Mindful living- Children's Toy Edition
Back when I used to produce the Black Minimalists podcast, I spent a lot of time answering questions about children, toys, clutter, and mess. I recently had a grand time with Christine Platt of the AfroMinimalist on her instagram story sharing about our experiences, our minimalist journey, and how far we’ve come.
The truth is, now that my daughter is older…her room is way more cluttered than it used to be. It PAINS ME. BUT, she is the steward of her space. I of course guide her, clean for and with her. But as she has gotten older, her needs, her play requirements, and her social life have expanded. So her room has too.
A beautiful and tidy corner of her room. It does not look this adorable as I write this.
The one thing that has stayed consistently throughout this is our intentionality with what comes into our house and her space. I get told yearly how “difficult” I am from family members about gifting for her. The fact of the matter is, anything in our home we are responsible for, and I don’t want to be responsible for poorly made, single use, plastic stuff that breaks easily. That is just more for me to clean up as well as non- biodegradable stuff that ends up in landfills.
We are by no means perfect, but we make an effort, and I try to model what taking responsibility for ourselves and the possessions we are so blessed to have looks like for my child.
So what does that look like for our family ?
Search for Natural, biodegradable toys
Think wool, wool felt, cotton, linen, hemp, wood, and silk. Toys get lost sometimes, and I prefer to imagine toys made from natural fibers slowly degrading back into the Earth then sitting there forever like plastic does.
This board is often a slide, skateboard, rocker, hammock, boat, and much more, and if it it ever breaks, it can be composted, But its incredibly strong.
Questioning whether or not we actually need something,
I try to look at toys as whether or not they will aid in stimulating, entertaining or even helping her learn depending on where she is at developmentally. Then there are some beloved toys like playsilks that have no age limit.
Look for open ended toys
We love toys that stimulate her creativity and imagination. A crocheted basket can become a nest for a hen, a basket to carry to the farmers market or hold crayons.
Playsilks are the ultimate open ended toy in our home.
Try to find it second hand
This goes without saying, but local buy/sell/trade groups and ebay are great for this.
Try to make it:
My first attempt at this was buying plain playsilks and dying them myself. A favorite of hers, mine, and the neighborhood kids.
Buy it:
from businesses that prioritize children, safety, and the Earth’s safety. We shop mostly from Sarah Silks (use code FARAI10 for 10% off) as well as Etsy, our local toy shop and cute online boutiques as well.
Hand it Down
Many of my kiddos toys and books are hand me downs, and we LOVE handing them down to younger friends once we have outgrown toys as well. Well made toys will pass into the hands of many, many children. We get to model that sense of sharing and community with her when we do so.
Of course these things are an investment, which is why we typically only budget around birthdays or our religious celebrations to make these investments.
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Thanks for your continued support.
Peace,
Farai
