Toys and Games



Accessible storage for toys allows your children to be more independent, getting and putting away their toys without your help. OK, they will probably need a few reminders to put their toys away.

Open shelf systems in the play area give them a place to put their toys and games away and get them out from underfoot. Small cabinets or drawers get the toys out of sight as well, so that your house doesn't always have to look like a play area.

Shelves and drawers provide more organized and safer storage than toy chests. However if you use a toy chest, make sure the lid is light so it can be opened when your child inevitably crawls inside. Look out for sharp corners and pinching hinges, particularly on older, heirloom toy chests.

Books and Magazines

Encourage future literacy by having lots of children's magazines and books. Rather than stacking them on tables, display them in magazine racks so your child can see them. Put the most interesting books in front and soon your child will be exploring all of this reading matter independently. The earlier children become interested in reading, the better they do in school.

Mount the magazine low enough on the wall for your child to reach. Mounting it too high puts it out of the child's line of sight so doesn't generate as much interest, plus it encourages climbing on furniture to get at the books which is probably not the best idea.

Media Storage

What child today doesn't have a collection of CDs and DVDs of kid-friendly entertainment? Organizing all of these disks in a media storage unit makes it easier to find the title you need. Although some disks may be played the car or in another room, returning them to the media storage center when finished makes it less likely they will get lost.

Put your children's DVDs and CDs in a separate media storage unit than the rest of the family. Again it makes organizing easier plus it allows your children to paw through their own media without messing up the grown-ups' library.

Unlike books that should be displayed openly, consider a media storage unit with a door that keeps this media out of sight. This is especially true of DVDs. Although a little screen time isn't bad for children over a certain age, they shouldn't constantly be tempted by the mesmerizing effect of the television. Hiding their collection gives them the chance to be drawn to other activities like reading and independent play.