Organized Playroom in Houston, Texas
When it comes to playrooms, the key is finding a system that works well for the parents and the children. I typically try to find a system that children can clean up easily and looks put away for the parents. It’s way easier to go to bed at night when the toys are cleaned up!
Playroom organization children can see
In this playroom, we used IKEA Kallax Shelves to house many of the toys and Target bins in the shelves. I like the Target bins better because they are sturdier than the IKEA bins! Plus with the handle, it makes it easier for younger children to get the bins out and find the toys.
This family has children ranging from infant to elementary school. So, we decided to put words and pictures on the labels. This will help the younger children know where toys go when they are put away by the picture, the middle child can start to connect the word to the picture for some pre reading skills, and the eldest can practice his reading with the words! The labels are just business cards with an adhesive business card holder stuck to the bin. This way, as toys change and children get older, it will be easy to change the cards out. A key part to toy organizing is finding a way to make it work now while considering how the space will change in the future.
Play kitchen organization
Another area we utilized an IKEA product is the cart by the play kitchen. Before, food was everywhere and hard to organize. The children love playing in the play kitchen so the food was always out of the play fridge, oven and cabinets. So, the actual kitchen was not a good place to store the food. The IKEA cart works well to hold all of the play food and tools. This way, the children can find what they are looking for without having to pull everything out! Also, it’s easier for them to put the food away in the cart rather than trying to fit it into the play kitchen.
Organized legos in containers
Legos are tough to organize. Every child plays with them differently and the pieces are so small! From a toy standpoint, legos are great! They promote creativity and independence when the child is playing. They have the choice of creating a project mapped out for them which helps with sequencing and following directions. Or, they can free build and be as creative as they want to be!
Previously, the child would dump all of the legos out looking for the exact piece he needed. Now, he has all the pieces separated by color. He knows what color he’s looking for so he now has a smaller set of legos to look through. Even if he needs to dump some out, it’s less to clean up when it’s time to be done playing. I love using The Container Store clear bins for legos. They keep everything contained, stack on each other, and younger children have a hard time opening the containers of their own. That way, younger siblings aren’t getting ahold of small pieces and choking (or bothering the older sibling by losing a lego!).
I have noticed in my own house, when all the legos are dumped out, my eldest is overwhelmed with cleaning up. But, when we only have one project out on the floor, he is more likely to clean it up on his own with less complaints!
Organized dress up clothes
The last area we tackled was dress up clothes. The key to dress up clothes is to make sure they are easy to clean up! Bins are typically used, but this requires the child to empty the bin if the outfit they want is at the bottom. I like using hooks on the wall. This way, the child can see all the outfits and choose what they want to put on without taking out all the clothing. Also, it’s always easier to clean up when less has been messed up! I love using command hooks for this. There are large hooks that can hold an outfit and the hooks can easily be removed when the child gets older and no longer dresses up. Or repurposed for a new interest!
The key to toys and playrooms is versatility. As children get older, their toy interests change. You want to choose a system that can grow with your child and easily change as they get interested in new toys.
I have linked below the products that I used in this playroom. Hopefully they can work for you as well!
Leave a comment below. How do you like to organize your toys?
