A Parent-Tested & Simplicity Parenting Approved List of Toys That Build Calm, Creative Kids (and Cut Clutter by 90%)
Ready to put the Simplicity Parenting book into action? When I first started, I was excited but overwhelmed. What I couldn’t find—despite hours of research—was a clear simplicity parenting toy list to guide me.
I didn’t just need to declutter; I needed to organize. I needed a simple, practical list of what to keep and what to buy to support this new lifestyle.
My family began the Simplicity Parenting journey when my daughter was a toddler, and from the moment I read Dr. Kim John Payne’s book, I knew it was the healthiest path forward.
And if you’re here, you probably feel the same.
Quick Take
Keep open-ended toys that spark imagination, ditch the clutter. Our top picks: Play Silks, Blocks/Planks, Art Supplies, Nature Journal, and 1-2 Favorite Lovables.
Why This List Matters
Parenting gets cluttered—literally. Too many toys can overwhelm kids, spark tantrums, and create stress at home. The Simplicity Parenting Toy List helps you cut through the noise and focus on open-ended, calming toys.
What You Need To Know About The Simplicity Parenting Toy List
The Simplicity Parenting Toy List, inspired by Waldorf education, focuses on open-ended toys that spark imagination and creativity. It’s not about having more toys—it’s about having the right ones, and following through with family rhythms and boundaries.
When we first committed to the list, the purge felt daunting. But it wasn’t nearly as hard as I feared. Once I started, it actually got easier—and the results were dramatic.
At the time, my daughter was 4½. Even though I had decluttered before, the toys kept piling up with every birthday, holiday, and impulse buy. Most were thoughtful gifts, which made me feel guilty for packing them away. But if she couldn’t even find those toys in the clutter, what good were they?
So we got serious. In one weekend, we reduced her toys and books by about 90%.
Before and after
We made a list of toys to keep
I explained that she’d enjoy her room more if we kept only her favorite toys. Then I asked her to make a list—away from the toys—to keep the focus on what mattered.
Here’s what she chose, completely on her own:
- Harry (a doll she could see from the kitchen—oops!)
- Babydoll
- “Fairies” (play silks and dress-up)
- Scooter
- Bubbles
- Ashlyn (doll)
- Drawing materials
No plastic junk. No shelves of forgotten toys. Just a short list of meaningful, high-quality playthings. And the best part? She seemed calmer. The overwhelming amount of toys was stressing her out!
What I Prompted My Child To Keep
After she picked her list, I suggested a few favorites I knew she loved:
- Cash register (great for pretend shops, banks, and markets)
- Play kitchen and pretend food
- Tea set
- Ukulele
- Four stuffed animals
She seemed anxious about losing too many lovables, so I reassured her she could keep her absolute favorites. That simple promise made the process calmer for both of us.
The Purge Process
To make it easier, I promised not to throw anything away unless it was broken. Everything else would be placed in black bags or containers for storage, then donated. If she didn’t ask for a toy over the next couple of months, we’d pass it along.
We gathered every toy in the house into one giant pile. It was overwhelming, but effective. By the end, nearly 90% of her toys and books were gone—stored, donated, or tossed—and her play space felt light and manageable.
Before and after
And the result? A calmer child, deeper play, and a room that could be tidied in minutes.
What My Child Asked To Keep
- Harry (#parentingfail as she could see this doll from our kitchen table)
- Babydoll
- “Fairies” (meaning play silks and dress up items)
- Scooter
- Bubbles
- Ashlyn (doll)
- Drawing materials
What?!? Where’s the plastic junk, the expensive but pointless games, the endless shelves of toys? I was sure she would try to list everything her little brain could remember. Instead, she chose high-quality, fun items… and bubbles.
Just like what would be on any good simplicity parenting toy list.
Items I Kept
To round things out, I encouraged her to hold onto:
- Wooden blocks and building materials
- Waldorf play mat with a few fairies
- One shelf of favorite books
- Soccer ball
- Sewing supplies
- Art materials
- Small cleaning tools
For us, the key was balance—keeping toys that inspired open-ended play without overwhelming her space.
But, there was a catch. I told her that if she didn’t ask for it repeatedly over the next few months, we would pass the toys along to someone else.
It worked. My preschooler proceeded to help me dump everything she owned onto the living room floor, knowing I was taking most of it away.
The toys went into the attic right away, and I sorted and stored them later on when she wasn’t keeping an eye on me.
