Easy Toy Storage Ideas and Tips

“Most of the play areas are landfills for toys, but once a room is set up with the right structures and systems, children like to tidy up because it immediately satisfies them – and there is no better motivator than this,” says Evelyn Cucchiara.

Based in Morristown, New Jersey, she transformed her experiences with a family kindergarten and a children’s art studio into a playroom where companies were organized.

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Remember, more toys don’t mean better games. “Keep only the toys your child actually plays with,” says Cucchiara. Also avoid toys that do only one thing: a train that can be arranged in a figure of eight, for example, is nowhere near as engaging as a train with tracks that a child can put together in several ways.

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“When children are surrounded by too many toys in a crowded environment, they only play with something for a few minutes because they are overwhelmed,” says Cucchiara. Instead, just have a few of each type of toy ready: a few puzzles, a few games, a few cans of play doh. Save or give away what you don’t need.

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Blocks, construction kits and pretend play items that are delivered in cardboard or plastic boxes cause clutter – and the parts never seem to fit exactly back. “Mixing pieces from different sets also encourages more creative play because a child is not limited to just one thing,” says Cucchiara.

If you want, cut out the pictures of the finished sets and keep them together with the instructions, if available, in a bag with all the parts. According to Cucchiara, it’s okay to keep games in boxes. If you have a lot, keep the tokens in individual labeled plastic bags in a container and keep the game boards under the container.

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A wall of toy storage could be a game changer. If you build your shelves low enough, you can put a bench on them. Or build them to child size so that you can put even more organizational waste bins there. As your children grow, this space can grow with them – and they can replace these baskets with books.

Huge storage bins usually hide their contents – which means that children drop them everywhere. If you put things away, you have to pull them out first. Containers with lids are even more difficult.

“They want to make it as easy as possible to put toys away,” says Cucchiara. Your trash can: Sterilite Large Baskets, as seen here. Place them on a low cabinet to make them as accessible as possible.

You can only put as many containers on your cabinets. If you need even more storage space, opt for tilted container units that show exactly what’s inside. Removing the barrier, having to pull out the trash can and put it back, could be just the thing to get your kids to put their toys away.

Group all game foods in one container, all toy people in another, all animals in another. Place games that promote cognitive thinking as “brain teasers.” This not only organizes, explains Cucchiara, “it makes your child think in mental compartments – a precursor to the type of thinking they use in school and an important cognitive function.”

This way, the crafting time can take place wherever you want. We love the idea of ​​combining your shopping cart with a hanging filer for coloring books, a clothesline for works of art and a desk for crafting. By creating designated corners for specific activities (art in this case!), Children know exactly where to put something.

Don’t go to the store to find decorative storage boxes – you can make them yourself! These art containers are made from baby food containers, patterned paper and spray glue. Use them on a craft cart, in a closet, or on your child’s art desk.

Use the back of the doors to hang shoe racks and fill them with little things. Make sure you buy clear ones so your kids can see what’s inside. Pro tip: Place messy toys that should only be used under supervision (we look at you, glitter).

If you have multiple doors, you can dedicate entire frames to one type of toy (e.g. barbies, trains, baby hats).

The best toy organizers are those that take up as little space as possible. Part of the reason why we love this one? Absolutely none. A toy hammock is perfect for children who collect soft toys, but can also be used for a number of other toys. You can hang one over the corner of a room or on a wall (as seen here).

Use storage space under the bed

Rolling drawers under the bed or couch can be used to store less used items such as board games, train tracks and niche accessories. It’s definitely a place you don’t want to waste.

The easiest way to give the nursery more room is to lift the bed off the floor. In this bedroom there is enough hidden storage space for toys for shelves, shelves and drawers – plus space for hidden reading corners.

“Photos are essential to help children clean up. They take the guesswork out of it and ensure consistent results, ”says Cucchiara. She hangs them on the inside of the cubes so that the children know exactly where the trash cans are going. She takes a photo of some objects that get into a trash and labels them in a photo editor app. Then she prints out a 4 x 6 photo, laminates it and attaches it to the waste paper basket. You can also put pictures on the outside of the containers as seen in this optimized playroom.

Cucchiara’s point of contact for the organization of coloring paper, exercise books and stickers: Thrones wall container from IKEA. “You can hold shoes, but they are perfect for paper because they stay flat and wrinkle-free,” says Cucchiara. “It’s also easy to get out just the book or paper you want without falling on a stack. Just flip the container open and voila!”

Hopefully, books are one of your child’s favorite toys. Keep them interested by giving them a cool reading corner that’s entirely their own. Add a comfortable seat and a fun invisible bookshelf. Bonus: With this vertical shelf, you can store a lot more books in a lot less space than with a conventional shelf.

A wall shelf with small toys looks good and also helps with the organization. The idea is particularly suitable for toy cars. “Children will love to choose and postpone their trips, because children love to put things in a small space,” says Cucchiara. And this time it’s not your air conditioner!

There’s no need to waste space under cupboards and sofas if you could store cars, puzzles, or other flat toys there. So that they don’t slide against the wall, Cucchiara places them on the IKEA Rinnig crockery basket. This way, you can easily pull the games towards you by expanding the rack.

When Cucchiara has finished organizing customers’ homes, she leaves a metal bell with the following instructions for parents: Make an announcement to your child five minutes before cleaning up that it is almost time to put everything away. When the time comes, ring the bell and tell your child to get everything in order before you can finish singing the ABC song. Skip the song after a week and just ring the bell.

“Next time, ask your child if they want to ring because you know they want to,” says Cucchiara. Your child will soon ring the bell and clean up independently. It feels empowered to take on the task alone.