Colorful Kids’ Playroom + How I Organize LEGO

Having a room dedicated solely to toys has been an incredible privilege. Whether or not all the toys actually make it back in here every night…well, that’s a different story. As Briar and Landon have gotten bigger (and their toys have gotten smaller and smaller!), it’s been fun to change the space to reflect their evolving interests.

Here’s the latest iteration of the playroom in its (rare) clean and organized glory!

When you first walk in the room, you’re greeted by these IKEA bookshelves. Despite being moved from the living room to my office and finally to the playroom, they’ve held up remarkably well!

I think the secret to making a house feel like a home all comes down to the personal details. For example, John and I found the vintage dog bookends at an antique store on our honeymoon and I will cherish them forever. The Disneyland Hotel artwork was torn out of an annual passholder newsletter from years ago and framed for Briar’s nursery. And that cute little mail truck was purchased at our favorite toy store in Montecito. Almost everything on these shelves has a story.

Both kids can now reach the second shelf from the top, so it’s allowed us to store more of their toys up high, including that overflowing basket of Polly Pocket accessories, Landon’s beloved garbage truck, and all of their wooden puzzles.

Most of the containers were either thrifted or found at Target during Easter.

The playroom is my absolute favorite excuse to infuse color into every nook and cranny, starting with the books lined up in rainbow order.

Between school, extracurriculars, and endless time at home during the pandemic, both kids have become prolific artists, to say the least. We’ve got art stashed in several locations throughout the house so I decided to display some of their best work on the playroom wall. I remember when Briar was an infant and I couldn’t wait for her to start making art. Welp, I got my wish and then some ;)

Here’s another IKEA staple that has been with us for well over a decade. The cubbies are the perfect height for both kids to be able to pull out each of the containers. We keep action figures, Lincoln Logs, cars, Duplo LEGO and other oft-used toys on these shelves.

These plastic bins from Target have been great for storing toys with multiple pieces, plus, you can stack two of them perfectly in each cubby!

Our old board books sadly don’t get much use these days as the kids are interested in more advanced stories, but I can’t quite part with them yet. Until I work up the nerve to pack them away or donate to a free library, they make for a colorful display (guarded by a Stormtrooper, of course).

Here’s one side of the closet. At the beginning of the pandemic, I went on a real organizing bender and placed a Target drive-up order for a bunch of these small plastic shoeboxes. They’re the perfect size for housing small kits and collections, plus they allow the kids to easily see the contents.

The other side of the closet has deep shelving where I stash out-of-season holiday books. Since the kids can’t access them year-round, it makes each book extra special when I add it to their bedtime story rotation.

Okay, let’s talk about LEGO.

Over the past year, we’ve tried several different organizational systems, including sorting by type, size, kit, etc, but it was nearly impossible to keep them in any sort of order. Finally, I just asked Briar how she wanted to store them and she requested I dump them in a big box. HA! I don’t know why we always feel the need to overthink things. Just give the girl a box of 8 million LEGO to dig through and she will figure it out.

Now that both kids have their own rooms with their own desks, this table is now designated as the official LEGO hub of the house. The basket on top of the desk houses mini figures, baseplates, LEGO separators, and other pieces that Briar reaches for most often.

This thrifted TV stand fits perfectly under the desk and holds two bins worth of LEGO bricks. Since it’s on wheels, it can easily be moved out to create room for a chair.

I dream of the day that I can color coordinate the pieces and ditch the boring plastic containers but in the meantime, this system makes clean-up a breeze. I’ll take what I can get!

Briar’s three-story Barbie house just might be the most popular toy in the playroom. It was a lucky thrift find from a few years back and continues to be a huge hit with both kids. I love when secondhand finds go the distance.

I love secretly listening in on the kids’ dialog as they get lost in their own imaginative worlds in here. The playroom is a happy place for us all.