Toy Storage Solutions That Will Keep You Sane

The relatives have returned home, the mince pies have been scoffed, and the Christmas decorations have been packed away in the loft for another year. Christmas is over and we’re gleefully packing our children back off to school / nursery. There’s just one problem. Where on earth are you going to put all those new toys? Unless you’re in the fortunate position of being able to simply buy a larger house, you need some convenient toy storage solutions.

Under Bed Storage

1-single-bed-storage

If your child’s room is lacking storage space, but your child is reluctant to go into a cabin bed (thus creating space underneath), then why not choose a bed with storage already included or find under bed storage for his or her current bed? This provides ample storage space underneath the mattress for all your child’s toys and things can be easily thrown in right before bedtime.

Ideal For: Pretty much anything other than the larger playsets

Buy Under Bed Storage

Under Cot Storage

Under Cot Storage

If your child is still in a cot or a toddler bed then you’ve probably realised that thanks to the low level of most cots, there’s not a lot of storage space available under there. However, you can still make the most of the space without resorting to simply shoving things under. You’ll want to look for one that is shallow enough to fit underneath your cot. You won’t be able to hide that giant plastic noisy monstrosity playset your child’s grandparents kindly bought, but you can use it for nappies, blankets, books, and or small toys, such as train tracks and puzzles.

Ideal For: Small flat items, such as books, puzzles, train tracks

Buy Under Cot Storage

Wheeled Storage

Wheelie Bin Storage

Sometimes you need to move toys between rooms and having to carry handfuls at a time can be a bit tiresome. Sometimes, your toddler likes to spread the toys around and having to walk around picking things up and putting it back in various places around the house can be even more tiresome. There are plenty of wheeled storage boxes on the market. You can move them around the house easily, picking up things as you go. It can be stored under a table in the evenings, and most of them tend to be fairly robust.

Ideal For: Small toddler toys, train sets, dolls, puzzles, etc.

Buy Wheeled Storage

Children’s Play Table Storage

Table Storage

For children who like craft activities or puzzles, a little children’s table would make a delightful addition to your home. They are just the right height for children to sit and play, usually with chairs included. Best of all, these storage tables come with storage for puzzles, crafts, play tea sets, and more.

Ideal For: Puzzles, crafts, play tea sets

Buy Children’s Tables With Storage

LEGO Storage

Lego Storage

LEGO on the carpet, LEGO on the stairs, LEGO on the table, LEGO on the chairs. The classic toy has taken over houses up and down the country – more so in recent years following the brand’s upsurge in popularity with special sets for Star Wars and other popular characters. These giant LEGO bricks are brilliant for storing all the bricks. Just like real LEGO bricks, they stack and therefore as your child’s collection grows (which it will), you can simply add more for extra storage. They come in a variety of colours and there are versions with drawers.

Ideal For: Designed specifically for LEGO, these could also be used for other small piece toys, such as K’Nex and Geomag

Buy LEGO Storage Containers

Playmobil Storage

Playmobil Storage

Playmobil is lovely with a massive range of characters that encourages your child’s imaginative play. It also has lots and lots of tiny small parts, such as miniature cutlery, sports equipment, and even tiny flip-flops. As a result, it’s really easy to lose pieces during play, and if you have more than one set, it can be difficult for your child to find the particular item they require. While Playmobil has designed a set of storage boxes adorned with images of some of their favourite sets, a plain old storage box would do the trick just as well.

Ideal For: Designed specifically for Playmobil, but could be used for other similar products, such as Sylvanian Families

Buy Storage Boxes

Children’s Book Storage

Bookshelf Storage

It might be that you already have plenty of shelf space for books, but even if that’s the case, having something that your child can easily access will help foster their love of books, thus assisting with the development of their communication skills. We love a little bookcase or book sling for displaying your child’s picture books where they can easily find their book of choice. You can even organise your child’s books by the season and put out a selection of Halloween books in October and then Christmas books in December. It keeps your child from growing tired of their library as it changes with the seasons.

Ideal For: Children’s picture and board books

Buy Children’s Book Storage

Portable Children’s Book Storage

Portable Book Storage

If you want book storage that is both accessible and portable around the home, then consider a portable children’s book storage box. The one pictured holds about 40 picture books and has a nifty carry handle so if you want to move books between your child’s room and the living area you can do so easily. It also includes a clock face with moveable hands on one end that can be used to introduce your child to telling the time.

