11 Awesome Toy Storage Ideas for Small Spaces

Toy storage can be a challenge in small spaces. With limited space, it’s important to be creative when it comes to finding storage solutions for your toys. Here we’ll explore some of the best Toy Storage Ideas for Small Spaces, so you can keep your home organized and tidy. From woven baskets to over-the-door organizers, you’ll find a variety of ideas to help you find a storage solution that works for you and your family.

Small living spaces are great for encouraging family togetherness and keeping cleaning and maintenance tasks to a minimum. What they’re not so great for is storage.

I enjoy having my kid’s toys in family living spaces so they’re interacting with others and playing where I can keep an eye on them. But without an extra family room or playroom, it can feel like my kid’s toys are taking over the house.

11 Best Toy Storage Ideas

As a mom of two and a home daycare provider in an 1100 square foot house, here are the 11 best ways I’ve found to store toys in a small living space without sacrificing having a put together home.  We’re going to use a combination of things like bins of different types to organize your child’s space once and for all!

This mama needs some floor space and some easy ways to quickly put away the toy clutter when needed. Here are some of the super simple ways we used some storage things to make the most of our small area. 

1. Furniture that Doubles as Storage

There are many options for attractive furniture that doubles as storage space. Ottomans or benches that open up are a great place to hide your children’s books or bins of toys when you need them put away.

Coffee tables or end tables with drawers or cupboards underneath are great places to stash puzzles or other games. Most of us can’t afford to go out and buy a brand new coffee table or all new furniture but many discount shops carry affordable storage ottomans and tables. A few additional storage spaces can make a big difference in your home’s appearance.

Because you need furniture anyway, being sure you have furniture with built in storage is probably one of the best toy storage solutions out there.  Plus, it is great excuse to re-decorate!

Make sure you check the local Goodwill, thrift shops, and consignment stores. You’ll be surprised what nice pieces you can find at affordable prices to help make the play area more functional for the entire family. 

Grab that cute storage bench or storage ottoman the next time you see it at a yard sale or a discounts store. It’s an easy way to store so much stuff, while providing another place for your family to sit. 

2. Woven Baskets for Toys

When you don’t have room to tuck things away, purchasing some wicker baskets or woven baskets for storage to toss loose toys in can be a great option. Small baskets can be tucked into corners or behind furniture without looking too childish for an adult space.

Woven baskets can be a ton of fun, and you can store all types of things in there.  Your child can also get involved in picking cute woven baskets they like for their toy storage.  Large storage baskets are a great choice to put stuffed animals in too!

Plus, they’re much more aesthetically pleasing than many other storage options and they’re cute enough to leave sitting out on your storage furniture if you need to!

3. Plastic Tubs with Lids for Stacking

Purchasing multiple small plastic tubs for toys is a must for most families. You can label each bin with a word or picture to help your children know what each is for. Bins with lids in a uniform size can be stacked on shelves or closets out of sight. These can typically be purchased at discount or dollar stores for around a dollar. (check this one out from Pigskins and PigTails)

You can stack your plastic tubs right on the ground or get one of those organizers that have spaces for the smaller bins. 

Some parents find that it is easiest to organize the kids’ toys by using clear bins so they can see what exactly is in each bin. While some parents think that using colored bins works better for them so they can use a color coded system to help sort what toys go in each colored bin. Use whatever approach you think will work best for your family.

4. Create Space Behind Your Couch

If your couch is pushed flush against a wall, consider pulling it out a bit and stashing toys behind it. If you have an open floor plan like I do, you can still put larger toys behind the couch.

They won’t be out of sight, but it keeps them from being underfoot in high traffic areas.  Consider putting the toys under a table, like this one!

They make all sorts of simple storage solutions that you can utilize to store the toys in and then hide them behind the couch. Using this method helps get stuff, out of site, out of mind, even if it’s still right behind you adn the kids still have easy access to their toys.

But, most of the time, out of site is all you need to keep your sanity. 

While behind the couch isn’t technically a toy organizer, it is a great way to tidy things up, and store your toys.

5. Shoe Racks for Toys

Shoe racks make great toy storage. hanging shoe rack on the back of a closet or bedroom door can be used for small stuffed animals or Barbies and action figures. A sliding shoe rack on a closet floor also holds Barbies or action figures and their various houses and cars.

It’s funny, I think I’ve seen shoe racks used as storage for things other than shoes, more than I’ve seen people store shoes in them. In addition to storing toys in the hanging shoe racks, I have seen people use them as extra storage for cleaning supplies.

You can even hang them on the back of car seats and kids can store their road trip activities, snacks, and other things in each pocket. Using these shoe racks is a great idea to store so many different things. 

