Anybody know any good storage solutions for children's toys?

Question

Essentially my 2 yo daugter has a small room. I was looking at Ikea and found they sell something called the TROFAST which is essentially 6 boxes in a frame that is like 99.99!!!!!. I was looking at getting rubermaid storage boxes etc.

Answer 1

As a kid, I had most of my toys on a shelf, or in a toy box. The problem with a toy box, is that all the smaller stuff falls to the bottom, to never be seen again, until such a time that it is emptied. I found that baskets on a shelf help organize things.

Shelves are easy to build with supplies from your local building materials store. You can paint them to match the decor, and the likes. I also train my child to put things back where she found them, make a game of it at the end of the day prior to her going to bed. Instruct her that when she is done with a toy to put it away.

Another helpful thing (since i live in a house without a basement) is a coffee table that has a shelf or is enclosed so you can put stuff in there, and out of sight.

Toy boxes can be a pain to build to meet safety standards - ie the lid that does not slam down - good luck finding those hinges - I was unable to find anything suitable for that purpose, so the toy box i built is out in my garage hiding my power tools.

Pictures pinned/taped/glued to the shelf is also a good way of helping your child to put things in their place.

Once you build a shelf (with probably better wood than what you would get at ikea) you can also use the rubbermaid products to put on the shelf. Doors on said shelves also help hide toys. - Use kitchen cabinet hinges as they are durable, and can take a beating.

Any shelving solution you do, ensure that you use an angle bracket to connect it to the wall to prevent tipping in case your child is a climber, so the shelves do not topple on top of your child. Also the paint you use, please ensure it is not lead based, use a semi gloss or a high gloss as opposed to a flat finish to help with washing them off or dusting them off, so you can use a damp rag. It does not rub off.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I'd see about getting some cheap plywood then painting it and then finally putting a cushion on top of it to sit on. You could probably put it at the end of the child's bed. The lid could lift up to put toys insde. You could even install drawers and sections into it if you wanted. or create a trays that fit on rims for certain sections made out of thin wood paneling that lift out to layer the toys if need be.

You might also look at some Rubbermaid plastic pieces that roll under the bed so they toys are tucked away and not seen.

You could also see about making a stand that has inside rims that you could slide baskets in and out on. You could have several layers of baskets. Go to a place like Pier 1. They do something similar with wicker baskets. However yours don't have to be wicker.

Also, those plastic stacking file crates can make good toy storage for quick set up. Or even any kind of wood cube that can be stacked. I think the stacking cubes worked best when I was growing up. They could be placed about anywhere and used as cubby holes. It's basically a solid cube with one face left open. You might tack a board across the bottom of the open side of the cube to make the bottom more like a tray so stuff doesn't so easily fall out.

Be careful about putting shelves on the wall. If too much stuff is put on them and they aren't anchored right they could pull out from the wall. And sometimes you never know if your kid might try climbing them.

Answer 4

Toychest in room for those items played with most often, at end of bed or along a wall. Shelf unit for books and toys(only played with occasionally). Plastic (under-the-bed) storage bins.

You could also buy(or make) one of those over the door hanging organizers(like pairs of shoes go in), for inside the closet door. Those are great for small stuffed animals that could go in the pockets at the bottom. Other things like dolls, crayons, etc. will fit in the pockets as well. And when the closet door is closed, the things are out of sight!

Answer 5

Take advantage of her walls and do some vertical storage in the form of shelves. putting her pretty things up higher......this or maybe stuffed animals that she doesnt' play with as much. You can do this for not much money if you build them yourself with supplies from a lumberyard.....then for the smaller things, totes are a great storage item but go with clear so that you can see ahead of time what you are helping her get out to play with. My daughters preschool has a great plan that really helps the kids.....they took a picture of each toy like a picture of a block or a picture of a barbie and then they tacked it on the shelf where the tote belongs with some tape......this way your little one can see where things go when she is putting them away.

good luck!