Best Storage for Kids Toys

I have one of those shelves with the colored bins and i LOVE it. You can organize the toys better and put similar toys together so you can find them more easily.

We have a large shelf my husband built that houses the larger items (Little People and action figure play sets, large cars, etc.) so they are easily visible and everything has it's place. We also have a toy box that holds misc. stuff like balls, light sticks, large action figures, etc. Things that don't stand on a shelf well. Then, I have a couple large tubs with labels. One has the Mega Blocks, one has all the legos, one has all the dress up stuff and accessories, one has all the potato heads and accessories, and one has all our dinosaur stuff. I also have some stacking bins from Container Store that have the smaller cars and Little People accessories. These can be rummaged through easily but not picked up to dump. Then, I have some see through plastic shoe box size things for all their small action figures. You can see through them to see what's inside, but to make it even easier on my son, I put labels on those as well. Since he couldn't read when I made them, I went on a website and printed the DVD cover or a book cover that he'd recognize so he could find what he was looking for without dumping it all out. So, when he wanted the Monsters Inc. guys, he didn't have to dump every box for them and it kept all the appropriate ones together. I also have some of those clear plastic drawers for smaller stuff like play food and dishes or art supplies. You can buy a set with 3 drawers for about $10 at Target or Walmart. The drawers don't come out easily, so they don't get dumped either. I also have some baskets that hold smaller things like magnetix in one basket, viewmasters in another, etc., all catagorized of course. Our playroom stays pretty organized. They do make quite a mess most days, but I've shown them how to put everything back where it goes so that you always know where to find it. I hope some of these ideas help you. I'm very big on organization!

We have the Target shelves with the bins, and we really like them. My daughter is almost 4 now, and we have used them in her room since she was 1 so they have held up very well. We can keep all of her toys organized, and they are still at a level where she can access everything. The bins are also nice if she wants to take toys and play in another room.

In our living room we have the shelves with bins from Target, we never use our fireplace which is tiled and flat on floor so I actually secured it to the fireplace frame so that there is no way it can be pulled over. It needs to be secured somehow or could easily be pulled over. In my sons room I have a toybox with lid that has the 2 shelves above it and it really holds a lot and that ones comes in different colors. I like this one because there's no chance of it being pulled over..however it can easily be climbed on.

We use the bins and I put labels on them so that when we're cleaning up I can help my girls seperate and organize their toys. It takes a lot of coaching, but they eventually try to put the toys in the correct bin. We tried a standard toy box and it was a nightmare for us.

Hi L., we have 3 little boys, so we know all about trying to stay organized! We have an ottoman/storage chest (black leather looking) in our living room. We keep some toys in there so our boys can play when we are in the living room/kitchen during family time. It keeps the toys hidden and easy for the boys to get to because it's at their level. We then have the colored bins in the closet and in a little wooden bench in our oldest son's room. The little bins are great. I put labels/pictures on the outside of each bin that tells the boys what goes in there. My oldest is 2 1/2 and 17 month old twins. I have one bin that has a picture of shoes on it. My oldest knows that is where his shoes go. In the bins we divide stuff like small baby toys in one (rattles, teethers, etc.) and in another we will put blocks, linking rings, etc. and larger toys in the storage ottoman. All 3 of the boys have already learned about picking up their toys and putting them back where they go, so it's a great system versus throwing everything in one big toy box. Hope this helps! Oh one more thing. I go through their toys about every 3-4 months and whatever I have not seen them play with I put aside in a box and list on craigslist and have done great selling toys they have outgrown or just have too many of. Good luck!

I posted this question a few weeks ago.

What I did for the billion of toys my 2 year old has was purchased BOTH!

I bought a Toy Box that matched my DD Kitchen set. I liked the design of how it looked and how the lid was designed on it. Since her Kitchen and table are in our Dining Room I wanted something to hid all the big things scattered around the Common Area. But she rarely opens the toybox to get the itmes out. Small stuff with fall to the bottom as well...

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2603669

As for the play room...I purchased the Bins. For all the little stuff. I can tell you this it is easy to see and access items in the bins. BUT if your little one LOVES to dump bins - be prepared to see them empty all the bins on the floor. Which is exactly what my DD does. I am trying to teach her to clean up after herself (no luck). Every time I put the stuff back in the bins...she dumps them a few sec later.

I also bought Large Plastic Bins for all the big stuff.

She also has a HUGE and I do mean HUGE-Shelf unit that her great-grandpa made her in the shape of a house that I put her books, stuffed dolls, storage bins, DVD and other items.

I considered purchasing the cube shef unit from Ikea. It looks nice and very funtional.

Anything you get it will be hard for your son to keep his toys organized. My son will be three in July and we have a shelf in his room with some bins. On the outside of the bins we have taken pictures of his toys that go in those bins and we also put the word underneath it. The picture helps him know what goes where and the word helps him recognize and associate the word with the object. This has been a life saver for us recently. I am a bit of a neat freak and this way his toys go directly in their appropriate spots and I don't have to clean it all up behind him. Granted, your son is one and is not quite ready for all that but it may be a great teaching tool! I hope this helps!

Oh boy do those toys multiply- sometimes overnight! We use the plastic bins from Target, I took pictures of the things that go in each and taped them to the front of each bin. It helps us know where certain toys are and will eventually help in clean up for my son. We also have a book case/room divider that has cube shaped openings from IKEA, we have some canvas baskets that fit in them and have things like blocks in them and the Little People cars/boats etc. and the puzzle rack sit on those shelves.

The bin storage thing is great, but if you get it, make sure to secure it to a wall stud so your child can't pull it onto himself.

The toy organizer from Target works great. Our twins just turned two and recently moved into their own rooms. We have had the toy organizer since before they were born, and it is still in our twin boy's room. As he gets new toys, we simply move the outdated ones out for donation. It is a great organizer - I definitely encourage you to get it. It seems very sturdy, and it was really easy to put together (just a few rods and a couple of boards. It is one of the best purchases we made as new parents, and I can assure you we'll use it for at least the next decade! :)

The toy bin from Target works great! We have had one for years. It really helps keep sets together as well as is easier for the little guys to keep clean on their own. Stuffed critters and soft toys can go into various bags or pillow cases. Target/Mal-mart have pop up containers that you could use. Old shoe boxes are good to decorate and use to store various little toys (cars, duplos LEGOs, etc.) We recyce a lot of containers. Cereal boxes can be cut across the front and used for car toy boxes. Check out familyfun.com for some good ideas. Good luck! I am afraid that toys seem to multiply more the older they get. I have 3 kids (12,7,5) and it can be an adventure.