How do you organize your kids' toys?

[jerseygirl07067]

I x-posted this in the Around the House section too.

My DDs are almost 5, and 3 1/2, so their needs are changing. What used to work isn't working anymore! We have those tilted bins that are on a wooden shelf, but they are not the right sizes for their things, plus, it's hard to see what's inside without dumping everything out.

I need to start using more vertical space to get things off the floor. So I'm thinking of a shelving system with lots of bins, or going with stackable drawers that are clear in the front, so you can see what's inside. I was also thinking of using an idea I saw on one of those home organization shows - which is to put a picture on the front of the drawer of what goes inside.

My home is fairly clutter free but the kids toys are a different story. I'd love to hear your ideas!

Marcy

Samantha 12/22/03
Julia 4/19/05
baby #3 EDD 6/1/09!! None of my friends IRL know yet!

[SnuggleBuggles]

I hear you on things evolving.

What is working now are book shelves. I have bins on some and some are just left as is. The bins we have are chalkboard bins so we write what goes in them.

Beth

[Tondi G]

We don't have them but our friends do and a lot of people around here were quite happy with their IKEA Expedit shelves!

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40047675

Some people used the Branas baskets for books and toys

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90028066

My neighbors used these in some of the shelves to hold toys and such.. they work but are not my neighbors fav.!

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90059618

Target also sells some cubby style shelving! They have those canvas basket/boxes that work with them and look nice!

[niccig]

I don't! Ha ha ha.

We do have expedit shelves, baskets etc. but lately it's gotten out of control. I need to do a major cull and get some order back into things. And stop DS from taking apart his lego and then strewing the pieces over the house and then asking me 1 week later, where it all is!

My advice, limit the amount of toys. When I rotated toys, it was much more manageable.

[brittone2]

Love the Expedit. We have two 5x5 ones side by side in our living room (long empty wall). It isn't perfect, but it really helps! Some stuff is in baskets (would like to get more but alas here in NC...no Ikea yet :( ) and some stuff is on open shelving. It does get messy at times but it is at least off the floor :wink2: What I really like is that the height allows us to put some things out of reach of the kids (things with a million pieces that I don't want out or mixed in with other toys, for example). It can be out, but not accessible all of the time.

[niccig]

double post

[new_mommy25]

Downstairs:
We have one of those tilted shelf things you mentioned. We use to keep:
Cars (hot wheel size)
Automoblox
Transformers
Baby doll items (clothes, bottles, and other accesories)
My Little Pony
Action Figues

We also have a tall 5 level bookshelf that once held books but has been taken over by the kids. The bottom shelf has wooden blocks. Second shelf up has seasonal books and DD's Animal Hospital. The other two shelves have their craft supplies and DVDs. I have one shelf that is mine and that holds all my cookbooks.

Lego Duplos are in their own big tub and stashed in a corner of the living room.

Another large bin holds larger toys like balls, magnadoodle, doll stroller pull toys etc. http://www.sterilite.com/Category.html?Section=Storage&ProductCategory=141#

Two cabinets in our TV armoire: 1 holds Hotwheel tracks and Mr. Potato Head. The other holds puzzles.

Doll cradle holds most of DD's dolls.

Upstairs in kids room:
Our train table became a Lego table. All Legos are kept on table in bins. He can play with his legos around the house but the rule is they must all go back on the table at the end of the day. I do still find Legos around the house but not too often and I make DS immediately run the pieces upstairs.

5 shelf bookshelf. 4 shelves hold books and the other holds CD player and CDs.

In the closet I have a 12 piece mesh storage cube. I bought two sets at Costco for cheap and it is very study. Looks sort of like this but ours is a little nicer. http://www.organize-it-online.com/itm_blackstorcube.html The rest of the kids toys are in there, all organized in bins. I love the Sterilite bins I linked earlier and I also use a lot of plastic shoe boxes since they have a lid. Those are the best for smaller toys. http://www.organize.com/storboxclear1.html

Dress up clothes are hung on the wall via adhesive hooks and the rest of the dress up is in two large bins which I have underneath.

