Some great tips to get the kids to help out with the clear out

• Children love it when you say they’re a big boy/girl so you can use this to your advantage. Explain that some of their old toys are meant for babies and that they’re far too grown up to be playing with them anymore. With a bit of luck they might just agree with you.
• I’m sure you’ve heard of the saying ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure’. Well apply this to your child and their toys and hold a little swap shop with their friends. Although you won’t create any more space you will have more things that they’ll actually play with instead of them sat around collecting dust.
• Lots of the mums I’ve spoken to all use the same method which is to only bring toys out a few at a time; when you think they’re getting bored of something then put it away and get out something else. This can be especially useful if they get lots of toys for their birthday and you know they won’t appreciate everything if they have them all at once.
• There are lots of companies out there that specialise in storage solutions so it might be worth giving one a call for a quote. This is the costliest option but if you think it’ll make a big difference and you have lots of wasted space then it’s worth looking into.
• Evaluate whether any of their toys are actually meant to be used outside and if they are then relocate them to the shed. They’ll be easy to get out when you’re in the garden and won’t be an eyesore any more.
• See if there’s anything that can be repackaged to take up less space. For example, instead of having all their duplo sets in their separate boxes put them all together in one big container. It’ll also look far neater.
• Do some de-cluttering; just not in front of them. Wait until nap time and sort through anything that is irreparable, won’t be missed or any of their old magazines.