How to Organize Toys: The Best Playroom Storage Ideas

If you are looking for the best toy storage ideas in 2025, this is the post for you! Keep reading to learn how to organize toys in small spaces.

Best of all? These storage solutions can be used throughout your home if you do not have a dedicated playroom! (Our house doesn’t have a playroom, so I designed our kids’ bedrooms and closets with toy organization in mind.)

We will go over lots of storage options, including sliding storage bins, wall shelves, and the easiest ways to organize small toys. Let’s get started!

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Before You Organize: Declutter and Donate

While the bulk of this blog post will be about organizing and storing toys, decluttering is an important first step. (Feel free to skip ahead if you just want the organizing ideas!)

The amount of toys that you want to have in your home is a personal choice and will be different for every family. I’m going to share few ways we have made decluttering and donating toys part of our routine, just as an example. As always, do what works for your family. If you have ideas that I didn’t mention, leave a comment below so I can update this post for others!

1. Decide where toys belong in your home. Pro tip: It helps to designate a finite amount of storage space! That way, when the toy storage begins overflowing you know that you have too much stuff (based on what you decided ahead of time) and it’s time to declutter.
2. Set aside intentional time to do a “toy audit.” A great time to do a toy audit is before birthdays and holidays. But like most household chores, I find it less overwhelming if I do a little here and there, as I notice things.
3. Consider including kids in donating old toys. Sometimes it’s easier to slip items away and just see if anyone notices. On the other hand, there can be benefits to including kids in the process. (I’ve done it both ways!) If you want to include little kids, pull out a few specific items to ask them about. As kids get older, they can start to identify unused toys on their own.
4. Donate pre-loved toys to a local free store or nonprofit. You can also consider volunteering with your family so that kids can see how donations are organized and distributed.

How to Organize Toys with Sliding Storage Bins

First up, let’s talk about shelves with sliding bins. They are one of the best toy storage solutions in my opinion! Sliding bins are easy access, and kids can see what is inside.

I recently completed a closet makeover with sliding storage bins to hold toys and craft supplies. I used shelves and felt bins (no longer available but these are similar) from Target that are perfect for playroom storage.

My kids can easily remove the bins and carry them to the table for a project. Clip-on bin tags make it easy to keep the bins organized.

Pro tip: Short bins hold just the right amount of blocks or coloring books. You can also purchase tall bins for large toys.

I also used sliding storage bins in my son’s room for organizing Legos. This is the IKEA Trofast system, but in case you do not have access to an IKEA, here are similar options from Target and Wayfair.

In this case I used clear business card pocket holders and printed labels for each type of Lego set. Alternatively, you could use blank business cards or a label maker.

A shallow bin is great for blocks and building toys because it is easy for kids to find the pieces they need. To sort even smaller items, check out the section The Best Way to Organize Small Toys.

If I had to choose the best way to store toys, sliding storage bins would be my pick. I love that you can easily rearrange the bins and swap the labels as kids’ interests change over the years.

For more inspiration, check out my posts about Kids Craft Organization and Best Lego Storage Ideas.

How to Organize Toys in a Cube Organizer

A cube organizer is another great option for organizing toys in a kids’ playroom or small living room. They often come in two sizes: 11″ cubes or 13″ cubes.

Personally I love this 13″ cube organizer from Walmart and have used it throughout our home in different colors. Here is one styled in my daughter’s room!

To finish off the look, I used these fabric cube bins from Walmart (here is a similar option from Amazon).

Something I love about a cube organizer is that it has a more subtle, minimalist look. It is a great solution for an organized playroom, but can also be used to create a dedicated play area in another space.

When my kids were younger, our dining room doubled as a playroom so that we could keep an eye on them more easily. A wood toned cube organizer made the best playroom storage at the time because it blended in with the decor and kept the toys hidden yet organized.

To style a cube organizer, you can use matching fabric bins, or choose different styles for the higher shelves and lower shelves. Round baskets also look nice as they break up all of the straight lines. And if you don’t mind seeing the contents, try clear bins to make toys easy to find!

If you would like to label the baskets in a cube organizer, you can purchase a set of labels, or print your own. Clip-on bin tags are a good idea for fabric bins.

For even more ideas, check out the post Pretty Cube Toy Storage on a Budget.

