Won’t it be nice to enter your kids’ room just once without stumbling over a million and one toy scattered on the floor? Yeah, that would almost be like magic. This guide has outlined great toy organization principles and ideas for your kids’ room for both small and big rooms.
Table of Contents
Before You Organize and Storage Toys
Kids thrive in a tidy, safe space (it sure doesn’t seem like it with all the mess they make). However, the burden lies on you to provide them with that clean, safe space. But before you think the answer is a new shelf or toy box, take time to do the following.
1. Declutter
Clutter is one of the reasons your kids’ room is forever disorganized, in simple words, you bought too much toys, either indoor or outdoor. So, before you commit to arranging your child’s room, start by decluttering. Toss out the broken toys with missing pieces. You can give out the remaining toys your child has outgrown or doesn’t play with anymore. If the toys are many, you can even hold a yard sale. It is a perfect opportunity for kids to learn about money and fun as well, doesn’t it?
Once you have removed the clutter, you can assess the available space and remaining toys. You should also set clear goals to declutter at least once a year. That way, things don’t go out of control. Even, you can also play with your kids with two hands only.
2. Throw out the box
As your kids grow, they’d accumulate more stuff – sports toys, dolls, cars, stuffed animals, etc. The original packaging the toys come in may be pretty, but after a while, they become junk. They occupy more space than they are worth and don’t fit well with most toy organizers. To prevent this, toss the box and store the toy in the appropriate toy organizer (except Lego box if you want to keep them for a really long time).
3. Rethink the toy chests
Toy chests look cute, but they aren’t that great of a toy organization idea. They are often too complex for your kid to handle. So, you find that your kid ends up scattering the entire chest in a bid to get one toy. The mess left behind is cringeworthy.
4. Set the rules for buying toys
I completely know the feeling of buying toys, you just want to spoil the little cutie pie! Or when they tantrum or scream in the toy shop. However, it is unwise to keep buying toys when your space can’t handle the excess. Moreover, kids easily loose concentration when they are distracted with too many toys. So set boundaries on how many toys you need for your area and stick to them. Don’t be tempted by the “everything you can get” tagline. Remember, things can get out of hand quickly, and having too much of everything can cause your kid sensory overload.
5. Choose the best storage system
The best storage system for your kids depends on their needs and available space. There are different options available to you, and we will explore these toy organization ideas together in this article. But first, here’s what you should remember – consider the design, price, and space constraints.
Of course, the storage organizer you choose should suit your space and style. For example, shelves make the room look bigger but take up space. Toy chests and ottomans can be used to stash the toys out of sight and may even double as sitting areas.
Over-the-door hangers, wall hangers, and drawstrings are space-efficient ways to organize your kids’ toys. You can even opt for some great DIY storage options.
6. Group toys properly
Do you know what will make organizing your kids’ room easier? Grouping the toys by activity. For example, you can put all the bath toys together; that way, it’s easier to locate them when needed. While on that, you should also place the outdoor toys (footballs, tennis balls, etc.) together – that way, you skip the hassle of looking for where they are.
Of course, after grouping the toys, you should arrange them in their organizers and label them. Be sure to use age-appropriate labels, e.g., pictures for little kids and words for older children. It helps to use removable labels so that you can reuse the toy organizers as they grow. You can even take it a step further and color code the boxes where they are.
Excellent Toy Organizational Storage Ideas
We have summarized the most cost-effective toy organization ideas that provide easy ways to keep your kids’ room organized, tidy, and clutter-free. Let’s delve right into it.
1. Use the space under the bed
Most parents forget the space under their kids’ bed when factoring available space to keep the toys. But they come in handy when your kid’s room is cramped. So, get some boxes, label them and organize the toys. When you are done, you can slide them under the bed.
You can even build the box with your yard’s spare wood. Attach rollers under the box to make sliding it out easier. You can even put in some dividers if you feel up to it. It’s not so complex; all you need are wood, nails, and wheels.
With this option, it is also easy for your child to find the exact toys they want to play with. Even better is that it makes organizing the room a breeze for you and your child.
2. Toy shelves
Sounds basic, doesn’t it? But shelves would never go out of style, plus they provide an easy way to keep everywhere tidy and organized. With a simple shelve, you can organize the toys neatly and place some less age-appropriate toys out of reach. Of course, you can also teach the kids to tidy up their toys after playtime.
The best part of shelves is that they work well for toys and books. So, as your child grows and their needs change, you can move out the toys and stack the books.
3. Stackable toy baskets
Another toy organization idea you should explore is stackable baskets, which provide an easy way to organize your kids’ toys. Moreover, they don’t take up so much space and come in different colors and designs.
These stackable toy organizers allow you to keep the toys organized and visible for your child to see. That way, they can quickly locate the toy they need without scattering the rest of the toys. Of course, as your kid gets older, you can teach him to put back the toy once playtime is over. That way, you can keep the space clean and organized efficiently.
4. Repurposed shoe hanger
You probably only thought your shoe hanger was for well, just shoes. But you can also use them to hang up your kids’ toys. You can place it over the door or attach it to the wall.
The hanger is perfect for smaller stuffed toys and is visually pleasing. Of course, they help maximize the room space. You can hang them with hooks so it is easy to hang them up or take them down.
5. Toy hammock
Another excellent toy organization idea is toy hammocks; they make a great addition to any space. Made of cotton rope, these toy organizers are usually eco-friendly and durable. They provide a beautiful way to reorganize your child’s room and display all of your kiddies’ toys nicely while still saving space.
Even better, handmade toy hammocks keep all your child’s favorite toys in one convenient place. You can hang it on the wall or behind the door. Talk about properly utilizing what little space you have.
