The Organizer

Dear Devorah,

Chanukah was beautiful, but now my house looks like a toy store exploded. Between gifts, projects, prizes, and all the little things the kids “absolutely needed,” I’m drowning. The playroom is overflowing, the toy closet is stuffed, and I can’t even find the menorah under all the wrapping paper. Where do I start?

– Drowning in Dreidels

Dear Drowning,

Every year after Chanukah, the same thought hits: How did eight nights turn into this many toys? This is the time of year when I get the most calls for playrooms, toy closets, and those “please come fix this” maintenance sessions. Not because something is “wrong” – but because Chanukah does what Chanukah does best: it brings joy, memories, and approximately 47 new items per child.

The good news is, post-Chanukah cleanup doesn’t have to be a crisis. In fact, it’s one of the best opportunities all year to reset your play spaces, clear out clutter, and set your home up for calmer afternoons going forward.

Here’s how to go from “Where do I even start?” to “Okay, this feels doable” in a few simple steps.

1. Start With the Space, Not the Stuff

Here’s the trap most people fall into: they start by sorting the new toys. Don’t. Your real first step is to walk into the playroom or toy closet and simply make space. That’s it.

This is the moment to pull out the things that clearly don’t belong anymore – baby toys your kids haven’t touched in years, summer sand buckets mysteriously living next to the magnet tiles, those random inflatables from July that somehow migrated indoors. Anything seasonal, outgrown, or completely irrelevant can immediately leave the space. You will be amazed at how much calmer the room feels once those outdated items are gone.

Once you clear that initial clutter, the whole space relaxes a bit, you finally have room to breathe before you even look at a single new toy. Organizing is so much easier when you’re not trying to wedge toys into an already overstuffed system.

2. Decide What’s Actually Staying

Now we can turn to the new gifts. This is where a little honesty goes a long way. I always ask clients to start with one straightforward question: “Is my child actually going to use this?”

If the answer is yes, wonderful – give it a proper home. If the answer is clearly no, that’s your cue to rehome it. A brand-new toy that isn’t the right fit for your child doesn’t have to become permanent clutter.

Start a small gift bin for any new toys your kids won’t use. You’d be surprised how often those items save you on a last-minute birthday run. At our first Chanukah party, my 11 year old son was given a beautiful art set that he is never, in a million years, going to use. But it will make the perfect birthday present for my friend’s daughter, who’s turning nine next week. (And if she’s reading this… surprise?)

Unused items can also be donated – there’s always a family thrilled to receive something new.

If your kids now have more toys than they can realistically manage, think about trying a simple toy rotation system. Keep a few favorites out, pack the others away, and rotate every few weeks. It keeps the space from feeling cluttered, makes the toys more exciting when they reappear, and lets you maintain a calmer playroom without throwing anything away.

3. Handle the Chanukah Junk (Yes, We’re Going There)

Every household has its own collection of tiny prizes and tchotchkes that appear out of nowhere during Chanukah. Some are adorable. Some are questionable. Many break before you even finish cleaning up the wrapping paper.

If something is already broken or destined to be forgotten by tomorrow, let it go. Truly – your kids will not remember every single prize.

But if you have cute Chanukah-themed items – little dreidel fidgets, mini games, menorah pop-its – don’t feel pressure to keep them in the toy closet year-round. These are perfect candidates for what comes next: the Chanukah Box.

4. Build Yourself a Chanukah Box (Your Future Self Will Thank You)

A Chanukah Box is one of my favorite systems. It keeps all the once-a-year items together and out of your regular storage for the other eleven months. 

Inside my Chanukah Box, you’ll find the basics  –  dreidels, small Chanukah toys, cute holiday prizes, cookie cutters, any themed items that don’t need year-round real estate, and whatever candles or oil are left. I also store the menorah (or at least the kids’ menorahs) here, but only after it’s cleaned. The easiest way to remove the wax is simply to run it under very warm water and let it melt off; if your menorah is silver, make sure it’s completely dry before packing it away. Future you does not want to open this box next year and find a menorah still wearing a coat of rainbow wax.

This is also where I keep the kids’ sentimental Chanukah projects. Instead of hiding them in a memory box for the next decade, I put them right in the Chanukah Box. When we pull it out each year, the kids get a kick out of seeing what they made when they were five.

And one last step: label the box clearly. The outside should tell Future You everything she needs to know:

Still have candles.

Loved this brand of oil cups.

Need more wicks next year.

These tiny notes save you from rebuying things or scrambling at the very last minute. Plus, storing all these items together also keeps your playroom from drowning in seasonal clutter. The difference is instant.

5. Reset the Playroom With Intention

Now that you’ve cleared the outdated toys and tucked away the once-a-year Chanukah items, the room finally looks less like an obstacle course and more like a space you can work with. This is the ideal moment for a simple, intentional reset.

Start by decluttering anything that’s clearly not being used. Then rebuild the space in a way that actually makes sense to your kids. Keep categories obvious – cars with cars, dolls with dolls, play food with play food. The simpler the grouping, the higher the chance your kids will actually put things back where they belong.

Next, add labels. Picture labels for younger kids, word labels for older ones – nothing fancy, just clear and consistent. A labeled system means fewer arguments, fewer the “I don’t know where it goes!” debates, and helps the playroom stay tidy long after the Chanukah excitement wears off.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, the post-Chanukah reset is simply your chance to bring the house back to neutral. Clearing out the outgrown toys, packing away the holiday pieces, and giving everything a proper home sets the stage for a calmer, easier winter. It’s not about creating a perfect space; it’s about creating one your family can actually live in without stepping on a plastic dreidel every five minutes.

And next year, when you open your Chanukah Box and spot the note you left yourself  –  “Do NOT buy candles. You already have six boxes.”  –  you’ll be grateful you took a few minutes now to get things in order.

 

You got this!

Happy Organizing,

Devorah