So Yay for me I get a house keeper coming in weekly from next week cause I'm a horrid house wife, and her biggest asset that she has mentioned is decluttering... which is something I sooooooo need...
Which brings me to my next problem... decluttering my 3 year old's bedroom... I don't have much to spend, and I have already wasted money on items that don't work so I'm asking you goddesses what tips and tricks do you have to keep your kids toys off the floor and away tidy... but not away so much that they forget they have it... (which WAS my plan of attach until 3 weeks ago when I cleaned out the new babies room...)
I have one of those cube shelves from Ikea. I think they're called Expedit? In that I have the baskets that all the toys go in. It makes the room look tidy when everything is packed away and the kids haven't forgotten about their toys. They enjoy pulling things out of the baskets!
We got a toy 'box' from Ikea that has a slide out toy storage section and doubles as a bench seat/extra flat surface...we love it. Can have things stacked on top of it (books, toys etc) and it still opens becuase it slides out from the front like a giant drawer...and it has a finger safe closing thingy so no crushed little fingers.
We use lots of different things, shelves, plastic containers (different sizes) etc..... I'm subbing cos' I could do with some tips too to improve on that side of things!
I'm off to Ikea on the weekend for brunch with a friend, looking forward to having a browse at the options for toy box's myself!!
Good on you for getting a cleaner once a week! It's one of the best things we've ever done! More time spent enjoying my DD instead of cleaning!!
I have a cude bookshelf as well with baskets and two plastic five drawer sets. I love those in particular as everything is sorted. THe kids just get the drawer out that they want to play with and then pack away is easy too. I have one for 'food', ponies, lego, potato heads....you get the drift.
All the dolls clothes/paraphernalia are in one of those kids sulo bins, as are the cars and trucks. and I have a small set of shelves with bins for the smaller collections of stuff (plastic animals, musical instruments etc)
Subbing! I need help! I have been checking out the ikea storage systems but don't think the draws are big enough in the plastic box ones, and the Trofast is so expensive! We just have the clear storage contours with the lids, but its not enough, and they just aren't big enough. It looks so messy!
We mainly use plastic tubs in our Expedit shelf unit but I have found the key is to rotate rotate rotate. I regularly go through everything and then cull - send to op shops and keep out about 4-5 main things they like, puzzles, dolls, strollers and a few other bits and that is it. Blocks, train tracks, cars are all on rotation and come out for a week or so then back again. I have been amazed at how little they actually need out but it has been a godsend for me because the mess does my head in.
I can't speak highly enough about the ikea trofast storage units. We have the bench style one in the kids room which is a perfect toddler height - ideal for play. Toddlers rarely like to play on the floor or at floor level (unless it is blocks/trains/roads etc) preferring to be at sitting or standing height. Think pre-school or kinder where all the activities are set up at child height. I found that DD (3yrs) didn't play with her play kitchen or farm set when it was on the floor but as soon as I moved it onto the trofast bench she would spend hours there. She uses the bench for craft activities, play-doh, animal play, cooking, trains, puzzles etc... The plastic tubs then slot in below the bench and hold all her toys. I put photo labels on the outside of them so she knows what goes where when packing up. It works a dream.
I also keep some toys in the bottom of the Expedit shelving in our lounge in boxes and baskets and have a basket on the shelf for all of her craft supplies. Dress ups are kept in an old vintage suitcase which is under her bed. Lastly, I keep a selection of toys in roll out plastic tubs under the beds for rotation. At the end of the day, we put on a pack up song (Found on itunes - by the mudcakes) and DD runs around putting everything away!! It is too good to be true but that song and this system leaves me with a house that is not overun with toys. So nice!
ETA: Just want to clarify, the best trofast configuration for toys is the bench with 3 sections x 3 shelf rails. We have two in a row along one wall which I somtimes put perpendicular to eachother to form a mini 'play room'. The stair like trofast configuration is ok for storage but you can't really make use of the top surface for play. (They have been awesome for clothes storage though!)
I'm another member of the IKEA cult here. We have the tubs in the drawers and they are perfect! If you are on a budget check out ebay as people are often selling them second hand. I figure my son will make it look second hand after about 2 seconds so I may as well buy it that way.
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Toy Storage - Ideas Needed
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