Toddler Playroom Storage & Organization Ideas

Last year I wrote a blog post about “Toddler Playroom Must Haves”, that post was geared towards toys and activities. Today’s post is more around organization and decor- with a few more “practical” toys thrown in! I’ll link everything pictured below each section! *This post contains affiliate links

This is the only kind of basket that has been able to stand the test of time! It’s soft enough that Nathan can’t get hurt from it, but durable enough that it doesn’t bend and break over time from use.

First up, I want to talk about playroom storage and organization. I have a couple of tips I’ve learned over the last year or so. I know every child is different- some are more calm, while others more active… I think my son is somewhere in the middle, leaning more towards the active side… so I’m hoping that means these tips will be helpful to everyone!

When it comes to storage, I definitely recommend utilizing any wall space that you can… so that you free up floor space for running around, fort building, doing big puzzles, etc. I’ve always loved using picture ledges to display and organize books.. you can put some smaller toys on these as well! Peg rail and accordion hooks are great for hanging up dress up clothes or hats; and pocket organizers can be great for storing art supplies. One thing I think is important is to make sure your child can easily reach books and toys themselves. Especially in the toddler years when they’re wanting to become more independent, it can get frustrating for them if they can’t get to their books or favorite toys by themselves. I only keep things like glue, pom poms, scissors, and other craft accessories on a shelf out of reach.

*TIP: INSTEAD OF GETTING A TON OF SMALL BASKETS; TRY JUST USING 2 OR 3 BIGGER BASKETS TO KEEP TOYS IN. A LOT OF SMALLER BASKETS WILL MAKE THE SPACE LOOK CLUTTERED OVER TIME, PLUS BEING ABLE TO TOSS EVERYTHING IN A BIG BASKET MAKES CLEAN UP SO MUCH EASIER!

Next up, I want to talk about practical furniture and accessories. Our playroom really doesn’t have any real furniture in it (except for one chair + Nathan’s play table & chairs). We mostly sit on the floor or the nugget sofa. Since space is limited (especially when he seems to accumulate toys so quickly), I try to make sure the things we have in our playroom are things we actually use. One of our favorite things in the playroom is our Nugget sofa. Sadly, all colors are either sold out or back-ordered right now… but if you follow them on Instagram, they post updates of their production status. You can also choose to be notified when they’re back in stock via their website. I love it because of how versatile it is- we set it up as a little sofa to read on, create big forts and castles, build mountains to climb and then slide down, and whatever else my son can dream up!

The other piece of furniture I think is worth having is a little table and chairs. My son goes through periods where he uses his table almost every day and then the next week maybe he’ll only use it once… but it’s great to have a little table that’s just his where he can color or play with play-doh, and we don’t have to worry about it getting messy.

I wanted to mention that I included a plug in wall sconce because our playroom doesn’t have overhead lighting, and a floor lamp just seems like a recipe for disaster in a playroom lol. Having a wall sconce or swag light provides lighting, while not getting in the way of play time. And as someone who bought a regular play tent, I definitely recommend something more like the canopy below… my son was constantly knocking over the tent (both on purpose and on accident) and I got so sick of having to constantly fix it! The canopy still has that little hide away feeling, but no chance of it falling over! Just throw some pillows down inside and add some twinkly lights, and your kid will love it!

here’s the nugget set up like a mountain/slide

Lastly I want to talk about wall decor ideas - I separated some cute printable art I found on Etsy from the other wall decor ideas. You might automatically want to start putting up alllll of the bright, fun colored kids art you can find… but trust me that you’ll want to find a good balance between colors and neutrals. Sticking to a color palette and mixing in some more neutral art will help keep the room from feeling too busy. Plus- if you’re displaying books and toys, those will provide plenty of colorful accents!

Some ideas other than framed art include: tapestries (like the USA map below), pennant flags, fun garland, wall decals, and battery operated lights! I also highly recommend adding a chalkboard wall. You can do an entire wall, or just paint a small piece of a wall- I’ve even seen people paint chalkboards in the shape of a little house! But my son LOVES it. I was even able to teach him how to draw a face on it! *a little word of advice though: only buy white chalk!! I originally bought colored chalk and it would always end up on his clothes which would then end up on our sofa… not fun!

our chalkboard wall! I’m currently using it to teach him lower case letters!

Those are all of my playroom ideas for today! If you’re still unsure of how to set up your space, my best advice is to take your time. Get a couple of things and see how you actually use the room. When we first moved in, I assumed that we’d need a spot in here for adults to sit. I bought a small love seat that we never ended up using and it really just wasted a bunch of space. There’s no TV in our playroom, so when we’re in there we’re actually playing, or coloring, or doing puzzles etc… we don’t usually just sit and hangout in there. If your playroom is more of a ‘family room’, then your needs will be different. But zeroing in on how you use the room and how you can make it work best for you is definitely where you should start!