I have been a child who owned toys, and a parent trying to decide how many toys is too many; I co-founded an eco toy company that wants to sell toys at the same time as trying to create a more sustainable toy industry built on less consumption. Contradictions? Yes. But insights into toys? Also yes.
In this blog I discover what the 10 toy rule is, and how many toys children actually need. Is it better to have fewer toys or should we embrace the chaos and give the kids as many as the 21st century can provide? And of course, what’s the impact on the environment if our kids have too many toys?
What is the 10 toy rule?
The 10 toy rule is the idea that kids should only have 10 toys out to play with at any one time. All the rest should be stored away. Every week you rotate the toys so kids have new toys to play with but never have access to too many at one time.
There are plenty of reasons why introducing a 10 toy rotation system is a good idea:
- It removes clutter, making it easier to keep on top of tidying at the end of each day.
- It helps kids be more creative in their play.
- It increases the focus and attention span of kids when they’re playing.
- It removes decision fatigue about what to play with.
Is it bad for kids to have too many toys?
Apart from the paralysis of choice, is it bad for kids to have too many toys? The science says yes. Too many toys overloads kids’ brains, reducing their attention span and replacing deeply focused imaginative play with restless flitting between toys. It can even fuel sibling conflict.
For kids, having too many toys is like adults having too many channels. It’s really hard to choose what to watch if you’ve got Netflix and Neon and Disney and TVNZ on demand and Hulu and Amazon and Apple. You spend all the time choosing and none of the time actually enjoying watching a show. Remember the good old days when there were only 3 TV channels? So much easier to choose what to watch, and if there was nothing on, you just went and did something else. It’s the same with kids, faced with an entire room of toys they can spend all the time choosing what to play with and no time playing.
What is the 20 toy rule for kids?
I actually thought the 10 toy rule was only having 10 toys in total, not having the rest stashed away in cupboards and part of a toy rotation. The thought of only having 10 toys was quite intimidating: which 10 would you keep? Perhaps if you don’t have the space or desire to keep a cupboard filled with spare toys, having 20 toys in total might be a better idea. It gives more range without being too restrictive.
Putting a limit on the total number of toys is a great way to reduce consumption, save money, be more creative in gift giving and teach children to donate and gift to those less fortunate.
First reduce the number of toys to 20, then operate a one-in-one-out system. When new toys are received, usually after birthdays and Christmas, help your child select an existing toy to donate to the op shop. Don’t be too prescriptive, if you child loves and plays with all their toys, that’s fine keep them all. But when the number starts creeping up, there’ll be ones that they’ve grown out of, or don’t play with any more and these can be donated.
Doing this regularly creates habits of not owning too much stuff, and donating to others who are less fortunate. Both of these are vital attributes we all need to develop in the 21st century when overconsumption and inequality are putting stress on the planet and our communities.
How many types of toys are there?
So if you’re only going to have 20 toys, what counts as a toy? This depends on the age of your child, what they like and your own personal opinion. Here are some ideas to help you decide on what counts as a toy:
- Sets of toys count as one. All Lego is one, all blocks are one, Barbie and her dreamhouse counts as one. Sets encourage story telling and imagination, and it’d be sad to deprive Barbie of her friends just for the sake of a strict 20 toy rule!
- Books are separate
- Art supplies are separate, although they can get out of hand so you might want to limit the number of art supplies to what fits on the art shelf, or in the art container
- Outdoor equipment is separate, don’t count the bike and the trampoline, but if you have hundreds of balls or other outdoor toys, you might want to think about only having 20 outdoor toys.
Once these categories are out of the count, it starts to get easier to see the toys that don’t get played with.
The goal is not deprivation, it’s to make life and play easier. Basically you’re trying to encourage maximum fun and play, with minimum stress, clutter and decision fatigue. Be guided by what your child likes to play with and how old they are.
How many toys does a child need?
There’s not a definitive number of toys that a child needs. The goal for parents is to not succumb to the 21st Century excess that leads us to buying more and more and more; and the goal for kids is to be able to play creatively and imaginatively. And to have space on the floor to build the worlds that exist in their imaginations!
Choosing toys that promote open-ended play is a great way to encourage this creativity and imagination.
10 toy product category examples
So with all that mind, here are 10 toy product categories that give kids a range of play and skills development. Do you think this list covers all aspects of play?
- Word play - books, magnetic letters, writing and activity books
- Number play - counting toys and blocks
- Puzzles - jigsaw puzzles
- Active outdoor play - bikes, balls, EcoSplat reusable water balloons, sports equipment and mud kitchens
- Storytelling and imagination - soft toys, finger puppets, picnic sets, lego and vehicles
- Music - toy instruments
- Dress-ups
- Nature play - magnifying glass and Nature Fun Card Games to encourage connections with nature
- Arts and crafts - pens, paper, paint, drawing and colouring books
- Characters - people and animal figurines, doll houses and dolls
If you could only have 10 toys?
I put this to the test and asked my 12 year old if she could only have 10 toys what would they be? Granted, 12 year olds are getting out of the ‘toy stage’ and most of the toys on the above list don’t apply, but as we’re all at risk of over consumption, it’s important to think about what we really need. Here is her answer:
1. Laptop, because you can do anything on it.
2. Hockey gear
3-7. Five books with multiple stories in them
8. Pack of cards - I can play by myself and with people
9. Cranium - my new favourite game
10. Dirt bike but failing that a mountain bike
This is a pretty good range, it includes sports, reading, a board game, things to do by herself and with other people. Although I’m not sure about whether it’s going to save me any money when the list includes a laptop and dirtbike!
Then, because I was wondering, I asked what she would want for birthdays and Christmases if there were only 10 toys. Here is the answer:
“I’m tempted to say donations to charities but to be honest I would be disappointed with that. So I guess a trip somewhere. Maybe some clothes.”
The goal of the 10 toy rule is to encourage creative, imaginative, more deeply focused play; reduce clutter and consumption and encourage actively thinking about what kids need and love.
I’d love to know what your thoughts on this are? Do you have a toy rotation system? Or limit the number of toys in the house?
Until next time,
Helen