Living in New York City has its perks, but apartment living with three young children has its challenges. It requires me to be super organized when it comes to keeping the kids rooms clean and clutter-free. When my kids want a toy they want it pronto, so categorizing toys by size and type (cars, balls, hockey pucks, small dolls) help them find exactly what they are looking for. I’m a big fan of clear plastic containers that I can stash under the beds. I also store a lot of my daughters dolls and stuffed “friends” in an extra large monogrammed LL Bean Tote bag which looks super cute on the floor. Baskets with labels are both functional and attractive.
My kids are crazy about crafting and art projects. Old cookie tins and plastic containers keep paints, crayons, markers, play-doh and other art supplies separate from one another. Though every mom wishes she could save each precious project, space just doesn’t permit that. A cool idea is to take pictures of your child’s work and create a mosaic collage that you can frame.
Lastly, throw out any toys that are broken or have missing pieces. Donate or pass along toys that your child no longer uses.
Do you have any organized toy tips? We’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.
Comments
Heather
The labels on those wicker baskets are adorable. And hey, you are so right about how keeping or saving our children’s artworks gets more and more difficult through the years. So this mosaic collage is a wonderful idea!
Fox
LOVE that idea of a framed collage of artwork of days gone by! What a great way to preserve some of those “masterpieces!”
Lindsey
I have actually been wondering about ways to save my kids’ works of art without having to buy more boxes. I have filled up five medium-sized boxes for their artworks alone! There were times when I want to edit and just keep the really beautiful ones, but I just don’t have the heart to throw some of them away. It’s always heartbreaking.
Brooke
I also have the problem of space and my sons artwork. He is constantly creating new masterpieces. We found a flatbed scanner and now have a digital file with his art! One day I hope to get to scrapbook his art.
Amanda
Love the photo collage of art work! We let the kids pick a favourite art piece and they have it framed in their room. They change it every month! This article put me in the toy organizing mood…Thanks!
little bunny
I love baskets and crates and chests on casters. Zoom them around the room for easy pick up. Especially easy for pullling out under the bed storage.
megan
we use a lot of artwork (preschool-age) for wrapping paper. Doesn’t lend itself as much as the kids get older, but the output of preschool artwork is so prolific that we had to do something.
Ashley
Another way to keep artwork is making a scrapbook out of them. If they are of the right size, you can put them into sheet protectors and keep them in a binder. You can then label those binders with the child’s name/age/year/etc. That way not only can you revisit those drawing but your child can as well without fear of ruining a memory :)
alliwoo
I’m wondering where I can find the mini-chalkboards pictured above. Love them but can’t seem to find them online anywhere. Thanks for your help!!