I Stopped Hiding Our Toys in Drawers. Now Everyone Plays, Even the Teenagers
The toys and art supplies I bought vs how I set them up so they get played with consistently. Toddlers to Teens. When toys are in sight, everyone plays.
When art supplies are shoved in a drawer in the kitchen, they don’t get used. We all know it. We all do it. Even me.
And when I want to reset our too many screens, too much whining, too many ‘can you buy me this’ moments, I open the drawers and cabinets, and set the toys and supplies we already have free.
Because when toys and art supplies are accessible and in sight, everyone dips in and out of play.
Here are a few basics, that you probably have at home, and how I set them up so that my kids play with them.
Magnetic Cubes.
Everyone is going nuts for these and for good reason. They are inexpensive, great for all ages, and they are just so satisfying to click together.
If you have a baby:
These are the baby version. No set up needed, no added accessories. Just set them right in front of your sitting baby on the floor, on a cookie sheet, or straight onto the high chair tray. Start with one or two cubes and build up to the full set of 6 cubes over time.
Toddlers and Preschoolers:
These are the GOAT of coffee table toys. If you want to be able to get in a few minutes of independent play while you do what you need to do, put out some cubes on a low table in your kitchen or living room (wherever you will be) and pair them with one interest toy. If your child loves dinosaurs, put out cubes and a few small dinos. If they love trucks or vehicles, these are a great option. If they love animals, go with these.
One idea to remember:
An open ended toy (the cubes) paired with their interest right now (dinos, vehicles, animals).
Elementary School kids:
Put these right on your kitchen counter after school with a snack and homework supplies. They can play and unwind with a snack before they start their homework. Leave them out. You’ll be surprised how much everyone in the family picks them up.
Teens:
Put these cubes out in your TV room on the coffee table. This summer, my college age son’s friends used them all the time when they were watching the World Cup, movies and hanging around the house
Interlocking Blocks
These are the newest addition to my Coffee Table Toy Collection… and we LOVE it. But how you set it up matters.
This is how the toy looks when you buy it. Don’t leave it in the box!! Dump it out in a clear tray or container and set it right on your table. Like this:
This set up is for all ages, but if you have littles, only put out half of the set to start. You can build onto it. Remember… too much too soon leads to dumping and overwhelm.
If you find this type of content easy to digest, and even easier to implement, Something Playful is a paid series inside this publication. Each installment takes one type of play material (playdough, magnetic tiles, art supplies, sensory toys, chalk, bath toys, and more) and tells you exactly what to put out, how much, and what to do when it stops working. Age-by-age. Become a paid subscriber for the full series →
So far I’ve covered stickers, magnetic tiles, bath toys, playdough, board games, the art cart, and sensory toys. Still coming: play silks, dolls, water play, blocks, paint, Lego, and more!
If you have been thinking about subscribing, this is a good week to start. New subs have access to all the archives. I would start with The Playdough Edit.
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Kwik Stix.
Mess free paint? Yes please! We’ve all bought them. And then… they sit in a drawer. Maybe you’ve pulled them out for “an art project” or something like that. But these? These deserve to be in your everyday rotation:
(the rest is for my paid subs. Subscribe to keep reading.)
