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The Biggest Mistake Parents Make When Organizing Their Kids' Toys

How to Organize Kids' Toys

The Biggest Mistake Parents Make When Organizing Their Kids' Toys

How to Organize Kids' Toys
Image Source: Target

I pride myself on my organizational skills and truly believe happiness can be found in a tidied junk drawer. Having kids, however, has called into question my ability to find a place for everything when everything now includes 4,537 different-stages-of-chewed-on puzzle pieces.

To help me — and all parents — conquer the is-it-even-possible-to-organize playroom, I sought help from The Home Edit's founders Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin. The two Nashville-based moms are professional home organizers whose precise, borderline-OCD work has attracted a celebrity fan base (Gwyneth Paltrow, Lauren Conrad, and Reese Witherspoon are among their A-list clients!) and a lust-worthy Instagram account.

Exclusively for POPSUGAR, the duo organized one typical playroom in two different ways, all with items found at my beloved Target, for which Clea and Joanna are official organizing experts. And although they agreed that for kids, "function comes first," they still managed to find bins, baskets, and drawer organizers that are at once affordable, chic, and versatile. A parenting hat trick!

Along the way, they offered solutions to four of the most common playroom organization problems and revealed the biggest mistake we've all likely made in a cleanup frenzy. (I certainly know I have.) Read on for The Home Edit's best toy-wrangling tips.

Problem: I organized every square inch of the playroom, but no one is respecting my system! Solution: "The biggest mistake people make with toy storage is being overly specific," The Home Edit pros told POPSUGAR. "If you create microcategories, it'll be difficult for kids — and even adults! — to clean up and maintain the organization." Instead of separating out smaller Legos from larger Duplos, for instance, consider allowing for more interpretation in where things belong. "Creating broad categories that kids intuitively understand — blocks, dolls, dress-up, and so on — will help with long-term maintenance and keep your home neat." Problem: Sure, my kids love the setup, but it's an absolute eyesore. Solution: The most important part of a playroom is that it fosters play, but if it can also be an appealing space for parents to spend time, all the better. "Organizing according to the rainbow helps create a playful and creative space for kids and a stylized space for adults," Clea and Joanna said. "Arrange the books, art supplies, toys, and pretend food by color, and you'll not only have a pretty playroom, but your kids will automatically know where everything is stored." Don't feel guilty about adopting the ROYGBIV aesthetic: "The rainbow system has the extra bonus of turning clean-up into a color sorting activity — it's a win-win for the entire household!"
Image Source: Target

Problem: I organized every square inch of the playroom, but no one is respecting my system!

Solution: "The biggest mistake people make with toy storage is being overly specific," The Home Edit pros told POPSUGAR. "If you create microcategories, it'll be difficult for kids — and even adults! — to clean up and maintain the organization." Instead of separating out smaller Legos from larger Duplos, for instance, consider allowing for more interpretation in where things belong. "Creating broad categories that kids intuitively understand — blocks, dolls, dress-up, and so on — will help with long-term maintenance and keep your home neat."

Problem: Sure, my kids love the setup, but it's an absolute eyesore.

Solution: The most important part of a playroom is that it fosters play, but if it can also be an appealing space for parents to spend time, all the better. "Organizing according to the rainbow helps create a playful and creative space for kids and a stylized space for adults," Clea and Joanna said. "Arrange the books, art supplies, toys, and pretend food by color, and you'll not only have a pretty playroom, but your kids will automatically know where everything is stored." Don't feel guilty about adopting the ROYGBIV aesthetic: "The rainbow system has the extra bonus of turning clean-up into a color sorting activity — it's a win-win for the entire household!"

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Problem: The room is finally organized . . . for now. But kids grow, change interests, and keep getting gifts. Ugh, there's just no way to stay on top of it. Solution: Yes, there is! "Use large baskets to accommodate bulky categories like stuffed animals, blocks, and train sets," they said. "For the smaller and more specific categories, use stackable shoe boxes and a paint pen to identify each item. The paint pen easily wipes clean with rubbing alcohol for future updating!" The experts also use dry erase tape for less-permanent labeling. Another tip is to make it a house rule that the toy can only stay if it's been played with that past year. "According to our kids, they've played with all of their toys . . . which we know isn't true." Problem: Real talk: not everything fits in a bin! Solution: As much as Clea and Joanna love themselves a good bin or basket, even they acknowledge it's not the answer to everything. For things that don't fit on a shelf — like play tables, ride-along toys, or dollhouses — there's hope. They swear by the "one in and one out" philosophy, which means you donate one large, bulky toy for every large, bulky purchase. When that still doesn't help, "Try creating zones so every space has a purpose and every item has a home," they said. "If you have a lot of trucks, for instance, create a 'parking lot' so that there's a designated spot for them. The zone will hold you accountable and keep the room from descending into toy chaos."
Image Source: Target

Problem: The room is finally organized . . . for now. But kids grow, change interests, and keep getting gifts. Ugh, there's just no way to stay on top of it.

Solution: Yes, there is! "Use large baskets to accommodate bulky categories like stuffed animals, blocks, and train sets," they said. "For the smaller and more specific categories, use stackable shoe boxes and a paint pen to identify each item. The paint pen easily wipes clean with rubbing alcohol for future updating!" The experts also use dry erase tape for less-permanent labeling. Another tip is to make it a house rule that the toy can only stay if it's been played with that past year. "According to our kids, they've played with all of their toys . . . which we know isn't true."

Problem: Real talk: not everything fits in a bin!

Solution: As much as Clea and Joanna love themselves a good bin or basket, even they acknowledge it's not the answer to everything. For things that don't fit on a shelf — like play tables, ride-along toys, or dollhouses — there's hope. They swear by the "one in and one out" philosophy, which means you donate one large, bulky toy for every large, bulky purchase. When that still doesn't help, "Try creating zones so every space has a purpose and every item has a home," they said. "If you have a lot of trucks, for instance, create a 'parking lot' so that there's a designated spot for them. The zone will hold you accountable and keep the room from descending into toy chaos."

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