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The holidays are traditionally a time for generous gift-giving, especially where your children are concerned. But as you start piling up their presents under the tree, you may start to wonder, “What am I going to do with all of the toys that are in their rooms now? Where will we put all the new toys? How do we declutter children’s toys?”

Here are a few ideas:

• With younger children, you can often just take a lot of neglected toys, put them in a plastic bin toy organizer, and then put that away in the attic for a few months or a year. You can then pull those toys back out and put them back in their bedroom when they start neglecting other toys. Suddenly the old toys will seem like new again, and they will be excited to play with them. Rotating saves space and cuts back on clutter without wasting anything.

• Older children may be up for donating their toys. If your older children have outgrown their toys, donate them to thrift; other children will love them and value them. Do not give up on broken toys either (so long as they are still child-safe); most can be repaired and treasured by someone.

• Come up with organizing solutions for children’s toys. If you simply take the time to organize your children’s toys and store them in plastic boxes for toys, you may actually find that they have a lot less clutter and a lot more space in their rooms than you previously believed. You may not need to cull anything.

• Use the space you have to its full advantage. If your children cling to their toys and refuse to donate them, be thankful, not critical. You may think, “These are just things,” but look at it this way—your children deeply value and protect their possessions. Their attitude is one of responsibility instead of waste. And if you live in a full-size home, you do have the space for all those toys. Instead of trying to force your children to part with their beloved toys, recognize their commitment to take care of their belongings.

• Cut back on toy acquisition. If you do have children who love their old toys forever, you should focus on teaching moderation, not trying to force them toward an attitude of using something and throwing it away. Consider a few larger, more meaningful gifts each year instead of a million more toys. Many kids actually prefer this, especially older children and teens.

• Teach new attitudes. In our society, we are taught to buy new things, use them for a while, and then detach from them and get rid of them. That way we can buy more new things. This is a wasteful perspective on life. But rejecting it does not mean never buying your children toys. It simply means teaching them to love, value, and hold onto the toys you do buy them.

Controlling toy clutter isn’t easy, but there is a lot you can do to keep your children’s rooms from turning into graveyards for neglected toys. Talk to your kids about what they want to do this holiday season. You might discover they are more mature and accommodating than you think!