Science proves kids are happier with fewer toys

Very interesting.

Since having kids I feel like my house is about ten per cent furniture and 90 per cent toys. Even when I cut back on how many things I personally buy them once birthdays and Christmas comes around they are inundated with toys and gifts from friends and family. If your household is the same then you may want to consider down-sizing and donating some of your children's toys because science says they are better off without so many. According to new research conducted by the University of Toledo, young children are actually happier with fewer toys. During the study, researchers created rooms for children younger than three years. Some of these rooms had four toys while the other rooms had 16 toys. Despite the children in the room with 16 toys having more of a variety of items to play with, it was found that the children in the rooms with only four toys were actually more content.   One of the researchers over seeing the study noted that "opportunities for novelty without creating the distraction posed by having too many toys available." It was also found that the toddlers in the room with fewer toys were actively engaged for a longer period of time using their imagination and further developing their cognitive skills.

"This suggests that the other toys present may have created a source of external distraction, provoking the participants to abandon play with a toy at hand to explore another."

The results of the study found that not only are children more content with having fewer toys but it is actually better for their developmental skills. So there you have it, not only will having less toys in your house save you a lot of tidying up but it's actually much better for your child's wellbeing and development.