The child barely had time to be born, and happy parents and loving relatives have already begun to shower him with a variety of toys. This collection is growing steadily, and if in the first years you still have a chance to somehow place old and new gifts, then the question of where to store children's toys will become an issue. The area of the apartment may be clearly too small for this.
Toys in the house appear as if out of nowhere. It seems that they are pouring out of a cornucopia, occupying all the corners. And only you, it would seem, managed to stop this toy invasion and concentrate everything in one heap, when something will certainly try to roll out at your feet. So where should we put this child’s happiness so that there is no chaos in the house and at the same time, the child can easily use them? How to organize a children's play space? How, after all, should you properly store these so different toys so that you can live comfortably and your baby can play with them freely?
wardrobe with open shelves for storing children's things
You need to start with the main thing - sorting. Look at the toys scattered on the carpet. You can't help but notice how different they are. There are animals here that are almost life-size, and tiny surprises from Kinder eggs, and it’s simply impossible to look at the abundance of construction elements, balls, cars and dolls without panicking! And there is nothing to throw away, because your child simply cannot imagine his existence without this bear cub with a torn ear and will never fall asleep unless he hugs a tailless cat. Well, let's try to at least put the house where the baby lives in relative order? Then let's get to work!
furniture with open and closed shelves
The easiest way to solve the problem of where to store donated children's toys is by owners of private houses . They can allocate for this:
- Lumber room.
- Garage.
- Basement.
- Room.
There’s not much room to roam around in the apartment, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any ideas.
Storage Secrets
“Provide each drawer of the system with a label, then both you and your child will know where and what children’s toys should be stored.”
If you are tired of eliminating the consequences of a hurricane of play that swept through the room, try using several techniques that will certainly save time on cleaning and allow you to involve in this process a child who is happy after active games and is not at all ready to put away everything scattered during them.
open shelf with baskets
- Sort toys by activity.
Look through the mountains of toys and try to select those that you have clearly “grown out” of; perhaps you can already do without them, and you will persuade your child to give them to some kid. Discuss with him what must be preserved and what can, for example, be sold and with the money received buy something more appropriate to his age and needs. Next, start sorting the remaining things, while at the same time thinking about where you are going to store children's soft toys, educational games, accessories for active games, educational books, etc. If you are uncomfortable, you can come up with your own type of sorting. The work done will not be in vain. During this process, you will be able to decide what kind of storage system should appear in the nursery so that the space is optimally used, and everything available can be hidden in it. If the child’s room is spacious enough, then the problem can be solved by dividing its area into certain zones, according to the child’s interests. If the room is inhabited by children of different sexes, then it makes sense to organize a creative corner in one corner, equipping it with frameless chairs, and next to it there is a low table on which you can play board games. Such a table must have drawers where children’s small toys and the game boxes themselves can be stored. There is enough space under a table of this design to organize a garage. In the opposite corner, a small housewife's kitchen may appear, with dishes, a sink, a stove and other accessories. The center of the room is ideally covered with a fluffy carpet, on which it is very cozy to play together.
storing children's things in decorated buckets
- Everything is in place and there is a place for everything.
In a children's room, vertical shelving systems will pay off, especially if children of different ages live in it.
They have easily accessible and secure bottom drawers or roll-out containers. In this case, the baby will always know where his parents prefer to store his children's toys, and will be able to easily get everything he needs. In general, when stored correctly, toys should be located at the level of children's eyes. Having purchased such a system, even if it is very stable, do not be lazy to attach it to the wall. Children's safety must be paramount. Check that the furniture does not have sharp corners or falling off fittings. If it is not possible to order a storage system, use baskets, bags, containers, but before you take them, decide on the number of toys to be stuffed into them, so that at home these containers do not turn out to be miniature and cannot hold a hundredth of a child’s wealth.
plastic buckets mounted under shelves
- Labels.
Provide each drawer of the system with a label, then both you and your child will know where and what children's toys should be stored. These do not necessarily have to be letter inscriptions. If the child is small, it would be more appropriate to replace them with thematic pictures that are understandable to the baby, then while cleaning you can simply show him another toy and ask: “Where is this from?” Thus, the hated cleaning will turn into an exciting activity. This marking will make life easier for you too. If you need help finding the right thing, you won’t have to turn over a mountain of toys.
- Open shelves.
