Minimalism and children: fewer toys for more creativity?

Categories: Children's Room

Minimalism and degrowth are lifestyles increasingly adopted by couples, families, and singles alike. The idea? Living better with less and this also applies very well to children's toys. Indeed, if you feel that your child's toy boxes are overflowing, maybe it's time to consider this new way of consuming.

What is minimalism?

A minimalist lifestyle simply consists of changing the way we consume to reduce what we own to what we really need. Far from being innovative, this way of living is closer to that of our grandparents who lived with much less and who also used their crafting skills to make their everyday objects.

In a largely capitalist society where everyone is pushed to consume, the idea is to go against this movement to return to something more essential. By adopting a minimalist lifestyle, we can thus identify our true needs, but also opt for a more economical and eco-responsible lifestyle. Moreover, environmentally conscious households are often the first to turn to minimalism to improve their daily lives.

Why is it relevant with children?

Children are a public largely affected by advertising and marketing that pushes to always consume more. Result? They often find themselves in an ocean of toys and don't even know what they want anymore. Indeed, between their desires, gifts from relatives, and parents' impulse purchases, children tend to accumulate many items that sometimes are used very little, if at all.

Minimalism therefore becomes even more relevant with a young audience as it will allow them to approach play in a completely different way. By returning to the essentials, the child appreciates the toys they have and shows even more creativity and imagination in giving an object different functions.

How to be minimalist with children?

Implementing a more minimalist lifestyle with children isn't always straightforward and there are several changes that will need to be implemented at home.

Limit accumulation

The watchword with minimalism is to limit accumulation. This means making available to your child only quality toys that they truly enjoy playing with. A major sorting may then be necessary to get rid of what is broken, useless, no longer age-appropriate, etc. With fewer toys at their disposal, your child actually finds it easier to focus on one activity and will therefore take even more pleasure in playing.

Extend the lifespan of each toy

When making a purchase, make sure that the chosen toy will still be useful in a few weeks, months, or even years. Indeed, there are toys that children never let go of and others that they barely use for a few hours. Learn to recognize what will truly appeal to your child to give each toy a longer lifespan.

Along the same lines, you can definitely turn to second-hand items. This way you avoid opting for a new article (which is more eco-responsible) and at the same time make real savings.

Maintain an organized space

By becoming minimalist, you will also appreciate seeing your child's room transform. Indeed, not accumulating tons of toys helps to maintain a better organized and tidier space. When you notice that toy chests and storage baskets are overflowing, it's very likely time to sort through things again. To make your child's play space as pleasant as possible, provide them with suitable storage elements.

The bunk bed to save space

In a small bedroom, it's not always easy to maintain a tidy room. Therefore, tricks can be implemented to save space such as using a bunk bed. The 3-bed or 2-bed bunk bed avoids cluttering space, especially in a shared room. Bunk beds indeed take up very little space and can accommodate several children.

Still with the idea of preserving the environment and your wallet, you can opt for a children's bunk bed such as a wooden bunk bed. Durable, it can take several forms by highlighting the wood color, choosing a white bunk bed, or mixing both like our Nomade bunk bed 90x200 cm. You can even opt for a separable bunk bed if you plan to create two distinct rooms in the future and you will therefore benefit from the advantages of the bunk bed.

Set rules for gifts

Finally, if you decide to become minimalist and/or practice degrowth, ensure that those around you respect this wish, especially regarding gifts given to children. For birthdays or end-of-year celebrations, you can suggest a list of gift ideas to avoid unnecessary purchases. You can also ask to limit the number of gifts to one per family. These methods will help you manage these festive moments that can lead to an sometimes exaggerated outpouring of gifts.

Focus on simple things

Finally, remember that children can have fun with little and that the simplest toys and objects allow them to deploy all their creativity.