Ideal For: Children’s picture and board books

Buy Portable Children’s Book Storage

Stylish Toy Box

Stylish Storage

You can find toy boxes in most furniture shops, but many of them are decorated with popular cartoon, book, and comic characters. These might be ideal for your child’s bedroom, but you probably want something a bit more stylish for your living room. Choose something neutral that will complement your existing furniture. Ones that have soft close lids are especially great as there’s no danger of trapped little fingers. Furthermore, finding one that comes fully assembled means there will be no swearing over an allen key and vague instructions.

Ideal For: Pretty much anything you need to find a home for that will fit

Buy Toy Boxes

Modular Toy Storage

Trofast Storage

If, during your tenure as a parent, you haven’t discovered a range of storage systems then perhaps you have spent most of your parenthood living under a rock. A very disorganised rock where the Playmobil, LEGO, and jigsaw puzzle pieces all occupy the same jumbled space. Anyway, if you are thinking of redesigning your child’s room, then do check out a modular range of toy storage. Many are designed specifically for toys and combine easy-to-pull-out drawers.

The best part is that you can usually mix and match the boxes within the frames, tailoring it for your needs. For example, you might start with larger boxes to fit your toddler’s larger toys, but then switch to smaller drawers in the same frame when your child is older and into toys with smaller pieces.

Ideal For: All toys, apart from the largest play sets

Buy Modular Toy Storage

Soft Toy Storage

Soft Toy Storage

Has your child got enough soft toys to form a cute and cuddly army? If you are reluctant to off load half of them to a charity shop then take a look at toy hammocks. This simple product consists of a large triangle shaped net with a loop in each corner. Three hooks are included and the hammock can be mounted into the corner of your child’s room. The hammock is large enough for ten to fifteen soft toys and will look fab in your child’s bedroom.

Ideal For: Soft toys only, such as teddies

Buy Toy Hammocks

Fabric Basket Storage

Star Basket Storage

Sometimes you just want something that can be quickly grabbed, have everything thrown into it, and then conveniently thrown into the corner of the room, giving you the opportunity to have a quick blitz with the hoover (or to simply give your ankles a brief respite from tripping over toys). A quilted storage basket is lovely and soft, so there’s no risk of injury from a toddler climbing into it, and it’s lightweight so you can easily move it around the house. For young babies, it can be used for blankets or nappies and wipes. For older children, it’s perfect for lightweight toys that need to be kept together, such as train sets.

Ideal For: Smaller toys, such as train tracks and trains, action figures, and Duplo bricks

Buy Fabric Basket Storage Boxes

Play Mat Storage

Tidy Bag Storage

Ideal for toys that have lots of small pieces (think LEGO, Playmobil, K-Nex), a toy bag combines storage with a play area. Consisting of a large, round piece of robust material that can be used as a playmat, it has a draw string around the entire edge. Once your child has finished playing, simply pull on the drawstring to envelop all of the toys within the material, forming a bag that can then be placed in a toy trunk, etc. You can also use it for craft activities, as it forms a handy barrier between your carpet and the glitter.

Ideal For: LEGO and other construction toys

Buy Play Mat Storage

Wheeled Plastic Tower Drawer Storage

Plastic Wheel Storage

There are a massive range of plastic storage solutions that can be used for toys, craft kits, and much more. We love this multi-coloured tower storage unit that features 8 drawers with all the colours of the rainbow. This unit is on wheels, so can be easily moved around the house. The coloured drawers are perfect for those who like to organise small piece toys, such as LEGO or craft items by colour, though we can’t guarantee your child will keep it that way.

Ideal For: Small piece toys, craft items

Buy Plastic Tower Storage

Small Bag Storage

Drawstring Bag Storage

For puzzles that have lost their boxes, marble runs, small train sets, or dolls accessories, consider getting a few drawstring bags. Made from naturally coloured cotton fabric, you or your child could personalise them with fabric pens to create colourful and convenient places to store little sets that need keeping together. They can then be placed within a larger storage unit without getting mixed with other toy sets.

Ideal For: Small play sets, puzzles, tea sets, etc

Buy Small Bag Storage