Those toys that children play with constantly are best stored on open shelves. It’s easier to take them from there and they are always in front of your eyes.
full-width cabinet
- Create comfort.
In addition, where to store your children's toys, the child must have a place to play with them, so provide the room with a carpet that matches the scope of children's fun. This does not mean that the toys will focus exclusively on the carpet and will not lie in other places, but you will insure your baby against accidental injuries.
- Tools at hand.
There is no opportunity to purchase expensive shelving - look around, you will probably find several items in the house that are quite suitable for storing toys. This could be a wicker basket previously used to collect laundry, or an old suitcase.
- We teach you to be clean.
The appearance of storage systems in a child's room is a great way to teach a child to maintain order and neatness. For the first time, you will have to show by personal example what to do and how to do it. The next time, ask your child to put it all together on his own, and if the task is completed correctly, be sure to reward him.
textile basket for storing toys
- Gaming space.
If the space allows, then organize a separate playroom for your child. This will relieve you of worrying about organizing free space during non-game time.
How to make a beautiful shelving with your own hands to match the design of the room
The first step is to think over with your child the shape of the future furniture and draw a sketch, putting real dimensions on it; when planning the design, you should take into account the size and lighting of the nursery.
The best materials for creating children's furniture are plywood or natural wood. It should be taken into account that solid wood is heavy, and the structure made from it should be securely fastened to the wall. You can cut out the parts yourself, if you have the skills and tools, or order cutting from specialists.
Companies that sell wooden or plywood sheets often provide cutting services to customers free of charge.
For the stability and reliability of the product, material with a thickness of 2 cm or more is used for the side walls.
It is best to place the finished structure directly at floor level, without legs or wheels, this will give the furniture additional stability and eliminate the hassle of wiping dust or removing rolled-up small items.
Low rack for a baby in the shape of a house
It is more convenient to make the shelves low - you still won’t be able to use the entire height, but a larger number of levels will help to place all the little things more conveniently.
When equipping shelves with doors, you should take into account their weight and the location of the handles so that the child can open them independently.
Connect the parts with glue or self-tapping screws, thoroughly cleaning and smoothing the joint.
You can decorate finished furniture with self-adhesive film or bright colors, according to the tastes of its little owner.
When creating a rack for toys in a nursery with your own hands, you should take care in advance of its safety for the child. Hanging elements must be securely fastened, sharp corners and protruding elements that could cause injury must be smoothed out.
It is recommended to paint children's furniture only with harmless varnishes and paints.
Where to store children's toys: original ideas
“Ottomans with folding seats are of particular interest in the question of where to store children’s toys.”
Boxes for toys. Aesthetic, brightly painted plastic boxes are suitable for storing toys. They can be with or without lids. It is convenient to put toys in such an improvised storage, and to make them also convenient to look for, equip the boxes with special stickers and collect toys in them together with the baby, each time pronouncing the name of the toy and focusing the child’s attention on the box with a certain mark.
bed with niche for shelves
Buckets. The toys can also be collected in plastic buckets, and in order to save space, rationally fasten them together, organizing something like a pyramid. For example, you can put three buckets at the base, attach two more to them, and crown the creation with the last one. In such a design the following will feel wonderful:
- Cubes.
- Balls.
- Small cars.
- Designers.
- Small toys.
children's wall with drawers
A bucket pyramid will decorate an empty corner. Faceless buckets can be decorated with bright self-adhesive pictures or painted with felt-tip pens, doing similar creativity with your child. Surely this will delight him and arouse his interest in cleaning up toys in the future.
Hammock. Here's where, but not every mother will think of storing children's toys in a hammock. Try hanging this non-standard home decor element in your child’s room and see how much it will inspire your child to put away his toys. Such a hammock can appear in the hallway. You can put outdoor toys in it. But it should not hang high, but at a level accessible to the child, so that he can take everything he needs without your help. There is also no shortage of toys in the bathroom. Here they are suggested to be stored in ordinary string bags or in laundry bags. As they say, simple and brilliant.
convenient hanging baskets are an excellent solution for small children's rooms
Needlewomen who know how to sew can build a whole patchwork fabric, which will also be used as toy storage. The patchwork piece is attached to a cardboard frame or a regular gymnastics hoop. This is necessary so that the fabric does not deform and the storage hangs evenly. Outside, you can make several spacious pockets where you can store children's toys such as cars or dolls. You can also assemble a similar structure from polyethylene, then the baby will also be able to see which toy is where.
