Play & Put Away: Playroom Storage and Organization Ideas

A playroom can easily become messy, disorganized, and overflowing with toys and games. When the sounds of your kids asking, “Dad, where’s my favorite stuffed bunny?” or exclaiming, “Mom, I can’t find my toy fire truck!” have become the soundtrack to your life, then it’s time you consider playroom organization ideas. 

If your playroom looks like a tornado has torn through it, we can help. Our guide below offers the best playroom storage ideas for sorting through, organizing, and finding proper storage solutions for your kids’ toys and games. Follow along to bring order to the chaos!

Why Playroom Storage Matters

Your kids have a lot of items to keep them entertained, from books and stuffed animals to puzzles and board games. But what good are those things if your kiddos can’t find them when they want them? 

Playroom messiness is a recipe for disaster, leading to misplaced, forgotten, and broken toys and games. Your kids are probably constantly losing game pieces, forgetting about toys they received just last month, and navigating around piles of random dolls and building blocks. When nothing has a proper home, chaos ensues. And that’s exactly what we want to avoid. 

When you find proper playroom storage solutions, you and your kids can learn to create a more organized play area where they can easily see what toys they have and find the ones they want to play with. And the best part? They won’t constantly ask if you’ve seen their misplaced toys! 

So, how do you organize your playroom? Follow along to find out!

How to Organize Your Playroom

Ready to explore our playroom organization ideas? Not so fast. The first order of business is to prepare your playroom for storage. 

See What You Have

Whether your kids are toddlers, teens, or somewhere in between, they will eventually outgrow certain toys and games. And unless you have more children on the way, there’s really no use hanging on to playroom items your kiddos no longer touch.

Therefore, we recommend sitting down with your kids and sorting through their toys to determine which ones they’re willing to part with. Let your kids inspect each toy and decide whether it will go in the keep, donate, or toss pile. Obviously, the keep pile will include toys they still plan to play with, but it can also include a few sentimental ones they want to have as keepsakes. The donate pile will consist of toys they’re willing to give away to friends, family, or charity, and the toss pile will include broken toys or those with lost parts or pieces. 

Once you’ve sorted through all the games, books, and toys your kids will continue to play with, you can begin getting a better idea of the kind of playroom storage solutions that will best suit your needs. For example, if you only have a handful of items, you might just need some bins or baskets, but a lot of toys may require a bigger solution, like a toy chest or game closet. 

Educate Your Kiddos

It’s important to realize that storage solutions aren’t the only part of the equation. Your playroom will only be as organized as your kids are willing to keep it. That’s why it’s crucial to educate your children on tidiness and encourage them to place their toys in the storage spaces you set up. This might require incorporating clean-up songs or even offering rewards to help them learn how to stay organized. 

The Best Playroom Organization Ideas

Organizing your playroom doesn’t have to be complicated, and we’re here to prove it. In our list below, we highlight some of the easiest playroom storage solutions to implement. 

Incorporate some of these ideas, and you’ll transform your playroom in no time! 

Invest in a Toy Chest

You can call us old-fashioned, but we love toy chests! They offer so much hidden toy storage space while enhancing the decor of your room. You could browse a flea market until you find a vintage one that speaks to you, or go the DIY playroom storage route and build one with your own two hands! Whichever kind you decide to embrace, a toy chest is sure to do wonders for your space. 

Purchase Some Plastic Bins

Plastic bins always seem to grace our storage lists, and for good reason. They’re so handy! To master this simple playroom storage idea, stock up on clear plastic bins in various sizes and then go to town storing your kids’ toys. Place all their Barbie dolls in one bin and action figures in another. From here, you can stack them in the corner of the playroom, line them along a shelf, or tuck them into a cabinet so they’re out of sight. 

Make Your Own Game Closet

If you want your playroom to always be free of clutter, then it’s best to go with a large storage option in which you can stash every last toy and game. In this case, we recommend investing in a large cabinet, dresser, armoire, or even a locker so you can fill the shelves and drawers to the brim. Therefore, when your kids want to use a certain item, they’ll simply open the doors and browse their entire treasure trove of toys. 

Incorporate a Bookshelf

You probably already have one (or several) bookshelves in your playroom, so clear some space for your kids’ toys to share the shelves with their books. For example, you could line some board games along one shelf or display your kid’s favorite go-to stuffed animals on another. This way, your kids can clearly see what toys they have without having them scattered around the floor. 

Use Hidden Storage Features

When deciding how to organize your playroom, consider hidden storage features that help keep your space looking tidy. These include ottomans with lids, couches with removable cushions, and storage benches. They all look like ordinary pieces of furniture but come with storage space. Simply tuck the toys inside, and your guests will be none the wiser! 

Install Shelves

Shelves are another ideal playroom organization idea, but you’ll want to ensure your kids can reach them so they can retrieve and return their items. Consider installing shelves just a foot or two off the ground so they’re easily accessible. Once the shelves are in place, stack toys on them or use them to showcase the toys your kids use most often. 

Hang a Stuffed Animal Hammock

If your kiddos are obsessed with stuffed animals, they probably have an impressive collection of little ones. To help keep them all organized in one area, we recommend hanging a stuffed animal hammock from the ceiling. This convenient stuffed animal storage solution keeps all their stuffed babies in one specific spot, so your kids always know where to find their favorite fuzzy friends. 

Create Cubbies

Your children are probably already used to using cubbies at school, so why not incorporate them into your playroom? For this playroom storage idea, build or purchase some cubbies and place them along the perimeter of your room. Then, designate cubbies for certain items. For instance, art supplies can go in one cubby, and Legos can go in another. Be sure to label each cubby so your kids don’t mix up the different receptacles. 

Build Space into the Walls

If your playroom has some open wall space, look into designing built-in drawers, cupboards, or shelves. While it will involve some construction on your part, it can create a seamless look and provide you with more nooks and crannies for storing toys and games. With this option, you can line up baskets and bins or showcase special toys as decorations. 

Stock up on Baskets and Bins

When it comes to storage for your playroom, experiment with different textured baskets and bins. These storage receptacles can enhance the look and feel of your playroom while providing handy containers for everything from stuffed animals to board games. For example, you could invest in some rustic woven baskets for all the soft plush toys and use wooden crates for the puzzle collection. Place them in the corner of the room, line them up on a shelf, or tuck them away in a closet. 

Check out Stor-It Today

If you have storage questions, we have answers. Here at Stor-It, we’re the oldest and largest storage facility in Idaho, so we mean business when it comes to all things storage. Whether you’re wondering how to pack up your items for a move or looking for a rental unit in the Treasure Valley, we’re eager to help. 

Contact us today!