Tried and tested by the Island Bébé team in partnership with Megastore Malta.
Remember when each room in the house had one specific purpose? When the living room was for chilling, the kitchen for cooking and the dining table for eating? Yeah, we can’t either.
As the kids grow, so does our toy collection. A few cute plushies in the nursery somehow transformed into hundreds of toys of all shapes and sizes lying around everywhere… and each with varying degrees of pain for the adult who steps on them (we’re looking at you, Lego).
If there’s anything I learnt over 5 Christmases, 7 birthdays, and other random events and outings is that smart toy storage and organisation is a must.
To make your life easier, we’ve drawn up a tried and tested list of affordable toy storage solutions that you can easily get in Malta.
1. Bins for the Win – The Trofast System
You can never go wrong with Ikea’s trusty Trofast. The storage unit comes in various sizes so you can adapt the unit according to your space. We love how you can move the bins around and choose from different depths. A deep bin is great for soft toys or balls, for instance, whereas the more shallow ones can hold smaller toys, such as Playmobil figures.
With Trofast, you also have the option to add lids to the bins. The bins do have a tendency to slip out of the groove when sliding in and out but they get sturdier with a lid in place.
And if you’re not too fond of catch-all bins, you can opt to add shelves instead. The unit can also double as a perfect window seat. Just add some cushions on top and, voilà, the cutest reading spot for your kids!
Shop it: TROFAST Storage Unit, Deep Bin, Shallow Bin, Lids, Shelves.
2. Cube Toy Display or Storage – Kallax
If you prefer to have a more open view of your child’s toys – especially if you want to create a Montessori-inspired play environment, the Kallax shelf unit is great.
There are some great pros to Kallax: you can choose to either add baskets in each cube or else leave as is for tray activities. Both levels are easily reachable by kids, allowing for independent play.
Again, it comes in different sizes, but each cube is a fixed size with plenty of basket options to fit in.
You can also add cubes as you go along – the amount of toys we have today is significantly different from what we had 6 months ago. In addition to Christmas, there was also a little something called a pandemic, and toys in the mail were the only thing that made it bearable.
What we mean is – toy storage is a work in progress. You need something that can grow with your child and Kallax can do just that.
Shop the look – Shelf Unit: KALLAX, Cat Box: DRÖNA, Blue box: DRÖNA, Abacus: MULA, Colourful Stack: HAPE.
3. The Toy Kitchen With Bonus Storage – Duktig
By far, the most precious thing in our playroom is the Duktig play kitchen. It’s been played with every single day during the past three years and has also doubled up as toy storage along the way.
The lower part of the kitchen contains two ‘cupboards’, perfect for storing play food, pots, pans and a play toaster or two. Before our collection of play food became Lidl on a restock day, we fit quite a few wooden puzzles in there, too.
And – if you’re up for a bit of DIY – there are some amazing Duktig hack ideas on Pinterest you can check out.
4. Activity Table with Storage – Dundra
The Dundra Activity Table is ideal for pre-schoolers and older children who love playsets or blocks. Not only does it provide them with a large surface for playtime, but the nifty drawers underneath the table top are every parent’s dream.
And in true Ikea fashion, you can add some handy drawer dividers or little baskets to really get on top of your toy organisation game!
5. Lego Storage – Bygglek
When Duplo turns to Lego, proper storage (and yelling “Clean up once you’re done playing!”) becomes a must. If you’re a member of the ‘We Stepped on a Lego Club’, you’ll know exactly what we mean.
The Bygglek Lego boxes are an ideal blend of play and storage. The lid doubles up as a play base and each box can attach to the other for larger creations. Once your child is done playing – and especially if you still have a baby or toddler who loves putting everything in their mouths – you can easily store the blocks away.
6. Little Drawers for Little Toys – Moppe
We love the Moppe mini chest of drawers! It’s versatile and ideal storage for colouring and crafting items as well as tiny toys and beads.
Not sure how to neatly store LOL Surprise, Shopkins, or the million and one Kinder Surprise toys your kids collected? Assign a drawer to each category, and you might actually be surprised to see your kids excited about organising!
The drawers are also ideally sized for colouring pencils, markers and other stationery items. Simply pull out the drawer the kids need and it turns into a little basket for easy access for toddlers and older kids alike.
Shop the look – Storage unit: MOPPE, Laundry Basket: KLUNKA, Soft Green Football: SPARKA.
For all of these storage options and much more, check out Megastore.com.mt.
