As I’ve discussed tons of times here, our large family lives in a small house and we have no dedicated playroom. This means that our living room has had no choice but to take on the role of playspace for our young kids. We may live in only 1401 square feet as a family of 7, but we’re making it work! This is how to hide toys in a living room:
Related: Our Small House Story – How We Make it Work with 5 Kids!
Related: No Playroom Solutions
How to Organize Toys in the Living Room
First thing’s first, check out the furniture you already have.
Does it have storage?
Our home came with end tables that had odd curved bases and no storage potential.
They needed to go so we could get something that provides more space.
Our TV stand is now an IKEA Kallax type stand.
Where I used to think clear bins were the way because our kids could see where things go, I have now learned that I DON’T want to see the things.Instead, pretty cube organizer bins like these make more sense in a space that has to double as a playroom.
Minimize the Toys
I know you didn’t come here for me to tell you to part with your toys, but might I suggest some sort of toy rotation?
If you can agree to some toys that stay out all the time, think magnet tiles or blocks, and some that you can rotate through – like doll house people and train tracks, you have way less toys to hide in the living room.
Toy rotation has worked amazingly well in our house and is my saving grace now with 5 kids.
It works especially well with baby toys in our living room – our 15 month old has a few favorites that we rotate through so he doesn’t get overwhelmed or bored.
Make Use of Narrow Spaces
Under most couches there is usually only an inch or two of space.
Think of creative ways to use this that will work in your home.
We have some chunky puzzles that our 15 month old plays with that slide under here neatly.
Behind our couch is a space just wide enough for our fold up wrestling/gymnastics mat and our whiteboard easel for homeschool.
Storage Ottoman / Coffee Table
If you don’t already have one, a storage ottoman is an absolute MUST in a home with a living room playspace.
You literally have no idea the toys are there.
We use ours as a toy box, minimize the toys in the living room so that they all fit in there, and you would seriously never know 5 kids live here when you walk in the front door.
Between the solid not-see-through bins on our cube organizer and the storage ottoman, we can hold a TON of toys in our living room that aren’t visible unless our kids are actively playing with them.
Use the Kitchen too!
Do you have an extra kitchen cabinet?
We are no strangers to living in a small home.
In our first ever small house, our kitchen was absolutely huge and had more cabinets than we could possibly need.
We used the two end cabinets for book and art supply storage.
Do you have something like this you can implement in your home?
Perhaps a lower shelf in a coat closet or pantry?
When you’re short on space, it’s totally okay to re-designate spaces in your home that may seem unconventional but that make your space work better for your needs.
These organization ideas work in our small living room in our small house. I’m confident they can work in yours too. Find a space that is otherwise wasted and find a way to give it purpose. Find a way to love the space you’re in!
