The daily frustration of finding a place for our kids toys is a battle many of us face. It is manifest in the expletives we say under our breath when we step on a Lego or in that Groundhog Day feeling we have as we tell our kids to pick up their play room for the 37th day in a row.
There are countless ways to go about storing Barbies, blocks and board games, both decorative and functional. Let me be the first to say that I have tried them all! I’ve gone the expensive route of purchasing trendy baskets, mid-price point of cube storage, less expensive route of colorful Ikea storage and the free route of just throwing the toys in a closet and shutting the door! Each have worked to varying degrees and certainly there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Here are are a few of my favorites…
STORAGE CUBES
Storage cubes are by far the most functional option because they can store just about any kid item. There are a number of price points for cubes as well as colors for the bins. You can add labels on the outside of the baskets so the kiddos can easily find their things and hopefully also put them back (wishful thinking). As an example, I have a six cube stack in my daughter’s closet for clothes and an eight cube in the playroom for toys.
VERTICAL STORAGE CABINETS
Vertical storage cabinets are my favorite solutions for crafts. I find the most ideal version has several drawers that are not particularly deep, this way you can separate craft items by type. Be sure to identify the contents of each drawer with your trusty label maker!
MESH BAGS
Mesh bags are a recent discovery in my eternal quest to store toys. These bags are ideal for smaller toys such as legos, Barbie clothes and blocks. I also use them for the endless number of hair bows and scrunchies in our house. One of the reasons I love mesh bags is how much room they save (versus keeping items in their original bulky packaging).
DESKTOP CAROUSELS
Desktop carousels are perfect for keeping markers, colored pencils, paint brushes and scissors in one place. Depending on the type you buy, they also come with small drawers for paper clips, rubber bands or erasers.
SCRAPBOOK CASES
Scrapbook cases are perfect for containing your kids artwork and school memories. I have been saving special items for my children since birth. One box per year prior to school and then I created a box for each grade in school. I treasure their artwork, grade reports, photos and awards!
As parents, we daydream about sitting on the couch, beverage in hand, watching our children cleaning up their toys without any crying or complaining! Knowing full well we have a better chance of winning the lottery than having a toy-free living room, at least there are small tricks to taming the clutter. You got this mom and dad!
