First we sorted all the toys and put them into categories; Cars, Animals, Balls, Kitchen, Puzzles etc. I had some extra shoe-box-size clear plastic totes on hand and they worked as perfect containers for many of the toys. I also used some collapsible cubes for the bigger toys. A tip for the thrifty: go through your household and look for boxes, crates, bags, and cans that can be used before heading to the store to buy expensive items.
The labels on the plastic totes were incredibly easy to make. I considered doing something on the computer but I wanted to include the boys and have fun while doing it. We used our arts/craft time during the boys' lessons to create these labels.
List of supplies:
Colored pencils- these are the easiest to use with stencils. Make sure your tip is sharp.
Recipe Cards
Stencils
Packing Tape
Next I stenciled out the categories I needed and added some graphics. By having a picture of what actually goes in the box, the boys are able to clean up and know where their toys go.
To ensure the labels stay on the boxes and aren't ripped off, I took two pieces of packing tape slightly longer than my cards and taped the cards on the inside of the box. Make sure all your edges are taped down and these will hold up well to little prying fingers!
The end product turned out great and was more fun to make than I'd imagined but maybe that's just my OCD getting it's fix.
Very cute! I love it :)
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