I’m not going to lie—we turned our formal dining room into a playroom because, seriously, who actually eats in a formal dining room anymore? Some nights, we do manage to clean up before the kids go to bed.
But let’s be real: most nights, I just close the door and pretend the mess isn’t there!
So what do you do if you don’t have a dedicated playroom? If your living room is overflowing with toys and you dream of sitting down at the end of a long day without a Barbie foot poking you in the back?
You’re definitely not alone! Most of my friends don’t have a special play area either. They keep toys in the living room, and keeping things tidy is a never-ending battle.
Here are my six best tips for organizing toys in the living room and bringing some sanity back into your life!
Organizing Toys in the Living Room — 6 Simple Steps
#1: Purge toys
When you’re short on space for toys, like in the corner of your living room, you really need to get good at decluttering. This just means taking the time to go through the toys regularly and letting go of the ones that your kids don’t play with much anymore.
#2: Guard your space
The other part of decluttering is being careful about what comes into your home. Only buy toys that can fit in your space, and kindly ask friends and family to do the same.
If you’re worried that your mom or mother-in-law won’t stick to this, remember that grandmas just want to spoil their grandkids with toys they love. They want to bring joy!
Most grandmas would prefer to give a toy that’s small enough to fit in your home, rather than a giant one that takes up half the living room and ends up on the curb after a week.
So, politely let her know that while your kids LOVE the toys she gives them, you have limited space to store them. Ask her to think about the size when buying toys.
If she doesn’t follow this and insists on getting big toys, set a deadline for them. You can tell your kids that this toy will only stay for a few days, weeks, or however long works for you. After that, it will find a new home!
#3: Use a simple toy storage system.
One of my friends uses a big woven basket to store her kids’ toys. That’s her whole toy storage system! When it’s time to clean up, all the toys go back in the basket, which then slides out of sight behind the recliner.
Do you have a corner or space behind a recliner where you could keep a big basket or toy box?
You might also think about getting a small area rug to create a little toy zone in the living room. It’s even better if you can train your kids to keep all (or most) of the toys on the rug! Here are some ideas for organizing toys in the living room:
- Large woven basket
- Toy box
- Ottoman with storage
- Small footstool with storage (if you’re tight on space)
- Cube storage
- Small bookshelf
- Toy storage mat with a basket
These options can help you keep things tidy while making it easy for the kids to help out!
#4: Set up some ground rules.
One of the best ways to make cleaning up toys easier is to take out fewer toys to begin with. Set some simple ground rules with your kids. Here are a few ideas:
- Kids can take out one container at a time, and they have to clean up before grabbing the next one.
- All the toys need to be picked up before dinner.
- Toys with small pieces should be played with at the kitchen table to avoid stepping on them later!
Figure out which rules work best for your family, and make sure your kids know what they are. Be consistent in enforcing the rules, and gently remind them for the first few months as they get used to it.
#5: Teach your kids how to clean up independently.
If kids always listened, cleaned up their toys, and ate all their veggies, parenting would be a breeze! But that’s not how it works. Kids need our guidance and patience as they learn.
Once you establish your rules for cleaning up toys in the living room, it’s time to model that behavior and teach your kids.
At first, clean up alongside them. Show them how it’s done! When we clean up, we start with the “collections” of toys, like DUPLOs or wooden blocks.
I give my four-year-old a bin and ask him to pick up specific toys. For example, I’ll say, “Please pick up all the trucks and put them in this bin.” He can definitely do this!
After we’ve gathered the collections, we tackle the random toys lying around and put them back where they belong.
One important thing to remember when asking your child to clean up on their own is to know their age. An eight-year-old can clean up by themselves, but a one-year-old probably can’t.
If I ask my four-year-old to clean up alone, it could take him 30 minutes—most of that time spent complaining about being bored or lonely, with only five minutes actually cleaning up!
However, if I say, “Let’s clean up the toys together,” we can finish in just five minutes without any fuss.
So, know your kids and set realistic expectations for them!
Also Read: Plastics to Avoid: Safe Alternatives for Parents
#6: Give yourself (and your kids) grace.
Let’s be real: kids make messes. That’s part of the joy and wonder of being a child. But in today’s social media-driven world, we sometimes expect kids to be perfectly polite and our homes to be spotless.
Here’s the truth: houses get messy. That’s just what happens when you live in them.
And you know what? That’s perfectly okay! We’re not aiming for perfection here. Perfection is a myth; it just doesn’t exist.
If your kids miss a few toys or complain a bit about cleaning up, give them a break. And if you plop down on the couch only to get poked by a hard plastic toy, remember that it happens!
Instead of focusing on the few toys left behind, celebrate the 90% they did pick up. Praise them for cleaning up, even if it took a little “reminding.”
The goal of organizing toys in the living room isn’t to make it look like kids never lived there. It’s about creating a peaceful spot for you to relax at the end of a long day while still honoring your kids’ need for fun things to play with.
Enjoy your fantastic living room!
Once you’ve found the best way to organize toys in your living room, take a moment to celebrate your hard work and progress!
Seriously, your living room is looking great! Can you believe how nice it feels to walk around without tripping over toys while carrying a bowl of ice cream to the couch? It feels amazing, right?
I hope this post has given you plenty of helpful ideas for organizing toys in your living room. What’s your best tip for toy storage? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
