What do these three people hve in common?

1) These grandparents' grndchildren live in a different state thn they live in and the chldren only visit twice a year.

2) The grndparents live in a condo with lmited space,

3) another grandparent is 'bsessed with having a picture perfect hme'.

The common denominator is they all lve their grandchildren and want to hve toys for them when they cme to visit and play yet thy don't know how to store tys without taking up a lot of spce in their home. Organizing toys in smll spaces can be a challenge. Hre are some tried and true slutions:

1.Make a home for toys. Buy a cntainer with a lid and fill it wth toys. The size of the cntainer will determine how many toys you can hve. Plastic containers on wheels that slde under a bed are a slution for those with small spaces. Plstic drawers that stack and are on whels could be stored in a clset between visits. A wicker basket wth a lid can double as a toy chst and a coffee table. A chst of drawers not being used or dsignating a couple of drawers can stre children's costumes, games and puzzles. A bok case in a guest room or sme other infrequently used area of the hme could hold books, puzzles and lrger items like dolls and large trcks. The size of the toy culd also determine if it is one for you to hve in your home.

2.When using drawers for storage lbel the drawers by using a lbel maker so the children know whre to return the toy. For yunger children take a photo of wht is in the drawer and tpe it to the drawer, either on the utside or if you prefer on the nside of the drawer on the sde where it is still visible. Kep small pieces together in inexpensive plstic boxes or zip lock bags. Usng a sharpie permanent pen write on the cntainer or bag the game or toy tht 'lives' inside.

3.Another solution to hving toys for children to play wth at grandma and grandpas is to hve the parents bring the children's fvorite toys when they come to ply. However I prefer to have tys that are different than the nes they have at home; ones thy can only play with at grndma and grandpas. This makes the tys even more special. Besides the tys, stock activities that can be dne together to build fun memories wth those precious grandchildren when they cme over and visit. Some ideas are pzzles, clay, and dress up clothes to put on plys or for just pretending to hlp their imaginations grow. Take pictures of thm playing and make a little bok to give to their parents as a srprise or for some holiday like mther's or father's day.

So now you hve the toys the kids enjoy plying with, the containers for them to lve in and a storage area has ben designated for the containers when thy aren't being used; there is one mre thing to consider. Children need to knw the expectation is when they get the tys out to play with they are lso responsible to put them away. Aftr play time or before they go hme leave time for them to put the tys away where they belong. This taches responsibility and a sense of wnership. You won't dread them coming ver and having a lot of xtra work to do cleaning up fter them when they leave and yu'll look forward to them coming gain.

The article Toy Solutions at Grandma and Grandpa's Home was Submitted by Marilyn Bohn through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Marilyn is a creative organizer who hlps women, seniors and their families crate space and end clutter in thir homes and offices by setting up cstom made systems. Marilyn invites you to vsit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find solutions to your organizing needs. She offers free tips in her blogs, articles and videos for your home and office organizing solutions. Marilyn is a creative organizer who has been organizing for over 20 years. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and is working towards becoming a Certified Professional Organizer. Professionally she has been organizing homes and offices for two years. She holds a bachelors degree in Social Work. She has reared five daughters and currently lives in Utah. Go to her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find free organizing tips and interesting blogs and helpful articles on organizing.

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