A small kids room can easily be a great place to play. It just needs the toys to have somewhere to go when the game is over. Here are eight toy storage tips that work in most small rooms.
1. Use the walls
When floor space is limited, the walls are the next place to look. Shelves, pegs and hooks give room for toys, bags and dress-up clothes without taking any floor space. Put the shelves the child uses themselves low down.
2. Give everything a fixed place
Tidying up is easier when you know where things go. One box for cars, one for figures and one for drawing things. For children who cannot read yet, a small picture on the box works wonders.
3. Choose open boxes over lids
A lid is one more thing to open and close. Open boxes and baskets make things quicker to find and quicker to tidy away. It matters more in everyday life than you might think.
4. Rotate the toys
Keep only part of the toys out, and store the rest in a box in the cupboard or the loft. Swap them around after a few weeks. It frees up space, and toys that have been away for a while often get played with in a new way.
5. Use the space under the bed
Under the bed is one of the most overlooked spots in a kids room. Flat boxes on wheels can hold the toys that are not in use right now, and be pulled out when needed.
6. Choose toys with a small footprint
Some toys take up a lot of space, both when they are played with and when they sit on the shelf. Crateit Roomies have a footprint of 24 x 24 cm for The Bubble Nest and The Cloud Office, and 24 x 48 cm for Couch & Crayons and Breakfast in Bed. Each house has two floors, so the play goes upwards instead of across the floor. And the houses can stay out as part of the room.
The Cloud Office
An office and a balcony across two floors. Thomas, dad in the Roomies family, is included.
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Playful Markers 3 mm
Six markers in vibrant primary colours with a broad tip for the larger surfaces.
View product7. Tidy up together, and briefly
Tidying works best when it is short and regular. Five minutes before dinner or bedtime is often enough. Doing it together makes it quicker, and the child learns where things belong.
8. Say goodbye to what is not played with
A couple of times a year it pays to go through the toys together with your child. What is no longer played with can be passed on. That leaves room for the things that actually get used.
When a game needs to stay set up
Some games are not finished in a day. A town that has been built, or a dollhouse where the furniture is placed just right, is a shame to pack away every evening. It helps to agree on a spot where a game can stay, such as a small table or a shelf. That way the rest of the room can be tidied without the child losing what they built.
Small parts need small boxes
It is the small things that go missing first: figures, dollhouse furniture and the cap of a marker. A small box or a bag for each set makes it easier to keep the pieces together. The markers can stay in their own box or in a jar, so it is obvious when one is missing.
And it is a good idea to check under the bed and behind the sofa when tidying up. That is where the small things tend to hide.
Finally: the perfect room does not exist, and a kids room that gets played in will never be completely tidy. The goal is not for everything to always be in its place, but for things to be easy to get out and easy to put back. When that works, tidying takes less time, and there is more time for play.
Also read our post on minimalist toysif you want fewer but better things in the kids room.
