Toy Storage

Toy Storage Tips

Toy storage presents a unique challenge. Toys often come with numerous parts and pieces, and children quickly familiarize themselves with every single one. Then, when an obscure piece goes missing, the room must be ransacked in order to search for it, or so it is believed by the small inhabitants of the space. It is possible to keep track of all the parts and pieces, but a system is required in order to do so effectively. Below you'll find some kid-friendly guidelines designed to make toy storage more manageable.

Organize Toys by Type

Get the kids involved in the sorting process. Make piles for each of the different types of toys: dolls, cars, action figures, building blocks, etc. Make note of the size and number of containers you need before you go shopping. If need be, take pictures of the piles with your phone for reference. Sorting and storing toys by type makes it easier for children to find what they are looking for. It also makes it easier for them to put their toys away.

Keep It Simple

While it is important and useful to sort and store toys according to type, it's important not to go overboard. A single, open container is often the best solution for sorting. Resist the urge to divide things further. Sorting all the Legos® by size and color may make perfect sense to an adult brain. After all, it’s easier to find the right piece if they’re organized this way, right? I guarantee you it won’t make any sense to a six-year-old. For him or her part of the fun is in the finding. And putting them all back into those little slots is way too much work!

Set Your Child 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.

Choose 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!

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. If you prefer a lid that somehow hooks 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. Also look for clear containers so that the contents are visible.

A Simple Solution

Inexpensive plastic drawers on wheels make great toy storage containers. They're easy to open and close. They're see-though so kids' can tell what goes where and find what they're looking for. There is no lid to get lost or broken, and they come on wheels so they're easy to move around!

Choose Versatile Containers

Your children are going to outgrow many of their toys over time, but good storage containers will remain functional indefinitely.

Keep Things at Kid Height

The goal is to make your children as self-sufficient as possible when it comes to caring for their stuff and keeping their room clean. You do this by making it as easy as possible for them. Save the high shelves for the stuff that requires adult supervision.

Avoid Stacking Containers

While most plastic storage boxes are designed to stack easily on top of one another, doing so in a child’s room can be counter-productive. Stacks of containers are burdensome and difficult, if not impossible, for children to manipulate. Without fail, the container on the bottom is the one your child will want, making it necessary to move all the other containers in order to access it.

If you must stack due to space constraints, try to limit stacks to no more than three high (preferably two). Remember to keep it simple and set your child up for success.

Consider Container Size

Just because your child has enough Mega Bloks® to fill a bathtub doesn't mean they all have to be stored in one uber-large container. Containers will be easier for children to maneuver and will hold up better if they are kept to a reasonable, kid-friendly size. Split large collections into multiple containers, or consider paring the collection down so it all fits in one moderately sized container.

Label Toy Storage Containers

Labels make it easy for your kids (and their friends) to remember which toys go in which container, thereby making it easier for kids to put their toys away. For pre-readers, create labels using a picture of each type of toy. For older children, pair the picture with words.

Discard Original Packaging

The box the toy came in is usually not designed for toy storage and will quickly break down and become useless. There are some exceptions – toys that come in plastic tubs, for instance, but generally speaking, original packaging is meant to be disposable (recyclable).

Choose Durable Toy Storage Containers

I can’t tell you the number of cracked or broken storage containers I've thrown out since becoming a parent. Kids are just hard on containers without even meaning to be.

They drop them. Then throw things into them at high velocity. They empty them out and use them for target practice for everything from bean bags to dart guns. They step on them. Sometimes they even stand or sit on/in them.

In this rather grainy picture you see my oldest son at about 9 months 'playing' Barbies with his older sister. His idea of play at that age was to take everything out of the storage container and climb inside. You can see how this might be hard on containers over time.

Toy storage containers need to be able to withstand a lot of love (a.k.a. abuse). Don't settle for cheep. You won't save money if you have to keep replacing the container. Choose durable options.

When selecting toy storage for your kids’ rooms, try to look at the space from their perspective. Options that are durable, versatile, and functional will best meet the needs of both children and parents. By setting your kids up for success, you make it easier for them to do what you want – keep their rooms clean.