https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:47:40 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2262654 Thu, 13 Aug 2015 14:01:58 +0000 daniellemybelle 2262654@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@My Only Sunshine: I think that is going to have to be part of the solution! I'm not sure how to easily rotate big stuff like a train table or huge heavy dress up trunk... but I definitely think we are going to need to do that with the smaller things.</p> <p>@avivoca: That's how I feel too. It's one thing to buy a toy as a gift - it's another to buy essentially a piece of furniture that will take up space in another person's house. At least my mom was nice enough to offer for the dress up trunk to stay at her house. I just hate that because we don't get to visit often - and this is something sentimental she's had in mind for a long time.</p> <p>@chopsuey: I don't want to post pictures publicly but I can send you an IG DM later! Don't judge the work in progress ;) I do think we are going to need to do some storage / rotation.</p> <p>@Mamaof2: My dream is to find an under the bed train table! So far the only one I have found is in the UK and doesn't ship here.</p> <p>@T.H.O.U.: They always do!!! My mantra is: "There are much worse things than generous grandparents." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2262325 Thu, 13 Aug 2015 09:16:38 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2262325@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: We had to go around with the grandparents and the battery powered cars too. Not fun! Eventually they won. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2262320 Thu, 13 Aug 2015 09:12:37 +0000 Mamaof2 2262320@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: just a thought - we have a train table and store lots of stuff UNDER it! You can get those under the bed bins and they slide right out when you need them! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2262305 Thu, 13 Aug 2015 09:02:28 +0000 chopsuey 2262305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: can you post pictures of your space? I know S isn't as old as my kids, but i donated and got rid of a lot of stuff when we moved. I try to do a quarterly purge so I can keep my sanity :P<br /> Any way you can put some stuff in storage?<br /> Also, we got DS a train table for his 2nd bday and that thing drives me crazy. I like the idea of an activity table with drawers and having your mil get a train set would be a lot better than a table. Just let her know you just don't have the room for it? :T</p> <p>Is there space in her room for the trunk? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2262244 Thu, 13 Aug 2015 08:00:22 +0000 avivoca 2262244@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: You have every right to ask them not to purchase certain things for S as gifts and make alternate suggestions. For instance, my ILs informed Tony that they want to get H a battery powered 4-wheeler for her birthday. We asked them to put those pennies toward a small outdoor swing set because a) I don't like 4-wheelers and know too many people who got hurt riding them and b) I don't want to store something she can't play with yet. </p> <p>In the end, it's your house. But if you end up with the trunk or the table, you could take another larger toy out to make room for it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2262242 Thu, 13 Aug 2015 07:57:58 +0000 My Only Sunshine 2262242@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: Can you do a pretty intense toy rotation? My daughter has probably a third of her toys out at any one time. We rotate them every weekend or every other weekend. This week, her basketball hoop and a giant container of balls are out. Next week in the same spot, her child sized baby grand piano (thank you, great-grandma for that ridiculousness) will be out. It helps keep my brain from exploding and I find she actually plays with her toys more. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2262236 Thu, 13 Aug 2015 07:48:21 +0000 daniellemybelle 2262236@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chopsuey: Your house is gorgeous! And a little bigger than mine :wink: </p> <p>The train table saga continues. My MIL who usually texts back quickly has not said anything to me since I texted her about alternatives to a train table :( My mom suggested I ask for a multipurpose table and return the little IKEA arts &amp; crafts table I just bought. It's a good idea because I can put it in the spot I had for the other table... but the only one I can find like that is HUGE. </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Wooden-Multi-Activity/dp/B000IMQ40U" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Wooden-Multi-Activity/dp/B000IMQ40U</a><br /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Wooden-Railway/dp/B000FIN2E8/ref=pd_bxgy_21_text_y" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Wooden-Railway/dp/B000FIN2E8/ref=pd_bxgy_21_text_y</a></p> <p>Oh and my mom reminded me she wanted to turn a big vintage trunk I used to have into a dress up trunk for Sadie. I am like :shocked: We are going to have to sleep outside.</p> <p>I'm not sure what to do... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261925 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 15:17:19 +0000 chopsuey 2261925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>95% of the kids' toys are in the playroom.<br /> Paint/art supplies I keep in a cabinet in the kitchen bc they do crafts at the island.<br /> They each have their anywhere chairs and a handful of toys in their rooms for when they do quiet time upstairs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261902 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 14:42:46 +0000 daniellemybelle 2261902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: Nope! Really the only places toys can go the 4 spots I outlined. But I am considering giving her more of the living room to break things up.</p> <p>@looch: How big is the room? I feel like if the train table is in the center of the room, with all the other furniture there wouldn't be much open play space. It is a loft about the size of an average master bedroom. Our house is in total about 1700 sq ft.</p> <p>@rosegold: I'm definitely glad we have one - I don't know what we'd do if we didn't! And we carved out a little area for me to have a "command center" so I'm glad about that.</p> <p>@MrsSRS: Yeah, I'm thinking about doing that if we do end up with one!</p> <p>@ShootingStar: The TV is going to be mounted on the wall so we are not losing any space from that. Even now it is just resting on top of a long low entertainment center type piece. