Toys in Your Living Room?

Our house is small. Less than 1,000 square feet. I would LOVE to NOT have the toys out but that's not possible. Having a small house MAKES you VERY creative and forces to to pick-up daily if not HOURLY.

We have ten foot high ceilings--THANK GOD and I stack stuff. NOT to the top but that extra height makes the house feel less closed in. The couch also hide lots of stuff that doesn't get used daily.

My husband and I aren't really into formal living so we just go with it and know it's temporary. They grow up so fast.

6 moms found this helpful

We are the opposite--toys in the common areas, no toys in the bedrooms. My 4 yr old would never sleep if I allowed his toys to enter his room.

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My kids do not have any toys in their bedrooms. Bedrooms for us are for sleeping and storage (of clothes mostly). We don't want the kids to associate playtime with sleeping and when they are out of the crib, we don't have to worry about them playing instead of getting right to sleep.
We have brown canvas boxes (target, organizers area) with toys in them in the living room. I am a SAHM and the kids are playing all day around the house. As long as everything has a place, I don't see the big deal with toys in the living room. Yes, it is messy when they play, but it can be just put into bins for "Adult time" later. Why try to hide the fact that you have little ones? And it is temporary anyways. How long will they even need a bigger toy area?

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We have a smallish house and in our living room is a sort of a bookshelf divided into six equal "boxes." In the bottom 3 boxes we have found rectangular hard woven bins (that actually match the dark book case) from Target and we do have toys and games in those. The top 3 bookshelf boxes are filled w/ adult books. It works for us.

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You have kids and a house.
You have limited space in your home.
You have 2 kids.
Toys, are in any room. That is how it is with children.

My Husband is like yours. Only wants toys, in a certain room. Not the living room. Ugh.
It is not, practical.

Does your Husband keep all his things in only 1 room? "His" room?
Where are all his things?

Once a person has kids, it will not be like a museum.

Get storage things to put the toys in, so it looks neater.
Things with cupboards with doors you can close. Thus, all that stuff in it is not visible. But hidden.

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This solution worked for a friend of mine: She bought an organizing unit from Ikea. It looks like a tick-tack-toe frame. In each cubicle is a bin. She uses the bins to organize the toys. If the kids want to play in the "living room" they may bring ONE bin in. If they get tired of playing with that item, they can exchange it. But her rule is that the previously played with stuff has to be put away first.

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Yes, we kept toys in the family room when our kids were younger. They are older now. We cut down as the years went on, but we had some sort of toy shelf in there until the youngest was about 9. We were fortunate to have a living room and a family room so the toys were in the family room, but not the living room. I liked them being able to play while I made dinner, did dishes, etc. How about some sort of storage unit with doors or a cover or something that could be closed after the toys are put away? They could have toys in the living room, but you could put them out of sight after they are put away. Personally, I can't imagine not having some sort of toys or toy storage in the living area to keep them occupied. Even now, years after all of the toys have been out of the living and family room, my 12 year old still likes to bring his Legos down to build and play so he can be near us. We also keep some books, puzzles and art supplies in closed cabinets. Good luck.

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I have never allowed toys in the bedrooms. Bedrooms are for sleepnig not for playing in.
With my first child we were in a small 2 bedroom, 2 story townhome. The 2 bedrooms and 1 bath was upstairs and the downstairs was a long open area. It was very small. My son's room was also my sewing room and the computer room until we moved the computer into the dining room and stopped using it as a dining room. I didn't want him upstairs unless I was up there and there was no room in his room for his toys with all the other stuff in there.
When we moved someone tried to convince me to put his toys in his bedroom, that lasted a few days before I could not take it. The bedrooms were upstairs and I didn't like him where I wasn't. It also really urked me because it went against my feeling that the bedroom should be for sleeping. And his room was super small.
We have toys in the living room for the youngest and the older kids have their playroom in what used to be the dining room and have no toys in their bedrooms. We've always kept them in nice storage boxes/drawers/shelves. When we were in the tiny townhome we just made sure they got picked up all the time and it was fine.

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I draw the line at toys in the kitchen. how about a trunk that doubles as a toy box. I have a wicker one I got at Target.

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I also live in a small apt. And I had an argument with my partner because he wanted my kid to keep his toys in his bedroom. I think limiting the play area is like limiting their imagination and does not allow for a nice family life. Instead, I make my son pick up his toys every evening and put them in a basket in the living room.

