Toy Story 3 makes you laugh, and cry and smile and clap. It also reveals answers to some of life’s greatest mysteries (such as how to keep your kid’s room clean!)

If you haven’t seen it yet, go watch it. Immediately. But before you go, here are 10 lessons the movie taught me about conquering toy clutter.

1. Everything Toy Should Have A Home

This is where toy boxes come in handy. By having a specified area, a “home”, for the kids to put their toys you’ll have less clutter to deal with. At the same time, you’ll be promoting habits of organization.

2. Shelves and Storage Baskets

This is the same basic idea of a “toy home”, done in the most efficient manner possible.  Each type of toy has its own storage basket, which are then stacked together or put on reachable shelves.  By choosing see through baskets, your kids can find the toy they want without dumping everything on the floor.

3. Toy Organisation

Divide and conquer works for defeating invading armies… or for eliminating toy clutter.  Divide the toys into separate boxes like so:  one box for stuffed animals, another for figurines, one for cars and trucks, etc.  This kind of “hard core” organization does wonders for overall tidiness.

4. One Toy In One Toy Out

Woody and the gang would not be happy to hear about this, but the idea is sound. For every new toy you bring home, an older one has to go to charity or the garage sale. This strategy is simple to write about but putting it in action might be a little more… exciting.

5. Regular Toy Clean Out

Choose a given milestone, such as the week before a birthday, to donate a specific number of toys to charity.  The number you choose is irrelevant; it’s the building of a habit that matters.  By making this a habit early on in life and doing one every year, it will be less of a headache to get cooperation down the road.

6. Don’t allow all toys to be out at once

This is the library card strategy to toy management.  Your kid checks in one toy in order to take out a different one.  The toys that aren’t in use are kept stored and out of the way, making clutter impossible.

7. Donate Unused Toys

If you’re using the library card strategy, the next step is to donate the toys that have sat in storage for 6 months unclaimed.  The tricky part is doing this tactfully.  Ask your kid beforehand and they’ll swear they still need the toy (all kids need every toy they’ve ever gotten). But just donating it may come back to bite you down the road.

8. Less is More

You can teach your children to “live lightly” by buying them less toys.  This builds a sense of appreciation, saves money and is good for the environment.

9. Choose Classic Toys

Modern advancement works wonders for computers and cell phones, but not so much for toys.  Think about getting your kids the classics, like Lego’s or Mr. Potato Head or board games.  These build creativity, promote critical thinking and social skills PLUS they have a longer entertainment life cycle.

10. Give Sentimental Toys to Younger Cousins or Friends

Sometimes it’s best to keep certain toys around, if your child has gotten attached to it.  But, of course, you don’t want to live in a toy jungle so the easy solution is to hand them off to a younger cousin or a friend.  This helps teach the values of sharing and giving, while also giving your child vicarious access to the toy.

Bonus. Enjoy the moment

Maybe the most important lesson to be learned from Toy Story 3 is how precious life really is.  One day you’re picking up your child’s toys, and the next day they’re off to college. Just remember to enjoy the moments you still have together… even the time spent picking up clutter.