One of our favorite ways to organize toys…

Organizing toys can be a daunting task, but these cube shelves from Ikea make it a little easier (and they are not very expensive compared to some other options!)

The great thing is that they have a lot of different options at Ikea.  There is a version of this without the spot for the TV and some other smaller options as well.

Target also offers some storage cubes if you can’t make the trip to Ikea.  We prefer going to Ikea instead of trying to shop on-line…it is fun to walk through the store and see all of the displays (always looking for new ideas!!)

LABELS…

How will the kids know which toys go where…labels are the answer!  These labels were made out of name badges/luggage tags from the office store.  You can make the labels in word (or whatever program you prefer).  We just searched the internet for pictures of the toys that would be in that bin and added them to the label.  The pictures are great for teaching little ones that can’t read yet where items go.

Oh, and if you get in the habit of always putting the toys in the bins they belong in, your kids will definitely learn from your example.

SMALL PARTS…

Why do kids love toys with soo many little parts?!?  We like the idea of keeping the small parts in smaller plastic containers.  This way they don’t get lost and when we have other little ones over that still like to put everything in their mouth, we know the play area is safe because we can just put the “small parts containers” up on the top shelves!