By Kim Conti, Founder & CEO Orbit Crates
I've been a parent for only - and, I can't believe it! - 10 years. I feel like I've lived so many lives since my kids were babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. While I'm still learning so much, I've learned that less is more when it comes to the things we give our kids. As much as I tried to protect my threshold, I really wish I spent less time organizing the house, and more time interacting with my kids. If I look back on what my kids will remember, I hope they think about the things we did, not the stress I was under to keep the house clean.
That said, I also want our house to be peaceful and relaxing to reduce stress on all of us. I think minimalism is the only the way to achieve both of these results. But when it comes to toys, balancing novelty and an organized home is hard.
I didn't have a company like Orbit Crates which would have allowed me to let me kids play with all of the greatest toys on the market, but return them with they're done. Had I had a company like Orbit Crates, I would have been able to keep my toys to a minimum and really invested in the right ones.
Here are the primary toys I would have bought for my kids and kept everything else to rental:
- Wooden blocks - stack them up, knock them down. Create patterns, create shelters. There's a reason why these have been around for years and enjoyed by kids of all ages.
- Magnatiles - once my kids got old enough, I was excited to see them play with these plastic tiles. They continue to play with them at all ages given their durability and open-ended play.
- Toy food & dishes - this one is a slippery slope, because there's so many variations out there today. I highly recommend keeping your list to 10 - 15 high-quality "cutting" foods, no more. Go for the name brands on this and avoid cheap, malleable, and potentially dangerous small foods. Add a few place settings and there's enough to create a restaurant, picnic, or a kitchen. Any more, and you'll start drowning in pieces.
- Small box of vehicles - there's a reason why every vacation rental home has a small bin of mismatched cars. Take them outside or inside and they provide fun at every age. Have you kids build ramps, car ports, cars & cities and draw maps and roads.
- Small box of characters - this is also a dangerous slope. I'd try to keep all your "character" figurines to a small bin. Encourage kids to mix and match characters in imagery worlds, and be careful not to acquire too many of these little guys which quickly start to feel like junk.
- 3 - 5 puzzles - if kids are in the right mood, puzzles can encourage longer play and even provide fun for adults. But they also can build up quickly and kids lose interest fast. I'd recommend no more than 3 - 5 puzzles in the home at a time. I'd also encourage renting puzzles from your local library, from other monthly puzzle clubs, or within an Orbit Crate.
- 3 - 5 games - similar to puzzles, your kids will probably have a few favorite games. Minimize small pieces, game storage, and keep to a few family favorites. As your kids get older, the shift for games over toys might win out, but in the early days, limit having to store too many of these.
- 3 - 5 dolls or stuffies - it's hard to stop snatching up these adorable friends, but try for a less is more approach here. If your kids really love caring for these friends, try to expand ways of play by renting our crates and interacting with them in different ways (playing doctor; having them run a construction site; etc.). We know that sadly, stuffies cannot be donated and end up in a landfill. How tragic!
- Books - I always thought books were a great gift instead of toys, but surely, you can become overrun by these, too. Skip owning too many and support your local library!
- Crayons, markers & scrap paper - this is another overly saturated retail category. I'd try to limit your play spaces to a few bins or boxes and reuse scrap paper whenever possible. At Orbit Crates, we like to encourage having these supplies on hand to expand ways of play with all of our crates. Whether it's making a "play plan" or drawing out a map for things that go or making a doctor checklist, incorporating scribbling, drawing, and writing will extend toy play significantly.
- BONUS! Okay, we have two more big category recommendations. Cardboard boxes, pillows and blankets. These are things most people have on hand, and will provide endless fun for toddlers to older kids. We encourage a lot of fort building in our house, and interactivity between toys and boxes. This extends play and helps kids rely less on "pre-made plastic." It pushes their imagination beyond boundaries and encourages flexibility. Are you renting our camping set and want a tent? Build one! Are you renting our baking set and would like a menu? Write one. Are you renting our farm, and want a bigger barn? Draw & build one. By combining these household objects, kids move beyond what's provided to them, and stretch in creative ways. This is a great example of how to teach kids to do more, with less.
By combining these 10 essentials plus rentals from Orbit Crates, you'll encourage independent play; keep kids in novel play; and reduce clutter and consumption in your home. These are some of our favorites, what about you?