We still have toys in boxes from last Christmas, and my children are making a new wish list. Any suggestions for how to get them to part with some of their toys happily?

—M.L., Grosse Pointe, MI

Kids don’t get as much out of toys when they have too many, but parting with them can be difficult. It’s good to have a weeding-out process going on all year, and the holiday season is a great time to get started.

Sorting out, discarding and giving toys away can help kids become more organized and also more aware of the lives of children who are less privileged. Here are some suggestions from early childhood educator Susan Bromberg Kleinsinger:

Involve your children in the process. Pick a time when the house is calm and you’re all in a good mood. Talk about some of the different charities that help kids and choose one together.

Don’t force a young child to give up a favorite toy unless it is broken or dangerous.

Start a “rainy-day box” for toys a child can’t decide whether to keep or give up. If he or she has not played with a toy in the rainy-day box, agree that at some point it will be given away.

Give outgrown but still usable books and toys to school fairs or other organizations that will give them away or recycle them. For young children, you might pack up their possessions in a “goodbye toys” box.

As you plan for the holidays, resist heavily advertised items in favor of toys that can be used in different ways over a longer period of time. You’ve probably noticed that children can get overwhelmed by a huge pile of toys. They usually ignore most of them and play with just their favorites.