7 Genius Toy Storage Solutions That Will Keep Your Home Mega Organized

It's the month after Christmas, and all through the house… your kids’ stuff is piling up and driving you absolutely nuts. All those cool new toys and presents that were piled under the tree are now posing a GIANT logistical problem: you simply have no. more. room.

Sure, you can make a “one toy in, one toy out” rule, and use this opportunity to teach your kids to Marie Kondo their clutter away. But what sparks joy in your five-year-old (Lego! Shopkins! A million stuffies collecting dust!) doesn’t always work with the realities of living in a home with limited space.

You’re just going to have to get crafty about storage. Here are seven ideas for better toy organization this year.

1. Don’t let toy trains and tracks take over your living room Instead, maximize your under-bed storage. The Ikea SKUBB storage case ($13) is an easy way to keep Lego, trains tracks and racetracks completely organized and out of sight under the couch or neatly stored under your child’s bed. This space saver comes in a variety of colours, you can get six divider insert boxes for $10, and it’s super light, making it easy for your child to pull out and put away all on his own. (Bonus: no more swearing under your breath every time you step on a train or piece of track that was left out.) Source: play-trains.com.

2. Park it: Create order out of ride-on toy chaos Use painters’ tape to make a parking lot (in the garage, on the deck, or in the hall) for your tots’ trikes, bikes, and ride-on trucks. This won’t create more space, necessarily, but if she’s parking her vehicles every time she plays with them, at least you won’t trip over them in the kitchen. Source: OrgJunkie.com.

3. Invest in the Kallax from Ikea The sturdy, affordable cube-like Kallax shelving units (with cubbies arranged in two-by-two, or two-by-four configurations, for $60-$100) are perfect for showcasing a rotating array of trucks, LEGO, books, puzzles, musical instruments, and other toys all at a child’s eye level. This means the toys will be visible enough to spark your kids’ interests, but everything has a place or “home” at the end of the day. If you don’t like looking at the rainbow of toy colours, invest in matching baskets or bins to go in each cubby. The uniformity will add a certain sense of peace and order to a busy space. Source: sennandsons.com via lesptitsmotsdits.com.

4. Solve the puzzle and board game problem Board games and puzzles can pile up very quickly in a closet or on the coffee table. Instead, try a hanging closet organizer to maximize some vertical space. This solution keeps them out of sight when you’re entertaining, but lets you scan all the games you have, so you won’t forget about last year’s Christmas gift. It also gives kids easy access for pulling them out and playing. Source: joyfulhomemaking.com.

5. Organize the annoyingly teeny-tiny Shopkins littering your house Head over to your local dollar store and grab some ice cube trays and indoor mounting tape to build a mini wall organizer of cute, multi-coloured cubbies. Not only will those Shopkins be up and off the floor, but your little one will love that she can now show off her entire collection. Source: @thegrantgirl/Instagram.

6. Where to stash all those small stuffies taking over your kids’ bedroom Over-the-door shoe organizers aren’t just for closets and dorm rooms. They’re also great for keeping all those stuffies neatly displayed for your little one to see. The organizer comes down easily for playtime and goes back up just as easily. This organizer is a triple threat—you can also use it to hold Barbies (one per pocket) or art supplies as your child grows. Source: mommo-design.blogspot.ca.

7. Take back your tub Here’s how to stop stepping on squirt toys during your shower: Attach a hanging fruit basket to your shower rod to keep those bath-time friends up and out of the way. Not only is this a great spot for the toys to dry—instead of those mesh bags that can get yucky—but it can also be an extra spot to stash toiletries. Source: 8footsix.com.