Welcome to part 3 of Eco-friendly Tips. Today I am sharing the 10 Best Plastic-Free Toy Storage Ideas. We often hear parents say our house is a mess after having kids. It’s actually the opposite for us. After Vihaan, our home is cleaner and more organized than ever. A clean and organized home teaches kids self-discipline, how to care for their belongings and promotes independence and creativity.
My little one always wants to do EVERYTHING alone, and having an organized home gives him much more freedom to exercise his independence. He removes his shoes and socks and puts them on the shoe rack; he puts the toys back after playing with them (most times) because everything in my home has a place.
As a parent, when things are clean and neatly organized, it gives me a feeling of accomplishment and emotional comfort and uplifts my mood.
The toy organization tips shared in this post are all eco-friendly and plastic-free. Some may be slightly more expensive than the plastic storage options, but these are durable and will grow with your baby. If you follow the fewer toys policy, you will love these ideas more cause not are these options useful, but they also have great aesthetics.
Rule of thumb for Keeping Kid’s toys Organized
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Organize by category: Organize toys by category (such as vehicles, puzzles, sensory toys, etc.) and store them in separate containers. This makes it easier for kids and parents to find what they want and helps keep your space organized.
- Toy Rotation: Fewer toys mean less cleaning and more creative play. We store toys in a different room than the play area, and I rotate toys on the playroom shelf every 1-2 weeks. The return of a once-loved toy sparks new interest and will bring nearly as much joy as getting a new toy!
- Every toy should have a home. If a toy doesn’t have a designated storage spot, do not expect it to be organized.
Best Plastic-Free Toy Storage Ideas
1. Best Plastic-Free Toy Storage Ideas: Metal Rolling Cart
The metal rolling cart is perfect for storing all the art and craft supplies. It’s sturdy and durable. The wheels make it easy to pull up to the table or Easel board and then tuck back in the corner when finished.
Since Vihaan is only 2, I don’t give him access to the entire cart. I rotate the paint colors/ pens/crayons weekly on the Easel Board. When he gets older, I will move the cart to the art station in our playroom.
4-tier metal rolling cart | 3-tier metal rolling cart
2. Best Plastic-Free Toy Storage Ideas: Recycled Felt Organizers
I love these organizers. They are made with PET felt, contain recycled fibers, and are fully recyclable. Apart from storing V’s art supplies, I also use them to organize my jewelry and Makeup. Linking my favorite felt organizers below
Felt Desk Organizer | Drawer Organizer
More options are in the slider below
3. Best Plastic-Free Toy Storage Ideas: Laundry Mesh Bags
These are my favorite Toy Organizers. The laundry bags come in various sizes and shapes, and since they are mesh, you can see clearly what’s inside, just like a plastic container. I store one type of toy in each bag, avoiding mixing, and when I need something, I know which bag to grab.
I use the large Bra mesh bags to store pieces from our Loveevery toys, like the peg or button board pieces.
The Square garment laundry bags are amazing for storing puzzles or Legos; you can stick the puzzle picture to the bag for reference.
If you have mesh laundry bags or produce bags lying around collecting dust, you know what to do now!
Mesh Bra Laundry Bags 1 (small and medium size fits most of our toys), 2, 3. 4 (use these for puzzles)
4. Best Plastic-Free Toy Storage Ideas: Wooden Cube Shelf Unit
These shelving units are amazing; we have 3 in our house. A 3×3 in my closet, A 2×2 in the office room where we keep our printer and printing supplies, and a 3×3 in the playroom where most of my son’s toys are stored. This holds a lot, is durable, and the price cannot be beaten!
In the picture, the shelf unit is in the playroom; I recently moved it to V’s room; giving him access to all the toys was getting hard for him to focus on one thing. Now he only engages with the toys I have for him on the shelf; it promotes more open-ended and creative play and makes our life easier with less cleanup!
[Related Post: Reusable Everyday Planner]
5. Best Plastic-Free Toy Storage Ideas: Cloth or Wicker Bins
Choose fabric bins not only look cute, but they are also durable and easily washed, making them ideal for toy storage. They help me organize toys by categories. Here are the categories in which I divide the toys and store
- Gross motor skill toys
- Puzzles and building blocks
- Color Matching toys
- Vehicles
- Sensory Toys
Foldable fabric Panda Organizer (also available here) | Fox Organizer (also available here)| Grey Organizer | Labels (another option here)
6. Best Plastic-Free Toy Storage Ideas: Upcycle Empty Glass Jars
I am a proud glass jar hoarder. In this post, I shared ideas on how I can repurpose used glass bottles. One of the ways I upcycle them in the playroom is by storing sensory stuff like homemade chocolate mud, beans, colored rice, etc.
7. Best Plastic-Free Toy Storage Ideas: Metal Puzzle Rack
This stores all the chunky puzzles in one place. Because of this puzzle rack, we never lost any pieces or had difficulty finding them. One of the best organizers.
[Related Post: Best Puzzles for 2-Year-olds]
8. Best Plastic-Free Toy Storage Ideas: Bamboo Lazy Susan
The bamboo turntable or lazy susan is a great way to display art or craft supplies. I keep crayons, paint pens, markers, and sensory tools in it.
9. Best Plastic-Free Toy Storage Ideas: Wooden bookshelf
This bookshelf has been a game changer in making my son a book lover. It offered a place to display books and was perfect for V to grab them. Over time he started enjoying flipping pages, recognizing the pictures, and trying to narrate them. I started reading to him when he showed interest, which eventually became our daily habit.
10. Best Plastic-Free Toy Storage Ideas: Wooden Play Shelf
Whether you follow Montessori or not, dedicate a space where your little ones can expect their toys to be found. A shelf is a great way to display the toys, and it doesn’t have to be expensive; it just needs to be low enough for your children to reach.
They will learn that the shelf is where they can find their toys, and (eventually) they will learn that the shelf is where toys go when they are finished playing.
I recommend using bins, baskets, or trays to display toys with multiple pieces, like puzzles. They provide the perfect home for all those tiny pieces.
Woven baskets and wooden trays are great alternatives to plastic and provide a natural, peaceful look to a room.
The Lovevery play shelf we own has a storage option, so I opted for it. I store all the trays, bins, and sensory material inside the storage. This makes toy rotation easy. You also get two wooden trays and two storage bins with a shelf.
Play Shelf | Wooden Trays | Woven Baskets
More options are in the slider below
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