toy storage- box vs shelf?

I wanted to get the expedit shelf from ikea but dh wants a big plastic toy box to chuck everything into.
Its for the living room and he has no appreciation for aesthetics lol.
Pros cons?
Tia

Re: toy storage- box vs shelf?

I like things covered/enclosed. I'd say if you get a bookcase, also get some nice looking crates to keep the smaller and messier stuff in (open shelves are fine for large toys that take up the whole shelf).

Re: toy storage- box vs shelf?

less to dust with boxes. shelves can get dirtier and therefore look worse. however sometimes shelves look nicer and are easier to take things on and off. what about a shelf where u can put some boxes and leave some cubes open? like a 50/50 compromise?

Re: toy storage- box vs shelf?

I have both... A toy box in his room.. And a shelving unit/small book case in the living room... The bottom three shelves have fabric containers for his stuff and the top 3 shelves are for my stuff....

Re: toy storage- box vs shelf?

I would get a unit with bins that you can hide things into, but is not a bottomless pit. We have a toy box and nothing at the bottom of it gets played with unless you literally have a huge mess all over the floor.

Re: toy storage- box vs shelf?

Re: toy storage- box vs shelf?

Dealing with this right now... I bought book shelves for their room.. so they can't pull the books off lol
And for the living room Im trying to find a storage ottoman big enough to contain all their stuff.
Looking at it is literally giving me anxiety!

Re: toy storage- box vs shelf?

I bought a decent sized wooden storage bench for my living room... Both seats lift up into one box where we keep most of DDs toys...and the latches stay up so it's safe for her to open on her own, and when it's closed it looks like a nice piece of furniture.

However I was just on Pinterest and saw a lot of great shelf ideas for organizing kids toys & craft supplies. But I think shelves are for more specific things (jars of crayons, plastic boxes of Legos, etc) and you need a box for the majority of the toys. I personally am not a fan of those primary colored storage bins in the wooden frames...they are great for a play room, but I wouldn't want that in my living room/shared family room.

Message edited 9/23/2013 12:36:56 AM.

Re: toy storage- box vs shelf?

I prefer shelf.
All the big toys can be arranged nicely and are easy to reach. All the little stuff is put away in small storage boxes and put on the shelves. this way, DS knows exactly where everything is and there is no problem trying to find toys.
I feel with the storage bin, you just throw stuff in, sets get separated, toys can break (depends on how hard DS chucks them into the box) and if you're looking for a specific toy you'll have to dump everything out each time just to find it.

toy storage- box vs shelf?

Ika has a great one, its like bookcakes with tracks for bins...

Re: toy storage- box vs shelf?

DS has both- a toy box in the living room, and then in his room he has a unit that is 9 cubes. some of them are opened, some of them have storage bins in them
I agree that the toybox is nice to just throw stuff in to clean up fast, BUT he has to take it all out to get to the toy he wants.
I love the cube shelf things I got from target. they have different color bins you can buy, and it just looks really cute in his room. and its easy to organize. one bin for little cars, one bin for "art" stuff, one bin for little balls, etc. it was like $50 at target and worth every penny! LOL

toy storage- box vs shelf?

I have both and I have to say, I HATE the toy box. It's a black hole for toys and all the toys that are in there (except for the ones right on top) never get played with.
I also have a mild case of OCD and need to keep the toys sorted, which I can do with the shelves/bins.