How to Start Your Toy Cleanse (5 Simple Steps)
Here you want to write a short paragraph that quickly explains exacttly what your product is and how it’s the perfect solution
1.
Step 1: Make the List
Write down the toys you know you want to keep—open-ended, high-quality items your child truly uses.
2.
Step 2: Talk to Your Child (if age-appropriate)
Explain that you’ll be storing most toys so they can better enjoy their favorites. Ask them to name a few top picks away from the toy pile to avoid “everything must stay” syndrome.
3.
Step 3: Gather Everything
Collect all toys from the house, car, and outdoors. Pile them in one place—it’s eye-opening!
4.
Step 4: Sort Quickly
Toss broken or incomplete items.
Bag “unsure” toys in black bags and store them for 1–2 months. If no one asks for them, donate or pass them on.
Keep only the items on your lists.
5.
Step 5: Reset the Space
Put the chosen toys back, aiming for simplicity and visibility. A good rule: if the room can’t be cleaned in 5 minutes, there’s still too much stuff.
Pro Parent Tip
✨ Drape baskets with play silks or blankets for a cozy look, and rotate toys every few weeks to keep play fresh.
Before and after
The Simplicity Parenting Toy List
It took me a couple of years to fully commit, but I’m proof this approach works. My child is calmer, happier, and plays more deeply with fewer toys.
Our collection isn’t perfect, but it’s a huge improvement—and I’ll keep revisiting it as we grow.
Here’s the Simplicity Parenting Toy List I wish I’d started with. Everything else can go.
Many of these items are already in your home, and I’ve included links for easy access. For more guidance, check out how to tame the toys or listen on the Simplicity Parenting website.
Basic Simplicity Parenting Toy List
Keep these essentials for calm, creative play (everything else can go or be rotated):
Lovables: 1–2 favorite stuffed animals or blankies
Doll: Waldorf-style or Corolle baby doll
Storage: Low-sided baskets for toys + play
Play Silks & Clips: Open-ended dress-up, forts, pretend play
Dress-Up Basics: Cloak, cape, or wings (avoid branded costumes)
Blocks/Planks: Wooden blocks, KEVA planks, or Grimm’s sets
Art Supplies: Quality watercolors, colored pencils, pastels, sketchbook
Books: A small shelf of favorites (rotate often)
Games: 1–3 simple games (Go Fish, Memory, Jenga)
Puzzles: 1–3 age-appropriate puzzles
Outdoor Play: Bubbles, jump rope, soccer ball
Nature Journal: Notebook + colored pencils for outdoor discoveries
✨ Optional extras: felt food, rocks/shells/gems, seasonal dress-up pieces.
I've listed them in the general order I would buy them. Keep in mind that a key philosophy of the Simplicity Parenting model is to offer items that feel good to the touch. Good materials and textures are often a bit more money upfront, but they last so much longer and see more use. It's worth it.
Play Silks
Playsilks are a must-have for both girls and boys. They’re the ultimate open-ended toy—an ocean on the floor, a magician’s cape, a fort door, or a cozy blanket.
Start with one large silk (around nine feet) for fort-building and pretend play, then add smaller sizes in a few colors. Quality matters here—Sarah’s Silks are soft, washable, and long-lasting, which is why they’re recommended by Waldorf educators.
Keep a basket of silks out for easy access, and pair them with clips and a rope for endless fort-building fun.
Bears, Dolls, Lovables
Do NOT trash any of your little one’s favorite stuffed animals, dolls, or lovables (blankies, etc). Create a toy rotation if you must, but it’s important to respect what your child treasures.
Keep one or two favorites, not a whole shelf. A single doll helps kids process emotions through play—choose a Waldorf-style or Corolle doll. For stuffed animals, rotate a few in and out so each gets real love. Treasured blankies or comfort items always stay.
Books
Too many books overwhelm. Keep one small shelf of true favorites and rotate them often. Visit the library for variety. Look for timeless picks like Children of the Forest or The Reluctant Dragon. If you don’t enjoy reading a book, pass it on—kids sense your enthusiasm.
Books we enjoy:
- Classic Fairy Tales
- James Herriott's animal stories
- Wynken, Blynken, and Nod
- Children of the Forest
- The Reluctant Dragon
- A.A. Milne’s poetry (he wrote Winnie the Pooh and has wonderful children's’ poems!)
