The Best Toy Organization and Storage Ideas, According to Professional Organizers

One of the most common culprits of a disorganized toy area is the sheer amount of play items children have — if you aren’t consistently getting rid of toys as new ones come in, you’re destined to feel overwhelmed come cleanup time. When children (and sometimes adults) get attached to some toys, it can be hard to get rid of them.

Start small by discarding toys that are broken, missing pieces, and no longer age-appropriate, suggests Shannon Johnson, professional organizer and owner of Situate Your Space.

Decluttering will bring clarity to the space and prepare it for a new system. After a good declutter it's important to do an assessment of the space and all the remaining contents. An assessment not only allows you see the potential of your space, but also helps with defining clear goals and boundaries once a new functional organization system is put in place, Johnson says.

Purging toys at least twice a year is also essential for keeping toys organized and controlled. Make it effortless by keeping a basket labeled for donations nearby to toss outgrown toys. It will be much easier once it’s time to take them out of the house and give away.

You may think you’re on to something if you’ve been able to keep the original toy boxes pristine for a while, but there’s a good chance they’re part of the problem. It’s only a matter of time until the original box packaging becomes more trouble than it's worth, according to Johnson.

“Toys often come in boxes that contain lots of extra space. They become worn and torn down eyesores and boxes typically don't transition well into organization systems,” she says. Instead, try storing toys and games in individually marked pouches that take up less space.

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Keeping a large toy chest might seem like a good idea at first, but they tend to be one of the main causes of mess and disorder. When creating systems, it’s important to pay attention to various organizing styles, suggests Cas Aarssen, author, host of HGTV’s Hot Mess House, and creator of Clutterbug.

According to Aarssen, there are four organizing styles, which she calls “clutterbugs”: cricket, ladybug, butterfly, and bee. When following the clutterbug categories, most small children are butterflies. This means they are really visual and need large, simple categories for organization and storage without lids, she says.

“[Toy boxes] are just too big of a category for children to manage. When a child wants a toy from a toy box, they have to dig and dump to find what they are looking for.” Individual, open square bins are much easier for kids to manage so they can find what they need without pulling everything out.

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The plus about individually categorized containers? They dictate how much of any one item you can have!

Considering many toys associate with the popular “collect them all” tagline, it can be difficult to get a handle on the amount accumulated before they start taking over the rooms. It can be hard determining how much of any category you should keep.

“The secret is to let the container be the bad guy,” says Aarssen. When the bin for a particular category is full, you know it’s time to let go of whatever doesn’t fit. The same applies to shelves. Your shelving is a container with limits and you can only keep what reasonably fits. Like any other thing in your home, if you can’t find enough space for it, it’s likely time to get rid of it.

Small cars and pretend food have a habit of getting out of hand. The solution? Group the like items together.

Keep one bin for cars and one bin for tracks. The same applies to kitchen toys. Limit it to one bin for kitchen toys and appliances. Or you can separate play food and toy appliances into separate bins if shelf space allows, suggests Aarssen.

"Take into consideration that having too much of anything without a proper organization system can cause your child sensory overload, inattentiveness, and impulsive play behaviors," Johnson says. Implementing a toy rotation system is a great way to manage your space when you have a lot and it ensures your child is intentionally engaging. This may look like only making five puzzles accessible at a time by switching them out on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis.

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Once toys are being played with, it may not be easy remembering where every item belongs when it’s time to clean.

Appropriately labeling each category or bin will make cleanup a breeze. Photo labels representing that bin's category makes sorting easier for children who don't know how to read yet.

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Making space for large toys is challenging, especially when they’re likely being stored in a shared space. Johnson suggests keeping it simple by designating available wall space to neatly line ride-ons and other large toys.

"The magic lies in assigning the area as 'home' for these items while keeping your little ones on board," she says. "If you're looking to go a little further you can place a sign on the wall that identifies the area or even create 'lanes' on the floor using tape. These techniques serve as great tools to help your child identify where these items belong."