If you have children, chances are, you have toys—and more toys than you have room for, too. Toys probably clutter every room in your home, from the bathroom to the garage. How do you go about conquering the toy clutter? You need a plan. Here are some tips for organizing the toys in your home.

Get Rid Of Toys:

Most kids live like pack rats and don’t want to get rid of anything. If your child’s room is overflowing, it is time to go through the toys and start getting rid of some of them. You can ask your child to fill a box or bag with unused toys or you can do it yourself when they aren’t home. You can have a garage sale, or encourage your children to donate their toys to charity. The idea is to let go of toys that they don’t play with any more, or those that are missing pieces or are broken. If you find that you have a lot of small toys (like those that come in kid’s meals at fast food places), consider using these for prizes around the holidays or giving them to your child’s teacher to use as treasure box items. That will get them out of your house and put them to good use.

Divide And Conquer:

When it comes to toys, you can have all sorts of things cluttering up your home. You need to start a good organization system now. Take all of your child’s toys and divide them into like toys—such as Legos in one pile, Barbie and Barbie accessories in another and plastic food in another pile. Then take a look at your piles. Think of a way to sort these so your child can pick them up easily. For example, place a shelf in your child’s room and add colorful baskets. Make each basket for a certain type of toy. Under the bed storage boxes work well for toys that you don’t want to get rid of, but aren’t played with often. Use stackable plastic drawers for easy storage and pick up, too. When you stick to a system, it will be easier to clean up in the future.

Look Up:

When looking for storage space for toys, look up. How about hanging a net or chain from the ceiling to store the zoo of stuffed animals. Install high shelves for items that your child wants to display. Hang a shoe organizer from the top of the closet door and store Barbie’s and other small items. Use your space well and in no time, your child will have conquered the toy clutter.