Boxes. Large boxes from global purchases are often left around the house. Don't rush to throw them away. Cover them with fabric with a cheerful pattern or cover them with the remnants of wallpaper with a children's theme, decorate them with ruffles, beads, bows and you, too, will get a wonderful place to store toys.
Linen bags. Such soft baskets, especially those made by yourself, will have an incredibly presentable appearance. Involve your child in decorating them with appliqué; creative processes always arouse children’s interest.
Wire baskets and string bags. These old things can also be used in a children’s room, where sometimes you don’t even know where to store children’s toys. From these unlucky elements you can create a very cheerful composition. They are painted in bright colors and placed in a chaotic, or less often, checkerboard pattern. Often funny drawings or signs are attached to it. Particularly advanced parents even attach such boxes to the ceiling, creating unique garlands from them. Unconventional, but practical!
Returning to the topic of old boxes and boxes. They can be put on wheels and made mobile. This will make it easier for your child to collect toys.
open shelf with plastic containers for storing small dismountable toys
Sometimes ideas can be really unexpected. Where to store a lot of children's toys in the country? How do you like an old tire as storage? In country conditions, this is a completely acceptable option.
Toys with metal elements can be stored on magnetic holders. Thus, the child will have his own “honor board”. Everyone's favorite toys will be on display.
Suitcases and chests. They will do an excellent job as toy storage units. In a boy’s room they will generally look like a godsend, especially if it was originally decorated in a pirate style. Decorate them in an appropriate manner and the child will be happy to hide his treasures in them. In a girl's room, a small, beautifully painted chest will be indispensable for storing doll clothes, your own cosmetics and jewelry.
four-level wall-mounted open shelf
Poufs. Of particular interest in the question of where to store children's toys are poufs with folding seats. In their depths you can hide a construction set, coloring books, and many other useful things.
Plastic baskets
Toddlers love to play with baskets with handles, and there are many reasons for them to do so.
Baskets are usually made without a lid; it’s convenient to put all your stuff in them and take them back out. You can quickly drag the basket by the handle to any corner of the apartment and enthusiastically start repairing the refrigerator using plastic tools or cooking on a chair, imitating your mother.
Plastic baskets are available in many color variations, which again diversify game scenes. Baskets made of soft plastic with holes in the bottom are perfect for storing sandbox accessories, be it shovels, molds or various mechanisms.
The great thing about this model is that on the way home all the sand pours out through the bottom, and the toys return home almost clean and without a mountain of sand that is difficult to wash off from the carpets.
Volumetric toys: for each there is a place
There will be no problems with large soft toys. They can be placed on the mezzanine or closet, but a bicycle, scooter or street car will have to look for a place on the loggia or in the corridor. Since these toys are quite bulky, the rule of regularly returning them to the designated corner must strictly apply. If the apartment is too small, then the two-wheeled bicycle, along with the scooter, can be stored directly on the wall, hanging from the frame on special hooks. The child, of course, won’t be able to take them on his own, but there’s nothing you can do about it; you’ll have to help him take them off, as well as hang them up.
Let's return to soft toys. Take a closer look at them, maybe something can replace a pouffe in front of a chair or become a pillow? Or maybe what animal is rich in pockets? Then you can hide various little things in them. Sometimes adults choose places to store children's toys with double benefits. For example, in one family they placed a huge tiger on a closet. His hanging tail became a buffer, softening the blow against the wall of the interior door.
hundred with a niche
You've probably seen funny, bright bags in the shape of ducklings, frogs and little mice in stores. They are very convenient for collecting jump ropes, balls, and rackets. It is better not to put small toys in them, because the baby will quickly spill all their contents on the floor.
You can put small soft toys in such bags. Moreover, compact them tightly enough. Don't worry, nothing will happen to them. They will not wrinkle or lose their shape.
All crocodiles, raccoons, and elephants can, in turn, be sent to an improvised cage. For this, some transparent box equipped with twigs will do. This way, everything remains in sight, nothing falls off the hooks, and cleaning is greatly simplified.