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261654 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 10:16:52 +0000 ShootingStar 2261654@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't have any toys in DS's bedroom. We don't ever play in there and we converted his crib to a toddler bed, so we took out everything we could. There are some bookshelves on the wall with books and that's it.</p> <p>We do have a play room that's connected to our living room, and that's where 99% of the toys are. We get some migrations into the living room and the kitchen, but it's actually not that much. Every so often when I straighten up I just throw stuff back in the play room.</p> <p>Do you have to have a tv in there? At this point we don't want one in ours, maybe when he's like 5 or 6 and wants to watch his own movies, we'll put one. But that could save some space for you. When we let DS watch tv, we just all do it together in the living room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261653 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 10:16:12 +0000 MrsSRS 2261653@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I like the idea of the train table in the living room. That way it is just one, clearly defined set of toys and it has its own storage for quick clean up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261650 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 10:13:49 +0000 rosegold 2261650@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: playroom has most of dd's toys. living room bookshelf has a puzzle or two of hers. bedroom has her leapfrog and books and a couple stiffed animals for sleep. having a playroom is the beeeest. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261648 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 10:09:51 +0000 looch 2261648@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: That's what we did, we floated it in the center of the room. It wasn't my first choice, but it worked well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261630 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 09:56:05 +0000 Mamaof2 2261630@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: Yep! Do you have a basement? Its nice for a change of scenery plus DH can work out while the kids play </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261624 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 09:50:17 +0000 daniellemybelle 2261624@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: Our house is 1700 sq ft I think? Our last house was about the same size but we just had toys everywhere. </p> <p>I'm thinking I am going to have to give some more of the living room to her. Maybe even the train table could go there, honestly. I was hoping to keep it a mostly adult space but the playroom is overflowing. I would like to keep her babies, kitchen, and all the "play house" stuff in the playroom, I think, because there is a lot of it and she can really get absorbed in imaginative play. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261620 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 09:47:44 +0000 daniellemybelle 2261620@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I still don't know where the heck to put it! There are three walls. The long wall has the love seat, a book shelf and my little desk. Second wall has big toys and will have her little art table. Third wall has the TV and a long entertainment center / storage unit. It would have to sit in the middle of the room, eliminating the free play space. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261617 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 09:46:18 +0000 avivoca 2261617@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: So, the majority of her toys are in our living room. We live in a small house (1100 sq. ft.) and that's where we spend most of our time. Her play kitchen is on one wall next to our bookcase and her toy bin/blocks are on the other wall. She has two drawers in our TV stand for things I rotate out. Her bedroom is mainly books and stuffed animals. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261613 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 09:42:34 +0000 looch 2261613@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: If she's team table, get one with a storage drawer! We had two drawers underneath and it was enough to store all the track and locomotives. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261601 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 09:30:46 +0000 daniellemybelle 2261601@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I am really trying to talk my MIL into getting her tracks. I think they are more interactive/creative anyway and will grow with her. And they can be put up! But after a back and forth text conversation, when I mentioned that, she didn't reply. :( I think she is really Team Table. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261598 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 09:28:56 +0000 daniellemybelle 2261598@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: Oh, totally. It would just be storage and since it is like 2 feet from the playroom we would just pull things out and put them back. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261595 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 09:28:37 +0000 looch 2261595@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: Just a note on the train table (we got one used, for $35), is that they're large, but they do limit play once you get into structures.</p> <p>I am not sure how far you want to go with the train tracks and what not, but a really cool solution is to make a track board. The pieces are attached to a piece of plywood, so you can't modify it, but it's good if you're not planning on extending the set. Once we got into adding in Knapford Station and whatnot, the table was really too small. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261585 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 09:23:51 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2261585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: Yes. I would just want to limit toys on the floor to the playroom. It would annoy me to have to step over toys in the entryway all the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261581 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 09:22:24 +0000 daniellemybelle 2261581@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's pretty dumb but this is giving me anxiety. Right now I am watching LO play in the playroom and realizing I really need to set up a "play house" area with all her doll stuff and food stuff because she loves to cook for and feed her babies... and then change their diapers and put them down for naps and so forth. Right now she just has a little plastic kitchen but I want to get her a "real" play kitchen for Christmas. But there just isn't room with everything else! :shocked: I just bought her a little IKEA table to do arts &amp; crafts on, but now I'm wondering if that is going to take up valuable space. My MIL also wants to get her a train table (she does love trains) and I am like where is it going to go??? It's crazy how a room can seem plenty big until you put everything in it.