The winter holidays are upon us. And if you’re like most families, this means there will be an influx of things into your home, especially for your children.

Over the years, my husband and I have done a good job of reminding our loved ones that we don’t need more stuff. Instead, we ask those who live far away to save their money and spend it to come and visit us (or those local to us to join us for a special meal or a cup of tea or fun nearby trip together). Unless it’s consumable or something we truly could use, we ask people to please not gift it to us.

We haven’t, however, drawn such a line with gifts for our boys. We encourage people to give them experiences, and to provide fewer, but higher-quality things that will last a long time and won’t simply be set aside in a day or two. But still, things eventually accumulate and there is a need to pare down.

Because I know our loving families will gift our boys all sorts of charming things (even I’m excited about a couple of the things I know are coming!), my boys and I spent time this week going through the items in their room to purge items that are no longer being used regularly.

Some of the things we pulled out are toys that are no longer enjoyed (mostly things my 2-year-old has outgrown), toys where a missing piece renders them useless (such as certain magic tricks or games) or toys that were never particularly used to begin with. For instance, our credit union lets kids pick out a free, cheap, plastic toy every time they make a deposit over $5 into their savings account – so we end up with a fair of things that are exciting for a minute, but are really not enjoyed beyond that. Thankfully my 6-year-old has decided he really doesn’t want them any more, but my 2-year-old still collects them regularly. (I’ve actually talked to the credit union about providing pencils or notepads or other small items that could be both fun and useful, but that’s another story).

We’re also clearing out old art projects (see HERE) that are no longer being enjoyed, some of which will be used as gift wrap (see HERE) for our holiday gifts. We’re sorting out clothes with huge holes or lots of stains or things that my youngest has outgrown. We’re moving art supplies that have migrated into their room back to their proper shelf or drawer in our project space. We’re putting books back on their shelves in the living room.

Now, when they come home from our family visit with a few new things, it’ll be easy to find a space for them. In the meantime, it’ll be easier for them to find and use the items they already have.

Do you clean out your children’s space prior to the holidays?