For soldiers, mosaics and other small things, you can use boxes, small buckets with lids, for example, for mayonnaise or ice cream. The main thing is that all the toys of the same type fit into the selected container. In this case, the containers can be adequately labeled, and the child will always know what exactly he needs to take, and not empty the contents of all the boxes and buckets.
cabinet with pull-out containers
There are several other good ideas on this matter.
– Small boxes or baskets mounted on the wall are suitable for light and compact toys. The main thing is not to mount them high so that the baby can dig into them himself.
– Place small toys, such as Kinder Surprises and Lego, in plastic containers.
– If the room has high shelves, then you can display your child’s books and crafts on them.
textile bedside pockets are very convenient to use
– Hammocks where they plan to store toys are hung directly on the wall. They send rubber toys, dolls, along with their outfits, and plastic dishes.
– The bathroom should also have a place where it is convenient to store children’s toys . Such storage can be an ordinary basin, standing somewhere under the sink. You can allocate a whole shelf for this or just put all the ducks and fish in a bag and hide it in the nightstand.
– It would be a good idea to put toys that go outside into a bright handbag that is convenient to carry with you. Inside it the child will always find:
- pasochki;
- shoulder blades;
- bucket;
- watering can;
- ball.
– If you are inclined towards needlework, make an organizer for your child. These homemade pockets are the perfect place for pencils, brushes, glue and erasers. It is better to place the organizer in the creativity zone. For the play corner, you will need to sew larger pockets to accommodate dolls, robots, and cars.
children's dressing room
– In private homes, a large bucket with a lid can be allocated for “street” items. Convenient and inexpensive from any point of view.
Good old chest of drawers
A large chest of drawers can hold a lot of toys, which is great. To prevent them from falling out on the head of the person opening it, it is worth adding several containers or boxes that will help things stay in place.
On different shelves inside the chest of drawers, you can sort things as you wish, for example, soft toys separately, drawing supplies separately, metal cars in a separate drawer.
This classification is convenient because different elements of the games will not spoil each other when folded, for example, paint will not spill on the baby doll’s hat, and the truck will not burst the ball with its protruding body.
Furniture for the nursery
If the nursery is spacious, it may have a wardrobe or specific cabinet furniture, on the shelves of which it will be easy to sort everything. Give preference to closed storage systems. Open shelves are only good in pictures. In real life, maintaining any kind of order on them is incredibly difficult, and this is not to mention the dust that constantly settles there.
When buying a table or crib, pay attention to whether there will be somewhere to store children's toys? Not even a year will pass before you will begin to praise yourself for such foresight.
decorative toy boxes
A great solution could be a loft bed, full of all sorts of sections and drawers. Even steps can be used as shelves.
Conclusion
Try to teach your child not to be Plyushkin from childhood. Make a rule: when a new toy appears, give one of the old ones to someone or give it to an orphanage. In addition to the fact that the apartment will not turn into a toy warehouse, you will teach the child to think not only about himself, and the problem of where to store children's toys will disappear by itself.
Design ideas
The choice of furniture design depends on the age and gender of the baby. From 1 to 3 years, one section with shelves is enough, from 3 to 6 - you will need drawers and boxes. For older children, from 6 and above, shelving on half the wall would be a good solution. Boys will be delighted with a rack in the shape of a ship or a fortress, a car garage or an airplane. For girls, bright castles, towers, and houses are suitable, in which you can not only store toys, but also convert them into a mansion for Barbie.
Depending on who the children's toy storage rack is intended for, as well as the interior of the room, its decor is also made.
Advice! Students are advised to choose a neutral color scheme for furniture that can be added with new shelves.
Photo gallery - where to store children's toys:
Consumables
A toy storage box can be made from any materials you have in the house. The main thing is that it is roomy, bright and comfortable.
As consumables you can use:
- wooden boards,
- boxes,
- cardboard sheet,
- any fabric,
- foam rubber,
- braid, ribbons.
The product must be made from environmentally friendly materials. To prevent the child from getting hurt on wooden elements, they are sanded.
Primer and varnish will help increase the service life of natural wood products. All fastening connections must be strong.
You should not use synthetic cord to tie the bag, as it slips and will lead to constant untying.
From newspaper tubes
This interesting basket will look great in a nursery, bathroom or living room.
If you have a lot of newspapers in your house, you can use them to create a useful and beautiful box with your own hands. The photo shows a storage basket made of newspaper tubes, painted blue and decorated with fabric.
What you will need:
- Newspapers.
- Knitting needle (you can take a skewer).
- PVA glue.
- Scotch.
- Cardboard box.
- Acrylic paints and varnish, brushes.
- Textile.
- Scissors, ruler.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Cut the newspaper into equal strips measuring approximately 28x10 cm:
- We apply the knitting needle to the edge of the strip at an angle of about 45-60 degrees. We wrap the paper on a knitting needle and secure it with glue:
- We take out the knitting needle. You need to perform the same steps many times to get a sufficient number of tubes:
- We strengthen the bottom of the box with tape and paint it any color:
- We make markings for the main tubes, marking equal segments on the box:
- Glue the tubes according to the markings:
- We fix the additional cardboard bottom with glue:
- We paint the resulting workpiece. Let's start weaving. To create the first row, we braid the outermost tube-stand about the next one. We extend the horizontal tubes by inserting one into the other. We fix the vertical tubes with clothespins.
- If necessary, glue the ends. We braid the whole box:
- We glue the inner walls, securing the ends of the racks to them.
- We paint the basket in two layers, allowing the product to dry. Varnish:
- We sew a removable cover from fabric. The basket is ready!
A detailed master class on creating a storage box from straws with your own hands is in this video:
Boxes for linen (MK)
Such decorative boxes for storing books, shoes, linen and various small items can be made in large quantities; there are many different options for this. One of the practical options for the dressing room is a whole set of boxes with inscriptions or photos of shoes, so as not to search for the right pair every time. Here we use standard packaging boxes for shoes, preferably the same size.
A very necessary thing in a woman’s wardrobe is a laundry organizer box with different compartments for each item of clothing. Such an organizer can again be made from cardboard:
1. It is necessary to measure exactly all the dimensions inside the box: the frame of the box with the cells must exactly match the dimensions so as not to move in the future.
2. Strips of cardboard are cut out, covered with paper or fabric on both sides, the frame must be carefully fastened, pasting all the corners inside and out.
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3. For the cells, strips are cut for partitions; the easiest way is to make cells of the same size.
4. Similarly, we glue the strips of cells on both sides, leaving 1 cm on each edge (ear) for later gluing to the frame.
5. To fasten them together, slots are made in the strips at the required distance: in longitudinal parts from below, and in transverse parts from above; the strips are inserted into each other through the slots - a lattice is obtained.
6. The grille is inserted inside the frame and secured with “ears” into the frame (glued or stapled).
Making a laundry storage box
Using the same principle, a container for sewing supplies is made using a ready-made shoe box. Only it is better to make the cells of different sizes (for scissors, pin cushions, coils). It is better to make the lid of such a box hinged and fasten it with a button.
The easiest way is to buy a ready-made box in a store. But a thing made with your own hands is always unique and inimitable. Therefore, any housewife would prefer, using her labor and imagination, to create the necessary boxes for storing all sorts of small items in her household on her own, saving money.
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How to teach your child to systematically clean
You shouldn’t ask your son or daughter every hour to put scattered toys in their place. It gets boring and isn't taken seriously. To restore order, set aside daytime or evening time before bedtime.
Children consciously and systematically are able to place dolls, soldiers, and robots in their places from the age of three. But from the age of one year the baby is involved in the cleaning process. They explain their actions in detail, ask them to hand over this or that item, or throw a broken toy in the trash. After fulfilling a request, praise follows.
The child is shown and told where teddy bears with bunnies should be kept, and where cars are. Provided that each toy has its own “house,” results are achieved faster.
An orderly tone, criticism of a son or daughter for one’s own special understanding of beauty is unacceptable. You can’t scold your child for putting the car in the place for the pyramid. Such actions discourage the desire to maintain order in the room in the future.
Children perceive the responsibility assigned to them differently. Some are happy to help their mother, others flatly refuse to clean up. They require a special approach.
Ways to get your child interested in cleaning:
- promise a sweet prize to the one who collects the most toys;
- tell a fairy tale about poor dolls or soldiers who are lost and cannot find their home;
- develop a reward system in the form of stickers in a notebook;
- after each cleaning, praise the child;
- suggest imagining yourself as a machine delivering toys to homes or as a crane lifting and lowering scattered objects into boxes, containers, boxes.
Important! A school-age child will ignore requests to clean up if parents complain about him to friends, cite other children as an example, or suppress initiative.
