3 posts tagged “toy organization”

Do your children's rooms look like a disaster area? With all the toys kids own today, it's hard to keep everything in its place. You walk in to the room and there's a teddy bear on the floor, a plush dog on the bed, and a doll by the window. It's like a toy explosion, as kids play with their toys anywhere and everywhere. But believe it or not, there are ways to instill some order into the chaos with some easy toy organizers. Here are a few suggestions to keep your child's toys in their place!

Toy Hammock

This probably sounds unusual, as when we hear the word "hammock" we picture a comfortable place to rest on the beach of an exotic island. But a toy hammock is a great place to "rest" all your child's toys, and is interesting enough that your kid may actually enjoy putting their toys away. It's also a great space saver, allowing you to hang it anywhere that works, whether it is a corner of the room or between a couple of pieces of furniture. Regardless of where you put it, suddenly you have a place to drop toys in, allowing you to not have to trip over them every time you enter your son or daughter's bedroom.

Chain Gang

While not able to hold as many toys as the toy hammock, this nifty organizational gadget can allow you to save some major space. Toys can be hung on a chain, which you can put on any door or wall, whatever is most convenient for you. Hanging the toys behind a door can be an especially good idea, because that way the toys are "hidden" away, and the room looks much less cluttered. This is a great way to store those toys that are most often used!

Ceiling-Drop Organizer

Similar to the chain gang, a ceiling drop organizer is a big bag that can be hung anywhere and hold many more of your child's toys. This organizer can even make a great decorative touch, as the bags come in practically any color of the rainbow, which allows you to get one that matches the room. Throwing your child's stuffed plushies into these bags allows also for easy clean up. A good place for this type of organizer is by the bed or door, but you can put it wherever works best for you.

Spiral Hamper or Storage Bins

Now it's time to move on from the "suspended" storage items. A spiral hamper or storage bin is a great and more simple way to organize your child's stuffed toy animals without having to put nails into the wall. This way all your child's toys can be put in one place, or you can buy a couple smaller ones if you want a little more organization, such as stuffed animals in one bin and balls and other sports equipment in the other. Just make sure that the hamper you purchase is soft-sided, as this eliminates the dangers of sharp corners. A soft cloth hamper would be your best bet, or even a laundry hamper. Some of these come with transparent cloth, which would allow you and your child to spot that teddy bear they need much quicker.

Toy Box

If you're looking for something a little more classy, and you have a bigger budget, a toy box is another great option. You can often find one that matches the other furniture in your child's room, in fact, some bedroom furniture sets even come with their own. You can put this chest under a window, or at the end of the bed. Just make sure not to set anything else on the top of the chest, as this is one lid that is going to be opened and closed a lot.

So there you go! Toy organization is a snap with these five ideas. You don't have to put up with a chaos filled bedroom, and you can do it without breaking the bank either!

If you have kids in your home, organizing toys is something you think about daily. And if your house is anything like mine, toys tend to take over almost every room in your home. At some point during the day, there are usually toys in the kitchen, family room and TV room all at the same time. Such is life with kids. So when it's time to clean up, I make sure that every one of those toys has a home to go to. All it takes is a little organization. Here are a few ideas to help you keep those toys organized in your home.

Contain the smaller items

Action figures, small toy cars, dress-up jewelry, and Barbie dolls and accessories are just some of the things that can be put in containers for easy small toy organization. If you can, stackable is the way to go here. Stackable containers give you more space and are easier to organize. Shoe boxes (plastic or cardboard) work well for these smaller items. You can even get the kids more interested in using the boxes if you let them personalize them. Get a sheet of stickers and let them go crazy on the box. Using different colored labels for the different boxes that the items go into can help kids who can't read yet put the right item in the right box.

Nets and shelves

Nets that stretch over corners can work well to hold lots of stuffed animals. If you'd rather display the stuffed animals so that you can see them, shelves are good way to go. Shelves also work well for putting away all of those containers you have of all the smaller toys. It also works well for those medium sized toys that are too small for the floor but too big to go much of anywhere else. Adjustable shelving (the kind that has brackets that screw into the wall) that can grow and change as your child grows and changes is the best investment. Many adjustable shelving units can be changed and modified into a computer desk for older children.

