Toys–and places to put them!

7 Sep

No matter how hard you try, it’s inevitable that your baby’s toys will wind up taking over more space than you could ever imagine. Who would have dreamed that such a small person would accumulate so much bulky stuff? And if you happen to have more than one child, the mess just seems to multiply right along with the fun.

I corralled my first child’s small toys (rattles, teethers, soft blocks and such) in a mini-laundry basket. And that worked great until he became mobile. At that point, all bets were off. I had a wooden toy chest that had been mine when I was a child, but I was justifiably afraid that he’d pinch his tiny fingers in the lid. So I removed the lid. The topless toy box didn’t look too fantastic, but it did the job–kind of.

The problem with toy chests or toy boxes is that they’re too deep for a child to reach the bottom–and the stuff the child wants always seems to sink right down there! Children can’t see everything that’s in the toy box, so they wind up taking everything out in order to get that one toy they’d been looking for.

If I had it all to do over again, I’d keep that toy chest as my personal keepsake, and use it for blankets or out-of-season clothes. For toy storage, I’d prefer an open-shelf unit like the one with bins that’s pictured above, or even a cubbyhole unit or bookcase. Toys are more accessible but also easier to put away, and children can learn colors and sorting skills while they help to clean up after playing.

We have a great Toy Chest and Organizer Guide right here on The New Parents Guide. This link takes you right to the page with the open-shelf toy organizers, because in this mom’s opinion, that’s the best way to go.

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