How to organize a playroom with maximum storage in 5 easy steps.
The playroom is my favorite room in our house. Formerly the sunroom off our kitchen, it is a happy place filled with natural light that my boys can call their own. It's not a large space though, and it seems like their toys multiply overnight! I've found that keeping it organized is key to making it comfortable and to give them space to explore and play. Here's how to organize a playroom to maximize storage and help us enjoy our space.
How to Organize a Playroom
1. Everything has a home.
This is my #1 rule for our playroom (and every room in our house!). We have a place for all of our toys so that nothing is left out at the end of the day. The key to our success in the playroom is our toy storage system - it takes up almost an entire wall and is the centerpiece of our room.
The shelves are two Trofast systems from IKEA, placed together (and secured to the wall for safety!). You can customize the color and size of the bins that fit inside - we have 2 small, 8 medium, and 2 large. My mom made the cushion and pillow for the center to create our reading bench (the monster pillow is from Target). I absolutely LOVE this system and it is not that expensive, especially if you don't have to pay IKEA shipping (you can also check it out on Amazon).
Each bin holds tons of little toys that would drive me crazy if they were out in plain sight (though they are usually all over the floor by the end of the day). Having a place for each type of toy makes clean up go really quickly, and helps my boys to know where to put things when they help clean up too.
2. Keep like things together.
Part of having a home for everything is keeping similar things in the same place. It doesn't do any good to just toss the toys into random bins at the end of the day, because when your kids are ready to play they will have to tear everything apart to find what they are looking for. I love these cubes from Thirty One because they can be personalized so we know what's inside, and they have lids to keep everything contained and clean. This one holds all our play food and dishes so if the boys want to play in their kitchen they can grab the box and go. Then clean up is a breeze because we can just toss everything back inside.
I also love this mega sorter bin from The Land of Nod. It is HUGE and holds a lot. It's perfect for bulky and odd shaped items because the canvas sides are very forgiving. We keep all our musical instruments in here and recently added our DIY cardboard blocks.
3. Turn storage into seating.
I love anything that serves a dual purpose, like turning the middle of our IKEA system into a cozy reading bench. When I was looking for somewhere to store our stuffed animals, I found the perfect thing that helped contain our clutter and provided extra seating in our playroom.
This stuffed animal bag is so clever - when you fill it with your stuffed animals it becomes a soft seat! The top is mesh so that kids can see inside, and the zipper is large and easy to use so that my toddlers can open it themselves.
4. Go vertical.
Our playroom is not big, so I like to maximize our floor space as much as I can. When organizing your playroom, look to your walls to see what you can hang to keep clutter off the floor.I've given this area of our playroom a total makeover! See my new kids craft area here with lots of tips on how to organize kids art supplies.
I was able to create a really fun art corner by utilizing our wall space. Everything is low and easy for the boys to reach, while staying neat and out of the way when they are doing other things.
I keep coloring & sticker books in a hanging wall basket and in these great Oh Snap Pockets from Thirty One. Then above our table I have Oh Snap Bins to hold crayons and chalk (our tabletop is covered in chalkboard contact paper). This keeps everything in easy reach while also keeping it neat and organized in a small space.
5. Use the one in, one out rule.
No matter how many bins or buckets you have, you won't escape the toy clutter and have an organized playroom if you keep adding new stuff. We use the "one in, one out" rule when it comes to new toys - for every new toy we bring in we have to give away an old one. My boys seem to outgrow toys every day so this is a pretty easy rule for us - we give toys to our younger friends, put them in our yard sale stash, or donate them. Twice a year, before their birthday and Christmas, I do an extra clean out and get rid of anything that they've outgrown, is missing pieces, or they don't enjoy any more.I am also a big fan of rotating toys - moving things outside in summer or stashing things away in a closet when they've fallen out of favor. Then on a rainy day I can pull it out and it's like new again!
Organize Your Life: The Ultimate Guide for Moms
Now that your playroom is under control, the rest of your house in order with my ultimate guide to organizing for moms. Find tons of cleaning tips, organizing projects, printables, and more. See it all here!
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