Toy organization. Oh what a fun topic! Does anyone’s children’s toys ever stay completely organized? Mine certainly don’t, but we have found a few things that work for us to keep the chaos somewhat under control. I asked on my Facebook page a few days ago what topics my readers would like to see covered, and this was the first answer!
Part of making a house into a home is to get the clutter under control. It doesn’t feel cozy or homey to walk into a room and be overcome by clutter. (And I’m preaching to myself, too!) Here are five ways to help you get toys organized.
1.) One of the best things we’ve implemented is to have a dresser in the living room. (We, and by we, I mean my husband) painted this last year and you can’t tell by looking, but it’s stuffed full of toys. I have a large drawer designated for each child. The upper drawers hold miscellaneous decorating paraphernalia that is not being currently displayed.
If you don’t have kids but still want to have some toys around for kids that visit, tucking them in a dresser is a way to keep them out of sight when no kids are around.
2.) In my older daughter’s room- she’s 6- we’ve got a few of the clear bins to store like items together- we’ve got her barbies + accessories and her toy horses in bins. We also have bins for her pens/crayons/markers and one for playdoh. It doesn’t always stay completely organized but she is good about reorganizing occasionally when it gets really messy. This benefits her as well- she’s able to find her pens when she wants to draw, or her horses when she wants to play with those.
3.) One thing I have learned is to label everything. I learned this at a homeschool conference I went to this summer- if I know that this particular bin holds puzzles but it isn’t labeled (words for older kids, use pictures for those that don’t read yet)- then I can’t expect my family to read my mind. 😉
Landon and Allie, the only two in school so far, also each have a clear bin that holds their pencils/crayons/map colors for school. They (are supposed to) put everything back at the end of each day. If they can’t find a pencil quickly at the start of each school day, it’s his or her own fault. 🙂
4.) We also group like-items such as games that hubby and I play (they’re in the kitchen so we can use the kitchen table) and the kids’ games are all upstairs on one bookshelf. In the kitchen I also have a bin that holds the kids’ paints, that way if they want to paint, it goes straight from the cabinet to the kitchen table and back again.
5.) Overall, I have to say the best thing we’ve done is to cut down on the number of toys that you have. Seriously, our kids had so many toys and they only play with a few. I am constantly culling out things that are broken or they don’t use anymore. If definitely makes cleaning up and organizing so much easier!
Do you find toy organization a struggle or is it easy for you? If you’re an organizationally savvy, what other hints do you have to share?
Originally posted 11-6-2013
About Kelli Hays
I call myself a toy minimalist.. I often get rid of things or never bring things out. This will be interesting as we have more children. Thanks for your tips
It’s hard! We almost never buy toys for our kids but they just keep taking over anyway! lol
I love all your organization tips!! I need to learn… I haven’t gotten to the organizing in my home that I need to! But you have inspired me to get on it. Thanks for brilliant organization tips to help me cleaning out my home and get organized before the New Year!!
Thank you Ella for your kind words! Most days in my house you couldn’t tell I have a master organizing plan, but I’m working on it! So glad it’s helping you- that is my main goal! xoxo
I could have written this myself…well, the problem part, not the solution part….right down to 4 kids (oldest 6) and homeschooling. We are overrun with toys and we haven’t had a chance to go through them to pare them down. I can’t wait to do it, but there always seem to be ore pressing things to do! I have confidence that I will finally get there. The dresser idea is a good one. We have plastic bins with drawers and they are ugly and are always open!
Kind of by accident, we started a 1/2 birthday tradition with our two boys that includes purging toys. We had decided to celebrate half birthdays with a half of a cake (no presents, nothing fancy) when my oldest was turning 3 1/2. While we were eating the cake, my husband said to the boys that on your birthday you get presents and on your half birthday you give some toys away. Gasp. I shot him the evil eye not knowing if he was joking or not. However, the boys were totally on board. They never once have complained. My oldest (now 6 1/2) woke up on his last half birthday and gathered toys before I even realized it was his half birthday. The only guidelines we gave them (once I realized that this was something to run with) was that they have to be in good condition and stuff that both are willing to part with. Our boys are 16 months apart and share most toys. They do not really have many they claim as their own.
I absolutely LOVE this idea of celebrating and giving away toys for 1/2 birthdays! I think I may try to implement this in our home. Some of my children really struggle with giving things away, but if we make it a special day, then maybe it’ll be better.
My daughter is 26 now but when she was a toddler I bought a bunch of Rubbermaid tony totes for her to house all her toys! And with the toys comes pics of other items you can add to the collection! I taped pics on Barbie totes, pet shop, Polly pockets, baby dolls and to this day she is a neat freakin organized young intelligent lady! It paid off well. Now I just need to take lessons from her! Lol