Yesterday, I talked about my Simple Toy Room Organization Ideas brought on by an influx of toys at Christmas and the crazy mess of winter vacation. I already had a craft space upstairs for my children, but their art projects rapidly took over our dining area space. No matter how well labeled the containers, my daughter seemed to always say, “I can’t find it!” and many cool coloring books were sitting unused, hidden at the bottom of bins.
My goal with the art space was low-cost, so I searched for containers around the house and purchased a few at the store. I wanted eye-level access that wouldn’t be instantly torn apart by baby, but would still encourage the kids to pick up and put away with minimal assistance.
Art Area
Just like with my toy room organization, I prefer simple, see-through containers with clip on lids for the art space. You can easily find magazine containers to hold coloring books, notepads, and paper at any local store. I also used pencil boxes (easy to find at consignment stores) and re-purposed containers, such as those from ice cream or play doh.
To keep the costs low, I cut old labels I had to size (rather than purchasing specific ones), and used an old book case. Printing labels would look nicer, but I was in full redo mode and didn’t want to take a computer break. The labels are covered with packing tape to prevent small fingers from prying them off. I also set up a kid’s table with four chairs just for arts and crafts, plus made a rule of no more art at the kitchen table. We’ll break that rule, of course, when doing larger projects, but there’s plenty of room for coloring and creativity at the kid’s table.
Computer Area
We recently purchased a new computer and decided to use the well-loved ones for our kids. We used a children’s table with two chairs and placed the computer in the area near mom and dad’s work space. I’m a big proponent of all computers being in public places and kids only accessing the internet with adult supervision. The computer area has proved a big hit so far when visiting sites like PBS Kids, Starfall.com, and Netflix. We keep the keyboard and mouse away from the screen to prevent baby from tampering with them.
Puzzle Area
I used to keep puzzles and games in the toy area and found myself constantly frustrated by scattered and missing pieces. While researching toy room organization ideas, I came across the suggestion that puzzles be kept near a table as part of a specific, dedicated space. This made sense to me and seemed a good companion to the art/computer area.
I followed a friend’s lead and used Press N Seal wrap to cover all of the puzzles, holding them together and warding against babies who love to dump puzzles. I used a puzzle rack I purchased a few years back and weeded out less-popular puzzles. For off-sized puzzles that didn’t fit in the rack, I placed them in pencil cases purchased at the dollar store. I then placed puzzles on simple, plastic stacking cubes from my old dorm room days.
And – Tah! Dah! – The kids have a new Art/Computer/Puzzle Space upstairs near my desk.
Supplies Needed
Small bins – Clear, with clip on lids, is preferred
Long coloring book sized bin
Labels
Book Shelf
Stacking cubes
Press N Seal wrap.
Zippered Pouches
Marker or Computer and Printer
Labels
Scissors
Packing Tape
Do you have any organization ideas or tricks for kid’s spaces? I’d love to hear them!
Leave a Reply