he holiday season brings much joy to the youngest of us who often receive a flood of new toys from adoring parents, relatives and family friends. However, the added toy volume can often overwhelm an already overflowing toy chest. The spillover can turn any room in the house into an explosion of color and clutter. Here are some tips to reduce the toy stocks and try to maintain order around the household.

1. The holidays are also about giving. Children can't learn early enough that giving is just as rewarding as getting. Make it a point to find some toys before the gift-giving season that are only gently used, and go through the donation process with your son or daughter. The promise of new toys on the horizon can assuage any hesitation during this endeavor.

2. Some toys may not have held up well during the year. Broken toys can still hold some sentimental value, though, but a separate bin or chest for those toys can keep them separated and often off the living room floor for long periods of time until their removal becomes appropriate.

3. Smaller clear plastic containers or plastic drawer units on wheels can be ideal for keeping certain types of toys together, like Legos, train sets, army pieces or the universal barn and animals sets. This allows kids to grab all of the pieces for their games without taking every other toy out and throwing it around the room as well.

4. Hanging shoe holders tacked to the back of a closet door can be a perfect spot to store many stuffed animals or other "friends" that your child makes. This keeps these inanimate playmates from the trauma of the toy box, but also off the floor and out of sight.

5. Toy boxes don't need to be ornate. A plastic trash can can keep sports paraphernalia and other outside toys all together much more efficiently than a closet. It also lets parents simply drag the whole kit out on a warm summer day, instead of lots of little trips to the basement or storage area. Cleanup becomes a snap, too, with the process in reverse.

6. Elastic netting on walls, or even the ceiling in an older child's room, can be a cool and fun place to store the latest "gear". This keeps their toy stocks out of the way but still visible and handy to play with at a moment's notice. As they get older, this becomes a great place to stow uniforms, hats and other frequently-needed items for extra-curricular activities.

Of course every parent knows the test of a good plan is getting their children to actually put things in their place. More diversity is the key, keeping things separate in fun little "treasure chests" to help reduce the total volume of toys that need to come out on any given day.