So much so, that it had a significant negative impact on my mental health and wellbeing. I fantasised about a great wind blowing in and taking with it all of my possessions, enabling me to start from scratch, but equally I felt paralysed by my inability to make decisions about what I could and should part with. I spent all of my precious free time cleaning, organising and rearranging toys and resources.
Does this sound familiar? Is this you? Then, what if I was to tell you that you could be happier with less? That your children could be happier with less? That you will have more space in your life. Not just physical space, although you will have that too, but space in your day for play and fun. Space to follow your own interests and meet your own needs. Space to be still. Space in your life to cultivate more joy through quality family time.
In this course you will learn how to declutter your child’s toy collection, keeping just the key pieces that your child needs to thrive. You will learn practical solutions for setting up a toy rotation system that suits your family. You will create a calm, beautiful and purposeful play space for your whole family to enjoy.
This is the course that I wish had been available to me years ago, when I felt overwhelmed by the clutter in my home.
What if, I was to tell you that you could be happier with less?…
Who is this course for?
This course is for parents and childcare professionals who would like to simplify their play and learning space, enabling their children to play more independently and for longer stretches of time. This course is open worldwide. All you need is an email address to access the course content.
​
In order to see a positive and lasting impact, this course will require you to make a commitment of time and thinking space, as well as the completion of some practical tasks. You will find that you make better progress, and get more value from your investment, if you are able to fully engage in the process.
Please be aware that the practical task of decluttering, which will take place during Week 2, will require a good chunk of child-free time. I would recommend a full day, or two half days, to complete this task, so you might like to consider whether this is a realistic expectation for you before you commit.
Why should you take the course with me?
I am an Early Years consultant, specialising in play. I’ve worked with children in a play capacity for the past 20+ years, first as an Early Years teacher and then as a childminder. I am still childminding part time. I am also a mother and home educator. Just five years ago I was drowning in children’s toys, so I speak from first hand experience of how setting up a toy rotation system in my setting has transformed play and learning experiences.
​
100% of my trial participants said that they enjoyed the course, and that they'd recommend the course to others.
"I absolutely loved this course! It has helped me to simplify our toys and living spaces. By setting up a toy rotation system, it has not only made my children's play more meaningful, it has also helped calm my anxiety about clutter! Anyone who wants to simplify their life and encourage their children to partake in deeper and more meaningful play should do this course!"
​
"What a fun, inspiring course! This was just what I needed to get our play space under control. We now have a functional system that inspires creativity and deeper engagement in play. I am so thankful that I was able to participate, I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to make a positive change!"
​
"An enjoyable and informative course - highly recommend. I had already begun rotating toys. but this course has really helped me to focus on how to choose what to select and ensuring play space is as minimal as possible, while thinking of how to make this manageable and practical in day to day life. And it is working! My 3yo loves when she finds her toys newly rotated and I am sure that it is a massive factor in her ability to play independently for long chunks of time."
How will the course work?
Each week you will be able to access the course content via a private members area on my website, so you can watch the videos and read the handbooks at your own leisure.
There will be a private ‘members only’ Facebook group, where you are welcome and encouraged to ask questions, post photos and related articles etc. I will be checking in with the members of the Facebook group most days to post conversation starters and discussion prompts, and will be available to answer questions. Although not a requirement, the Facebook group membership will enable you to engage more fully in the process.
-
Week 1The first week of the course will centre around the joy of less, for living in general, but also specifically in relation to children and toys. We will talk about the advantages of a toy rotation system. We will explore the difference between open ended/flexible and closed/non flexible toys, and how to choose quality toys that will support your child’s interests and development. We will talk about how to observe your child at play, identify your child’s learning style, and how to make decisions about the best play materials for their space. By the end of the first week you will feel motivated to get your toy rotation system in place, feeling confident that the changes you make are going to have a big impact in your home or setting.
-
Week 2During the second week we will focus on gathering, sorting and decluttering your child’s toys and learning materials. This will be a BIG practical week, so you may want to plan ahead and factor in some child free time when you are able to focus on this. I will talk you through the process, step-by-step, to help you make decisions about what remains in your toy library, and we will discuss the possible exit strategies for the toys and resources that are surplus to your requirements. By the end of the second week, you will have a better understanding of what toys and resources you have, and you will feel lighter for having made the decision to part with those that serve no purpose in your life moving forward.
-
Week 3During the third week we will explore the different options for toy rotation systems, enabling you to confidently choose which system works best for you and your family. We will talk about suitable storage, how to present materials in a way that will invite your child to play with them, and about how and when to rotate toys. As part of this third week I will give you a short tour of our main play and learning space, as well as a tour of how I store our toys, books and learning materials. I'll also help you with practical solutions for your storage issues. By the end of the third week you will have a toy rotation system in place that works for you. At this point we will break for two weeks, to enable you the time to implement your new system, and observe the impact it is having in your home.
-
Week 4During the final week we will explore how to set up your play and learning space to inspire and excite your little learners. I will answer some frequently asked questions, and offer practical solutions for troubleshooting areas. Finally, we’ll think about the shift in mindset needed to maintain a toy rotation system, exploring the true impact of our consumer choices.