Top Tips for Playroom & Storage Organization
Tackling any kids space can be challenging but with some simple tips any playroom can be organized and kept up once the hard work is done. Here are a few simple steps to make a big impact on organizing your kids’ space.
EDIT & SORT TOYS
To keep any playroom tidy, sort through toys regularly. Use the 80/20 rule. Keep the space at 80% full. If you’re at 100% or over, purge toys.
When sorting toys, create toy categories along the way to make it easier to put everything away. Categories will also give you a visual of how much you have of one type of toy and how much space is needed to store them.
Examples of toy categories are: puzzles, games, construction, trains, cars, trucks, dolls, pretend play with food, baking, etc. For large groups of toys, sort into subcategories. For example, you may have dolls and along with those you also have doll clothing, accessories, and furniture that are all part of the same doll category.
DESIGNATE PILES
To make the edit & sort process go quicker, designate separate piles: KEEP, DONATE, TRASH, MAYBE & MEMORY BOX, OTHER STORAGE & GIVE TO A FRIEND.
At the end of the sort, take the piles to where they need to go. This will keep you focused to finish the sorting process rather than constantly start and stop.
Trash: Unfortunately, toys break. If it’s beyond repair, it should be thrown out. Broken toys can’t be donated and resold.
Memory Box: For those toys that have special meaning, perhaps it was given by a grandparent or a during a significant event – separate them and create a memory box. If you have several children, create separate boxes.
Other storage: If you are limited on space in your playroom, store items in other areas of the home. Sometimes things collect in the playroom.
Give to a Friend: For anything that is given to a friend, do so right away. Don’t hang onto it. If they really want it, they will pick it up. Given them a pickup date and by all means, put it in your car and take it to them on your next visit.
MAYBE LATER
At some point, all kids get bored playing with toys and move on to what’s new. But before you get rid of a toy, consider setting it aside for another day. The last thing you want to do is get rid of something they forgot they love. All kids get bored with toys but they do have favorites they play with over an over.
ROTATING TOYS
Consider rotating toys away in another area and then bring them out again on rotation. Rotating toys can make it feel like there is something new to play or kids will remember an old favorite. This will help keep down clutter while keeping your playroom tidy with fewer toys in the mix.
BEST BIN FOR THE JOB
You have sorted your toys. You decided what to keep, throw away, give to a friend and now you need to organize and store what’s left. If you already have bins, great, you just need to put the categories away. Two key things to keep in mind with storage are (1) Easy access and (2) being able to see inside a bin.
Use clear plastic sturdy lidded bins to store toys. I prefer using Sterilite or Rubbermaid storage containers. Purchase ones with a locking clasp. Locking lids are more secure. In my experience, these brands tend last longer than those generic brands purchased elsewhere. Use good quality bins because everyone has a little ninja warrior in their midst that loves to climb and stand!
Use large totes for each toy category especially if there are several playsets, figures, and accessories within the same group. Toy categories may consist of (1) train sets, train cars, and track, (2) Imagine-X sets and figures, (3) My Little Pony playsets and pony’s, (4) Strawberry Shortcake playsets and dolls, (4) American Girl Dolls, accessories and clothes or (5) Barbie dolls, playsets, clothes and accessories, etc. Store all playsets and figures in the same bin. For anything, that is too big to fit in one bin, store in the same area.
OTHER TYPES OF STORAGE
For those of you that want a more decorative look, use thick wicker bins or baskets, wooden boxes or fabric bins with cardboard inserts. Make sure whatever you buy is sturdy enough to hold up to the wear and tear of kids taking toys in and out. Thinner materials won’t hold up.
Multi Drawer Bins on wheels are great for dividing multiple accessories. Storing Barbies and dolls have so many accessories that this type of drawer storage works perfect. You can label the drawers down with each type of accessory.
Kidcraft (Sort It & Store It) makes a 12-bin storage unit with multiple storage containers. Although this option doesn’t have lids, kids can see inside the individual containers. This option helps corral the smaller toys like cars, trucks, balls, action figures, etc.
LABEL IT
You certainly don’t want to have a beautifully tidied room destroyed in 5 seconds because your kids can’t find the toy they want. Take the extra time and care and create labels. Make sure to show them where toys go especially if toys are in a different place. These extra steps will help make clean-up faster.
For toddlers and preschoolers, use pictures and simple words. Kids don’t read until school age but they learn single words around preschool. Picture association makes clean up – fun! And perhaps singing the clean-up song…
THE UPKEEP
You’ve done all the hard work. Toys are sorted. Bins are Labeled. Everything looks neat and organized. Now you’re wondering, how to keep it that way.
Edit and sort on a regular basis using a few guidelines below.
1. After birthdays & holidays: out with the old, in with the new.
2. During each age & stage: edit out toys that are no longer age-appropriate. For those of you having more children, keep baby toys but store them outside the playroom to cut down on clutter.
3. During each school milestone: preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school.
As kids grow older, they grow out of toys and want different things. Especially when they are influenced by friends. Toys they played while they were in Preschool probably aren't the same as those toys they play with in Kindergarten.
And by all means, for those of you that are sentimental - create a memory box of special toys for when your kids grow up and have children of their own. Store the memory box outside of the playroom. Be mindful of setting limits as to how much you keep. You don’t want to overfill other storage areas.