Playrooms are like a double-edged sword.
On one side, they’re a great way to keep toys out of the main living space and can inspire kids to play.
On the other side, having all the toys in one room usually ends up looking like a gigantic mess.
And when the room is a mess, you feel overwhelmed, the kids feel overwhelmed, and the playroom doesn’t get used to its full potential.
However, with some ruthless purging and smart organization, it is possible to create a playroom that serves its intended purpose and is easy to clean up.
Here are the best toy storage and organization ideas for your playroom.
Top Toy Storage and Organization Ideas
Organize Puzzles with Ziploc Bags
If your kids like to play with puzzles, the sheer amount of boxes can make organizing pretty hard – especially if you’re working in a small space.
One easy solution to keep your puzzles organized without looking bulky is to use plastic baggies.
Here’s what to do:
- Place puzzles pieces in an appropriate sized Ziploc bag.
- Take a picture of the puzzle box and print it out so it will fit on the bag.
- Tape the picture on the bag, write the name of the puzzle, and how many pieces there should be.
With this method, you can easily store 10 puzzles in the space it takes to store one or two.
Create a DIY Dress Up Wardrobe
Do you have a little girl obsessed with her princess dresses? (I know I sure do!)
If so, you can create a DIY wardrobe to keep her dress-up items organized beautifully.
To get started, you’ll need to find a suitable piece to makeover. You can easily find something at a garage sale, flea market, or Facebook marketplace.
Once you do, follow this easy tutorial from The DIY Nuts to make a kid’s dress-up wardrobe.
Make Special “Super Hero” Storage
If you have a child who loves to play with superheroes or little figurines, this is one toy storage and organization idea that is too cute to pass upon.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Mason Jars w/ Lids
- Spray Paint
- Hot Glue
- Your Super Heroes or Small Toys
You can find the full tutorial for making superhero storage here.
Easily Clean Up Legos with Lay-n-Go
While you may have dreams of having bins of Legos separated by color, if your kids are always playing with their toys, we both know it’s not really practical.
Instead, one of the easiest ways to keep Legos together and off the floor is with a Lay-n-Go.
These work like backpacks that unfold to blankets. They’re perfect for traveling, and when you need to clean up, all you do is pile the legos on and fold it up.
Easy peasy!
Create a Game Closet
If you have a family of game board aficionados and want a way to display and easily access your game board collection, consider creating a game board closet.
If you have a closet in your playroom or an extra closet somewhere in your house, you can easily transform it into the perfect place for board games by adding shelves.
Use Pretty Bins to Conceal the Clutter
If you’re going for a streamlined look in your playroom, your best bet is to conceal the toys with bins.
That doesn’t mean they have to be a disorganized mess. Instead, use several smaller bins to keep “like” toys together. These bins make clean-up super easy.
They also make the playroom look less cluttered since they aren’t see-through.
Make Your Own Fabric Storage Cubes
If you’re crafty or working on a tight budget, you can make your own DIY Fabric Storage Cubes.
These cubes are great for storing toys and can help kids learn to keep like-toys together. Plus, you can customize these with whatever canvas fabric you like.
Use a Toy Rotation System
I think all of us parents can agree – too many toys is overwhelming and often leads to our kids not playing at all.
Luckily, there’s an easy solution that doesn’t require throwing every toy in the trash. That solution is toy rotation.
Here’s how it works:
Pick up a few large storage bins. Divide your toys between the bins. Give kids one bin at a time to play with; store the rest. When you notice your kids are starting to get bored with their toys, bring out a new bin and store the old one.
Create a Hang-Out Closet
If you have kids of varying ages, it can sometimes be hard to make the playroom feel age-appropriate for everyone. And so, you might feel like all the toy storage and organization ideas don’t apply to you.
One easy solution to this is to create zones.
For older kids, a hangout closet is a great way to do this. All you need to do is clear out your closet and give it a fun paint theme—afterward, layer in some pillows and blankets for lounging.
Make Toy Bins Out of Diaper Boxes
Jumbo diaper boxes are the perfect size for toy bins. So, if you have these and aren’t wanting to shell out money for plastic bins, you can turn your old boxes into cute storage.
