This guide to crayon storage ideas: best organizer for your kids art supplies is all about the different storage solutions to organize kids crayons and other craft supplies. Whether you’re a teacher, parent or grandparent, you know that having young children around means there will be a lot of crayons mixed in with all of the small toys. Therefore, there is a great need to have a good solution to store their crayons and toys to keep their creative space organized.
Most kids love to do various arts and crafts projects such as making paper bag puppets, transforming paper plates into dream catchers, making pom pom or paper stars where crayons and other coloring material play an important part to make these activities fun. However, what is not so fun about these activities is that crayon boxes, color pencils and other art materials easily get lost and get broken. Plus, toys are everywhere making their small space or even their big playroom an area that gets easily cluttered. To avoid having their craft room turn into a big mess, you need to have crayon organization as well as organization of the whole playroom space.
The best thing about organizing the whole area is you will not only find a place for everything whether crayons, art supplies, toys and even school supplies such as construction paper, paper, pencil and scrapbook paper but you will make all items easily accessible. Plus, you will have the best reason to go to craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Target for their Target dollar spot or through Amazon to buy different colors of cute organizers. Or, if you have a creative side, you can buy craft materials like acrylic paints, mason jars, glue sticks or whatever materials that you need to make your DIY crayon organizers and other DIY organizing solutions.
5 Easy Ways On How To Organize Your Kid’s Art Space A.K.A. Play Area
A clean and orderly playroom will definitely have a positive outcome not only for you but most importantly for your children. An orderly space is will help to increase creativity and productivity of both kids and adults.
1. Remove Anything That Does Not Belong
Decluttering is always the first step that you need to undertake to organize your kid’s art space just like any type of room. In this step, you will be required to remove all of the things that do not belong, all the things that are broken and all the items that your kids do not need. To begin the process, you need to sort through your kids belongings on your own and discard any broken or missing-piece, toys and games beyond repair, as well as old coloring materials. Afterwards, ask your kids to sort all their crafts supplies, toys that they have outgrown, don’t play with or use anymore and ask them if they are willing to donate these toys to a child in need.
2.Put Things In Order
After sorting, it is now time to find a place for everything and put everything in its place. Now you need to identify all the items that you want your kids to easily access and divide them from the items that need your supervision. As much as you want everything accessible to your kids, there are items like paint, glitter, glue, crayons and markers that you should be kept out of reach from their creative little hands. This is because these items when handled incorrectly will create a devastating mess. So once you segregated the playroom essentials that you want your kids to easily access from the items that need your supervision, it is time for your to find a place for them by designating a specific storage box based on specific kind or function.
Assigning a specific box that is based on a specific kind or function will allow your kids to easily identify the box containing the items that they need. Usage of clear storage bins and baskets will do the trick for you because clear bins and baskets are the best organizers that you can use. They will not only help you to put things in order but also provide easy accessibility and visibility to all the items stored inside. So, when your children are looking for a specific item, they will know exactly which basket to grab and the best part is, they do not need to pull everything out just to get what they are looking for. Aside from that, open clear bins or baskets make it easier and faster for your children to clean up when they are done playing.
Large plastic containers are also great toy organizers for toys especially for little pieces like LEGO. For little boys and girls, assign one big clear container solely for LEGO storage, so it will be easier for them to access all those tiny pieces and at the same, will be easier for them to drop the pieces in when they’re done.
Choose a short cube storage organizer or a bookcase with open shelving cabinets to place all of the bins and baskets containing items that you want your kids to have easy access to. For added security, anchor free-standing furniture to the wall. As much as possible, try not buy tall storage cabinets even though it will help to save room on the floor because they will prohibit your children from cleaning up on their own.
Assign a couple of cubes or shelves to store books, coloring books and puzzles. All of these items should ideally be stored upright and at eye level which will make it easier for the smaller ones to choose their favorite book while at the same time helping to keep them from getting damaged. The fun way to encourage them to put back the book or item where it belongs is to make library cards for them to check out books. You can add cute bookends to make putting their books away a happy experience every time.
It is also a great idea to use mats to protect your hardwood floors and keep them from getting scratched as well as to help keep your carpet from getting stains. The use of playroom mats is a great way to protect your flooring from wear and tear while your children are playing.
