Children have a specific ability to turn any room into a space filled with scattered toys. One minute, the floor may be clear of toys, but the next minute, a person may find them stepping on a Lego brick while trying to convince a toddler that it’s time to go to sleep. Beyond the annoyance factor that the toys can cause for parents, the toys also has an impact on the way that children plays and relax after those play sessions.
A good system for storing childrens toys can change this situation in the home. A good system will make it easier to clean the toys, will protect the favorite toys from damage, and will teach the children appropriate behavior that will last them for years to come. Furthermore, the toy storage areas should visually look decently within the home, as well.
Below are eight different approach to storing childrens toys that will not only solve specific storage problems in the home, but also work in the balance of the fun factor in the home. One of the best approach to storing childrens toys is to utilize the vertical space in the room. Because the floors often fill up with toys, mounting fabric pockets or shallow shelves onto the wall will allow the toys to remain visible yet out of the way.
Eight Clever Ways To Store Childrens Toys
1. Utilizing Vertical Space with Fabric Pockets or Shallow Shelves
For instance, a section of canvas fabric that is three-feet in width can hold dozens of small toys. Furthermore, mounting these structures to the wall will allow children to reach the stored toys yet also prevent them from taking the toys out of there storage solutions when they are not supposed to. Beyond the benefit of reducing visual clutter in the childrens room, the children will play in their room for a longer period of time after implementing these storage solutions.
2. Open Rolling Toy Carts with Divided Bins
Another approach that can be used in the storage of childrens toys is the use of open rolling toy carts that contain divided storage bins. These toy carts can be wheeled to the location where the children are playing, or the children can wheel them to the living room when they would rather play in a different portion of the home. Each of the shelves within the toy cart can be used to store different category of childrens toys.
Furthermore, the children can easily wheel the cart to the location where the toys are needed, thus reducing the difficulties that often accompany the need for toy cleanup. The only potential problem with toy carts is if the carpet in the house is too thick; in such cases, a narrow rug can be placed in the play area where the children play.
3. Under Bed Storage Bins
Under-bed storage bins are another way that the toys can be stored. These long, flat storage bins can be wheeled underneath the childrens bed and can be used for storing toys that are not as often played with. Furthermore, using clear plastic bins allows the parents to see what items are in the bins and to avoid purchasing additional items that are already contained within the bins. Additionally, the rotation of items into and out of these bins will help to ensure that the children are not become bored of those items.
This storage system is helpful for homes that occupy relatively small amount of square footage. To ensure that the children understand which items go into which storage bins, each bin should be labeled with a picture of the items that should go into that storage container.
4. Hanging Shoe Organizers
Another approach is to utilize hanging organizers that were created for shoes. These organizers can be hung in the playroom. Furthermore, by allowing the children to see all of the items from eye level, children will understand which items to select for play. This approach will save the parent from having to take the childrens plush toys off of the shelves.
Furthermore, by allowing the parents to rotate the items that is hung on this organizer each month, the children will always be interested in the toys that are hung up. The benefits of using the hanging organizers is that they are gentle upon the walls of the childrens homes, especially those that rent houses from there local housing office.
5. Turn a Bookcase into a Toy Library
Another approach is to transform an old bookcase into a toy library. To accomplish this task, you can turn the bookcase on its side. The shelves of the bookcase can be laid flat on the floor such that the children can reach the storage bins for their toys. Furthermore, the items can be labeled on the toy library such as an image of the toys that are to be stored in each shelf.
By placing the toy library at a lower height in the room, the children cannot climb onto the toy library to access the stored toys. Furthermore, the bookcase is made to store heavy items like books, so the toy library will be able to last the children longer then storage bins made out of flimsy plastic. Finally, painting the toy library a color similar to that of the remainder of the living space will allow it to blend into the home.
6. Fabric Cube Storage within an Ottoman
Another approach is to utilize fabric cube storage within an ottoman. These fabric cubes can be used to store small toys for the children. Furthermore, the ottoman allows the fabric toys to be hidden when others are in the home.
The benefit of using fabric toys is that they will not cause any injury to the children when playing with them as they do wooden toy cubes. Furthermore, the ottoman can be used for adults when the children are playing on the floor. Therefore, the ottoman will not take up any space in the home when in use. Additionally, purchasing an ottoman with a hinged lid will protect the fingers of the children when the ottoman is closed.
7. Tension Rods with Buckets or Mesh Bags
Another approach is to utilize a tension rod and curtain rings that can be hung on the wall within the childrens room. Each of the hanging rods can take small bucket or mesh bags that will contain specific sets of small toys.
For instance, a bucket of farm toys can be hung on one rod whereas buckets of magnetic toys can be hung on another rod. Furthermore, every two weeks, the toys in each bucket can be replaced with another set of buckets that contain the same type of toys. Furthermore, the tension rods do not require any drilling into the walls, which is an advantage for those who rent there homes or who are tired of drilling holes into the walls of there homes.
8. Toy Washing Station
Finally, another approach is to create a toy-washing station for the children in the area in which the toys are stored. Within this area, a plastic tub can be placed on a table with a spray bottle and towels. These small items allow the children to perform toy-washing.
Furthermore, after the children have rinsed the toys, they can be air-dried in their storage containers. This approach will reduce the amount of grime that often ruins the plush toys that the parents purchase. Furthermore, allowing the children to participate in toy-washing will eliminate any links between tidiness and punishment. Instead, it will link tidiness with caring for there possessions. Each of these ideas shares one theme: they treat toy storage as a part of the childrens play rather than a potential enemy of their fun. Thus, if toys can be stored in a way that considers the height, the fun, and the energy of the children, children will enjoy the process of storing their toys.
Furthermore, each of these solutions can be implemented into the homes with a little bit of consideration as to which ideas will best suit the size and layout of the homes. By implementing these ideas, parents will have a greater number of toys that become stored appropriately, there will be fewer arguments over toys within the home, and there will be more time for the children to build, to imagine, and to simply be together.
