If your kids are anything like mine, their toys seem to multiply overnight. Before you know it, the kids are overwhelmed with so many choices of things to play with. And you are overwhelmed trying to keep the toys in some sort of order and not scattered all over your house!
Here are a few toy storage ideas to help keep you from getting overrun from the latest toy fads.
Designate a primary place where the toys will live. Maybe it’s in a toy room or your child’s bedroom.
Create zones for toy storage
Divide the toys into categories such as:
- Books
- Games
- Learning toys
- Building toys
- Vehicle toys
- Dolls and doll accessories
- Make believe
- TV/gaming
Sketch out the layout of the playroom, bedroom or other area where the toys will be stored
Get your child involved to help decide where things should go using the zones you have identified. When you ask their opinion and let them make some decisions, kids are more likely to get on board with the idea.
Later when the space is up and running, pull out the sketch and talk about it with them. How close did you get to the original design? Why did you make the changes you did from the original plan?
Keep toys at eye-level according to age
If you have kids of multiple ages using the playroom, store the toy where they can reach it.
Use labels to designate a space for each type of toy
A well-organized playroom won’t stay organized very long if items don’t get put back where they belong. Make that easy for your kids by clearly labeling each zone.
Keep a policy of for every new toy in, one must go out
Kids have a lot of toys. They get them for birthdays and other holidays, perhaps as a reward or because you found them for a great deal at a local garage sale. Because toys are routinely coming into the home, it is easy to get overwhelmed with too many. When there are so many things to play with, kids may not appreciate what they have because they just don’t know what they have. It is very difficult to store and organize large volumes of anything.
The way to avoid that is simple. When new toys come in, an equal number of toys must go out. Work with your child to decide what to do with the toys that are leaving—Donate, Sell, or Trash.
Toy Box
Toy boxes can be a great way to store toys out of sight. The downside is toys can easily get pushed to the bottom never to be seen again. I recommend using a toy box for larger toys that can be easily seen when the toy boy is opened and using shelving for smaller toys.
Baskets
Baskets are great to store smaller toys or toys with multiple pieces to keep them together. I recommend clear baskets first so the contents can be easily seen. If you used a closed basket, label the outside with the contents.
Another great basket option is large open baskets perfect for larger toys.
Bin Organizer
I have used a bin organizer like this for years to store my kids’ toys. I love it because the way the bins are tilted makes it easy to see what is in the bins. It is also at a height where kids can easily reach the toy they want. I suggest labeling each bin with the name or picture of the toy(s) that are stored in each bin to make it easy for the kids to know where to put it when they are finished playing with that toy.
Hanging nets
A great way to utilize space is to hang a net in the corner of the room for toy storage. Use it to hold light items like stuffed animals. Place it at a height where the toys in the net can be easily reached. This is a great option to create floor space!
Shelves
Shelves are my top recommendation for toy storage because they are easily seen and a space for each toy can be designated on the shelf. This makes it easy to find a certain toy as well as to make it clear to the child where to put the toy when he or she is finished playing with it. For young children, label the shelves with pictures along with the words. This helps them see visually what toy goes in that spot before they can read and also helps them learn words as they get older.
Keep your toy storage safe
Use brackets to secure shelves or dressers to the wall and avoid them accidentally tipping over onto a child.
Ensure every outlet has an outlet cover.
Use a choking tester to identify small toys that could present a choking hazard and store them where little hands can’t get to them.
With a little thought about the type of toys you are storing, selecting the best method to store them and consistently putting toys back after play, tidy and organized toy storage is possible!
For more organizing inspiration, check out the 97 Best Organization Ideas.