Best Organizing Supplies for Kid's Toys!

Are the toys in your home driving you crazy? The most common reason parents contact me is because the toys in their homes seem to be taking over and causing chaos in their lives. All any of us want is a home that functions well, where we can live our best lives. Toys are a great thing- they help kids be creative, stimulated, and imaginative. But too many toys can lead to over-stimulation, frustration, and lack of interest. It’s about finding the right balance between your inventory and your storage.

The first step in the process is to complete a thorough sorting of all of the toys and books in your home. Check out my post on 5 Simple Ways to declutter your toys for help with the cleanout.

Once you have the toys sorted and categorized, you should only be left with the best of the best and it is time to focus on storage. I always caution my clients to make sure they discard first and organize second. Just taking all of your toys and stuffing them into bins will not solve the clutter problem, you will only be left with organized clutter. Most families have similar categories of toys for their children so many of these storage solutions can be used in multiple ways.

Books- Once you get your book collection sorted, you will want to keep those favorites easily accessible. I love this storage shelf- the books are easy to see and easy to put away. It holds just enough but not too many! When my kids were really little, we had two of these shelves and they were awesome! I kept our holiday books put away and would swap those in during the holiday months. A little reading nook is a fun idea. It can be set up in the child’s room or even in the family room. The goal is for your child to have a cozy place to read while keeping the books contained but accessible.

Stuffed Animals -Every kid has them and every kid probably has too many of them! But they are our plushies, our friends so what do we do with them?! First, pull out the ultimate favorites, the ones they cannot sleep without, and store them on their beds. No reason to stress yourselves out at night trying to find your kid’s favorite bear before bedtime- keep the favorites close by. For the extras, I have one storage solution that I recommend over and over. These bean bag chairs are so great! They come in multiple colors, so you can pick one that matches your home, they have tons of room and are washable and comfy. You just fill them up with all of the extra stuffies and even some blankets, zip them up and you have storage and a chair all in one!

Art Supplies- These rolling carts have been my ultimate go-to for years for art supplies. 8 drawers -various sizes - they are perfect for organizing and separating out different drawing materials: colored pencils, crayons, and markers. The deeper drawers can hold paper and coloring or activity books. They are on wheels so they can be moved around. They are perfect for homeschooling and arts & crafts.

Multi-Use Pouches - I could not love these pouches more! I use them for EVERYTHING. In the toy department, they are great for board games- those boxes always seem to fall apart, and then pieces get misplaced. I just take the whole board and all of the pieces and directions and pop them into one of these larger pouches. Card games fit perfectly into them as well. Other uses: small accessories for toys, action figures, puzzles, art supplies, electronics, trading cards and so much more. We use them for traveling, let the kids fill a few up with art supplies and little toys, toss them into their bags and away we go.

Larger Toys - for the bigger toys, you will need something to contain them. What you choose, depends entirely on the aesthetic of your home. Do you want to see the toys so it’s easier for the kids to take them out on their own? If so, you might like an open shelf, we had one of these in the toddler years and it was just perfect. The various size bins help to separate the different categories, it is easy to toss items back in so clean up is a breeze, and it’s open so the kids know exactly what they have and what their options are.

But you might like toys out of sight at the end of the day, and if so, I’d recommend a toy box or a cube system. I love these toy boxes, they create a little extra seat, they fold up and they hold a ton. We’ve had a couple of them for years and they are still in great shape.

You can never go wrong with a cube system. You pick how many cubes you want and then there are a variety of bins you can purchase - anything from fabric to wicker to clear and you can change bins out over the years if your needs change. They are great for storing action figures, puzzles, building blocks, cars, dolls and accessories, and much more.

These are my favorite toy-organizing products. I’d love to hear if you have tried any of these and how they work for you. Also, let me know if you have any must-have products! Toys do not have to take over your home, and with a little planning, a lot of decluttering, and some solid organizing products, you can have a home that is easy to tidy up!

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