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We have a book case in the living room JUST for their movies, books, coloring books and puzzles. All of the toys go into a long storage ottomon. They can get in and out of it anytime they want. Everything just gets thrown in there so clean up is easy. I got it at Target; it's black "leather" so it goes with the decor. When they're not playing, it's another piece of functional furniture.

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We have a living room, and upstairs loft area, and my daughter has a smallish bedroom (made even smaller by the full-sized bed) - all those areas contain toys and there's no way they would all fit in her room with her furniture (and she has a play kitchen in the kitchen and an art easel near the kitchen table). We would have to turn the spare bedroom into her own personal playroom and that's not happening! If we get our basement finished, we could consider having a room down there as her play room - but that's not happening anytime soon either. Even if we had a separate play room from the living room, she probably wouldn't play that well by herself because she wants to be around us all the time. We do have a den that is a toy-free zone. To me it seems a little harsh to expect them to just play with toys in their room all the time and a shelf or trunk to keep a small number of toys contained (as well as expecting them to pick up after themselves) could help in reducing clutter. Baskets can look really nice too, especially if they can be fitted under a table or on shelves. Living rooms are meant to be lived in - that's why they are called living rooms. I figure eventually she'll be grown and then gone and that's when we'll get all of our adult space back. For now it's a sign that a happy child lives here and for us that is a great thing!

IKEA is awesome for storage options while dealing with tight spaces and wanting to look cool too!

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Its hard, because when you live in an apartment there isnt much room for things. My hubby and I live in a 2 bed apartment too. Hopefully for now lol. But, organization is the key. In the childrens room get shelves and a big toy box to put as many toys as you can organize in their room, and then make a small part of the living room for their toys or where they can play.

I have two big shelves on either side of the tv, and the lowest two shelves are for my son. We put the toys that are usually in the living room there to keep it neat.

Your husband cant expect the kids to not play in the living room, its only natural.

Just keep it organized and then everyone wins.

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we have a small wood chest that matches the living room decor perfectly. (we got it at the chrismas tree shops but they also have them at oldtime pottery) my son keeps some of his toys in there.

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I have had a really nice rectangular basket that matches my furnishings in my family room with small toys in it since my daughter (now 8) was 1. I could see having a couple like that, but personally I wouldn't want whole toy shelves in my family space. The rest of her toys are in tubs under her bed and elsewhere in her room. The basket is great for when my little nieces & nephews come over...they have something to play with while we are visiting, but they are still "in view" so we can keep an eye on them.

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I dont mind toys in my living room, my husband can't stand it. I like for them toplay in the room where I am and can keep an eye on them. Dad was always grumpy about tripping over toys in the living room. We compromised. 1 toy at a time. It works for us.

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Hello, When my kids were small, I ran a licensed daycare in my home. We allowed toys in the "playroom" which was actually a dining room. We also allowed them in our family room. If we had not had these areas, we would have allowed them in our living room. It is just a phase. I also had a rule that they couldn't have more than two toys per child out. When they were done with those, they had to put them back before getting something else out. Of course, that didn't always work and sometimes they were actually play sets. People understand. My little granddaughter has toys all over our family room when she is here. Sometimes they filter into my living room. It's okay, though.
Good luck with your precious family.
K. K.

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85% of my two children's toys are in our living room. The other 15% is in their bedroom, or the small things like puzzles, blocks, and trains are in the hall closet.

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We use an ottoman that has storage. We got it at Ashley Furniture! We love it!

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I grew up in a two bedroom apartment with a kitchen, livingroom and 1 bath. My sister and I both had toys. Our toys were mostly in our room because that is where we did most of our play. He bed was on one side of the room. My bed was infront of the window and the dresser got the other wall. That left us will one small corner and the middle of the floor for play.

At one point I was raising 6 kids. Yes toys ended up in the livingroom but there I decided to keep decorative boxes for them, shelves, ottomans, and baskets. These things held their toys but most of their toys were actually in their bedrooms (1 bedroom for the 3 boys and 1 bedroom for the 3 girls).

Key is making certain they clean up their toys every day after they play. They must be taught to put things up where things belong.

