It’s day two of our organizing week, and today I’m sharing the system that finally helped us tame the mountain of Clara-stuff. This isn’t a play-by-play with before-and-after photos (that’s coming this afternoon); it’s a clear, practical approach we use to control the chaos of toys, books, art supplies, and everything else that accumulates when you have an active toddler. We get asked often how we organize Clara’s things, so here’s what’s worked for us.
When Clara was a baby, organization was simple: a small ottoman and a basket for rattles and a few toys, a swing, and blankets for tummy time. As she became a toddler, everything changed. Toys multiplied—books, crayons, stuffed animals, pretend food, blocks, cars, dolls, musical toys—and our simple system was quickly overwhelmed. For nearly ten months I let toys pile into multiple baskets and ottomans without grouping them properly. It was messy, inefficient, and stressful.
The breakthrough came when I decided to treat one large ottoman as a kind of “toy store.” Instead of having every toy available all the time, I picked out only Clara’s current favorites and put those in a single, manageable basket. The rest went into a storage ottoman or a bin tucked out of sight. That small change made a big difference: Clara began playing independently for longer periods, focusing on individual toys rather than being overwhelmed by too many options.
It doesn’t take long to pare down toys—just remove anything your child doesn’t regularly play with and store it away. No maybes: keep only favorites. For us it took about half an hour to sort everything. The result is one basket we can clear out in two minutes at bedtime and rotate with other toys whenever we want to refresh her play options. Limiting toys to a single basket maintains novelty and engagement, and it’s far easier to keep the house tidy.
Inside that basket right now are a few stuffed animals, a wooden pull toy, balls, a small purse from Grammy, baby dolls, a dress-up skirt, and a pot she uses to move small items. Her absolute favorites live in a small fabric pouch that she loves to unzip and explore—inside are toy cars, a pretend phone and an old disconnected real one, a wooden train, a small ball, plastic animals, a toy plane from a trip, a shaker, two rhythm sticks, and a scarf from music class. That pouch is often in use several times a day and is easy to toss into the main basket at night.
We also keep two dedicated book baskets—one in the office and one in the living room. Having designated places for books prevents them from floating between ottomans and baskets. Toy baskets are for toys; book baskets are for books. Baskets are more toddler-proof than a bookshelf at this stage and make clean-up simple.
Recognizing Clara’s play zones helped a lot. She has a coloring desk where we supervise markers and play dough; crayons live in a small zippered pouch and stickers in another pouch. In the hallway she has a rocker she uses to take a break from other activities. Her Christmas play kitchen stores kitchen toys neatly in the cabinet below and in a small thrifted metal basket. When we find stray items around the house, we return them to these specific spots instead of tossing them into a random pile.
Under her dresser we keep two shallow baskets—one for blocks and one for puzzles. Shallow baskets work well for puzzles because boards and pieces stay together, rather than clattering to the bottom of a deep basket. Giving puzzles their own container solved the recurring problem of missing pieces scattered across the house. Each evening we make a quick sweep down the hall, returning any stray pieces, kitchen toys, or books to Clara’s room. Knowing where things belong makes this nightly tidy a one-trip task instead of a scavenger hunt.
We also reserve a drawer in the kitchen for “supervised” activities—special craft supplies or toys we only bring out when we want to change things up. Because these items aren’t always accessible, they feel special and hold Clara’s interest when introduced. For outdoor play, the rock box has been a hit; it provides another zone for exploration and keeps buckets and trucks mostly outside. We’re planning to add an outdoor storage bin for larger items that don’t fit under the cover.
Most importantly, the system keeps evolving. As Clara grows, the types of toys and the way we store them will change too. We’re already starting to involve her in clean-up—she loves the clean-up song and will sometimes bring items back to their homes herself. Teaching that things have a place makes daily maintenance easier and helps her learn responsibility.
This approach—one primary toy basket of current favorites, a few designated book baskets, shallow baskets for puzzles and blocks, clearly defined play zones, and out-of-sight storage for rotation—has made our home calmer and playtime more focused. If you’re drowning in toy clutter, try trimming down to favorites and rotating the rest. What organizing tricks do you rely on for kid stuff? There are many ways to organize, and we’d love to hear what works for you.