The 10-Toys Rule And How It Can Benefit Your Child

Toys have their own magical way to come out of their bins and boxes. You tidy them up now and a few moments later they are back all around the house. A perfect gift for a child is mostly a toy so you definitely cannot avoid them completely. They keep children busy but too many of them bring on a sense of overwhelm too. Children having too many toys have been linked to difficulty in focusing on one task, behavioural issues, less meaningful experiences and language delay. They even face emotional disconnect.

So I’ve got the perfect solution for you, “The 10-Toy Rule”. The number is not important and can vary to as less or as more as you want. The principle to understand behind this is less is more. The idea is to keep only 10 toys available or in sight of your child to play. Studies have shown that children show more creativity with fewer toys. They tend to play for longer span with better attention to details. You might also notice that they find more ways to play with the same toy.

While choosing toys, you can do them by yourself or involve your child in the process. This also gives them a sense of choice but it is important to stick to the number you choose. It also brings a sense of discipline. You can even make sets of toys where each set will include maybe a soft toy, some educational toys, se related to creativity, etc. It all depends upon the interest of your child. The rotation span completely depends on your child and you. In a few days or utmost a week, take the current toys away and bring out another set, giving them a sense of having totally new toys and making them excited to explore more.

What works for my toddler is that I make sure to keep 3-4 of his favourite toys and rest all are the ones I want him to explore more. He might grab the ones he likes first but eventually the other ones are also played with and that’s the goal. One such toy was Lego mega blocks which he started explore only after the toy rule.

Here are some benefits of using the 10-toy rule that help kids

✓ Toy rotation fosters creativity
✓ It encourages a child’s imagination

✓ It improves behaviour of a child
✓ Decreases frustration and overwhelm
✓ Decreases stress and anxiety
✓ Increases independent play
✓ Encourages them to make decisions
✓ It keeps them busy for longer span of time

✓ It reduces clutter and creates more space in the child’s room/playroom
✓ Toy rotation brings new experiences with re-introduction to old toys which leads to more learning

These are the important pointers that can help your child alot and with time you will definitely notice a difference. I also use this rotation rule with books and that too has worked wonders for my son.

How many toys do you think are right for your kids to play at time?

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