Remember, when making an organizing system, make it so simple that even a kid can follow. All of the storage bins that contain your kids essentials should be within reach for them without the need of assistance. The bins should also allow them to put items back by themselves. In this way, they can help to maintain their art space ad keep it clean and organized because the organizing solutions you have implemented are easy for them to follow. Plus, they can easily access their essentials and easily put things back to where they belong on a daily basis.
3. Assign A Permanent Home For Their Beloved Items Through The Use Of Labels
Utilize the labeling method to assign a permanent home for the toys that your children adore. Ask them how they want to name a group of their favorite items and label the container or shelf or both with the name given by your kids. You and your kids have just created a home for their favorite toys, whether it’s a collection of their favorite Thomas and friends train collection, or barbie dolls, or stuffed animals. In this way, they will be encouraged to always put their beloved toys into their respective home which makes putting things in order a fun activity for them. This will also lead to keeping their play area organized most of the time if not all the time.
Tip: Use labels that can be easily removed or changed so you may reuse your storage containers when your children’s toy preferences change. You can also use images as labels to assist small children and help them to know which particular container they need, to get the toys they want. Labeling with images will also help your little one to know where their toys need to go when they are done playing.
4. Make Cleaning Time A Fun Time
Cleaning plays an important role to keep any space organized aside from making it neat and tidy. It is a process that you cannot take for granted as you need to allocate time for cleaning. However, cleaning should not be done by you alone especially when cleaning the children’s play area. Cleaning up after your kids, even if they are fully capable of doing it will create several stumbling blocks for you and your kids in the future. First, its means extra work for you. Second your kids will pick up an understanding that it is ok not to clean their mess because someone else will do it for them. And therefore, your kids will develop lazy behavior, lazy thinking and dependency for others. In order to avoid that, it is advisable that you should involve them by giving your kids household chores that they can do at an early age. According to the study conducted by the University of Minnesota, by doing this, your kids will be able to develop a good sense mastery, responsibility and self reliance that they can use for their whole lives. For toddlers, they may not have the capability yet to clean but they can still help. Just by ask them to pick up their toys when their done playing and ask them to put them in the assigned container. This is actually the stage where they’re really excited to get involved in any activity including cleaning.
Also, never associate cleaning with a punishment but instead turn cleaning time into a fun time to make your kids excited and happy to clean up their mess. Turn “putting things where they belong” into a race. Take out the stopwatch on your phone and challenge your kids to see how quickly they can put things in order. Then keep the records of their times so they can try to beat them every time the cleaning time is on. You can also make cleaning time a family time. Just set a time and date where all family members will do their assign chores. This works because it is always fun to do things with others especially loved ones.
Remember, teaching your children to clean up after themselves is the most effective strategy to maintain their space and keep it clutter-free in the long run.
5. Sustain – Keep the Playroom Organized
Decluttering to find a place for everything and put everything in its place is actually the easy part of organizing but to keep the space organized is the hardest part. This is because it will take the whole family to keep any space organized. To keep the playroom organized, you need to create “do’s and don’t s” based on the organizing system that you have implemented. Then inform your kids about these new rules and your expectation from them. During the implementation of such rules, make sure that your Do’s are really things that they need to do and the Don’t s are really things that you do not want them to do. The reason is that once they find out that they can get away with not following through, it will be the beginning of them not consistently following the rules.
Also, do not underestimate the ability of a toddler to understand, they may not know how to speak and write but they definitely know how things work to get what they want. I still remember my grandchild when he was 1 1/2 years old. I let him know that he was not allowed to crawl inside the kitchen. During those times, every time he was tempted to even put his hands into the kitchen floor, I gently utter the word “NO”. He responded with a smile and started to crawl back to the living room. And even though my grandchild grasped the concept that he was not allowed to crawl into the kitchen, once in a while he would try to crawl in there anyway. He was testing the waters to see if I would let him. However, I was firm about my simple rule that when I said NO with a gentle tone to him, it really means NO, no matter what time of day or date of the month. Until now at 4 years old, although he can now walk inside the kitchen, he still knows that he cannot play in the kitchen and he is not allowed to open any kitchen cabinets.
