Good Toy Storage

After many toy storage options over the years, I am most happy with the plastic containers with lids. My 2 yr old needs help opening some of them, but that is actually a good thing because it keeps me aware of what she is getting out. We also have a plastic 3 drawer thing for those random toys that aren't part of a set. I think it's totally worth spending the money on these items.

We recently got a toy bookshelf sort of thing from Target. It's about 3 feet high and long (I think... I'm not good at measurements) consisting of 9 cubes. We bought canvas cubes that fit perfectly inside and left some open for larger toys. They have these in "kid" colors: navy, white and pink but also in wood colors as well. We chose the wood colors so we could use it wherever we wanted or when the kids grow out of it. It also has hardware for attaching to the wall the kids can't pull it over.

Look online at target... kids; storage; Circo organization collection

We have a four shelf book shelf with clear plastic shoebox containers. These hold Little People, doctor kit, pull back cars, blocks, etc... I also have the puzzles on one of these shelves. We have a padded bench storage box that holds big vehicles like fire truck and tractors. We have a fabric cube bin for cars. A wheeled rectangular basket for all Imaginext stuff. A retangular basket for stuffed animals. All kitchen stuff goes IN the play kitchen cabinets. I also have a tall plastic bookshelf in the toy room closet for big sets like Lincoln logs, wooden trainset, chunky Legos, Little People house and ramp. Anything with "parts" is in a clear plastic container.

We have done this since my 3 1/2 year old was 1 and he knows where everything is and where everything goes! I am a little OCD and therefore am very organized, We only get out so many things at a time and pick up periodically throughout the day. We also pick up before dinner, when Daddy get home, and at bedtime. It never gets unmanageable.

I would have to agree with most--storage bins are the way to go. I would add, kids benefit from learning how to match and sort things (think science, math, those compare andcontrast questions). Also, it is more fun to play if you can find the parts--your toys will get used more. Also, you can put some bins away and rotate them to keep things fresh.

I got some cheap bins from Target, and put them on shelves I already had. I made sure to get enough for each "kind" of toy. So all the doll stuff gets put in one bin, all the train stuff in another, puzzles get stacked on one shelf. And then I make sure the kids know which bin is for what kind of toy. This helps with sorting skills and gets them involved in cleaning up.
To help with the clutter, they are only allowed to play with 2 kinds of toys at a time, and all the toys have to find their homes before dinner. I like this method rather than one big toy bin because my kids can actually find what they are looking for and want to play with, without emptying all the toys out.

If you try to get too organized i find it tends to backfire. The kids won't want to clean up. What worked for us was an old fashioned toy box to toss in all the bigger stuff, and some shelves with tupperware for the smaller stuff. Legos were dumped into one huge plastic storage box. It was fun sifting to the bottom to find specific things!

I have a lot of clear plastic storage bins with lids for "sets" of things like blocks and Legos. Then I have 2 sets of those wire cube shelves that my husband put together into one big set of cubbies. I have book in those and a bunch of those fabric drawers with toys separated by type. Cars, monster trucks, shake n go cars, Bakugan, etc. Works well for us.

Ikea!!! We have the storage system where you select your bin size and slide them in and out of the shelves. You can add solid shelves for things that would not go in bins well, and then you can get lids to stack the bins in a closet or garage as well. And the best part is, my kids are totally willing to help clean it all up becuase its SUPER easy.

A few weeks ago I purchased a six cube organizer from Target.. with canvas storage bins... I put my daughter's toys in that... the room looked better instantly.

For bigger things we ordered a canvas toy bag from Pottery Barn kids. It is fabulous! For smaller things we got one of those plastic shelving unit things with pull out drawers (not the most attractive but comes in handy) the kids can see what is in the drawers because its see through, and the pull outs are easy for them to access.

I bought a toy organizer at lowes. I think they also sell them at home depot. It has colored plastic bins that you place in racks. Works very well for the small items. I was going to buy the book shelve with colored canvas bags, but I noticed that my toddler likes to grab each one and dump them all over the floor. I think it has to do with him not being able to see his toys. So the one I bought is open, and you can see the toys. For the larger toys, they are on shelves or in a toy box. I have been weeding out the toys that are broken and for now I'm able to line up the big toys on the ground, but his birthday is coming up, so I guess that method won't last long. :)

I have two boys ages 6 and 4 and I know what you are saying. I went to Walmart and got several plastic clear bins. I kind of figured out what sizes I needed and went to town! I got the kind that you can stack on top of each other. Then the bins are to contain certain things like: Adventure toys, costumes, train sets, action figures and things like that. Having them clear the kids can see what is inside and it makes clean up easier too. I didn't have to label them since they are clear. Worked great over here.
C.