Kids will like to put there toys away where they can find them when they know that each one of their toys has it’s own ‘home’:
Make it easy for kids to put their things away by providing hooks, shelves and storage areas they can reach easily.
Store toys with small parts in: (Legos, puzzles or building logs, small cars,Barbie accessories etc. in see through plastic containers, glad plastic containers, coffee cans or plastic ice-cream buckets with lids.
Hang a plastic chain from the ceiling (the kind that hold stuffed animals) and let the kids hang pictures that they have created to decorate their room.
Make, or buy a large toy box (this can be a large Rubbermaid container) so the children can quickly pick up larger toys and get them up off the floor when cleaning up the play area. Large plastic storage bins or garbage cans make excellent toy boxes and so do the new collapsible hampers.
A plastic shoe holder is a neat and inexpensive way to store small stuffed animals or anything that you don't want to toss into the toy box. It is also nice for little girls hair accessories, small toys, cars, paints and paint brushes, chalk etc. Just hang it in a convenient place where it can be reached by the little people, the inside of a closet door, behind the bedroom door or add it as an accessory piece to the room and hang it out in the open on the wall.. These are fairly easy to make yourself if you are handy with a needle and you can match it to the bedspread, curtains, pillow shams or make it a contrasting color with matching trim.
Netting can be strung up on the wall to hold any stuffed toys and other bulky items that aren't too heavy. The items can be stuck between the net and the wall so the toys are visible but up off the floor and stored neatly out of the way. Hanging plastic chains are also good for this.
Look for wooden wine racks, at garage sales or thrift stores. Most are like new and they make good storage racks. Fill a Pringles potato chip can (cylinder) with small puzzle pieces, little cars or other small things and then store the cans in the cubbyholes of the wine rack.
Plastic or wicker laundry baskets are handy for odds and ends that don't fit anywhere else. Old dish drainers or plate racks are good for storing small books, records and tapes or add bookends to the tops of shelves and paint them bright colors
When you place items into a storage container, be sure to label it. This will eliminate the excuse of not knowing where something belongs. If a child is too young to read, you may want to color code boxes or cut out pictures in magazines and glue them on.
Clear plastic containers - everything mentioned above PLUS matchbox cars, puzzles, paints, papers, un-assembled race tracks, photographs, comic books, etc.
A Sports Equipment Organizer in the garage can hold sport balls, baseball gloves, etc. (No Balls In The House)
A ribbon or rope strung across a wall or down the sides of a window, can hold artwork, photos, awards, greeting cards, hair clips, and hats. They will attach easily using clothespins. These are just a few ideas.Look around the house for your own storage ideas. Here are a few things you probably have lying around: Wicker or plastic laundry baskets, pencil boxes, plastic or clay flower pots, cardboard boxes and Pringles containers (for small pieces). Ribbon, rope, string, clothes pins, colorful gift bags and the list goes on…
See how many more ideas your children can come up with, They love to use their imaginations and have some really good ideas. Now that have have given them a basic idea of how to store their toys I am sure that they will want to help you think of more.
Jan Hayner is a Professional Organizer and creator of www.organizingandcleaning.com, she offers tips, hints and shortcuts to everyday problems with organizing your home, work, family and life. She also offers shortcuts on cleaning your house, recipes for cleaners and tips to make the jobs faster and easier.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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