out and circle the date, 2 weeks before the big occasion, to be the deadline for tidying out the old toys and making spaces in the cupboards and toy boxed.