If your household is anything like mine, you probably have dozens of stuffed animals all over the place. I honestly do not know how we have so many. A select few have been carted around the house and are really threadbare. The rest however have been through different fads and levels of use.
The issue that I personally face is storage. I mean it doesn’t really matter (or maybe it does) how big your house is. You will eventually find stuffed animals in every corner. At first, my kids kept them at the side of the bed. Pretty soon, more place on the bed was occupied by stuffed animals than by the kids! Definitely not conducive to a good night’s sleep!
That was when I actively began looking for a storage solution. Mind you, I was not looking for an artistic display of toys. I just wanted a spot where I could keep them neat(ish) and kids can pull them out whenever. Luckily there are options that actually do make the room look rather cute. I’m going to take you through them.
What To Do With Too Many Stuffed Animals?
The thing about too many stuffed animals is that they can get rather hard to organize tactfully. I usually advise checking out the space where you would like them displayed. Would you rather use the wall to store them so that you have more floor space? Or maybe you want them out of view?
Do you want something creative or something multifunctional? Or are you looking at something more traditional to match the theme of the room? The main idea is to find what works for you and your child.
Over the Door
Over-the-door stuffed animal storage is a total genius hack. It’s absolutely brilliant for people who live in small apartments and have very little space. Not only does it take up space that you would ordinarily not use when the door is open the toys are completely obscured from view. It leaves the room looking neat.
Or, they can be facing forward and kids can pull them out.
The downside to this type of organizer is that it’s mounted at the top of the door which means that the child can’t reach the top without your help. Though in a way, it also means that the child does not empty out all the stuffed animals at once.
It’s durable and pretty cheap as far as organizers go. It fits small to medium size stuffies.
Bin
The Bin stuffed animal storage is a remarkably popular choice as far as stuffed animal storage ideas go, as it’s highly effective. Easy to use, doesn’t take up too much floor space, and doesn’t require parental guidance.
I love that it encourages a child to pick up their toys and put them by as well as select a toy they want to play with.
On that note, I have noticed that despite the ease of use, children do not always interact well with the bin. This is because the toys are not always visible. They require visual cues to remind them of the existence of particular toys. If you choose this option, remember to empty the box out once in a while and reshuffle the toys such that the bottom ones are arranged on the top for a change.
There are numerous different options in the market when it comes to the bin version for storage. My favorite is the Mindspace toy chest. With two compartments and soft material, this product is built with children in mind.
Hammock
If you haven’t seen the hammock stuffed animal storage idea then you have really been missing out. My kids love this stuffed animal storage idea because they find the hammock multifunctional. They think it’s cool that their stuffed toys have a hammock and of course, the pups from Paw Patrol use it as some kind of a trampoline while they play.
Me? I like the way all the toys fit on it at the end of the day. It is easy to install and you can set the height you want. It does depend on the make and model that you choose though. I love this one as it even comes with anchor hooks so you don’t need to go to the hardware store.
Basket
I have to be honest. The stuffed animal storage basket follows a similar principle to the bin. The big difference is that the basket is much more portable and doesn’t have a lid. Personally, I believe that if you want the storage to be just in one room then go with the box. Should you want something that moves from room to room go with the basket.
I carry the basket around picking up the stuffed animals as I go. It also lets me just cart everything to a different room when the kids play in an area that is not their playroom.
Bean Bag
One of the coolest stuffed animal storage ideas is the bag. I know what you are thinking. How could a bag be cool? This bag is designed to double up as a bean bag for your child. The beans are the stuffed animals if you get my drift.
It’s a really good idea if you have space constraints. Plus I find that the stuffed animals remain much cleaner as they are not exposed to dust! I have two of these. One gets used for blankets during the warm summer months and the other is for stuffed animal storage.
That way there are no fights and each child gets a bean bag of their own! Plus it is machine washable!
For Wall
There are a multitude of different organizers that you can use to optimize stuffed animal wall storage space. I don’t like drilling into the wall if I can help it and if I do, I usually prefer something that works with a theme or fits with the decor. The reason being is that once a passing phase has lapsed, I land up with holes in the wall that I need to fill and it just looks ugly.
One of the wall organizers that I really liked and don’t mind using is The Zoo. The simple frame can be overlooked if the stuffed animals are not in it, the color is a neutral shade that goes with almost all themes and the flexible ropes hold the toys pretty securely. Like the hammock, this too has a lot of role-play opportunities for the child.
Hanging Organizer
One of the more traditional ways to organize stuffed animals is by using a hanging organizer. Think of them as hanging or floating shelves, like those you would use in your closet.
The beauty about this structure of the organization is that they are extremely easy to install and when you are done with them, they are also insanely easy to store since they collapse into almost nothing.
If you use them well, they can be a good accent to a room though I have seen that these tend to become a dumping ground. My suggestion is to have a spring cleaning session every month or two. This helps move toys around and identify ones that aren’t being used.
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