playroom storage

There are so many ways to keep a playroom organized, but there is a fine line between a solution that is both mom-friendly (the house is clean!) and kid-friendly (where is the closest toy?). Luckily there are lots of great ways to incorporate storage into a playroom setting.

Playroom storage is all about organizing toys, finding size-appropriate storage containers, and finding a place to keep them when they’re not being used. The basic ideas for sorting toys can either be centered around accessibility, brand, color, or toys that are the most used. Storing toys can be done with a series of boxes, totes, and bags kept in closets or incorporated into furniture. Use storage methods that will teach good habits to children.

You don’t have to follow every single idea you see online. These are simply what they are: ideas and suggestions. Make your playroom in a way that will enable kids to play, explore, and clean up after themselves at the end. There are lots of ways to achieve these goals, so let’s dive into it!

Sorting/organizing toys

When you sort or organize toys, what do you think kids might find easy to put away or get out? You’ll want to find the balance between maintaining the clutter and making everything accessible to easily grab at playtime.

A good way to start organizing is to take everything out and lay it out before your eyes. This is a good idea whether you already have a playroom or you are getting ready to create a play area. Throw away any junk you have, and then group like items of kids’ toys together.

Plus, gather all of the boxes and baskets you have available to use! It will help you visualize how many toys you actually need.

There are some moms who like to get SUPER organized when they get to this part. Some will even go so far as to organize their child’s Legos by color. Maybe they’ll appreciate this when they’re older, but most kids won’t be able to maintain this level of organization. Make sure you set up a system that both you and the kids can use!

When sorting certain toys that are “alike”, here are some ideas for categories:

• People toys & dolls
• Farm animals/barn
• Lego or Duplo bricks
• Wooden building blocks
• Dressup costumes

And these are just basic ideas with families that would have simple toy categories. Other ways to sort or organize would be by…

• Size (there are big and small Legos, and big and small cars)
• Brand (Barbie, Hot Wheels, Polly Pocket)
• Toy type (ponies, kitchen play stuff)

Storage of toys and activities

When you store toys, there is a basic rule of thumb for mothers: First, use what you have first at home. It may be tempting to purchase a bunch of of custom storage units, but sometimes the items you have on hand can be just as good.

Shelves and random boxes, storage bins, storage baskets, or totes can be quick and easy methods for toy storage.

But if you don’t have usable containers or just have some extra money to splurge on the playroom, here are some things to consider using:

• Multipurpose or normal bins
  • If you want to stack them, make sure they have lids!
• Bins for small items like crayons and other craft supplies
• Drawers
• Seating
• Toy chests
• Cubbies, bookshelves, or a repurposed crate
• Wall storage like a shelf
• Desk

Okay, so there are bins that are sectioned into two or three parts, so you can put wooden blocks in one section and stuffed animals in another if you wish. Just do whatever works best.

There’s one mom that had a cabinet builder build deep pull-out drawers in her walls in order to fit the bigger toys, like dolls and stuffed animals. This made them easy to pull out and play with. Drawers (built-in or not) are a great use of storage space if you have them as an option. It’s also easy to close them up and enjoy a clean space afterward.

A lot of moms have noticed that seating storage is easy and super convenient. With this method, the playroom not only looks not only nice and clean, but it has functional places to sit. Then underneath, they have access to dolls, toys, and Lego blocks that can be quickly grabbed from your place on the floor.

Make sure when you are thinking about storing your totes and bags that you place them where your children can access them easily. This could be a closet in the playroom, or a low cabinet full of shelves for the bins, or every single couch you have.

For activities, like books, make sure these are stored on shelves, wherever you see fit, and if there’s some art stuff, use some wall space. Put up all of your child’s creations on the wall, and create a space where they can be messy, but that is still easily organized and situated. Drawers for paper or coloring books and cups for colored pencils or pens.

Have fun when you’re doing this! It’s a playroom! Ultimately, how much extra storage you can provide depends on the amount of space you have and your personal style! You’d be surprised at the difference a couple of storage bins, baskets, or cubbies can make though. A few creative storage solutions and you can easily control the mess.

Get rid of old toys

*GASP!*

Actually, this is probably every mother’s favorite thing in the world and every child’s worst thing in the world. Kids become emotionally attached to toys because they know it’s theirs, and they’ve had it so long, they cannot imagine ever letting them go. But kids grow out of toys as they get older.

If you don’t clean out the toy section, all those years of Christmas and birthday presents from parents, grandparents, maybe siblings, aunts, and uncles… It accumulates. And it starts to get messy and harder to clean up very quickly.

There are two ways to go through with this, both of which are just suggestions:

1. Ask your child what toys they don’t play with anymore and let them make the decision,
2. Secretly clean out the playroom, see if they notice, then give up the toys to a friend, Goodwill, or DI.

Neither way is better than the other, and both can be very effective ways to clean out the playroom. Basically, if your child doesn’t interact with a toy, why keep it around?

Some playroom rule suggestions

Some homes may wish to add some rules to the playroom to keep things tidy and organized. A common playroom guideline for kids is that once they’re done with it they had to put their toys away, or…

• The toy would be taken away for a couple of days,
• the toy would be given away.

Usually, when it gets down to that last consequence, the kids would hurriedly put their toys away. But that was the rule. If you play one game, you have to put it all away before you got another game out. While not always followed, it’s a good reminder, especially when the playroom is a disaster and the kids remember that “Oh, I should’ve put my toys away.”

So, when creating your playroom, make sure to keep the organization and sorting simple so it’s easy for your kids to take out and put back together. Even though it’s a playroom, it’s still a part of the house and deserves to be cleaned every day.

And, don’t expect the rules to work overnight! Children of all ages need reminders and consistent practice. But, with some gentle reminders, they’ll be well-equipped to keep their playrooms tidy.

Conclusion

There are some easy playroom storage ideas and tricks to help you keep your children’s toys nicely stored. After you have gone through everything and decided what needs to be kept or rehomed, you can figure out which storage solution works best for your space. You can use furniture meant specifically for organizing, like cabinets, or you can get creative by keeping toys hidden in under-the-bed storage and in-seating storage.

Whatever system works for you, we hope you’ve found some ways to de-clutter!

Resources

Did you enjoy this post? Here are some other articles about home organization that you may enjoy!

• Nursery organization & baby room ideas
• Changing table organization ideas
• Tips and tricks for storing all your craft supplies
• 15 Home office hacks to improve organization
• 13 Kitchen pantry space-saving ideas