Before you had children I’m sure you swore to yourself that you would never have one of those homes where there are toys, play cars, and play kitchens in every single nook and cranny of the home. I get it because I was one of those people, too. When you actually have your own children, things definitely change. Obviously kids need toys to play with, so you have to have toys in your home. The problem is trying to figure out how to organize them so your house actually looks like a home instead of a crazy, messy, kid zone. Luckily there are a few things you can do to ensure that your home still looks beautiful even though you have toys floating around.
Source: walmart.com
1. Use Pretty Furniture That Has Storage
There are so many great pieces of furniture out there that have cubbies and cabinets and shelves on them that allow ample space for storage. Just because it’s a nice piece of furniture doesn’t mean it can’t be used for toy storage. Never, ever buy one of those toy storage units that’s all white and has the colorful bins attached. They are hideous and will make your home look like a day care center. You can find similar pieces of furniture that serve the same purpose, but that are beautiful. These cube furniture pieces are available for purchase at many stores that provide a lot of storage space. You can put your child’s books on them and fill each cubby with bins and baskets full of toys. Which then brings us to our next toy storage solution.
Source: target.com
2. Baskets, Bins, Buckets
No matter where you put your child’s toys you will want baskets, bins, or buckets to separate the toys. This way you you won’t have one giant basket full of toys that continually gets completely dumped out because your child can’t find that small dinosaur they’re looking for. Now, when I say storage baskets and bins I’m not talking about the clear storage bins you can buy for garage storage. I’m talking about decorate buckets, pretty copper wire baskets, or beautiful fabric covered bins. Chances are they will be on display or they’ll be out while you have company over so you want them to look nice in your home.
3. Use Decorative Items That Double As Storage
A great way to organize toys is to find decorative items that double as storage. You can find many ottomans that open up as storage, or you can buy boxes that look like books or simply a nice piece of decoration that opens up for storage as well. The more hidden storage, the better. Your guests will never know the chaos behind those items, but your children will know exactly where everything is.
4. Organize Toys According To Type
Look, I know its impossible to keep your kid’s toys organized all the time. They move things around and probably won’t always put things back in their proper place, but it’s better to try than to have toys that are continually mixed up. Organize the toys according to their type. For example, put all the stuffed animals in one basket, while the cars, planes, trucks, buses and other transportation toys are in a separate basket. This will not only make the toys look prettier, but it’ll be much easier for your child to find what they’re looking for.
5. Label Everything
A great way to keep all the toys in their proper place is to label the baskets and bins that the toys go in. If you’re kids can’t read, try putting pictures instead of words. This will help them put all their toys back in the correct place and will help them find the toys they are looking for as well.
(Check out Playdough To Plato for lots of great learning and educational activities for your kids, from reading, to math, to science and more).