The playroom storage problem is one of the great unsolved challenges of modern parenting. Too little storage and everything is chaos. Too much storage and nothing gets used. The wrong storage and it looks terrible and falls apart within a year.
The principles of good toy storage
Good toy storage has three qualities: it's accessible to the child (so they can get things out and put them away independently), it's visible (so they know what they have and can make choices), and it's beautiful enough that you don't mind looking at it.
Game Changer
The rotation principle: keep two-thirds of toys in storage and rotate them every few weeks. Children play more deeply with fewer toys, and the 'new' toys from storage feel exciting again.
Storage We Love
Tested and approved by real families
By room
The nursery
Baskets are your best friend in the nursery. Woven seagrass or cotton rope baskets look beautiful, hold everything from nappies to muslins, and survive the transition from nursery to playroom to bedroom.
The playroom
Open shelving with labelled bins is the gold standard for playrooms. Children can see what they have, access it independently, and (with some encouragement) put it away. Avoid deep toy boxes — things get lost at the bottom and the box becomes a dumping ground.
- Label everything at child height — pictures for pre-readers, words for readers
- One bin per category — blocks, cars, art supplies, etc.
- Rotate toys regularly to maintain interest
- Purge seasonally — donate anything that hasn't been touched in three months
- Involve children in the organisation — they're more likely to maintain a system they helped create
About this article