Kids get toys for birthdays, Christmas, and sometimes just because. It doesn’t take long for them to become an overwhelming pile that seems to threaten life and limb. There are a few ways that you can organize their toys so that everything is not only neat and organized, but also allows the kids to get greater pleasure from playing with them.
Split Them into Groups
Sort toys into a number of groups—this could be anything from two to six or more groups, depending on how many toys there are. With multiple kids, it’s also a good idea to sort these groups by age. Then, let each child keep one or two groups of toys, and store the rest. A shed can be a great place for this temporary storage (as long as you check for bugs), or if you don’t have one, you can rent a storage unit from Kloke Group Moving & Storage or a similar company near you.
Every few months, rotate out the current group(s) and re-introduce a new group or two while the current group goes back into storage. This rotation system also helps with getting toys that one child has outgrown but the next child isn’t quite ready for out of the way. Whenever you have multiple children, it’s a great idea to do as much recycling of goods as possible to save money.
Build Storage Shelves
Use lumber to build shelves, or buy premade kits that you assemble yourself, and line the shelves with bins. Use bins to organize toys: Legos in a bin, wooden blocks in another, baby dolls in a third, and so on.
Label bins so that kids who can read can tell where to put toys back and so you know where to tell younger kids where to put the toys if they forget. You can use this same system to store games and puzzles, minus the bins. Even though the bins won’t necessarily be out of sight, just having them in labeled containers organized on shelves will bring a sense of order to what often becomes a chaotic room.
Use Buckets or Baskets
For toys that are played with on a regular basis but still need to be picked up and put away for a clean and organized home, put buckets or baskets in the rooms where the toys are most often played with. Label them and when it’s time to clean up, have the kids put the toys in the buckets or baskets and stack them in a corner or slide them under or behind the couch.
Stuffed Animal Storage
Stuffed animals are often the most difficult toy to store. Try putting them in an old bean bag chair. Remove all the pellets from the bean bag, stuff the animals in and zip it up. If there’s a small slit or hole, it’s okay. As a bonus, this can even be used as temporary seating.
Organizing kids’ toys can seem like an overwhelming impossibility sometimes. With a little creative thinking, you can come up with unique and easy ways to do it. Even if your kids don’t thank you, you’ll feel better once it’s done.
