Chances are pretty good that you have been told all sorts of moving advice for appliances, electronics, and breakables. When you finally attempt to tackle your child’s toy collection you will realize that you have met your biggest challenge. Why hasn’t anyone told you how monumental this project is? Seriously, cleaning out the garage is less painful! Still, it has to be done. These tips will help.
Donate and Trash Boxes
Okay, before you start going through their toys, and deciding what to get rid of and what to keep remember that these are your child’s toys. He will notice when something is missing and considering a move can already be pretty traumatic for children, losing his favorite toy could seem like the end of the world. Unless your child is a baby or not quite old enough to make decisions he should have a say in what he keeps. If you explain donation to him you may be surprised at how generous he is, which means less for your pack. A few popular charities that accept toys include Toys for Tots, Salvation Army, and Goodwill. Anything that is broken should be thrown away.
Packing Advice
- Stuffed Animals – Your first instinct may be to cram all those plush stuffed animals in a box, but this is the worst thing you can do. These toys are often near your child’s face and in their bed. They should be protected against dust and water. Any that can be washed will need to be done several days before packing to make sure they are completely dry. Wrap each one individually on white paper.
- Puzzles and Kits – Any toys that have removable pieces should be completely disassembled prior to packing. If a piece is removable it will likely fall off or be broken during a move. Of course, puzzles will end up with one piece missing. Use individual Ziploc bags for each toy, puzzle, or kit to make sure no pieces are lost or damaged.
- Breakables – Your child likely has more breakables than you realize. Plastic toy cars and trucks can be cracked and action figures can easily be scratched, wrap them individually in t-shirts, tank tops, pillowcases, etc. There is no point using bubble wrap when you have plenty of cloth items that need to make the move anyway.
- Gadgets – High-tech gadgets, such as tablets and electronic educational toys need to be wrapped well and packed in a box marked as fragile. Remove all cords or cables and place them in bags marked according to each toy. Also, remove the batteries and place a piece of tape over the positive end of each one, so they do not rub against one another.
- Books – You do not realize how heavy books are until you go to lift a medium-sized box and pull your back. Stick with smaller boxes for these items. Place a garbage bag inside the box and put the books in the bag. This will protect them should it be raining or snowing on moving day.
The last thing to mention in this moving advice guide is to make sure you keep out a few favorite toys for the essentials box. When you arrive at the new house you can pull these toys out without having to deal with all the toy boxes. It is a good idea to let them pick the toys that get kept out, so there are no complaints.