6. Lean shelves
Yes, simple shelves look great in your kids’ room, but you know what would be even better? Leaning shelves! Yes, leaning shelves give you a lot of space to keep the toys, and of course, you can always see what is in which built-in box (talk about an excellent toy organization idea). The large and middle-sized boxes are at the lower rungs of the shelve, while the regular shelve is at the top portion.
You can label the boxes to make things easier for your kid and even paint the shelves to match the décor in the room. You can keep it in the corner of the room – use up the corner space. That way, you can make the most of the space you have.
7. Clear bins
We aim to help you reorganize your kids’ toys with things you already have at home –repurpose stuff and make it work. So, if you already have clear bins, that would be a great start. You can organize all the toys into these transparent bins with lids. That way, your kid can always see what is inside the bin without tossing the contents.
You can arrange the bins in the corner of the room, stack them together, and keep them tidy. Remember, organizing your kids’ room doesn’t always mean buying new stuff for storage ideas.
8. Wire basket
We love using wire baskets to organize those small toys and bedtime books. It is cheap, space-efficient, and easy to use. Better still, you can arrange the items in the baskets such that you know what is in them at a glance. Finding toys has never been that easy! You can repurpose the hanging baskets you already have in storage, and just get some hooks and organize away!
9. Buckets and pails
By now, you already have a couple of pails and buckets from all your time at the beach. You could repurpose these pails so you don’t have to get more stuff that you’ll only toss out later. Please fill up the buckets with toys and label them appropriately. Use images on the labels for younger kids, so they don’t get confused.
After filling up all the pails, you can arrange them on an empty shelve nicely so that everything remains organized. Don’t forget to maximize the space in the kids’ room.
10. Tote bag
A mesh tote bag is a fantastic toy organization idea for your kid’s room. It doesn’t take up much space, is cheap, and allows you to keep the toys in plain sight. If you don’t already have one in the house, you can get a durable tote bag for less than $10.
The kids can retrieve the toys they want to play with and close the drawstring at the top. Of course, they can easily replace the toys in their rightful places after playtime and save you the mess.
11. Laundry basket
You can also arrange some of the toys in your old laundry basket, such as letter blocks. They provide a cheap way to tidy up your child’s room and place them in the corner of the room where your kid can reach them. That way, you have everything all tidy, and your kid can always replace the toys at bedtime.
12. Magnetic wall board
A magnetic wall board is a fantastic toy organization idea, especially if your kids always seem to lose their magnetic toys. They help you declutter the space and help you keep track of the magnetic toys. The board can serve as another plaything for your child, and he can arrange the toys on it as he sees fit. Just make sure you hang the board where your child can reach it and access it easily. In no time, they will have the time of their life in an organized space. Awesome right?
13. Lego play mat
What if there was a toy organization idea that could simplify the clean-up process after an intense Lego session? Sounds great. Well, there is. You can get a Lego storage bin/mat, spread it out when it’s time to play, and fold it back in once the kids are done. Yes, it is as easy as it sounds.
14. Floating shelves
Most people just stop at tall shelves and racks, and they never quite make good use of all the available wall space. so, our next toy organization idea tasks your imagination and challenges you to maximize the wall space.
For example, you can install floating shelves to display some kids’ toys in clear sight. They can even serve as some form of décor. Use hooks to hang up the shelves. Take advantage of the height and keep toys with small parts out of the reach of your toddlers.
Tips to Keep Your Kid’s Room Organized
1. Keep the arrangement simple
At this stage, less is truly more. There is no need to go for complex toy organization when you can set up something simple and less stressful to maintain.
When setting up a toy organization system, ask yourself these questions:
- Is it easily explained to my child?
- Can my child reach it easily without help?
- Is it easy enough that your child can repeat it every day?
If the answers to these questions are yes, you can set it up. It will help teach your child to keep their space tidy and foster independence.
2. Keep like toys together
Yes, keep everything magnetic together and other like toys in another storage bin. That way, you can tell when a toy hasn’t been put back and easily replace it. Designate suitable spaces for each group of toys and label them neatly. That way, your little one has an idea where each toy goes.
3. Get the kids to clean up
Make a firm rule and get your kids to buy into cleaning up after themselves. They can put away all their toys after playtime to make things easier, and you can even create a song to accompany the activity. That way, tidying eventually becomes a habit for your kid. You can turn cleaning into a game to make cleaning easier for your kids.
For starters, you can get them to pick up the toy’s color by color. That way, they learn the different colors and enjoy cleaning up. Another idea is to challenge your kids to see how quickly they can replace all the toys. Pull out your stopwatch and watch them scramble to clean up the mess. You can also encourage them to count aloud as they put the toys away. Talk about teaching them their numbers too!
You can reward them with an extra bedtime story, extra 15 min TV show, a short walk in the park at the end of clean-up. There are no hard and fast rules for the reward and go with the flow.
Final Thoughts from Pragmatic Lifestyle
Organizing your child’s room can seem like a challenging, never-ending task but great toy organization ideas help simplify it. Before you get scared, you may not need to buy new stuff to organize their toys. You can repurpose the items you already have in your home; repaint them to make them more attractive, label them, and you are good to go. Do not forget to play with them!
Try out some of the toy storage ideas we outlined above, and let us know how it goes. Remember, keep it simple and child friendly. As time passes, you can get your child to return the toys to their rightful places after play.
About me
Hi, there. I am Lin. Together with my husband and two kids, we live in the beautiful Netherlands in Europe. I am dedicated to self-development, creating quality time for the whole family, and fully supporting kids with their potentials with all I have learned from engineering, MBA, and 10+ years of working experience in the energy sector.
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