The holidays are over! Phew! But your work isn’t done quite yet (sorry!) If you have kids, you’re probably dealing with an out-of-control, messy, unorganized playroom. Naturally, new presents have taken the place of older playthings. Maybe your children were lucky enough to get a play kitchen, possibly a doll stroller, or a new board game. Unfortunately, even one or two new items can quickly add an element of chaos to an otherwise organized playroom.
Don’t allow your playroom to get the best of you. Instead, focus on organizing using the furniture you have. What can play furniture do to help with your playroom storage and organization woes? Let’s go through some of your options.
1. Playroom Seating
I don’t know how it’s in your house, but if your children are anything like mine, then they love having a few good seating options. In fact, my daughters may both be under the age of 5, but they are extremely passionate about their playroom seating. They have comfy chairs for reading and regular wood chairs for arts and crafts time.
Chances are, all those chairs, bean bags, and other seating options are some of the largest pieces of furniture in your playroom. That being said, as you begin organizing your playroom, set up your seating first. This will help structure the rest of your room.
Go ahead and create a defined reading nook and a snack or child’s art area. Having set corners dedicated to different activities helps minimize all that clutter and chaos.
Do you spend a lot of time in the playroom yourself? Then go ahead and ensure there’s a comfortable seat and possibly a small coffee/end table for you as well!
2. Playroom Storage System
Once your seating is in the right spot, it’s time to tackle the biggest playroom hurdle: storage. Investing in a playroom storage system is always a good idea, regardless of your budget. Believe me, you’ll save yourself a lot of stress by creating and maintaining a proper storage system!
Many parents choose to install bins or baskets to hold all those blocks, dolls, stuffed animals, and games. Truth be told, this method isn’t fool-proof and you’ll be reorganizing all those cubbies in the future. However, it’s one of the best ways to take playroom inventory when the time comes. It also helps teach your children valuable skills like matching (bonus!).
I’ve found some great playroom storage units at online shops including Amazon and Bed, Bath & Beyond. However, I ultimately chose playroom storage from IKEA. These particular shelving units have 4 openings that fit IKEA’s storage baskets. The colors are kid-friendly, and they keep all those toys stored away safely. Plus, at $4 per basket and $35 for the furniture itself, this playroom storage system feels like a steal!
Toy boxes are also a great standby. We use our toy box to store toys the kids don’t use all that much. With a little work, we painted the backboard of our toy box with magnetized paint so we can stick magnets directly onto the box. So, if the girls want to practice their ABCs, we simply throw a few plush blankets down to create a makeshift storage seat, and they’re entertained for hours. Talk about double-duty!
3. Playroom Shelves
You may be thinking: what if I don’t have an entire playroom to store my child’s toys? Don’t worry, you can still organize children’s toys whether they’re stored in a corner of your living room or in your child’s own room using playroom wall shelves.
We use shelves for many of our daughter’s toys, especially the ones they frequently play with. For example, we use the tops of our storage units as a makeshift shelf. Also, we installed extra shelves in our kid’s bedroom and playroom to hold their library of books. Then, we used the space underneath their bedroom wall shelf to store out-of-season clothing and costumes.
4. Other Ideas
So what about everything you can’t store away in bins or shelves? That’s where unique playroom furniture comes in handy. Do you have a play kitchen, a dollhouse, mini-cribs, or something else that’s stuck there in the middle of your floor? If so, improvise!
We store all the “kitchen stuff” right there with the kitchen. Likewise, we place all our dolls and their accessories in our small child’s crib.
By using our existing furniture to store related toys, the kids always know where to find toys for a particular activity.
With playroom furniture ideas, the best course of action is to use what you have and work from there. You may find you don’t necessarily have to invest in an entire storage system if you have enough multi-purpose furniture lying around.
