Playroom Organization Ideas and Tips

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A playroom is a magical space for kids to play and learn. For parents it can be a bit of a nightmare. Toys, art supplies and dress up clothes litter the floor and nothing ever seems to be organized. It doesn’t have to be this way! Let me share some playroom organization tips and help you get that room organized and keep it that way.

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A few months ago I admitted our playroom was not working. There wasn’t space for activities my kids really enjoyed and there was too much clutter. I worked with my kids to overhaul the whole room and create a playroom that the kids can use and enjoy, and a room that stays organized!

Be sure to watch the full video tour for more details.

There was nothing really wrong with this room before, my kids had just outgrown it. We started by emptying the entire room and giving it a fresh coat of paint.

Planning a playroom

I highly recommend starting with a blank slate. Get everything out and go through it all before you put items back in the room. Even if it’s just a corner of a room, empty it out and start fresh. Then follow these steps.

1. Plan the space based on what your kids enjoy. My kids love to craft so we created a large open work space for their art supplies. Do your kids love Lego? Designate a space where they can store and build. Create spaces for each interest and keep like toys together.
2. Sort everything into piles or boxes to see what you have. Get the kids involved in this process too! You will find things that can be tossed or donated, along with toys the kids forgot they had. By sorting everything into piles you will know what kind of storage solutions you need in the playroom.
3. Functional furniture. If you need an open work space, invest in a desk or table. Kids like to play with trains or cars? Try a rug or hard floor with tracks where kids can play. Choose furniture that will accommodate the toys you have. Small bins for tiny toys, big boxes for larger items and so on. You can see a list of our furniture below.

Playroom Furniture

I chose white Ikea furniture for this playroom. It’s functional, relatively inexpensive and I can customize it to fit the space. I also used shelving from Home Depot and cube storage from Target. More details on these products in the photos below.

One wall of the playroom is a large desk for art and craft projects. Above the desks are open shelving and cabinets from Ikea.

Behind the cabinets are more labeled bins, notebooks, craft kits and smaller items.

Playroom Labels

An easy way keep everything organized is by having a space for everything. Seems pretty straighforward but it’s key to an organized room.

A place for everything, everything in it’s place.

Benjamin Franklin

When you are finished with a project or a long afternoon of imaginative play, it’s easy to clean up when you know where everything goes. If something doesn’t have a designated bin it may just sit out until you can find a home for it.

Using this awesome label maker you can create labels for every bin box and container in the playroom. I wrote a post on this a while back and still use this same label maker for business and personal use.

Clear and open bins are ideal for little kids who aren’t reading yet. They make cleaning up and putting away a breeze.

Browse Dollar Tree, or shop online and buy in bulk, for stackable bins in bright and fun colors.

Playroom Zones

Having a space for different kinds of play is important. It helps direct kids and keeps like toys together. A Lego zone, a dress up area, craft station and so on.

Using labeled bins of all sizes stored at a height kids can reach is ideal. When toys are accessible kids can get them down, and put them away, all on their own.

Canvas bins fit nicely in these cube organizers. I also found you can fit 2 of these square clear bins per cube.

Sorting Toys

Before taking on a big organizing project like this, it is so helpful to clean out and sort through everything. And I mean everything. Knowing what you have before buying bins will help you organize everything and have the right containers for toys.

Some items, like play food and dishes, can be stored in 3 drawer carts shown above. No need to break it down by set or specific type of food. Lump it all together and make it easy for kids to access and put away.

Smaller items like embroidery sets and loom bracelet supplies need smaller bins. Older kids can reach higher so open shelving and photo boxes work for these items.

When sorting through these items you may find you have a lot that can be donated. You may also find you need separate bins for all the balls or Mr. Potato head pieces you have.

Be sure to watch this video tour of this room for more playroom organization tips and ideas.

If you like this post, and found it helpful, be sure to pin it!

In the mood for more organizing ideas? Check out these posts.

Tell me about your playroom or kids area? What is your biggest organizing challenge?

Thanks for visiting!

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