Happy Fri-YAY! I’m super excited for today’s Toddler Toy Organization post because a lot of you guys have been requesting more information on how we ended up organizing Jack’s toy area in our basement. NOW disclaimer: this is going to change in the next few months because we are actually finishing off some parts of the basement and shifting some rooms / spaces around. But for now, this is what we are working with. If you have a smaller space you are working with, this will be a great resource! Let’s jump in.
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Toddler Toy Organization: Playroom “Corner”
We wanted a play area for Jack in the basement where we could keep his toys organized and put away each day. After Jack’s first birthday, he had SO many toys and books that we just couldn’t store them all in his bedroom. We do have a toy chest and book shelf in his room, but we needed more space for the bigger toys.
They had all been just chilling in the basement in a corner, but it didn’t look nice, it wasn’t functional and Jack really couldn’t “play” down there due to disorganization. So, I decided to order some toy organization storage from Amazon and see if I couldn’t make the space at least a LITTLE more functional that it was before, keeping in mind that I would eventually be moving all of these things over to a different and bigger space at some point in the future.
Here’s what I ordered:
Soft Foam 36Piece ABC Playmat Set – $37
Wood Toy Storage Organizer – $60
Kids Sling Bookshelf – $35
Mesh Toy Bags – $18
I got the playmat set because I figured I could create the illusion that it was it’s own space instead of spreading out into the carpet. There would be a stopping point for the big toys, and create it’s own little room/space. It totally works that way and I am SO happy I grabbed this along with everything else.
The wood toy storage organizer is fantastic for puzzles, little pieces, wooden blocks, balls, etc. Anything that is small and maybe doesn’t have an easily identifiable “home”. I got the mesh toy bags for this specifically, so we could keep block sets, puzzle pieces, etc. all together without losing sets of anything. Plus, it keeps it looking neat and tidy. You can grab the bag of stuff you want and take it to a different room if you need to easily and just ensures we don’t have any lost or miscellaneous pieces floating around the house.
I got another bookshelf for Jack because this kid has books for DAYS. I love how many books he has – they’re awesome – but it was getting hard to find places to put them where they were still easily accessible! This little sling bookshelf holds a ton, and looks visually pleasing in the space.
For his big toys, I set them on the edge of the playma
t so Jack can pick which toys he wants to play with. We only bring a certain amount of them upstairs, so he always has new ones to play with. It keeps our Toddler Toy Organization from overflowing.
We always use the Evenflo Play Yard for Jack, and move this around the house depending on where he is. We just set it next to his place space at the end of the day, or surround the play space with the gate so he stays in one spot in the basement. We LOVE it. My parents even bought one for their house. It’s big enough that he doesn’t feel confined, but safe enough that we can let him play without concern for what he can or can’t get into.
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Obviously, none of this was revolutionary BUT I hope at least that it helps you get some ideas going for how to organize your toys in a smaller space!! I feel like this space is SO much more functional than it was before, and his room isn’t completely overflowing with toys, either. We want him to have different toys/books depending on where he is so he stays excited and stimulated with what is in front of him.
How do you organize your play areas!? I will be sure to share our new space in the next few months after we get our unfinished portion of the basement done!
