mykdsmomy Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Currently, the boys' toys are in our family room. I am contemplating moving them all to our front room (the room you walk into upon entering our home). Right now, we have a bookcase, a side table, a lamp and our large dining table in that room. We never use the dining table though (we use the school room table that's between the front room and the family room. The reason I'm wanting to move them is because I hate the clutter the toys bring to the family room! There isn't much room for them to play in the family room without sort of taking over the whole room! I don't want to put all the toys in their bedroom because their room is the smallest in the house and there is really no room for them to play in there at all. The downside of putting the toys in the front room is that it's the first thing you will see when you walk in and my original vision for that room was a formal dining room and reading room :tongue_smilie: However, we never eat in there and rarely read there :lol: I really want to make use of our space but I also want our house to look nice :) The positive side to basically converting the front room into the play room is that I will have our family room back and it will be a place to relax without tripping all over toys! It will also give the kids more room to play in the front. I just can't seem to make a decision! Part of me still wants to cram the toys into the boys' room and have NO toys out in the main house....but honestly, my kids live here too and my house isn't a showroom...it's a home....so what do you all think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Garage. The kids toys are in tubs of varying sizes marked by type (Legos, K'Nex, Playmobil). They can bring in one tub at a time unless they get special permission. Makes it easy. I do that because it makes it easy for my kids to clean up and not because I care if toys are in the house. They love this system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I wouldn't do it. I don't keep my "toys" out in the family room, so I don't think children need to, either. I vote for bedrooms, and only leave in the family room things that everyone would do, such as board games. I'd also be sure that there is sufficient storage organization for the toys in the bedrooms, that the dc don't have too many toys, and that I worked with dc to help them keep toys picked up and put away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 In the dining room-since the kitchen is big enough to have the family table in there (and when we moved into the house DD was a toddler, so having carpet in the dining room wasn't a good idea), so her toys live there for play-right now it's a lego version of Ancient Egypt and American girl dolls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We have a similar set up, and a similar vision! I get a little giddy sometimes when I think about my reading nook. :D I recognize, however, that right now the space is best meets our family's needs as a play area. I have a shelving system and cloth sided baskets that hold most of the kids' toys and they do a pretty good job of picking up after themselves. The far end of our formal room is where we homeschool, so there are supplies and materials in view when someone enters our home anyway. I look at it this way, my children live here, too. I have years of toy free living coming, and I am not in a hurry to hasten those years. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cera Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I would make it a playroom. I am really trying to embrace the whole "seasons of life" philosophy and this season of life (small kids) coincides with toys and kid stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassy Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 The boys have some toys in their bedrooms, but most toys tend to be in the sitting room. This is a family room, it's where our television is and there are also book shelves, a computer, even my iron and ironing board. We have a formal dining room which has turned into a (rather cluttered) school room and music room. The kitchen also has a bit of school stuff in it, but I'm not very tolerant of toys in the kitchen. We also have a drawing room, which doubles as DH's study when he works at home, absolutely no toys (or boys) in there. We have a large, long entrance hallway which can get cluttered with toys, though they don't belong there, and so first impressions on coming into our home can be of a house full of toys. I'm a bit strange, I think, in believing that a house full of toys does actually look nice :D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 for me, the living room is the room we go to to "relax" because it is nice, clean, and relatively clutter free. we also have somewhere for guests. the family room has a big closet nearby, and the toys are stored in it. it also has a lock so I can control what comes out. so the family room is our playroom/schoolroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We have a playroom in the finished basement. I would do what suits you best. I can't stand kid-toy clutter (well, any clutter), and the toys pretty much stay in the playroom unless they have permission to bring them to the main level. The only toys in the bedrooms are special toys. You could buy some shelving and baskets so it looks nice when everything is picked up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasharowan Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We have had toys in virtually every corner of the house at one time or another. The kids live here and anyone who is offended by that doesn't need to come over. That said, if you can put the table against a wall, you can store toys under it with bins and put a floor length cloth over it to mask the toys when you want it to look neat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Some in the bedrooms, but personally I like to keep bedrooms as a place of rest, not clutter. They have their loved display type things there, for DD that is dolls/build a bears/barbies. I have IKEA trofast in their for her. For DS that is books, legos, transformers. They bring a few things down but like to keep them in their rooms. WE have a HUGE great room concept and on one wall I have 3 IKEA Besta tall shelving units with doors on them. Each kid has a cabinet, and whatever they can shove behind the doors that's what can stay down here. My huge beautiful coffee table usually holds DS' battle scenes and right now my sideboard is lined up with DD's Christmas outfitted build a bears. At the end of our main area is a lovely corner which would perfectly suit a nice corner couch and coffee table or something, but why do I need a formal area? Instead each child has a wooden kidcraft desk with hutch, and a nice chair. Next to that is the only eating area and I have a decent sized table. I have a floor to ceiling bookshelf in the dining room next to the piano for leisure books. Personally BHG magazine op photos seem cold to me. Nothing out of place, everything coordinates....I like kid art and piles of books around. I do use nice looking baskets to corral things and I keep coordinated toss pillows. I like the idea of perfectly arrange bookshelves but I can't keep up with that so cabinet doors suit us perfectly. BTW THESE are the cabinets we have: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70134044/ except it's 3 wide (one more single unit) and I have the tall white doors that come 1/3 way up so it leaves 2 shelves on top for books or display stuff. I have them on a wall, to the left is a window and MY desk under the window, and to the left of my desk is another single besta unit with matching door. I love the accessories for the Besta shelves. on the inside I have 2 of the pull out frames, one has my printer on it and the other hanging file folders for schoolwork. I think it sounds like you have a nice home and I too, feel like I want to share the space! I actually tried moving all the toys out, it was lonely :( The kids started dissapearing most of the day into their rooms and it was weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 You pay for the Whole house, not just the parts you use. I got over the "show home" thing when I realized I was paying for space I didn't use, or use to its fullest for my needs now. % of time I need to impress people coming over-----5% % of time I need to get through the day-----------95 You could purchase some really nice cabinets for the toys to be hidden in. I've always wanted bench style seating where I could store stuff inside (it would have to be built in of course) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 My kids toys are kept in their rooms. We live in a 2 story townhouse with neighbors in an apartment that was at one time our home's basement. Besides the mess, they can be kinda loud when they play and disturb the neighbors. They are not allowed to bring toys down without permission. They do have some colors, coloring books, and books to read downstairs, but that's about it except for school stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We have a basement playroom. Other than the board and card games, which are housed here, I don't allow toys on the main floor of the house really, unless the toy is just passing through. I'm not super strict about it and the boys occasionally strew things all over, but I generally make them pick them up, that or I chuck it into the basement myself. So I think I would do the playroom... though I'd be more hesitant if it was on the main floor. I mean... our basement is a wreck. But I don't mind. I make them clean it every couple of weeks and then start over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 The toys are kept in their bedroom except for some educational toys that I keep in the laundry room. They are allowed to bring out 1 tub at a time to the living room, but I make them clean them up at the end of school or before bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 You pay for the Whole house, not just the parts you use. I got over the "show home" thing when I realized I was paying for space I didn't use, or use to its fullest for my needs now. % of time I need to impress people coming over-----5% % of time I need to get through the day-----------95 You could purchase some really nice cabinets for the toys to be hidden in. I've always wanted bench style seating where I could store stuff inside (it would have to be built in of course) :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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