Too Many Toys? 16 Children’s Toy Storage and Organisation Hacks to Free Up Space

Toy storage might not be the more interesting of home improvement, but oh will it make a difference!

It’s best to take the two-step approach of first cutting down the volume of toys and then organising the remainder into effective storage. We get it – asking your kids to choose between their toys is going to take some top-class negotiating. But choosing a few of these simple principles to follow as a family and using storage solutions to help declutter your home are sure ways to make tidying up easier on all of you in the long term. Of course, when it comes to old toys your kid is ready to let go of, you can always list them on Gumtree and earn a little back.

Kids are always learning and growing, so it’s not surprising that they’ll naturally outgrow some of their toys. Reviewing which toys your kid plays with regularly is a great place to start. Of course, it’s nice to keep a few old favourites, but perhaps they don’t need every single toy car. Try listing a bundle that your little auto-fanatic is willing to part with on Gumtree and another kid could get a lot of joy out of them.

Having only a few of each type of toy keeps the clutter down and can help your kid to have more fun too. When children are surrounded by loads of similar options, they can end up getting overwhelmed and finding it harder to stay focused on playing with any individual toy or game. Why not keep one or two of each type out for every day and put the alternatives into storage (e.g. in the garage, attic or even out of sight under your bed)? You can rotate the different options every few weeks.

Is your home filled with endless toy packaging? Unless the box is part of the toy or truly useful for storing it in (like with board games), putting all that cardboard in the recycling is a quick and easy way to clear the clutter – or you can always get creative and turn it into toy storage as a craft project.

So what’s the 20-toy rule? It’s just what it sounds like – you limit your kid to 20 toys. This number is high enough that they’re unlikely to have to part with any firm favourites and low enough to make staying organised much easier. Plus, your child is much more likely to play with the ones they have this way. If they’re taking some time to come around to the concept of decluttering their toys, you could again always consider storing some of the others to rotate in and out. And popping any they won’t miss on Gumtree means you make a little extra and another family can enjoy them.

Splitting up toys by category – storybooks, dolls, bath toys, etc. – can make it easier to keep them tidy.

Does your kid love to get all their toy cars out at once? Or maybe they just can’t help but invite all their teddy bears along to visit their play kitchen. If there are sets or groups of toys your kid always gets out at the same time, you could save time when tidying up by storing them all together or close to one another. Organising toys this way often means more fun for kids too, as they can spend more time playing instead of searching for that specific teddy who’s very late to the picnic.

Do your kids love bath toys? Are storybooks saved mainly for bedtime? See if you can keep toys near where your child naturally plays with them. This makes the tidy-up job easier – think less carrying things around the house. In turn, this can make the tidying up more likely to happen regularly.

We all have different preferences when it comes to keeping things tidy. Some like everything to have its own spot whereas others prefer a more fluid approach. It’s worth taking a moment to think about your kids’ natural preferences for tidying up as well as your own. Creating a system based on what works best for you and your kids means all of you are more likely to use it properly and keep things tidy.

Once you’ve thinned the herd of toys and categorised until the cows come home, you’re ready to tackle organising where to store them all. Thankfully, these kids toy storage ideas can help you to create a setup that makes staying tidy easier.

Bookshelves aren’t just for books. Shelves mean you can store toys on the wall, which is a game-changer for clearing your floor. Why not upcycle old or second-hand bookshelves to make some fun new toy storage? Marking out areas for different toys or using storage tubs or bins can help to keep the shelves themselves tidy and organised too.

Tilted baskets or boxes can help you to keep toys together while letting your little ones see where everything is (or should go). This can help them to stay tidy, as they’re less likely to make a mess going through other toys looking for one particular favourite. Plus, you can see at a glance when things haven’t been put back in the right place.

Storage bins are another helpful strategy for keeping toys tidy. Kids can simply pop their toys in at tidy-up time. Differently sized bins are practical for bigger and smaller toys. Dolls or action figures might need more space than cars, for example. When children want to play with a particular kind of toy, you could simply pull out the whole bin and let them go for it ­– as long as everything makes its way back in at the end.

Smaller things like crayons or craft supplies are easy to store in tubs. Why not upcycle some from things around your home? You could use yoghurt pots or old flowerpots. Decorating craft storage tubs can also be a fun activity to do with the kids on a rainy day.

Going vertical is a great way to pack more storage in, especially if you’re tight on space. Over-door hanging storage makes a great toy organiser and is easy to install without the need for hooks or screws. Most come with several compartments for different toys. You could even go for a clear one so your kids can see exactly what’s where. Some people like to put toys their kids aren’t to use without supervision (like glitter or scissors) safely out of reach at the top.

Wondering how to store loads of teddy bears or stuffed animals? Hanging up a toy hammock – or perhaps making your own using old fabric or netting – makes a great spot for teddies to relax when the kids are busy with other toys. By keeping them out on display, kids can see that their favourite fuzzy friends aren’t missing out on any of the fun and can get them in and out easily whenever they want to.

Know what’s under your kid’s bed? We’d bet there’s at least one soft toy or forgotten book. Why not combine a big bedroom clear-out with some new under-bed toy storage? Boxes, wooden crates or storage bags are a great way to keep everything together. We’d recommend opting for ones with handles to make them easy to pull in and out.

Putting toys somewhere everyone can see what’s there means it’s really easy to spot when something hasn’t been put away properly. This can make it easier for everyone to remember to tidy up regularly.

Once you’ve got storage sorted, all that’s left to do is use it. Getting creative with ways to help your kids tidy up can help cut down the daily clutter.

If everything having its own spot is a principle that appeals to you, why not grab a label maker or some tape and a marker pen and set out where everything should go? If written labels aren’t likely to work well for your family, why not print out pictures of what goes where? Or you could combine the two as a way to get in some extra reading practice at tidy-up time.

Making tidy-up time part of every day means it becomes part of your kid’s routine – just like eating lunch or brushing their teeth. Getting your child used to tidying up every day can help you and them to keep on top of things. Finding ways to turn tidying up into a game or a challenge can help to transform it from a boring chore into a fun activity in your child’s mind. Why not make it a race to put the toys away, or save story time as a reward for after the tidying up is done?

Tackling the toy mess doesn’t have to be difficult with these creative ideas for getting and staying tidy. Get your kid’s toys decluttered and organised for less with handy storage from Gumtree.