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We have toys in our living room, but they are super organized and hidden. We don't "live" in our bedrooms, so it wouldn't make sense to store toys there for us. We have some toys in his bedroom, but the bulk are in the living space.

Use "closed" storage and start using the "put it away before you take something else out" rule. It helps alot!

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We keep a small basket of toys in the living room for my 9 month old. I would think that children a little bigger than him would require a little extra space. You can have a rule that they have to be picked up either when they leave the room or at specific times of the day. I try to clean my son's toys up before he goes to sleep . . . naps and at night. That way there is not chaos at all times, just a little bit :)

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I would get a decorative coffee table or other container with a lid that can look adult when it needs to and hide toys when it needs to.

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we have our girls share a room and we have a toy room. But before that we got an expedite book shelf at Ikea. they are aprox. 1 foot square cubbies. there are many options. We did originally buy the ikea wicker baskets to put the toys in. THen it looks super nice where ever you are storing. can;t tell its toys. but the basket did not hold up to wear and tear. and I have girls. So we opted for clear "rubbermaid" type containers that fit in the shelves we got from target. Some of them are 2 on a shelf. THis keeps the toys organized. The problem would be that they are see through. In that case you could use a plastic spray paint to make them opaque. And you can custom match your home. OR a nice option would be to use (or make) chalkboard paint. I think it only comes in black but you can make it yourself in other colors. And you can write what is what on them.

1 mom found this helpful

My daughter is allowed to take her toys out of the playroom and play with them in our living room. At the end of the day, they go back into her playroom. You would think having an entire room full of toys she would stay there, but she likes to be with us, so she's allowed to play with them in the living room. And since she has to carry them herself, it's all small toys that fit on the table.

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We also live in a 2 bedroom house, and have two children. Although there is space to play in their bedroom, that's not enough. Some toys are bedroom toys, and some toys are living room toys.

I've accepted it as a fact of life that my living room has toys in it, and I'd be sad if it didn't. I have two corners of the room reserved for their toys, and they're organized very neatly...as a matter of fact, in a way that it's not so obvious there are toys there. I use those cloth bins under a coffee table that's up against a wall and used for a "play table" and that hides some of it. There's a big plastic bucket in the other corner, and while you can see that it's full of toys, it's not really an eyesore. Yes, there's a Little People Barn sitting on one side of the entertainment center, and a Little People parking ramp on the other side. There's a ride on train parked next to the arm chair. :) When we have visitors, it's just obvious that we "use" are space.

And much to my mother's chagrin, my idea of "decorating" my living room is to have a poster of horses because my 16 month old loves it, paintings my six year old has done, a few portraits, and some NatGeo maps on the walls. I think it's good stimulation, really...what do you get from looking at someone's "decor" on the wall? (Here's where I'm imagining the little wooden shelf stacked with dusty fake flowers...)

A good suggestion would be to get one of those "nine box" wooden shelf things from Target, that you can slide the "canvas boxes" into the slots. We have one in their room, and it's really nice, and it works SO well...they want the knights? This box. They want the dolls? This box. The wood is really nice looking, and you could get the canvas boxes to match your decor...two alternating colors, maybe...they have them in all sorts of neutral colors, not just fun child colors. We love ours.

1 mom found this helpful

I have two wicker chests ( with lids) in my family room. The toys have to fit in it at the end of the night. The one chest is angled in the corner so I can hide bulkier toys behind it. I then rotate toys from the family room to the basement as requested. I also have four containers that I keep out in the garage and pull them out as needed (playdoe and accessories, Legos, Lincoln Logs and Kinex). I like my kids to play in the family room near me but I also like an peaceful environment without total clutter. I think it is difficult to relax in the mist of clutter and toys.

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When we lived in a small house we had no option but to have toys literally everywhere. I didn't think there really was another option - and a small living space is more for the kids than not, you know? Now that we have a much larger house I have two ottomans they they are allowed to fill with toys (got them on sale at Kohl's for $9 each!!). That is it though. Those are not allowed to overflor and no toys are allowed on top. My first floor would look like no kids live there if their faces and artwork weren't on every wall :). Maybe you can look into those? Or even a chest? Something that doesn't scream toys and can look adult and peaceful when you need/want it to?

1 mom found this helpful

I used to allow a lot!, now i have 1 box they can fill up and leave out there, they also have a play table out there . In my room same thing, 1 box. In the pool table room, kitchen, dining room, nothing.

