Playroom Organization

1.25.19

Friends, back in December you may recall reading my blog “Toys Galore”. Well, I’m guessing that since the holidays have passed, your playroom might be bursting at the seams; especially if you didn’t have the time to address the playroom prior.

Recently, a friend mention that they did get their decorations put away but they still have toys that need to be put away from the holidays. Particularly, it happens when you have been sick or your calendar hasn’t allowed you to get back on track after enjoying time off.

My suggestion is that you take some time this weekend to address the toy situation. First item of business is to dispose of any toys that are broken, have missing pieces or are not usable anymore. Next up is to remove any toys that are not played with anymore, toys the children have “grown out of” and any duplicates. I suggest you donate these items to a local charity. If you are in the Wake Forest area, I recommend The Giving Tree Foundation (www.thegivingtreefoundation.org). The proceeds from this store are given back to Wake Forest public, private and charter schools. Another option is to give to your church’s nursery or any organization in need of toys that speaks to your heart.

I know it’s hard to decide what to keep. As a former preschool teacher, I think the simple toys are the best because the inspire creative play. For example, blocks, trains, dolls and most of all, art supplies can help to spark their creativity.

The next obstacle is how to best store the items. I find that clear bins with a picture taped on the front to show what is in each container is helpful for everyone both for playtime and clean up. Once they know where things go, they can easily get the job done. When it comes to dress up clothes, I suggest hanging them so that the child has access. You can create a dress up center by simply adding command strip hooks to the wall and keep a bin of shoes and accessories below. For craft supplies, I think rolling carts and caddies work best. They are easy to bring out and put away. I have found that using a hanging sweater storage container works well for most board games. Put the games for the younger children towards the bottom so they have access and the games for the more mature children at the top. When it comes to puzzles, I like to store them in Ziploc bags along with the picture of the puzzle. The boxes always seem to break down and pieces can easily go missing from the box.

Setting up your playroom for success is another important piece to think about. When I was teaching, we set the room out into stations or centers. If you have a playroom in your home, some examples of stations could be dress up, art, reading, blocks/cars, kitchen etc. If you are tighter on space, what about a bedside table or basket could hold books and reading could take place on the bed. Perhaps a corner of your kitchen could be where their kitchen is. Try to take advantage of spaces that are not fully used in your current space to create dedicated play areas. For playrooms, it’s nice if you can section these areas off but if not, area rugs can do the trick or even simply adding tape to the carpet can create separate spaces.

Keep in mind that your playroom does not have to be “Pinterest Worthy”, meaning that it doesn’t have to be perfect. It should simply be a safe area for multipurpose play. Your storage containers could be items you recycle around your house. Some ideas for that are to reuse diaper wipe containers for small toy storage (label with a picture showing what’s inside), cereal boxes cut down for book or magazine storage, diaper boxes covered in fabric (Pinterest will show you how) to hold books, and clear reusable lunchmeat containers for card games or other small items.

I encourage you to tackle that playroom, and get it organized; especially the little Legos (better than stepping on them!) Start at one corner of the room and work your way around. Remember to group like-things together for sorting, then once you have things grouped, you can get to organizing.

I know that just the idea of it can be overwhelming! If you dread the thought of it or just don’t know where to start, please call me! I’m happy to come to you for a complimentary consultation and even do the job for you so that you can be productive in other areas of your life. I get it, organizing isn’t fun for most people but it is my passion and I enjoy helping others with their challenges.

Here are some pictures from Pinterest to inspire you and ignite the organization of your playroom.