The holiday season often comes with lots and lots of STUFF. Among the rules I share below, I think embracing activities and time spent together more than just gift exchanging is a huge help with reducing the overwhelm that stuff adds to our homes. Not just because of space, but the stress of buying and choosing the perfect gift just to GIVE something can be draining financially and emotionally. Unless you know the person will love it, try doing something fun together instead of exchanging gifts.

Here are five rules to help you and your family live in a more organized and less chaotic environment leading up to this gift giving season.

RULE #1: Keep Toys on Rotation

Even old toys will feel brand new when a child hasn’t seen it in a few weeks! I recommend organizing containers of toys that are accessible, then packing them up, and pulling out stored containers filled with different toys periodically. This also works with moving toys to different areas of the house by swapping upstairs toys with downstairs toys, or even changing out car toys. Get the most out of the toys you buy!

RULE #3: Less Is More

Too many toys can be distracting for kids and they actually have a shorter attention span with each toy because there are so many to choose from. This ties into Rule #1, so they have less toys out at one time. If you wonder why your child has a hard time entertaining themselves or sitting with toys/books for 20 minutes or longer, it could be that there is too much visual clutter distracting them from the current task. Compare it to an adult working from home. It’s nearly impossible to focus on work when you have laundry, Netflix, dinner, cleaning, kids, books, and a hundred other things you could be doing. Your kids will appreciate having access to less. Donate unused toys often, dispose of broken toys/parts, and temporarily store some away if you have a lot.