How to Choose the Best Toy Storage Options

There are as many ways to store children's toys as there are toys to store. There are a few key factors to keep in mind when choosing the best toy storage options for your space and children.

Set Kids Up for Success

The easier you can make it for your child to put things away, the more likely your child will do so without a fight. Look for toy storage solutions that make it simple for kids to find what they’re looking for and simple for them to put their toys away when they are finished with them.

Clear containers are great because the contents are visible. This is particularly nice for pre-readers, but they work great for any age. I also recommend open storage containers whenever possible – by eliminating lids, you and your kids have one less thing to keep track off. In addition, you eliminate a step in the clean-up process!

Try It Before You Buy It

Consider having your child open and close potential toy storage containers in the store before purchasing. This way you can test how functional they will be before you buy them

Evaluating Containers with Lids

When using closed containers for toy storage choose containers that are easy for little fingers to manipulate. The simplest containers have lids that simply set on top. When it comes to lids that somehow fasten in place, snap lock or sliding lock lids are generally much easier than the older style lids that wrap around the ends of the box and click in place (see images below).

SET ON LIDS: The TROFAST line of products from IKEA has containers with set on lids. They are easy for small children to remove and replace and can be purchased with or separate from the cubical organizer shown above.

SLIDE LOCK LIDS: The container shown here is larger than I would recommend for a child's room, but it is a good example of the slide lock style lid. When the colored tabs on the ends are slid outward, the lid is unlatched; when they are pushed in, the lid is secure. Such containers are fairly easy for small fingers to manipulate.

SNAP LOCK LIDS: Snap lock containers have tabs on the ends which pop up to unlatch the lid and snap in place to secure the lid. Snap lock containers vary in terms of difficulty in opening them. If you have younger children, have them test these out before you buy them.

CLICK IN PLACE LIDS: The type of container shown above has a lid that wraps around the ends of the box and clicks in place. They vary widely in terms of quality and ease of use. They are typically fine for older kids but they can be quite difficult for small children to open. Depending on how securely the lids fit, you basically have to pry them off, and that's hard for small fingers to do.

Make an Informed Decision

When evaluating toy storage options, its good to think in terms of the big picture. While aesthetics are important, there are other factors to consider. In general toy storage containers should be versatile, durable, and safe. You can read more about this topic on my Tips for Toy Storage page.

Here are some things to think about with regard to the various toy storage options available.

PLASTIC CONTAINERS: Available in a variety of colors, sizes and styles, plastic containers are probably the most versatile and plentiful toy storage option on the market. You can find plastic containers with or without lids. They are lightweight, easy to clean, and generally attractive to display. The biggest downside I have encountered is the potential for breaking; if left laying about on the floor during an active play session they can get stepped on and cracked.

CANVAS BASKETS & BINS: Made from durable fabric, canvas baskets are typically designed to be collapsible making them ideal for children's rooms. They can take a lot of abuse and remain functional. In addition, they are safe for children to sit, step, or fall on. On the downside, collapsible baskets, by their very nature, can have difficulty holding their shape and may begin to look droopy over time.

Some canvas bins have wire frames wrapped with canvas making them more rigid. Others are collapsible. They are typically used in storage cubbies. They are great for their large capacity, light weight, and open storage. I also like the fact that they conceal the mess nicely and keep things looking tidy and uncluttered. Those with wire frames can get bent out of shape fairly easily. In addition, over time the canvas tabs used for pulling the bins off the shelf can rip off, often tearing the canvas underneath in the process.

CUBBIES & CUBES: There is a reason preschools and day care centers use these things. They are extremely versatile. They make it easy for children to identify, retrieve, and replace toys, and they keep things looking neat and orderly.

MULTI-BIN ORGANIZERS: These versatile gems are specifically designed for toy storage. They look a lot like a bookcase. Instead of shelves, though, they have metal, wooden, or plastic rods that are designed to support removable plastic bins. They provide ample open storage at kid height.

WHEELS: There is nothing more kid-friendly than a storage container with wheels. Kids can easily transport toys to a desired location and back (and have fun doing so). WARNING: Your kids will push each other around in any open container that has wheels.

HANDLES: A container with handles is obviously easier to carry than one without. Be sure to choose sturdy handles that won’t snap in half from overuse. Also look for handles that are connected via a small metal rod that extends from one end of the handle to the other through some sort of slot in the container. Handles that simply snap in place will quickly come off. Furthermore, the little grooves the handles fit into are likely to snap off, making it impossible to reattach them.

What to Avoid

LARGE TOY BOXES: These relics are the opposite of versatile. Toys are jumbled together in a disorganized mess making it difficult for children to find what they are looking for. Often the entire contents of the box are dumped on the floor in a search of one specific toy. Small children aren't even able to reach the toys at the bottom of the box. What’s more, children are likely to catch their fingers in the lid or try to stuff one another inside.

WICKER: I love the look and versatility of wicker baskets for storing all sorts of things, but wicker is delicate, and children (generally speaking) are not, at least not in their handling of things. Wicker cracks, snaps, and peels fairly easily. Kids are notorious for picking at the edges of a wicker basket where the end of the wicker is just barely visible – gradually pulling bits off until the basket looks like it had a run in with a machine gun. I do not recommend wicker for toy storage.

METAL: These days it's popular to repurpose vintage metal bins and containers for storage. While I love this look as much as anyone, I don't recommend metal containers for children's rooms. Kids regularly trip and fall on storage containers during an exuberant play session. Sometimes they even whack one another with them. Metal is too unforgiving and potentially dangerous for a child’s room.

WOOD: Wooden furniture is obviously fine, but small, individual wooden containers are not recommended. Like metal, wood is unforgiving and potentially dangerous.

CARDBOARD: Decorative boxes can make beautiful storage solutions, but they are not sturdy enough to stand up to the kind of use a young child’s room demands.

When selecting toy storage for your kids’ rooms, try to look at the space from their perspective, and think about how it will be used. Toy storage options that are durable, versatile, and functional will best meet the needs of both children and parents. Taking the time to thoughtfully consider what's available and which options will best meet your needs will save you money in the long run.