You can paint your boxes or add layers of decorative paper.
When the boxes start to break down, replace them with new ones.
Give Everything a Place
Want your kids to be able to easily clean up after themselves? Give everything a place.
You can do this by using separate bins for each type of toy and clear containers for things like craft supplies. This makes it easy to see where each item belongs.
Also, if your kids can read, you can use labels to organize your playroom.
Make Hanging Storage Baskets
Are there some items you want to get up and off the floor? If so, you can make hanging storage baskets.
The great thing about these is that you can make them any size. So you can use them for things like craft supplies, stuffed animals, dress-up clothes, and more.
And, since you’re the one making them, you get to pick the fabric.
Tips for Creating a Play Room that Stays Clean
If your main goal is to have a playroom that your kids can keep clean themselves or with minimal help from you, you need to design your room with that in mind.
Here are the top toy storage and organization ideas and tips that will help you create a manageable playroom.
Purge Ruthlessly
I’ll admit – as a person who enjoys organizing, corralling like-toys into separate bins and going all out with organizing ideas is pretty fun.
But if you’re organizing toys your kids haven’t played with in years, you’re creating a huge problem.
First, you’re using up valuable space unnecessarily. Secondly, even if your kids don’t play with a particular toy, it doesn’t mean they won’t dump it on the floor and create a massive mess.
If you know, you know.
You need to go through all the toys and ruthlessly purge.
Let go of anything that:
- Your kids haven’t played within more than six months.
- That’s ripped up or stained.
- Missing pieces.
- That your kids simply do not want.
You can donate stuffed animals and unwanted toys that are in excellent condition. The rest will need to be trashed or recycled.
Create Easy Systems
While you may be tempted to organize your kid’s toys by size or display them in rainbow color, getting too fancy is a bad idea.
It will only lead to a) you getting frustrated when your kids want to play with their toys and ruin your beautiful display, or b) your kids getting frustrated because it takes them too long to put everything back.
Instead, you need to create an organization system that’s easy for kids to keep up with.
My favorite method is to organize toys by type (i.e., all tiny dolls together, barbies together, toy vehicles together, etc.) and put them in concealed storage like a bin or drawer.
(Check out my favorite cute toy storage and organization products here.)
This way, putting things back is as easy as dumping them where they belong.
Frequently Asked Questions About Toy Storage and Organization
How do I store toys if I don’t have a playroom?
If you don’t have a playroom, your house doesn’t have to look like a bomb went off in a toy store. I keep most of our toys in the living room. And as a guest, you’d probably never know.
To store toys in your living room, you need furniture that conceals. I like to use coffee tables with built-in storage as well as Sterilite drawers and canvas hampers.
You can watch the short video below to see how I store toys in the living room.
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How do you store bulky toys for kids?
There are a few options for storing bulky toys. The first is to dedicate a closet to toy storage – you can create shelves to house the bigger bulky toys.
Secondly, you can store these in the garage. I keep toys like gymnastics mats, power wheels, and any sports equipment outside.
Third, depending on what you need to store, you can create your own solution. For instance, if your house is full of dress-up clothes, make a custom wardrobe. If your home is exploding with large cars or trucks, come up with a fun “garage” idea.
Since every house is different, there’s no one size fits all. Instead, you need to use the extra space you have available to come up with a solution.
How do you organize when you have too many toys?
Do you feel like you have too many toys? If so, I recommend going through them and getting rid of anything your kids don’t play with.
If you aren’t up for getting rid of the extra toys, your best bet is to use a toy rotation system. By rotating toys, your kids only gain access to one bin of toys at a time, so they’re more likely to be engaged and less likely to create a giant mess.
Conclusion
Try these toy storage and organization ideas if you want to create a magical playroom that stays clean. Most are very easy to implement and can help keep your room organized with minimal effort.
And remember, no matter which ideas you choose to implement, the most important thing you can do is eliminate ALL toys and games that nobody plays with. There’s no point in organizing clutter.