I would also add that purging helps A LOT!! I recently did a huge purge and that made it so much easier for my kids to clean up their toys and find the items they want to play with. They also tend to play with the downstairs toys a lot more often so I rotate things.

[almostamom]

We have the large (http://www.target.com/Do-Your-Room-Bookcase-White/dp/B000ES5VWK/sr=1-23/qid=1226537804/ref=sr_1_23/179-6055964-2734346?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Abookcase&page=1) and medium (http://www.target.com/Do-Your-Room-Bookcase-Medium/dp/B000ES274K/sr=1-11/qid=1226537804/ref=sr_1_11/179-6055964-2734346?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Abookcase&page=1) versions of the "Do Your Room" bookcases from Target with the chalkboard bins on the shelves to hold items. They've worked really well for us. We have two of each with a small bookshelf in the middle along one wall of our playroom (medium, large, bookshelf, large, medium). The picture is from a year ago before we got the bins and when we had a mini train table instead of the bookshelf. Just imagine red bins on most of the shelves :)

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j220/churchillsaz/DSCN0310-1.jpg

[DrSally]

That's great, I really like it!

[BeachBum]

Hum...My DS is 3 and I feel like the tilted bins are really working for us for the first time. His toys have finally gotten small enough to fit. We use them to store hotwheels, other trucks, musical instruments, view finder and misc stuff like that, trains, wooden puzzles, etc etc.

I've found that the "snapware" containers work really, really well for us for storing playmobile. http://www.snapware.com/maindept.asp?dept_id=10000
The ones I have have small dividers in one section which is just right for the really tiny things.

In his closet I keep a large laundry basket with stuffed animals, one with dress up, and some stacking bins with Mr. Potato Head, Wedgits and things that are too big to fit in the tilted bins. I also have one of those sweater storage hanging things that I keep boxed puzzles and board games in.

[elephantmeg]

one peice of advice that I've read about tiny peice toys-legos, barbies etc is to put them in an under bed drawer or big bin wrapped in a sheet. You get the sheet out, play with the stuff, then when you are done gather the sheet back up and put it back in the bin.

[jerseygirl07067]

Thanks so much. I'm checking out all of the options. I like the Ikea and Target shelves that were mentioned.

I also saw the Sterlite modular drawers at Target too, but they're not as decorative.

Marcy

Samantha 12/22/03
Julia 4/19/05
Baby #3 EDD! 6/1/09

[jessicallyn]

Everything except for puzzles and big trucks goes into boxes on a shelf - or for bulk items like train tracks and blocks, big rolling bins under a shelf.

I like opaque boxes because it looks less distracting. And no splinters, like baskets. But this was my moment of genius: to let the kids know what's inside the opaque plastic boxes, I attach piece of whatever the box holds onto the side. The Playmobil box has a Playmobil person, the Tinkertoys have a connector, the Legos have a Lego. That way, I don't have to look for pictures to attach or (yeesh) draw anything.

Here's how I do it:
I drill 2 small holes on one end. I use either a zip cord (the plastic straps that self lock) or the plastic-coated wire that holds new toys (annoyingly) onto their boxes. Either way, I thread the cord from the inside of the box, around the toy, and back into the box - like a button. The nice thing about the zip cord is that you don't have to knot it.
And if you decide to purge the toys and put something new in, just cut off the old "label" and tie on one of the new types.

Good luck

[brittone2]

one peice of advice that I've read about tiny peice toys-legos, barbies etc is to put them in an under bed drawer or big bin wrapped in a sheet. You get the sheet out, play with the stuff, then when you are done gather the sheet back up and put it back in the bin.

I saw an idea on a blog to take a piece of Masonite, and put it smooth side down. The person then built a small lip (a few inches high) around the whole perimeter. They sized it to fit under a bed...it was smooth enough that a child could pull it out to work with Lego, etc. and then slide it back under like a trundle, but no wheels needed.

My dad is going to try to build one for DS (we've just entered the world of Lego in recent months)