Organizing: Kids' Toys

I am back for some more tips on organization!

One of the most popular questions I have to answer is "Where the HECK do you put all the toys?"  People seem to be very concerned that my poor children must not have anything to play with because  they never see any remnants of toys in the pictures I post :) 

I promise with all my heart that my little guys have more than enough fun stuff to tear into and trust me, this place looks like a complete mess at the end of the day!  My secret?  Simply making sure that there is a designated spot for every single toy.  

Simple, right?

Let's start with the Living Room!  

Remember these built-in bookcases that I made over the summer?

Well, those babies do more than just look pretty!

It is one of our "hiding places" for toys!

(left side)

(right side)

And yes, they really do stay organized like that.

Then, we have that corner hutch in the living room that I painted and refinished last year.

That piece comes in handy for our little "grocery store".

Everything necessary for a pretend grocery store is found in that cabinet!

Produce

Reusable cloth grocery bags, wallet, and money

Empty boxes perfect for "purchasing".

You can't forget about the cash register, complete with a scanner and debit card slot.  Not pictured is the adorable grocery cart!

Finally, there is a leather storage cube next to the armchair that is also used for toy storage

Inside are all the makings for a perfect picnic!

Picnic baskets, tea sets, blankets, utensils, and felt cupcakes.

Let's move on to the Family Room!

We purchased this dresser from Craigslist for $100 a few months ago.  I knew right away that it would be the perfect spot to store tons of toys because it has HUGE drawers.

Go ahead, take a peek inside!

The "Number King drawer" houses all of Ethan's numbers, calculators, and clocks

The "electronics drawer"

The "reading and writing drawer".

Yep, the dreaded "Playdoh drawer".

The "DVD drawer"

I even have a drawer to store our electronic devices so that they aren't visible!  I simply cut a hole out of the back of the dresser for all the wires to be fed through the back.  

Genius, right??

And then of course, there is the "junk drawer" for items that have no other place.  Everyone needs a junk drawer.

Next to the large dresser is a leather storage ottoman.  

It contains most of our musical items.  

(we are really big into music around here!)

We also have the upstairs playroom, which also stores a huge amount of toys!  Read more about that HERE

So, yes, I promise that my kids play.  A lot. 

Hope these organizational tips are helping some of you think outside the box!  Pieces of furniture can double as toy storage and keep your house looking a little less cluttered.

I will be back with more tips soon… 

next up is Kids' Craft Supplies!