Toy storage ideas: stowing away your little one’s (countless!) treasures

Storing large amounts of toys

Everyone warns you, but it isn’t until your baby is here that you realise just how much stuff your little bundle has! Of course, purchasing all of the latest parenting gadgets is optional – after all, all babies really need is a loving home. However, tired parents will try anything when it comes to getting their little one to sleep or keeping them occupied. From different types of cots to changing tables and playpens, these items can start to take up a fair amount of space in your home. Before you know it, your child is ready for baby walkers and ride on toys and needs plenty to keep their hands busy. Once your child grows out of their favourite toys, you might want to put them away for a future sibling or friend to enjoy, which means you need somewhere to store them in the meantime.

Discover our baby walker with activity board.

Different types of toy storage

This post explores the different types of toy storage available, with our guidance for storing your child’s toys. From essential storage to optional extras, we outline the various formats available to create a harmonious space for you and your child.

Wardrobes – perfect for storing clothes, but also sleeping bags, extra blankets and quilts or even dressing up clothes
Chest of drawers – perfect for storing smaller items of clothing or everyday essentials such as nappies and vests
Bedside tables – can be used for nightime essentials such as spare soothers and muslins or their favourite book or soft toy
Storage shelf/shelves – displaying books or decor items such as framed photos or prints
Toy chests – perfect for storing larger toys, your child may need help accessing these
Storage boxes – a storage box is ideal for storing the items you and your little one use most
Toy boxes – toys your child will be able to access independently
Bookcases – our book storage is available in different heights for children at different ages and stages
Storage baskets – best for smaller or soft toys
Multi purpose storage – clever storage solutions that double up as a play item such as our portable storage basket on wheels (is it a pram, car or train?) and dolls house shelf.

For the cosiest of bedrooms, where floorspace is limited, stacking storage boxes can be the perfect solution.

Lastly, consider whether it might be better to separate the toys from your bedrooms and living areas altogether by creating a separate playroom. This can work especially well for larger families in need of ample toy storage.

Playroom toy storage ideas

When it comes to children’s storage within a playroom, the possibilities truly are endless. In a playroom, your storage doesn’t have to be hidden, or fit in with the rest of the room. Here, you have the chance to get creative, whether that’s with colour, layout and textures, or even your storage solutions. A playroom is a space where you can really let your child’s personality shine, creating an art-filled space for your little artist or an active play zone for a child that’s always on the move. Traditionally, toy storage was often designed to keep toys out of sight and out of mind, and younger children would typically need their parents help to access toys or for them to bring out and set up activities for them. A playroom can be filled with entirely self-accesible storage, so even younger children can play to their heart’s desire, exploring their space in an independent fashion. This is a principal often championed by the Montessori school of thought, a educational philosophy considered in many of Petite Amélie’s designs.

Tip: Think outside the box, use storage to segment your space into different areas. Line one wall with different sized storage baskets and another with display shelves. Put up one of our play tents and use this as a handy space for storing soft toys.

Easy-to-store toys

At Petite Amélie, we know that storage can be at a premium, and this is something we like to keep in mind when designing our furniture. Many of our items are folding, such as our ‘Tigre’ folding wooden playpen and ‘Origami’ folding cot bed. We also offer an array of dual purpose items which can be used in a variety of ways such as our ‘Soie’ baby changing table topper, which converts your chest of drawers into a changing table and our multifunctional ‘Ellipse’ Montessori table and chairs set.

Toy rotation

Something we love to recommend here at Petite Amélie is toy rotation. Though it is increasing in popularity, there are still many people who haven’t heard of toy rotation. Toy rotation involves making a small selection of toys available to your child while keeping the rest in storage, out of their sight and reach. While this might sound unnecessary, research shows children play best when they are not overwhelmed and overstimulated by an excessive amount of choices. A logical solution to this is you or your little one choosing a selection of toys each week or month and ‘rotating’ the toys. This means your child can fully engage with and explore playing with each item without being distracted by too many choices. The novelty factor of seeing these new or different toys can also boost their attention span and time spent playing with their toys in different ways. For people with smaller homes, this can be a great way of striking a balance between play and calm and creating a tranquil living space.

At times, it can seem overwhelming trying to keep on top of your little one’s things, from organising different sized clothing within their wardrobe to keeping up with which shoes they’ve outgrown. Here at Petite Amélie we’ve got all kinds of storage solutions on offer for children of all ages, no matter what type of space you’re working with. A new storage box or some clever stacking storage boxes could be just what you need! We hope this post has given you some new ideas for creative storage solutions in your little one’s space. Tag us on Instagram @petiteamelie or using the hashtag #petiteamelie with a shot of your new storage shelf/shelves and storage boxes.