6. Stick it to Wall or Fridge

Small boxes or bins stuck on the side of your refrigerator with a magnet or suction cup can be filled with tiny toys or craft supplies. You can actually make these storage containers with your kids as a craft project. Collect empty pasta boxes or other small containers. Add a little paint and a magnet glued on the back to create a cute a useful storage container.

Or, make the container, the toy itself! Have you seen this adorable fridge fairy garden?

7. Rolling Toys In and Out

Carts or shelves with wheels are handy for storing toys and wheeling them out of sight when you’re done with them. An inexpensive cart with shelves can be filled with the stackable toy bins or baskets and put away in a closet or laundry room area.

These lightweight rolling carts are the perfect thing for young children to learn how to pick up with and then they can easily move it to the appropriate storage area. 

Using some of the plastic containers with lids to fill your rolling cart is also a great toy storage idea. I like to use these for storing lego bricks in and art supplies. This way the kids can get what they want to when they want and it can picked up and be out of plain sight when they’re done with it.

I can also keep an eye on the lego situation easily and know when things are too unorganized or need to be purged. Same with the art supplies- I can easily see when it’s time to purge the old or broken crayons and stock up on new supplies when we are running low.

8. Portable Toy Caddies

A few portable toy caddies can make a big difference when trying to keep living space free of toys. A caddy can be filled up with small toys or craft supplies and then easily packed up and stored at the end of the day.

9. A Pegboard or Wall Hooks

A Pegboard or wall hooks can be placed inside a closet and used for hanging sports rackets, small baskets of toys or doll clothes. This can also be done on a wall if you keep it neat without detracting from your home’s decor.

Pegboards are huge in organization right now!  Don’t miss our complete guide to Pegboard Organization for Every Room!

10. Maximize Space Outside of the Living Room

Make sure you’re making the most of any storage space you have outside of the main living areas. A bed skirt or crib skirt in each bedroom creates a lot of space for toys and games not currently in use.

Sort toys by size so you can stack them and maximize shelves and closet space. Hang mesh bags inside a closet for stuffed animals or balls. In bedrooms, stuffed animals can be in hammocks or wall shelves to keep them off of the floor.

11. Toy Hammocks

For kids with an awful lot of stuffed animals like mine, toy hammocks are a great place to store all of those furry friends. We put them directly over the kids’ bed so the toys are easily accessible, and they are SUPER easy to put away.

Bonus storage hack

If you have some open wall space, you can make use of that for some of your kid’s toys. You can find some open shelving and put it at your kid’s level so they can easily place toys on the shelf and get them down when they want them. This is a great way to utilize some of the vertical space on the wall in the kid’s bedrooms that may be wasted. 

​I have also seen some people add basic shelving to the walls that kids can use to store books and small board games.

Where can I find affordable toy storage ideas?  

Make sure you keep an eye on Facebook Marketplace for great toy storage ideas that people may be looking to get rid of. Check to see if your local area has a Buy/Sell for Free Facebook group- you’d be surprised what people will give away for free just because they don’t want it anymore. 

Keep an eye on upcoming yard sales or garage sales that may have these things too. Look at your local Salvation Army, Goodwill, and don’t hesitate to check out the thrift stores and consignment stores. You don’t always NEED brand new things and containers when used ones will still work just fine. 

What types of toy storage solutions work best for small spaces? 

When it comes to small spaces, there are several storage solutions that can work well. Opting for stackable bins is a great way to store your toys while saving space. You can also hang shelves on the wall or use hanging baskets to store items off the floor.

There are also containers that fit under beds or benches that can be used to store larger items. For smaller items, you can use mason jars, square or rectangular bins, or even clear plastic bags work well to hold things like small toy cars, crayons, doll accessories, etc.

Are there any DIY toy storage solutions that I can make? 

Yes, there are several DIY toy storage solutions that you can make. You can create shelves or cubbies to hang on the wall by using any scrap materials you have. You can also repurpose old furniture items, such as dressers, bookcases, and benches, for toy storage.

You can also make your own toy boxes or create storage cubes from fabric or cardboard that you are no longer using.

Organized toy storage makes toys more easily accessible while keeping cleanup quick and easy. If you frequently find your living space being taken over by toys, I hope these toy storage ideas can help you reclaim your living space.

Amazing Toy Storage Ideas for Small Spaces

These toy storage ideas for small spaces can’t be beat, and you’re guaranteed to find one to suit your needs.

Whether you choose baskets, shoe organizers, storage bins, or any combination of these items, you are well on your way to more organized toys!

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