The toy corner is my way of storing Calvin’s toys that are ‘in rotation’ out in our living space. It’s kid-friendly, very easy to keep tidy, and an aesthetically pleasing piece of our living room. Let me walk you through it.
THE SHELVES
When looking for shelves to use in the toy corner, I had a few qualifications that needed to be met:
- Affordable (less than $75)
- Low enough for Cal to reach his toys while lying on his belly
- Easy to assemble
- Easy to clean
- Small enough for the space I have
- White finish
With all of these things in mind, I began shopping around different online stores and browsing Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration. The shelves I ended up choosing were this one and this one from the Made by Design Closet Storage Collection at Target. The two shelves we chose were simple to construct, feel sturdy, Calvin can easily access everything he wants to, and we can move them into different configurations depending on our needs.
Some other options I considered were the IKEA Kallax, the IKEA Lack, the ClosetMaid toy shelf, and the Furinno entertainment stand.
USING BASKETS
Using small baskets is a great way to: 1) limit the number of toys that I put on the shelf, and 2) keep the shelf organized and easy to tidy up.
I chose small, soft baskets on purpose so that Calvin could pick them up, dump them out, and throw them around harmlessly. They also help me to see if any of Cal’s toys are missing, so I can make sure he doesn’t lose anything (or Lucky doesn’t sneak a toy into his crate to destroy).
THE TOYS
Calvin’s toys come from a variety of places.
Some toys are from the dollar store, like his rubber ducks and frogs. Other toys are from the thrift store, mostly wooden ones that we have cleaned up for him. He was also gifted two of the Lovevery play kits by a family member and those toys are often put into rotation. Some of his “toys” aren’t toys at all, but random household items that he likes to play with.
The most important thing about the toys on the shelf is that he plays with them. Calvin doesn’t have any battery operated toys at the moment and I kind of love it. Everything that he does with his toys is a product of his brain, not of him pushing a button or moving it on accident with his foot.
UTILIZING TOY ROTATION
I chose small shelves with limited space very carefully. Studies (and my own experience) show that kids will actually play with their toys more and longer when there are fewer of them. By rotating Calvin’s toys on and off of the shelf, I help him to focus on the few toys that he has and to come up with new ways to play with them.
WHAT IS ON EACH SHELF
Working from top to bottom and left to right, we first come to the pair of tall skinny shelves. On the left shelf, I usually place a soft, stuffed toy. Cal isn’t big into plush toys yet, but it’s there if he wants it. In the right section, I always place 5-7 books. These are easy to grab and read quickly if Cal seems to be in the mood.
Next is the big square section at the bottom left. This shelf is really easy to get to, so I use it for larger or taller toys that wouldn’t fit on the bottom long shelf. I’ve also used it to store Calvin’s blankets (and he has a LOT of them).
Moving to the right, we reach the two long shelves, stacked one on top of the other. I treat each shelf as if it has three available slots, equaling six in total. These shelves usually hold baskets of items for Cal to play with. When choosing a place for each basket or toy, the only thing I take into consideration is weight. I ask myself this question, “If Calvin were to pull this basket from the top shelf onto his head, would it hurt him?”
The last place I occasionally put toys is on top of the long shelves. There isn’t always a toy here, but sometimes there is. Just an extra slot for something large.
CALVIN’S THOUGHTS
Calvin absolutely loves his toy corner. Before we set this up, all of his toys were either in bins in his room or sitting in his swing. He couldn’t access any of them without help and we were constantly trying to guess what he wanted to play with. The combination of accessibility and rotation have been game changers for his play.
His favorite days are toy rotation days. I set him in his high chair with an activity while rotate, then set him on the floor a few feet away once I’m done. He immediately crawls over to his shelves and starts examining everything on his own. I don’t have to guide his play and he really enjoys the independance.
Though, let’s be honest, most days he would rather play with boxes, packing paper, and junk mail than his toys. Oh well!
As Calvin gets older and more kids join our family, I’m sure this toy corner will evolve and change and possibly get bigger. But for now, it works perfectly for exactly what I need it for.
BARREL OF MERRELL'S 
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