5 Really Good Reasons to Practice Toy Minimalism at Your House

AnnaMarie Houlis

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A burgeoning body of research suggests that minimalism is a positive way of life. In fact, studies consistently find that minimalism can lead to happiness.

That’s why many parents are practicing toy minimalism with their children. Here are five good reasons to give it a shot with your own little ones.

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1. Cleared clutter helps your mental health.

A wealth of research shows that clean spaces really help you to be more productive. For mothers who may be busy with work and parenting, for example, having a clear home can really clear their minds, as well. In fact, one study by Harvard University explored the productivity of students who were each tasked with working in different environments (with different degrees of clutter), and it found that clean spaces actually leads to people’s ability to work longer.

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Differences between a Montessori school and a Montessori home 1. A Montessori school has a full set of learning materials, a Montessori home’s learning materials are daily life itself. 2. A Montessori school is designed to incorporate the homeliness of home, a home doesn’t need to incorporate the schoolishness of school. Because home is more than a classroom. 3. A Montessori school keeps a neutral color palette so it can rightfully serve students of every background without distractions on the walls. A home is a private abode so express your personality in your decor and don’t ever feel you must have white walls if your inner self secretly screams for color. 4. A Montessori school has a 3-hour work cycle for the child to work uninterrupted. At home, simplify your schedule to open up as much time as you can for the child to develop concentration. What other differences can you think of? I’ll talk about similarities in my next post, but don’t forget to check out what the team has to say on this: @montessorifamilyuk @montessori_marvels @montessorimix @victorias.way @the_prepared_environment #montessoriquestions #montessori #montessoriathome #montessorihome #montessorischool #montessorischoolsofinstagram #montessorichild #slowliving_raise #homeschoolpreschool #childhoodunplugged #homeschoolcollective #homeschoolmum #minimalistbedroom #minimalistkidsrooms #minimalistfamily #olliellabaskets #olliellaluggy #ikeakura #darkwalls

A post shared by Three Minute Montessori (@3mm.montessori) on Apr 23, 2019 at 6:30am PDT

2. A child with less toys plays with their imagination more.

Research shows that children with less toys have bigger imaginations. That’s because they need to develop the creative skills necessary to keep themselves entertained with the same toys. These creative skills, of course, translate later in life.

A German project called “Der Spielzeugfreie Kindergarten” (the nursery without toys) set out to see what would happen if they took all the toys away from kindergarten kids for three months. On the first day, the children seemed confused, but after a few days, they began playing with blankets and chairs, making forts and creating their own fun.

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Hur man lär barn att städa? De flesta barn har inga problem att städa eller plocka undan efter sig (går de på förskola har de definitivt koll på läget). Däremot är det ett problem att vi vuxna förväntar oss att barnen ska ta hand om mer än vad de kan hantera. Just nu, mitt i flyttpackandet, är det stökigare än vanligt hos oss, och jag märker hur min 3-åring både leker och städar undan sämre än vanligt. Valmöjligheterna är för många och det där med ”var sak på sin plats” är satt ur system. Som tur är så finns det ju en enkel lösning, nämligen att reducera. Imorgon kommer små kompisar på besök, men efter det har jag för avsikt att packa undan ungefär hälften av leksakerna. Förhoppningsvis sätter det igång kreativiteten igen, och gör att de två sista veckorna fram till flyttdagen flyter LITE smidigare. Bonus: Allt som plockats undan kommer kännas som nytt när det tas fram efter några veckors frånvaro. ✌🏻 . . . . . #minimalism #minimalistisklivsstil #hållbarlivsstil #minimalismmedbarn #minimalismwithkids #minimalisthome #minimalistkidsrooms #lekrum #städa #organisera #rensaut #fermliving #fermlivingkids #rubensbarn

A post shared by @ enkeltfamiljeliv on Dec 5, 2019 at 11:26am PST

3. Less toys means having to share more — a valuable lesson.

It’s inevitable that the less toys a child has, the more they’ll have to share their toys with siblings or friends because they less there are to go around. Sharing is a valuable lesson children need to learn early on, and teaching them to take turns with their toys is a surefire way to teach them it.

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My clever mama whipped these crochet bowls up for the boys while she visited. She'll kill me for sharing this because they're not her idea of "perfect" but I see nothing less then made with love. They're great for Maxies new birthday bits and bobs and they'll be wonderful baskets to use for nature play activities as well. I just love them

A post shared by F A L (@sonsandfolk) on Apr 5, 2017 at 7:44pm PDT

4. A minimalistic life teaches you and your children to appreciate non-material things.

Minimalism is, by definition, the subtraction of material things to teach you what matters most in life.

“What Minimalism is really all about is reassessment of your priorities so that you can strip away the excess stuff — the possessions and ideas and relationships and activities — that don’t bring value to your life,” according to The Minimalists.

Therefore, practicing minimalism with your children from a young age can teach them the importance of non-material things. The less toys they have, the more they’ll have to play with their friends and siblings, teaching them the importance of connections, for example.

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Le coin jeux de mes enfants. . . Je ne suis pas une adepte de la chambre rempli de jeux. J'ai appris à observer ceux avec quoi mes enfants aimaient jouer et fini par me séparer de ce qui causait plus de bordel qu'autre chose. J'aime ranger par catégorie et mes enfants ont pris cette habitude également. La tâche de rangement est plus simple quand on se limite à ce qui les fais vibrer. J'ai également réalisé que cela stimulait leur créativité. Ils explorent les jeux sous plusieurs formes et ca c'est juste génial a regarder. . . Et chez vous? Ca fonctionne cmt? #kidsroom #organizedtoys #minimalistkidsrooms #minimalisme #creativity #lovekids #kidsplayroom #ikea #ikeabelgium

A post shared by HayatHomeconcept (@hayathomeconcept) on Oct 3, 2019 at 11:16am PDT

5. Your child will learn to love the toys they do have more.

If your child has multiple toys, they’ll switch between them, playing with all or probably most of them. But, if your child only has one or a few toys, they’ll spend more time playing with those toys. Therefore, they’ll inevitably develop a deeper appreciation for the things that they have. If they don’t, that’s a lesson they’ll have to learn in the process — to be grateful for what they do have instead of to be focused on what they don’t have.

This article originally appeared on Fairygodboss. As the largest career community for women, Fairygodboss provides millions of women with career connections, community advice and hard-to-find intel about how companies treat women.

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