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Legos, games, school supplies, figurines, craft kits—kids come with a lot of extra things in tow, all of which inevitably have multiple parts. So how do parents keep their spaces feeling sane? We reached out to seven moms in our community—who are also organizing pros—to learn about their go-to products and strategies for saving their home from kid-stuff overflow. Whether the best toy basket, tried-and-true IKEA bin, Montessori-inspired closet upgrade, or repurposed wood wine crate (genius!), here’s their full storage-secret download.
For the Desk
We had to create additional space for our 6-year-old daughter, Milo, so she can be on her Zoom school calls. It has been such a challenge, but we made it work by using some cool storage ideas for her work area. We love Hightide’s Penco containers. They have vintage-looking caddies and bins in various sizes. Milo keeps her colored pencils, erasers, glue sticks, and scissors in them—essentially all the school supplies she uses often. —Caroline Rodrigues, Merci Milo
For the Bedroom
These DIY caddies really helped make the space underneath our kids’ bunk bed more functional. Before adding the bunks to their room, we kept toys and blocks in different baskets that were too tall to fit beneath the new bed. Wine crates are just low enough to clear the bed frame, and adding rope handles means that little kid fingers won’t get pinched when sliding the crates under and out from the bed. —Erin Boyle, Reading My Tea Leaves
For the Living Room
Expecting all the kid stuff to stay compartmentalized in one place is just setting yourself up for frustration. I keep my boys’ things in the living areas, as well as in their room. My favorite bins are these coiled rope baskets from Target. They are easy for kids to carry; soft, so when kids drag them across the floor or toss items into them, it’s quiet (play is loud enough!); and durable and inexpensive—plus they fit with most decor styles. I store ours in a built-in cabinet. The mistake I see a lot? Having one catchall box or several bins that are too large. All manner of toys get randomly thrown in there, so when kids are trying to find what they want, they dump everything out. Individual smaller baskets, a limited quantity of items (kids don’t need to have access to all their things all the time), and a specific home for each makes finding, playing with, and cleaning up the toys easy. —Lindsay Downes, A Considered Home
For the Closet
When we decided to transition to a toddler-friendly Montessori closet, I wanted to keep it simple and have a system set in place that my 1-year-old son could follow along with, too. Our amazing wood wardrobe from Sprout creates sections that are easy to organize by also adding additional woven storage baskets. We keep items at his height, and on the top shelf I have things that are intended for me to reach, like blankets and sheets. —Alexis Kristiana, Liquid Gold Vintage
For the Playroom
IKEA Kallax shelving has been a favorite toy-storage solution for us for years. In the past we hid all the toys in soft cubbies, but now we use it as a more organized system for our train gear. My three kids love to build tracks together, and it can be frustrating when you can’t find the right piece, so we store turn parts, bridge pieces, and straight pieces in different cubbies. It makes building fast and fun, and cleanup is a breeze when everything has its own place. —Jennifer Borget, Cherish 365
For the Outdoors
Our back entrance and deck were starting to look like a dumping ground for skateboards, balls, Rollerblades, scooters, and the like, so we needed an organization solution—something simple for the kids [ages 2 to 15] to use. We built this skateboard rack one afternoon and placed it on our fence for the kids to hang up their skateboards as they come in. I recommend the pegboard method for keeping unwieldy supplies easily accessible. —Courtney Adamo, Babyccino Kids and In the Loop
For All the Odds and Ends
These pom-pom baskets from Pehr are super-cute and perfect for streamlining toys, books, and blankets. Trust me, with three kids, organization is key. —Lizzy Mathis, The Cool Mom Co