BEST organizers for kids playroom
What is the best way to organize a kids playroom? What storage solutions actually work for playrooms? Well, I am here to tell you that it is an evolving space and changes/shifts are necessary as your children age. While our playroom has transformed over the years, probably every 6 months it changes in a big way, there are a few tried and true items that are BEST for playrooms IMO.
First up, the cubes! I had cubes when I was in college, post grad life and early marriage. Cubes are a great and very inexpensive way to create storage solutions. This applies to playrooms too! When my boys were younger, we placed books, large trucks, stuffed animals, etc. on the shelves. Today, we have bins filled with hot wheels, monster trucks, crafts and legos. Cubes are great as they evolve with the children and the space, they are very cost effective and durable.
Not all cubes are created equal though…my tip after purchasing many cubes from different big box stores, go with IKEA. The IKEA cube storage is more durable as they use a more plastic type material over manufactured wood. Manufactured wood wears more than the IKEA one and is not as durable, in my opinion. While IKEA doesn’t normally have sales on their cubes, the extra money spent is worth it in the long run!
Second, lets talk bins. Cube storage utilizes bins for smaller items, ie. toys! While cute baskets and cloth bins look cute and nice…they are not very practical or as long lasting as plastic bins. I wish I could go back in time and save so much money on buying plastic bins rather than trying to make my kids playroom cute and spending more money on wooden and woven baskets, milk crates, cloth bins and the like. While the design may have appeared more attractive, it was not as practical. Kids playrooms can be cute and functional…but lets face it, it isn’t going to be the prettiest room in your house. These bins from Target are my absolute favorite!
Last but not least, a catchall for toys! Y’all I am not the worlds best organizer and have been known to hold on to things for too long, BUT I do have experience raising boys and trying my best to keep a clean and tidy house. This means, you need a catchall for toys. Young kids can easily help clean up their mess when there is a bin that they can just throw toys in. While it is definitely not the most organized or prettiest…it is practical and will keep your home appearing more tidy.
Warning on the catchall…your children may forget about those toys as they are not readily available or in plain sight. This means you have options: either throw the toys or items out if they haven’t played with them OR keep them for a rainy day when you need a fun activity and your kids will be thrilled to play with toys they haven’t seen in a while (or best yet, do a combo of both). We also have a catchall bin for dress up clothes and stuffed animals as both are bulky and hard to put away. When looking for a catchall bin, I highly recommend having one with a lid (don’t waste money on big baskets–I did and regret it–as you can still see all the items!).
Take aways:
- Cube storage from IKEA is king
- Plastic bins are the best way to go (you can even use labels for the bins)
- Catch all bins with lids are a great way to keep things tidy
Other mistakes I have done:
I purchased an organizer from pottery barn for kids toys, while it may be prettier–it is not worth it in my opinion. We used an open storage organizer for years when my kids were younger, the bins did not hold big items well and always looked disorganized and cluttered. Stick with simple solutions that make practical sense and you will be happier (and spend less money) in the long run!
Happy organizing, friends!
What kids storage solutions do you like best? What items do you love for your kids playroom?
