Inspire me with your toddler storage solutions!

[Angliski]

I don’t mean where you store your toddler… although there is a probably a market for that…

I’m trying to create an uncluttered bedroom, rationalise toys and encourage my 21 month ds to put things away in their right place. Struggling to know what furniture would work best for him and create order. Can you show me what you use for your toddler? He is quite tall 95cm and strong, so it needs to be robust and also easy for him to see everything. Thank you!

Ikea Trofast. Several combinations and easy to pull out trays to get a set of something out. Easy to hand an empty tray to child and say ‘ you pick up the cars and I’ll pick up the Lego ‘. Sturdy too, grandchildren jump on them off the sofa regularly. I also have two sets in the cupboard under the stairs for household gubbins.

Trofast. Have one in the room and one somewhere else so you can toy rotate the bins.

Otherwise try a charity bag, bin the lot. I'm dreading Xmas this year because there are so many sets of toys in my house. Most is second hand but even so it's wasteful. I'm very tempted to ditch 90% of it and just have books and a cardboard box.

We don't have toys in the bedroom, but in the living room we have a low wide shelf where I out about 10 toys/activities on. I then store everything else in a toy box (that he doesn't have access to unless he wants something specific). I rotate the toys on the shelf every week or two. Some are in baskets etc. If you get a storage unit you could make labels and print off pictures of what you want inside each box and stick it on the front so he knows where to put each thing when he tidies up

Trofast or kallax are your friends here - from IKEA.

These are great ideas thank you. I am trolfasting as we speak. @Jsgdud is this just a display shelf of some kind?

What do you all do about books? We have about thirty with a few key faces- the same? Lock most away and just have a few out on rotation?

Thank you!

We use Kallax units for books and toys here. I try to ensure only one box of toys is emptied at once. It doesn't always work.

@Angliski yes it's an open shelf. It's not this one but similar. You could use kallax without the boxes in to display the toys as another option.

Books we have a low forward facing bookcase. As we have acquired more books over time I do now rotate them around a bit

Since dc were toddlers I’ve been using IKEA Kallax shelves with a mixture of drona boxes, and flarra boxes (I just use the drawers with the kallax shelf divider inserts. I’ve also modified kallax units by removing shelves to create longer (for board games) and higher (for sports equipment, toy swords) sections.

We started with photos of the contents on the outside so they could help tidy up (ha!) and moved onto funky lettering once they could read.

Keep a picture on the front of each box so that toddlers can help tidy.

I would also recommend rotating toys. So I keep some high in the cupboard in a black box and every few months swap them round. Mine get overwhelmed when there's too many toys out.

We have a wall mounted bookcase in the living room. A white toy chest for the bulky plastic bits like pirate ship, play house etc.

Then I have a 5 drawer unit in the conservatory which is brilliant for figures, duplo and Lego, loose wooden/plastic food etc. Amazed at how much it holds! Also the drawers are easy to slide out and move to a play area which makes tidying quicker. In the evening we just slot all the drawers back.

I also have an ugly plastic tall drawer unit (the ones from The Range/B&M) for all the craft stuff. Paints, brushes, playdoh, stickers, colouring bits. I’ve put that in my sofa eye line so he can’t go in there without us noticing. Hoping to lessen the likelihood of ‘art’ on the walls .

Each toy theme has it’s own drawer/place so tidying up and finding toys is easier. We introduced the rule of one type of toy at a time. So if he’s playing with his Lego and then wants superhero’s, the Lego gets put back in the drawer.

DS is 3 and this seems to be working for us. Although definitely going to need a clear out before Christmas as we’re at max capacity after his birthday!

I like to put mine in a cage.

Trofast here too with a mix of big, middle and shallow drawers. Shallow ones for paper and craft stuff, big ones for stuff like teddies and dolls, then Lego and assorted tat in the medium size drawers.

We have a shallow built in cupboard which is perfect as a bookcase as we have LOTS of books.

We have a cream buttoned storage ottoman in living room. It’s 180cm x40cm. When Ds is in bed it’s all nicely away and provides extra seating for guests.

IKEA spice racks and old plate rack painted in bedroom for books.
Medium wicker Basket with lid for random bits and small soft toys in bedroom.
Little side table in bedroom with shelf under has a few puzzles ( toddler wooden type)

Anything else he outgrows or doesn’t play with gets stored away for future, charities or given away. I haven’t space to keep everything

Ikea Kallax, most with boxes in but some left empty for displaying toys and books.

When there is a pile of random toys on the floor (as there is most days) it's easy to pull the boxes out slightly and throw the toys back into their relevant boxes.

Toddling home with eBayed trolfast. I’m going to have a go at Montessori shelf too. Thanks so much. My sense was he was overwhelmed with too much clutter.

@Caspianberg love the upcycling ideas thank you!