</p> <p>@MrsSRS: We used to have blocks in our living room but it was a pain to clean up! Trying to think of what toys to keep down there that will occupy her but will be easy to pick up.</p> <p>@Freckles: That's a good point about anything messy in her room. LO's room is not very big so I think we will keep it to soft toys, books and maybe some puzzles.</p> <p>As far as being near me when she plays, I have a very small IKEA desk in the playroom so I can get things done (freelancing/bills/etc.) while she is playing independently. So toys downstairs would mostly be to occupy her if I am cooking dinner.</p> <p>@looch: We have a baby monitor in the playroom but LO is not even 2 yet and a tornado so I don't know that extended independent play in there while I'm in another room is in the cards for us just yet.</p> <p>I got a little table for her and envisioned her doing arts &amp; crafts there. I guess I can keep the stuff in a bin under the table?</p> <p>@Mamaof2: Her play kitchen is in the basement? Wondering we need to find another spot altogether for her "playing house" stuff. </p> <p>@T.H.O.U.: I think just from a storage standpoint we are going to need to use the entry way. I'm starting to think that maybe the playroom proper should be kind of "stations" and maybe bins of toys that we can pull out and put back up in the entry way?</p> <p>@youboots: Once upon a time we could contain all LO's toys like that ;) Nice bin! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261513 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 08:19:16 +0000 youboots 2261513@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a Steele canvas tote in her bedroom. This holds all of her toys upstairs when we need to pick up. On the main level we have a smallish 18x18" basket that holds all of the baby stuff downstairs. </p> [attach=5281/15/nsz104.600x338.image.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261502 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 08:08:38 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2261502@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Bedroom - Just one or two bins or a small shelf. I didn't want a huge mess but just enough she could play while I folded clothes or something. </p> <p>Living room - One basket under the TV </p> <p>Playroom - big stuff</p> <p>I would keep your entry to the playroom toy free unless you maybe just want to hide stuff there for a toy rotation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261494 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 08:01:40 +0000 Alivoo01 2261494@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Downstairs living room:<br /> - books on a bookshelf<br /> - play house<br /> - cars<br /> - blocks/legos/stacking cups</p> <p>Upstairs living room:<br /> - balls<br /> - slide<br /> - v-tech go! go! cars and tracks<br /> - toddler piano </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261470 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 07:37:37 +0000 Mamaof2 2261470@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Playroom has pretty much 90% of the toys</p> <p>Kitchen is in basement</p> <p>Bedrooms have a few toys and books</p> <p>Kitchen - we have a drawer in the island and keep all the art supplies, play-doh, kinetic sand, etc in there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261438 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 06:46:42 +0000 looch 2261438@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you have a spot designated for the "messy" stuff, like playdough, paint, etc? I found it worked well if I kept that stuff in the kitchen.</p> <p>We have a playroom, but it's on the lower level of our house. My son is older, so he's fine to go downthere (but I can watch him on the Foscam) so all his "big stuff" is down there. We had the train table, tent, doll house, etc.</p> <p>I think there comes a point where you can't stop the "migration" as I call it. My son has a bin in his room with his pets and he also has a portion of his collection of cars on his dresser, as decoration. I want it to feel like his house too, you know? </p> <p>We keep board games in a storage cube in our "fancy" living room upstairs. We play in there on a regular basis, it's nice to be all on the same level sometimes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261401 Wed, 12 Aug 2015 01:00:58 +0000 Freckles 2261401@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it depends on her age, whether she likes to be near you when she plays, etc.</p> <p>For us:<br /> LO's room: books, stuffed animals<br /> LO's room (baby): books, a few toys<br /> Main floor: LO1 - books, puzzles, dress up, doctor's kit, art supplies; LO2 - all of his toys<br /> Basement/play room: kitchen, books, ride along toys, shopping cart, mainly LO1's toys. LO2's jumperoo. </p> <p>We originally wanted the basement to be the playroom, but it took DD a year for her to be okay with going down by herself. We ended up bringing up the IKEA trofast unit to the living area because she was slowly bringing up all her toys! But i finally brought down her play kitchen to the basement last week (she is 3) because i noticed she wasn't playing with it as much, and it drove me crazy when she took out all the play food and left it everywhere.</p> <p>I don't want ANY art supplies in DD's room because she can be in her room alone for some time and i don't want to worry about her getting markers on the floor (same reason why i don't want it in the basement playroom). We just have a big bookshelf for most of her books. I know some kids have huge rooms and do most of their playing there, but i like to keep it simple for her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-toys-where#post-2261363 Tue, 11 Aug 2015 22:29:16 +0000 MrsSRS 2261363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Playroom: most toys<br /> Entry way: puzzles, shape sorter, art supplies, things to use on the table<br /> Bedroom: toys for quiet, independent play<br /> Living room: blocks or play food </p>