The Best Kids Toy Storage and Room Organizers to Tame Kid Clutter

Toronto-based organizer Sarah Grant, founder of Be.neat Studio, loves that the IKEA KALLAX works for a nursery and a play space for older kids. “It can hold bins of baby supplies but then get filled with LEGO creations or books as kids grow,” says Grant, the mom of two boys. “I start it on its side but then turn it vertically to make room for a desk.” And bonus, its clean white design will work with whatever decor updates you make over the years.

Blakey is a fan of using simple open bins like the VESSLA Storage Crate. “Having no lid makes it easier for kiddos to access their things—and clean up,” she says, “Lids actually prevent kids from helping to put things back.”

The exception to the no-lid rule? Messy art supplies. “Make sure to store things you don’t want the kids accessing all the time—paint, slime, glitter (oh geez, glitter!)—in out-of reach-areas, in opaque bins with lids,” warns Blakey. “You want to prevent any shelf climbing to reach those mom-worst-enemies.”

Whether your kid has stacks of Mo Willems storybooks or Angie Thomas YA novels, LA-based professional organizer Tanisha Lyons-Porter, founder of Natural Born Organizers, has a storage suggestion for you: “the Billy Bookcase at IKEA because of its flexibility and functionality,” she says. These inexpensive bookcases (most under $50) are true multitaskers, she notes, “great for clothes, shoes, wardrobe accessories, and toys.” She likes to style Billy with matching grab-and-go baskets or displays of trophies, unicorns, matchbox cars, whatever the littles are into! (As always with bookshelves, these must be anchored to the wall for safety.)

“I love bamboo drawer dividers because they can be used for so many purposes,” Blakey shares. “They look nice and are so functional.” These ones are spring-loaded so there’s nothing to screw in.

“Plastic bins keep bath toys grouped when not in use and are easy to wipe down,” says Grant.  She likes the stackable versions for making the most of awkward spaces like under sink storage. "Just keep the most frequently used items towards the top," she adds.

Toys? What toys? Use a cute opaque fabric box to stash books, electronics, card projects, trains, and games, suggests Dooley. “These are perfect for tucking under the coffee table or inside a bookcase,” she says. “The handles make them easy to maneuver.”