- The Snail and the Whale
- books by Jack Ezra Keats
Baskets and Bins
Simple, low-sided baskets make both great storage and play props (a cradle, grocery cart, or doctor’s bag). Natural textures like woven baskets look beautiful and last. Skip plastic bins when you can.
Low-sided baskets are a must.
Dress-Up Clothes
Less is more. Choose unbranded, open-ended pieces like a cloak, cape, or fabric wings. Playsilks also double as costumes. Start small and let imagination do the rest.
- Heavy Cloak (for the knight or Little Red Riding Hood)
- Play silks (see how useful these are!)
- Cape
- Hat
- Wings (play silks work, too)
Note: Start with the play silks and a cloak and go from there. Most costumes can be made by tying play silks together. You can always add more costumes later.
Building Blocks or Planks
Open-ended construction toys never go out of style. For toddlers, start with wooden blocks; for older kids, try KEVA planks or Grimm’s blocks. These encourage creativity and problem-solving more than stylized Lego kits.
Outdoor Toys
Keep it simple: a jump rope, soccer ball, bubbles, and chalk. Focus on movement and fun outside, not piles of gear.
Nature Journal
I had no idea this was a thing until a few months ago. It meshes so perfectly with the Simplicity Parenting philosophy of getting out into nature daily, which is why I’m adding it in.
Encourage awareness outdoors with a simple sketchbook and colored pencils. Kids can draw or jot notes about what they see—no rules, just reflection. Add a field guide for inspiration.
Art Supplies
Fewer, better supplies get used more often. Stock real watercolors, colored pencils, pastels, and quality paper. Store them in plain sight (a rolling cart works well) so art is always an option.
Simplicity Parenting Toy List for Art
- Watercolors
- Tempera paints
- Small selection of paintbrushes (3-4)
- Sketch pencils
- Colored Pencils
- Felt Drawing Pens
- Pastels
- Medium to heavyweight drawing paper (for watercolors and pastels)
- Drawing notebook (with removable pages to display works of art!)
- Tracing Paper
- Glue
- Scissors
- Tape
- Popsicle Sticks
- Assorted craft paper
Tiny Play
Small-scale toys spark imagination. Keep a few peg dolls or Waldorf miniatures with modeling clay or a handmade play mat. Peg people can be crafted at home, making them fun, creative, and inexpensive.
Kitchen Play
If your child enjoys pretend cooking, a small collection of felt food and cookware is plenty. Even a red playsilk in a cupboard becomes an “oven.”
Nature-Inspired Play
Rocks, shells, gems, and wood pieces are endlessly versatile—for treasure hunts, landscapes, or building with blocks. Many can be collected on walks; supplement with a few special gems or polished stones.
Puzzles & Games
A few thoughtful choices go a long way. Cooperative games, Memory, and Jenga are family favorites. For puzzles, start with 1–3, like Pomegranate Kids’ floor puzzles or a favorite geography map.
✅ Key Parent Tip
Keep only a handful of toys visible so cleanup takes 5 minutes or less. Rotate items regularly to keep play fresh.
How To Start
Are you ready for your kids to be kids again? It takes some initial work, but cleaning out the toys will be the best move you ever make for your family.
We are calmer, happier, and have found deeper focus and enjoyment.
My child is more creative and less whiny. She's happier.
Steps To Get Started
- Make a list of what you know you want or need to keep.
- Explain to your child (if appropriate) about:
- Why you’re removing some toys
- How you’re deciding what stays (must be open-ended, high quality, multi-use)
- Where you’re storing excess toys
- That the toys will be available if they ask for them repeatedly over a period of time (I said two months)
- Discuss with your child (if appropriate):
- First, get away from all the toys to talk.
- Ask them to list their favorite toys and write it down.
- Prompt them to list some things you know you want to keep.
- Suggest some things you would like to add (play silks, cloak, etc.)
The Process
- With or without your child, gather up every single toy from the house, car, and outdoors. Pile everything in one place… and prepare to be overwhelmed!
- Grab some black trash bags.
- Working quickly, with your list close at hand (see itemized list below), immediately remove anything that is broken or worn out. Put them in the trash, or in your car to go to the dump immediately after you finish.
- Keep up the pace! Move on to sorting items into stay, go, or unsure piles. Your ‘Go’ pile will be HUGE. Don’t worry. Bag it all into black trash bags and keep going.
- Take a look at the ‘Unsure’ pile and, if there’s nothing that jumps out as an obvious ‘Stay’ item, bag it, label it, and store it for a couple of months. If no one asks for it, no one needed it.
