The holidays are over, and the living room floor is littered with new toys, all needing a home.  Just how do you organize toys?    Today I’m going to share with you some of our very simple toy storage solutions!

Organizing Stuffed Animals:

Stuffed animals — they are everywhere!  And, when it comes to toys, it is never easy to talk the kids into getting rid of stuffed animals.

There are all kinds of storage ideas out there for stuffed animals, from bean bags you can stuff them in to nets that hang on the wall… The problem with those is that if they are hanging in a net, the kids can’t get to them easily.  And in a bean bag my kids are likely to dump them all out, and not pick them back up, looking for just the animal they want.

My solution?

A clothes basket in the closet!

At the start of the school year, when they had super deals on brightly colored clothes baskets, the kids each got one for their larger stuffed animals.   We made a deal:  they could keep as many animals as they could stuff in the basket.

My son has another, smaller basket for his Beanie Baby-sized stuffed animals.  My daughter has a stool that opens for her to put hers inside.  We have similar deal with these small stuffed animals — they all must fit in the container we bought.

The nice part is that they can find the animal they want, and generally they are pretty good at tossing the rest back in the basket.  (I have found the easier it is for kids to put the toys away, the more likely they will use it.)

Organizing Toy Collections:

When it comes to collections of similar toys, like Hot Wheels, construction trucks, animals, and princess dolls, we use clear storage containers.

I love these clear storage drawers for containing several similar collections all in one spot!

We have a set of these drawers in the living room to hold our massive animal collection, dinosaurs, and other shared toys.  The clear drawers make it easy for the kids to see what’s in each of them, and because they don’t have lids, it is easy for the kids to toss in the toys once they are finished playing.

My son has a set in his room to hold tractors, construction trucks, and other vehicles.  What I really like is that the top is the perfect place for storing larger items, like Hot Wheels mini track sets.

My daughter also has a set of drawers in her room, perfect for containing the miniature princess collection, Polly Pockets, and more!  And all those tiny accessories that make those toys fun to play with?  We put them in zip-lock baggies, right inside the drawer, making it easy to find when she wants to play.

Storing Larger Toys:

What about those larger toys, like the endless princess castles, Littlest Pet Shop homes, etc.?

I found these great plastic shelf units that fit inside each of their closets.

I love that the castles and other larger toys no longer are sitting on the floor, waiting to be tripped on!

Barbie Doll Storage:

I have tried numerous ideas for keeping the Barbie, and similar-sized dolls, contained.  From clear storage containers, to a storage drawer under the dresser, they always seemed to be everywhere!

I have seen this idea, using an over-the-door shoe storage bag all over Pinterest.

I finally decided to give it a try, and I’m so glad we did!  Finally, she is no longer dumping every doll out to find the one she wants.  With clear pockets she can easily see all the dolls, even the smaller ones.  The dolls in the picture aren’t Pinterest-perfect in how they are all lined up, but they are off the floor, and that’s all that matters to me!

Looking for more toy storage ideas?
Follow There’s Just One Mommy’s board Organizing and Cleaning on Pinterest.

And be sure to check out my post on how to get preschoolers to clean up toys!

Have a way to organize toys that works for your house?  I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

The post Simple Toy Storage Solutions first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Toys.  If you have little ones, you know how the toys can seem to take over.  Blink, and Hot Wheels are parked all over the couch.  Turn around and doll house furniture litters the floor.

Just how can you get preschoolers to help clean up?

1. First, make sure to have kid-friendly storage.  Clear plastic bins or storage drawers make it easy for kids to see what’s in them.  Labeling them (use pictures for non-readers) allows children to know which toys go back in each container quickly and easily.
2. DON’T tell them they need to pick up ALL the toys.  (Even if they need to eventually)  That can be overwhelming to a small child.  Instead, start with one type of toy.  “Put all the dinosaurs in the dinosaur drawer.”  Once that set of toys is picked up, you can move on to the next set.
3. Turn clean up time into a game!  Grab the timer, set it for 5 minutes and race to see how many toys you can put away before it goes off.  (You can sweeten the deal with a mini reward for successfully getting the toys put away before the timer goes off.)
4. Have a princess of your own?  Tell her you are going to play Cinderella!  Jump into the role of “evil step-mother” and tell her what toys to pick up and where they need to go.  As a reward for cleaning up, play the Fairy Godmother later on and let her go to the ball, where she can dance with you as the prince!
5. Got a car-lover on your hands?  Have him race the cars to their correct location.  Ready, set, go!
6. Have some music lovers?  Turn on the music!  See how many toys you can put away before the song is over.  Or, find fun ways to dance the toys to their correct location.
7. Ignore the desire to “fix it” if something isn’t put away just right.  Think about how you would feel if you cleaned up and then someone came by and “fixed” it.

Have a tip that works for you when it comes to getting the toys cleaned up?  Leave it in the comments!

The post How to Get Preschoolers to Pick up Toys first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.