7 Toy Storage & Organizer Ideas to Keep Away the Clutter

Why Storing Toys Is Important For Kids

Not only does a clean floor keep parents sane, but storing toys benefits children, too. Providing a space to store toys teaches children to value their belongings. If toys are left on the floor, then they are bound to get damaged or even broken. Teaching children this lesson early sets them up to treat their things with care.

Additionally, when we teach children to clean-up after themselves, they learn to respect their space. Keeping areas clean is a skill we can reinforce with our children when we provide them with toy storage.

Different Kinds of Toy Storage Ideas

While there are a variety of toy organizer options, we’re focusing on three types in this article:

• Storage with bins or drawers
• Storage with open shelves
• Creative storage solutions

Whether you have a massive playroom or a shared living/play space, the storage ideas in these three categories can keep the room organized. I speak from experience when I say that I breathe better when I can see the floor!

Toy Organizers with Bins and Drawers

Perhaps the most organized way to store toys is in bins or drawers. These types of storage units usually feature a shelving structure with removable bins that sit on top or drawers that slide underneath.

Pros and Cons of Drawers

Drawers allow you to tuck toys away unseen, which is a great option when your playroom is also your living room. They often provide a great deal of space to store lots of toys, and some units have removable drawers.

But the downside is that too many toys weigh the drawers down, making them heavy for smaller children to pull in and out. If the drawers don’t pull out all the way or they’re oversized, toys may have a tendency to get lost unless you limit what’s inside.

Pros and Cons of Bins

Bins provide open, separate areas to organize toys by category. They make it easy for children to see where things should go when cleaning up. Because bins are removable, it’s easy to facilitate structured play by having children take only one or two bins out at a time. It keeps the mess to a minimum and allows children to get creative with their limited toy options.

Bins are open, which means you’ll have to look at the toys even when they’re put away. That’s not everyone’s aesthetic. Depending on the size of the bins and what you store in them, they may be too heavy for children to remove themselves.

The first of two Humble Crew Kids storage units, this toy organizer option has a four-tier wooden structure with sixteen removable plastic bins in two different sizes. The four large bins are equal to eight standard bins, allowing for 25% more toy storage.

Another fun feature of this toy organizer is the chalkboard on the side! Included are an eraser and two pieces of chalk for kids to doodle away.

Features:

• BPA and phthalate free plastic
• 20 pound weight capacity per level
• Stabilizing braces and anti-tip kit included
• Assembled Dimensions: 10.43 x 34.25 x 30.71 Inches

If you’re looking for toy storage with drawers, then this one from Qaba is a great choice. A perfect space-saver, it’s compact and low to the ground, but it doesn’t compromise on storage space. There are six large drawers, each with a 13.85 L capacity. And bonus—the drawers or fully removable!

Features:

• Elevated base so the bottom drawers are not on the floor
• Rounded corners
• Easy to clean with a damp cloth
• 22 pound weight capacity per tier
• Assembled Dimensions: 29.5″ L x 14.5″ W x 22.25″ H
• Also comes in a 3-drawer option

Our second Humble Crew Kid toy organizer also includes bins. This sturdy wooden structure features three tiers and nine fabric bins in three different sizes. The polyester bins are removable and collapsible with a bottom insert to give them structure while in use.

There are four small bins, three medium bins, and two large bins to fit any sized toys, books, or craft supplies. The manufacturer recommends this shelving unit for children three and up.

Features:

• Easy to assemble
• Rounded corners
• Assembled Dimensions: 36″W x 12″D x 24″H
• Small fabric bin: 9″W x 12″D x 5″H
• Medium fabric bin: 12″W x 12″D x 5″H
• Large fabric bin: 17″W x 12″D x 7″H

Things to Keep in Mind

While the manufactured recommends using an anti-tip kit to secure the unit to the wall, it’s not included and must be purchased separately. The bins are advertised as being strong, but some reviewers recommend only storing lightweight toys in them.

Storage with Open Shelves

Open-shelf storage is great for toy minimalists—that is, those who don’t have a lot of toys or those who implement a toy rotation. Much like bins, they allow children to see what toys are available, but they’re harder to keep neat and organized.

Some open shelving allows for bins to sit on top or, as you’ll see with the cube shelves below, slide in like a drawer. Most of the time, though, those bins are sold separately.

Cube storage is an amazing versatile storage option. This particular unit has four cubes, but there are so many sizes and styles. You can piece multiple units together to configure them to your needs. I personally have something like this in between two 4-cube units in my children’s playroom.

This cube storage is compatible with Better Homes & Gardens Cube Storage Bins if you decide you don’t like the open shelving look. And once your kids outgrow their toys, you can repurpose this unit for your own needs!

Features:

• Easy to assemble
• Open back design
• Top shelf supports up to 100 pounds; each cube supports up to 30 pounds
• Assembled Dimensions: 30.16″ W x 15.35″ D x 29.84″ H

Maybe you don’t much care for the organizing. Maybe you just want a place to put things away and call it a day. Badger Basket’s Three Bin Stackable Storage Cubby is your best bet. This sturdy, modular unit features three large open-mouthed cubbies to aid a quick clean-up process.

When used by itself, the top shelf provide additional storage for larger toys. But you have the option to stack other Badger Basket units on top to expand your storage.

Features:

• Easy to clean with a damp cloth
• Total of 5.2 cubic feet storage capacity
• 80 pound weight capacity
• Assembled Dimensions: 37.25 inches L x 19.25 inches W x 17.125 inches H

Things to Keep in Mind

While the large cubbies are great for storing lots of toys, smaller items may get lost in the big space. Kids may end up taking out more toys than they plan to play with in order to find a certain item that might have sunk to the bottom of the bin. This unit doesn’t lend itself to organized play.

Creative Storage Solutions

Maybe you don’t have room for large shelving units, or you want something a little more unconventional. There are tons of that kind of thing on the market, but we’ve chosen to highlight these two cool options.

A toy basket is a beautiful thing. Say you don’t have a dedicated play area. You want your toys inconspicuously stored, but you want the storage to be aesthetically pleasing. Get yourself a woven basket like this one from The Huddle Supply Co.

It’s durable enough to stand up to kids, large enough to house a variety of toy sizes, and small enough to tuck away in a corner or under a table. Once the kids are over toys, use it to store throw blankets!

Even if you do have a play room, a basket is a great tool for quick clean-ups. Toss whatever is on the floor in the basket, and sort them out later when you have time.

Features:

• Durable, toxin-free cotton rope material
• Machine washable
• Lifetime guarantee
• Comes with an additional small basket

This might just be the most creative toy storage option I’ve ever seen! If your kids are anything like mine, they have a ridiculous amount of stuffed animals. But with this Stuff ‘n Sit Bean Bag Storage Cover from Creative QT, you can hide those guys away at clean-up time!

This 100% upholstery-grade cotton cover is the perfect soft storage solution. You wouldn’t want to put hard, bulky toys in here because the key is to zip the toys up in the cover and use it like a bean bag! Not only does it make for a creative storage solution, but you also have a fun seating option after clean-up.

Features:

• Available in large (33”) or extra-large (38”) and variety of colors/patterns
• Double-stitched seams
• Rugged handles
• Double-sided heavy-duty zippers
• Hold up to 90 plush toys
• Machine washable

Please note: these covers come without stuffing.