Getting rid of the old stuff

Because your child is sure to get more toys on his/her birthday and at special holidays, make sure that you schedule time to get rid of the old toys. Ideally, you want to get rid of toys that your child no longer plays with and has outgrown. If your child is old enough, have them participate in helping you get rid of the toys. If you will be donating the old toys, go through the toys with your child and explain that you are giving away his/her old toys so that a child that doesn't have toys can enjoy them. Also explaining that he/she will be getting new toys shortly can help ease the blow too.

Your children’s room and playroom may be the most exciting room in the house, but it can also be the most disorganized. If the closest you get to putting away your kid’s toys, stuffed animals, and games is throwing them on the floor, then you have a problem. But don’t worry, you don’t have to be embarrassed to have guests over. Clean up the disorganization with the following tips:

Key Tip #1: Storage

Storage items are critical when it comes to the organization of your child’s room, so the first thing you’ll need to do is clear some space. Even in a small room, storage items can save space. Here are some ideas that will fit any size room.

Probably the most ideal storage item for a child’s room is something you wouldn’t necessarily expect: fabric boxes. These have several major advantages over other types of storage. For one they are sturdy enough to hold practically any toy or plush animal, yet they are soft and free of sharp corners enough to be safe for children. They also come in many sizes, assuring appropriateness for any space. And lastly, they come in practically any color, meaning it’s easy to find one that fits the theme of your child’s room and matches perfectly. So once you choose a few of these colorful boxes, they can be placed in any empty corner, or even set right at the end of a bed, which is a very traditional place for a toy chest. And remember, organization doesn’t have to stop there, assuring that you have a chaotic box. You can get different sized storage boxes to organize toys by type. For example, get a small red basket to keep small toys in, such as cars and games. Then use a bigger, green box for the large toys, which could include plush toys and dolls. If you have extra large toys, such as giant teddy bears or life sized dolls, place them neatly on the floor, bed, or dresser as a piece of your decorating motif.

If you feel your floor space is too limited for this, here’s another option: hanging storage! Get a couple of colorful hanging wall baskets with pockets. These are extremely functional, save on space, and are fun besides! Place your hanging storage on the door or next to the window and you’ve got the perfect tool to keep your child’s room organized! Just having these storage boxes or baskets will put you on your way to a neat room. You’ll find that cleaning up all the clutter on a daily basis should only take 5 minutes or so, making creating a neat room a snap!

Key Tip #2: Functionality

The key to keeping a room organized is functionality. Even if your toy to space ratio is uneven, you can still keep the room ready for visitors. Just remember to use each space and piece of furniture for a specific purpose.

Room furnishings should be arranged in such a way that there is plenty of space for storage and storage boxes. Sometimes the furniture itself can play a part in this. You can get a higher bed, or add a leg extension, which will create room underneath the bed for you to place storage. This way smaller toys can have bins that fit under the bed and out of sight. Remember to categorize these boxes so certain types of toys go in them, which means you’ll always be able to find what you need. Also, if for some reason you’re not a fan of storage boxes and baskets, you could keep the floor organized by creating a “stuffed animal corner.” First start with the bigger plush toys, for example, lean a big stuffed dog against the wall corner. Then place the smaller toys around it (such as teddy bears and dolls) and other standing toys (like games and other items) can be placed under and beside. This way the toys aren’t spread all over, and give functionality to an otherwise empty, and boring, corner. While this might not be the easiest way to clean up, as you have to arrange the toys every time instead of just throwing them in bins, it does create a wonderful decorating motif.

So there you go, using these tips will make handling clutter in your child’s room a snap! Remember, a little organization will make every part of your house attractive and functional. As a last tip, teach your children to put away toys every time they are finished playing. This assures that not only will their rooms be guest ready at all times, but they will also be taught the all important value of responsibility!