Art/puzzle storage?

[Mopey]

The hubby and I realize we are only going to be able to make it in our small pad by purging, storing and reorganizing. Mopey got some great stuff for her birthday but I am not sure what to do about storage. I love the melissa and doug puzzles but none have tops to hold pieces in (she got this one: http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Pattern-Blocks-Boards/dp/B00006JZCG/ref=sr_1_16?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1427308007&sr=1-16&keywords=melissa+and+doug and has some others) and then others are big thick boxes to hold floor puzzles. Then she has art supplies but these are up on a shelf - not to deep but have to be out of her reach or I'll find more crayon on the couch, or worse. She has crayons, pencils, playdough, paints, stamps, coloring books and pads of paper. Not tons but enough. I was going to hit ikea and/or the container store but wanted to ask if anyonehad any genius ideas (since I know you are all genius parents ;)).....All these should stay on shelves but am planning to free up a large/deep bottom shelf by putting balls and dress up clothes together in a large drawer (also planning on getting the spice racks for bookshelves in the bedroom).

In general I am trying to reorganize to also help encourage independent play. She doesn't seem interested in very much by herself and it's getting frustrating now that she's home more and I still have work. Any tips on that would be great please (like, should I put all the play food in a bin next to her kitchen? would that help?). Sometimes I think she has to see it to play with it....the magnatiles and legos are in the drawer and she never plays with them unless they are brought out and we play with her....

Many TIA for any help/links/ideas you can give!

[abh5e8]

dh and I recently came to the same conclusion....its all about declutter and organize and maximize the space, so we can stay put for a while. I really like the Ikea Billy boocases (the shallow, 11" ones) with doors. Some doors have the magnetic child locks and some are open. Each toy has a bin and the kids can get the bin out, play and then put away. my big kids have access to the keys, but if the mess gets out of hand, the keys go away for a while, so then they have to ask permission all the time.

but, from your post, it sounds like you do already have storage? if so, you could rotate in and out the toys. for example, I have a bookcase in our family room and the bottom shelves are for DD2, she has 5 or 6 baskets or toys down there at a time. its a good mix for her. enough that she can pick out something to play with, but small enough that she can usually clean up with some help. I rotate the other toys into boxes in the basement. I have found that if she has all the toys out, she doesnt' really play, she just dumps toys and throws them. like she gets overwhelmed. I pull out a puzzle every few days (or 2-3, depending on age), and for the older kids, i pull out a game or two each day. it helps to have things rotated.

we love hooks on the wall for dress up clothes, next to a low mirror on the wall. these usually stay in the kids rooms, but i have considered adding another in the basement play room. there, dress up cloths stay in a box. for sure put the play food with the kitchen. like things together! and honestly, feel free to pack away toys that are no longer favorites or that she has likely outgrown. Books go in a cabinet with a door, but a couple dozen stay out on Ikea picture frame ledges. kids have these in their rooms and down stairs. I pull out seasonally themed books and they keep out the favorites of the week.

but that said, I don't really feel like I have a good handle on our stuff. thus the purging. :) so i'm looking forward to other suggestions!

[Mopey]

Thanks for the good ideas. I think I am looking for some sort of stacking/rack/shelf thing to go ON the bookshelf for the puzzles....That's what I keep picturing - like old units teachers used to have for papers? Does that make sense? Has anyone seen those lately?

And yes, I just have to get down and take the stuff she doesn't play with. She probably won't even notice it's gone. The stuffed animals on the other hand..... ;)

[vonfirmath]

1) At that age neither of my kids has been capable of independent play for any length of time.

2) We have done two successful things with puzzles like that. 1) Put them in an IKEA style bin (just stacked in the bin) Have to take the top out to get to the one beneath. But the numbers of puzzles in the bin limit how many pieces can be mixed up at once. 2) put them in a larger Rubber maid bin (Fits LOTS more puzzles. So more potential mess. But a better long term puzzle storage solution)

[lizzywednesday]

I use 2-gallon zip-top bags for M&D wooden puzzles and play sets, then I put those into a milk crate.