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When I was a kid, we had a "toy corner" in the living room. We weren't allowed a lot of playtime in our bedrooms until we were 7-8 or older, and even then, my mom preferred that we play in the living room or outside. I have the same rule with my daughter. Her bedroom is for sleeping. She has stuffed animals and books in her bedroom that she plays with in her bed if she wakes up too early. But other than that, she plays downstairs where I am. Is it messy? Sure, but at least she is with me, and I can keep an eye on here, or play with her. When you have kids, your house will look like people live in it. ;) I think that's okay! We have two of the cubicle shelves from IKEA, and they help a lot. I still need to go thru and "clear" some things out...we're starting to overflow! ;) At night, everything goes away, and my hubby and I can feel like grown-ups again. It's a phase, but I'm sure when it's over I'll miss it!!

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I just found the espresso cubby shelf at target. I bought the light brown and dark brown fabric bins to go in each cubby. Easy for your kids to clean up they can open them all by themselves. I allow my daughter to play in living room everyday, but each night she has to pick up and put toys in the bins. Everything can be easily disguised :) I have a small condo also and i just need the rest of my home to be as toy free as possible to keep my sanity :)

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Ha. Allow? I tried to fight it. Finally, after making myself crazy for months we bought 3 baskets that can stack or sit separately. I put two in the baby's room and one on the bottom shelf of our entertainment center, where she could access it. During naps, and after bedtime, I pick up the toys in the living room and put them in the basket. She drags so many toys out that one basket in her room, at least, is always emptied by the end of the day. So I rotate out the full basket in the living room with the empty one in her bedroom.

It's actually working really well. We've been doing this about a year and it keeps our toys manageable.

We bought these (http://www.containerstore.com/shop/storage/stackingBinsBa...) when they were on sale for $4 or $5 a piece.

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We have a 6 bedroom house... one of those is a toy room with toys.. and toys in thier bedroom. But for some reason they prefer to play in the living room. When they venture into other rooms we remind them to come and clean the toys in the living room up first. In the begining of the day there are no toys... by bedtime they usually have a basket full of toys to take back to thier rooms.

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When my girls were younger the majority of their toys were in the living room. As they got older less and less was in the living room.

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There is a great shelving system with 6 wire pull out baskets in my son's closet and that's where the toys live. (It came with the house, so unfortunately I don't know where it came from.)
He is allowed to have not more than 3 toys out of his room during the day and all toys are put away at bedtime.
I pair down his toys twice a year, right before his birthday and right before christmas. Honestly, he does not play with a lot of them and does not even notice they are gone!
Also, we are now making extensive use of the library instead of hitting the all the book fairs. I do keep library books in my living room because I don't want to have to hunt for them when they come due.

We live in a small craftsman house and our son's room is very small. We keep a toy box out of sight behind a chair in our living room. Our son can play on the floor in the living room with all of his toys, but is required to pick them up each night. We have bins in a bookshelf for other toys in his room. If ever the twain shall meet, we bring the bins out to the living room and start the "race" to see who can get the most toys into the right bins/box the fastest.

It's not always perfect, but any best laid plan with children never is;)

Our living room and front room have been overrun by toys and kid furniture. Don't really love it, but we do have the space, and I'd rather keep their rooms for sleeping.

A lot of my daughter's toys are in our living area. We pick them up throughout the day and before she goes to bed. It would be impossible to keep them all in her room. Also, when she misbehaves she gets sent to her room until she can come out and be nice. There would be no motivation for her to come out and be nice if all of her toys were in her room.

I may be a little late, but we did not allow toys inn our living room. Our kids by age 2 had their owh table and chairs in the living room with some books and their art supplies, but toys stayed and we played with in their rooms. Your children may have to many toys, for their space, so you can always modify that. Our children we allowed to have a doll or stuffed animal in the living room when watching a movie or something, but having that rule worked really well with us, we were in a two bedroom apt for the first 5 years, but mu husband and I sacraficed the big bedroom and took the smaller one, it was more practicle cause the only time we really spent in our room was in bed, did not need a lot of space, by the time our first born was 5 we also had a 3 year old and then a new born and moved into nany housing them, but switching bedrooms was the perfect plan. J.