Kids are only human. They want to be where the action is, and who can blame them? However, spirited child's play--with its attendant underfoot mess--and important adult tasks don't always mix. Establishing a play area will solve part of your problem: Your kids get a space of their own, and you get a place to stash their stuff. But segregating the toys to one room won't work if that's not where your family tends to hang out. Odds are, the kids will just haul their stuff to the more densely populated areas of the house. Our strategy? We let the kids play where they may, but make it easy for them to do so independently and tidily. Helping us in that goal are self-contained play stations like the pair we present here: a cute Kid-size Kitchen and an Instant Dressing Room. Each does double duty, engaging kids in imaginative home-themed play and then cleverly storing their playthings when the fun is done. Plus, they can be set up or packed away at a moment's notice. Now if we could just do the same with our grown-up clutter.
PLAY ON!
Need more ideas for creative play? Try setting up:
• a cleaning station in the kitchen, with a small dustpan and broom, a sponge, and a spray bottle of water
• a reading nook with a beanbag chair, a good light, and a stack of books
• a drawing area with a small table or easel, a stack of paper, and a plastic tote full of coloring supplies
• a raceway with a rug or floorcloth decorated to look like a road and a bin of toy cars
• a puzzle or board-game platform --a piece of foam core or cardboard that lets you move everything intact in a pinch
CLUTTER CONTROL TIPS
Toy management in common living spaces requires a little bit of creativity:
• Keep attractive baskets around--under a coffee or side table--for easy, instant cleanup.
• Put on a great song and ask your kids to spend its duration in a tidying frenzy.
• Finally, if rogue toys persist in loitering, jail 'em in the basement or garage. Let your kids bail them out with chores or by swapping in other toys.