- Review your ‘Stay’ pile, cross-referencing with your Simplicity Parenting Toy List (below, and the one you created with your child). If it’s not on a list, remove it, and treat it like an ‘Unsure’ item.
- Place the items on your list back in your child’s room, aiming for cleanliness and ease of use.
- Enjoy all your hard work!!
- Finally, supplement your child’s remaining toy collection with items from the Simplicity Parenting Toy List that inspire open-ended, creative play! (See the recap list below for quick links to recommended items.)
Suggestions
- Drape baskets with play silks or blankets to make the room look as simple as possible.
- Make sure the room can be cleaned up in five minutes or less if every item was taken out. If you can't, there's still too much stuff!
- Remember to take out things you are unsure about; you can always add them back in later.
Congratulations on creating your own Simplicity Parenting Toy List! You started with the recommendations in the book and this post, taking what works for your family and discarding what doesn’t.
Here’s a recap of what’s recommended for your Simplicity Parenting Toy List:
Basic Simplicity Parenting Toy List:
- Favorite stuffed animals and/or blankies and other lovables
- 1 Doll
- Low-sided baskets
- Play silks
- Clips and rope for play silks
- Hooded Cloak for pretend play
- Building Materials (planks or blocks)
- Basic Art Supplies
- Books (ideally less than 12)
- 1-3 games
- 1-3 puzzles
- Bubbles
- Jump Rope or Soccer Ball
Extra items you might want to include:
- Felt food for kitchen play
- Nature Items (rocks, shells, gems)
- Nature Journal
- Extra dress-up items (cape, hat, wings, wand)
Whatever you do, don’t forget the play silks!
Did I miss something on this list? How is your list going? Questions?
Let me know in the comments!
I completely agree with doing away with unused, unnecessary toys. There are so many donation sites where those toys will be used and loved. My husband and I do the same process for our garage and hutches. Why do we have this stuff? We don’t even know what we have. Well, we donate and recycle what is not used and it’s so freeing to have more space for the items you do use. Our grandkids are so spoiled with toys (they’ve got everything) so we try to give them more educational items for birthdays and holidays to cut down on more clutter they don’t need. Yes, I had about 150 stuffed animals on my bed when I was young. I love the minimalist approach! Thanks so much for sharing!
What about train sets?
I am not seeing links to the art supplies or peg people book… Would you mind sharing your favorites for those please?
Hello, loving your toy list! Thank you for taking the time to put that together. I’m curious, where did you find (or find a pattern to make?) the heavy cloak? I would love to get (or make) a couple for my little ones! Great idea! Thanks:) – Meghan
Hi, Meghan! Glad you liked the list. The cloak is on Amazon and made by Sarah’s Silks. They’re lightweight and kids love them. If you scroll back up, you can click on the link and it will take you right to them.
If the price point is not comfortable, there’s a great website called Twig + Tale that has a cloak pattern. https://www.twigandtale.com/products/childrens-unisex-cape-bundle There’s an option to make it long and the pattern is beginner friendly. Hope this helps! Ashley
I, mother of three now, but also former child am missing some “technical” toys here, where kids can discover mechanisms or do some more sophisticated constructions than what one can do with wooden blocks – as much as they are beautiful, as much they were really frustrating for me, as my buildings would never stay together for a long time. And to build as complicated structures as one can with Legos, one would need a huge amount which takes up way more space than Legos. I agree that Legos really don’t make cleaning up easy, but in my opinion, if I had to keep a single toy system for myself or my children, it would be Legos, the possibilities are just endless, the children can make their own car, undo it, make a plane, then build a house.
Hi, Jessica. Thanks for your thoughtful comment! I can absolutely see where you’re coming from on the Lego front. From what I see in the Simplicity Parenting program, removing items like Legos makes room for creative avenues that are not toy-based. So taking apart a old radio to see how it works instead of building a lego structure that moves and other things like that. I often see myself trapping my daughter into our collective modern idea of parenting, which is one of kids needs “smart” toys (and lately, kids need toys that teach STEM). But STEM is all around if we sit back and take note, right? Legos certainly fill a need (oh my gosh, I LOVE them!) and we have since purchased a set, but I do notice they close our minds to the world that’s around us. Instead of figuring out how the kitchen table extends to seat more, we add blocks to the Lego collection. Both have their merits. Thanks for your input!