Toy Rotation and Library List

Who this is for

Fewer toys out, the rest resting in boxes. The list records every toy and game, which rotation box it belongs to and whether it is out or stored, and the checklist covers what to do on the day you swap them over.

Parents who rotate toys so children have fewer out at once, and families clearing toys that have been outgrown so they can be passed on, sold or given away.

What this helps you track

• Every toy and game in the house and which box it lives in
• What is out now and what is resting in storage
• When each item was last out
• The condition of each toy and whether pieces are missing
• What to keep, pass on or sell

How to use it

1. Write who the toys are for, how many rotation boxes you use and how often you swap them at the top.
2. Go round the house and list every toy and game, giving each a box number and a category.
3. Mark each one out or stored, and note the date it last came out.
4. On rotation day, work through the checklist, swap the boxes and update the out or stored column.
5. Use the last column to decide what stays and what goes; the browser version saves in your own browser so the list can be kept up to date.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How many boxes and how often should we rotate?

That is entirely up to you and your children. The sheet has a field for your own number of boxes and your own rotation frequency; some families change it after a few weeks of seeing what gets played with.

Why record the date an item was last out?

It shows which toys keep coming back into favour and which have sat unplayed through several rotations, which makes the keep or pass on decision easier.

Can a child help keep the list?

Yes. Older children can tick the checklist, count pieces and suggest what to pass on. Letting them choose which box comes out next often helps a rotation go down well.

Is this a toy library in the lending sense?

No, it is a home list. If you borrow from or lend to other families, write the lender or borrower in the note column, or keep a separate borrowed and lent log.