Pro tip: Cube organizer bins can hold a lot of toys, so check out the next section for a way to keep smaller toys sorted!

The Best Way to Organize Small Toys

One of the biggest challenges when tackling toy clutter is deciding what to do about smaller toys. From doll accessories to Lego bricks, it can be hard to keep track of tiny toys and avoid missing pieces.

Reusable zipper pouches to the rescue! These mesh bags are one of the best toy storage solutions. In the past I used gallon ziplock bags, but the pouches are much sturdier and easy for kids to use. I have also used this similar set that includes label pockets and labels.

Types of toys that you can store in zipper bags:

1. Puzzles
2. Art supplies
3. Train tracks
4. Toy cars
5. Doll accessories
6. Playing cards
7. Craft supplies
8. Lego sets
9. Polly Pockets
10. Hot Wheels
11. Calico Critters
12. LOL dolls

Basically, any little toys that need a designated space. Zipper pouches are a budget-friendly way to tackle a mess of toys in any room.

In addition, you can use zipper bags within sliding bins or a cube organizer (covered in the sections above) to keep smaller items together. For example, I used zipper bags for doll clothes, doll accessories, and small play sets in my daughter’s room.

In my son’s room, we used the zipper bags to organize Lego sets inside of larger bins.

Another way to organize small toys: Try plastic containers that can be stacked either vertically or horizontally. These are also perfect for board games or small collectibles! In this case, I would print a label for each container to make clean up easy. I use this label maker.

How to Display Action Figures or Barbies

Over the last year or so, my daughter has fallen in love with all things Barbie. I recently shared an entire post about how to organize Barbies, but wanted to include a few tips here as well.

After considering different options, I decided to go with open shelving for Barbie dolls. This is an easy way to keep dolls off of the floor. At the same time, the dolls are easy to see which seems to encourage independent play for my kids. I used this wall rack that is also perfect for kids’ books or action figures!

Wall racks are typically narrow and can fit in small spaces, such as a hallway or behind a bedroom door. They are also a great way to get the built-in storage look, on a budget.

Looking for more ways to organize a Barbie collection? Check out How to Organize Barbies and Accessories for a deep dive!

Open Shelving for Stuffed Animals

Another category of kid stuff that many people want to organize: stuffed animals. (Also known as lovies, plushies, or stuffies!) They are a favorite collectible among young children, but it can be hard to know where to store them.

While a large basket in a play space or closet is an easy solution, I wanted to try something different in my daughter’s room. I felt like displaying her stuffed animals on wall shelves would make the perfect over the bed decor. We already had ended these IKEA picture ledges on hand, and they worked so well!

You can also use scalloped or rattan shelves to add character to a plain wall. Be sure to check the shelf dimensions to make sure they will work with your kids’ plushies.

Alternatively, try a stuffed animal hammock in the corner of a small room. This storage solution has a boho vibe and is great for keeping stuffed animals up and off of the floor!

How to Organize Kids’ Art Supplies

Another great hack for playroom storage is an over-the-door hanging organizer. In the photo below, you can see that I used one on the back of a closet door to store art supplies. The pouches help keep different art supplies and small toys organized.

A hanging organizer is also a great place to store dolls, card games, or action figures in a small space. Use one on the back of a door in any kid space to tackle miscellaneous items. I have used these organizers throughout our entire house for things like cleaning supplies, too.

The Best Large Baskets for Kids’ Toys

Finally, sometimes you just need a catchall for children’s toys that always end up on the floor. This is where large fabric or wicker baskets come in. They are the perfect place for stuffed animals, dress up clothes, or larger toys that will not fit on a shelf.

Large baskets with lids are a great idea for the corner of small living spaces. Another option is to place a wide basket under your coffee table.

Baskets tend to be more aesthetically pleasing than plastic bins, and you can choose a style that matches your personal taste. Try a seagrass basket for coastal decor, or a basket with tassels for a boho look.

If you have the floor space, try a large basket in your family room to help kids tidy up at the end of the day! You can also swap out a few different baskets for toy rotation.

Shop My Favorite Toy Storage Ideas

Finally, here are even more great toy storage ideas to browse!

I hope you found this post helpful if you are figuring out how to organize toys in your home. Let me know which idea was your favorite! If I missed any of your favorite playroom organizing ideas, be sure to drop them in a comment below.

More organizing ideas for your home: