Toy storage in playroom..

Hi! I'm converting one room of our townhouse in the basement to a playroom and I'm looking for toy storage ideas. I want something that I can put the toys in but low so they can get them out...I have a regular wooden toy chest - but it's deep and the girls can't access stuff in there (or even see what's in there) so I'm thinking multiple containers would work. Has anyone found anything that they've really liked? Any ideas would be really helpful. Thanks!
Aimee

 

Ikea has some excellent storage options for toys and kids rooms/playrooms! Do you have one near you?

 

I am about to do that as well. I have some of those milk crates that I am going to use. And probably some rubbermaid containers with covers so that everything doesnt have to be out, might make clean up a little easier!

 

I've seen people use toy boxes and shelving units. DH and I have talked about shelving units, but have not gotten one yet!

 

Target and Ikea have good storage solutions. For us we don't have a playroom and we have dogs so I just bought some plastic bins with lids.

 

My MIL said that she used laundry baskets when DH was little so that he could learn to help clean up as soon as possible. Plus they can be a toy in and of themselves. Then once he was a little older, she got cuter boxes/shelves. As much as I loathe the idea of adding any more plastic stuff to our house, the ease of clean-up and the ability to teach them to help early on is appealing to me. Plus, they are cheap; so I won't feel bad chucking them in the Goodwill pile when we're ready to move on to something more attractive.

 

Check out the Expedit units at Ikea. They have a bunch of cube openings and have canvas totes that fit in the cube. I am going to get the 4 cube by 2 cube and will lay it on its side. There was a topic a while ago on playrooms in the main parent stuff forum.

 

I just have a wicker basket--they turn it over. Lately, Roman has taken to using it as a walker. He turns it over, gets all the toys out of it, pulls up on it, and uses it to support himself as he walks it across the room.

Little monkey.

 

We just purchased these from Costco it comes as a two pack for 12.99. They are a soft plastic and easy for the kids to get into them to get their toys.
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll196/c...SophieAug21.jpg

 

At that age, we just had/have big baskets and sort the toys by basket. I find they play better when they have lots of open space so try not to get too crowded with toys.

Once they got older, the inexpensive shelves that hold about 12 open plastic boxes are good. Little ones will just throw the boxes or the toys in them though so I wouldn't suggest them just yet.

For stuffed animals, we have both a milk crate and an empty bean bag cover. Most of the animals go inside the bean bag but I rotate them out into the milk crate every few weeks so there's always something new to play with.

Have fun decorating!

 

I bought these at Target. Along the one wall is two sets that I put together.

eta-I dont know why it is coming up two times. I never post pics like this. Above you will see the same pics in both links.

 

I second the expedit stuff from IKEA. Inexpensive, although not super well made, but is perfect for what we needed it for in our downstairs play area.

We have two of these: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80071319. They come in quite a few different shapes and sizes so look around.

Each cube is ~13x13. The boys can get things out of the bottom two rows now and have recently discovered how to get their grubby little paws on the third row. They especially like to pull everything out a bottom cubby and crawl inside. So cute... Definately has to be strapped to the wall so they don't pull it down on top of them.

We also have some Cameron stuff in our upstairs gameroom - http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/k5...mp;cm%5Fsrc=SCH Much better made, and more likely to last, but also much more pricey.

ETA: fixed link.

 

We haven't bought them yet but are planning to get IKEA Trofast storage system. I was hoping for most of a wall but DH doesn't want to fill up that much of the room.

 

We have divided toy bins from Land of Nod, and they're absolutely fantastic. Well made, fit in nicely with regular furniture, tons of fun colors, etc. Downside is they are a bit pricier than other solutions.

http://www.landofnod.com/family.aspx?c=288...mp;SearchPage=1

 

We purchased soft plastic containers, much like the Costco ones someone posted, from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I think Target has the same ones or something like it. The kids love them because they can pull out toys and search around since they are low. They're soft too, which is a help. Just watch that they don't use them as a means to pull up. Having such bins make cleaning up the play room so much easier!

 

I have big plastic tubs.. I clean up their toys every night and then tip it over in the morning. The bin becomes a toy too.. Its great!

 

For effective toy storage in a playroom, I found that the Parrot Uncle customer service had fantastic solutions. Their products not only helped keep my kids' play area organized but also added a touch of style to the room. If you're on the lookout for practical and aesthetically pleasing storage options, Parrot Uncle might be just what you need to maintain a clutter-free playroom.