What I am trying to say is that you need to be consistent and stay in control to make sure that you and your kids are following the do’s and don’t s that you create. You should always set a good example that you are consistently following the rules and therefore you are expecting them to do the same. Let your No be No and your Yes be Yes. However, do not expect them to do their chores perfectly and always remember there is always exceptions to the rules. Also, don’t forget to praise them when they do something good because who does not want to be appreciated?
Now that you have an organized play area, it is now time to find storage solutions for your kid’s beloved crayons but first I will share with you different ways to organize them.
How To Organize Crayons
Crayons are best if stored in their original box. However, there are many reasons why you need a different storage solution for your crayons aside from keeping them in their original boxes. One of the many reasons could be that you have a lot of crayons or because you are an art teacher or a parent of kids that love colors and like to draw. Whatever the reason is, you just need to come up with a crayon storage solution. Either you want the crayons to be accessible and portable or you want the crayons out of reach from the hands of your artistic little ones. Below are some of the ways about how to organize your crayons that will lead to the type of crayon organizer that you should use to achieve the organization method that is best for your situation.
Utilizing The Color Coded Method
Based on their color families:
- 3 Primary Colors: Red, Yellow, Blue
- 3 Secondary Colors: Orange, Green, Violet
- 6 Tertiary Colors: Red-Orange, Yellow-Orange, Yellow-Green, Blue-Green, Blue-Violet, Red-Violet
Based on their color names:
- Group all crayons in red color
- Group all blue crayon colors and so on.
Based on no color organization:
- Put all different color crayons in a small buckets
- Corral a number of crayon boxes inside a basket storage
Organize Crayons According To Their Size
Based on their thickness:
- Group all crayons with similar thickness, thick crayons are separated from the thin ones.
Based on their length:
- Group all crayons according to their length, longer crayons are separated from the shorter crayons.
Arrange Crayons According To Their Use:
- Group all crayons used for rubbing or heavy coloring.
- Group all crayons used for light coloring or for creating precise lines.
Organize Crayons Based On Kid’s Name
- Label the container of classroom crayons with the student or group’s name.
- Label the container full of crayons with your child’s name.
Tip: Choose an organization method that will provide you the crayon storage solution based on your needs. Then, buy a crayon organizer that will help you to achieve the crayon organization method that you would like to accomplish.
Crayon Storage Ideas To Store Huge Numbers of Crayons
Image Source:Pinterest (darlingdarleen.com)
- Create An Art Cart – Utility carts usually come with a 3-tier shelf which gives you ample space to store various items. The rolling design makes it easier for you to move the cart from one place to another with ease which makes it ideal to use in an art classroom set up or for any home’s craft room. To effectively use the cart for your bulk storage needs for your crayons, use the cart together with baskets or a pencil cup organizer. Use baskets to store your crayons based on the organization method that you want to implement. For example, assign a specific colored basket for specific color names or use a pencil organizer basket to store your shorter crayons and so on. Then place those basket organizers full of crayons inside the utility cart and then you make yourself an art cart.
- Art Rolling Cart with Removable drawer – This cart comes with 15 drawers which will definitely provide a huge amount of space which makes a perfect storage solution for your crayon collection. Label each drawer based on how you want to organize your crayons. For example, assign a specific drawer for crayons used for rubbing or heavy coloring and another drawer or drawers for crayons used to draw fine lines. This is also one of the good crayon storage ideas to use when you need to store a group of different colored crayons together so you can pull out the drawer full of crayons and hand it over to a bunch of your students that cannot wait to draw.
- Compact Stacking Drawer – A stacking drawer is also a great organizer to organize your bulk crayons collection. It will help you to organize crayons by color family or to store your new crayons. What’s so good about this is that it’s designed to stack securely so you can combine multiple units to create storage in any configuration that you may need which makes it ideal for bulk storage. Aside from that, you can also use this compact stacking drawer for stationary crayon storage because you can place these drawers under your study table or inside a storage cabinet.
Stationary Crayon Storage
- Desk Storage Box Organizer – This stationary storage box comes with 6 drawers that offer enough space to properly organized your crayons and pens. Each drawer can be used to store your crayons based on how you want to arrange or organize them and at the same time provide you with easy accessibility.
- Minimalist Crayons/Pen Organizer -This organizer will allow you to use it in either a vertical or horizontal setup depending on your available space and how you want to arrange your supplies. It uses minimal space of your desk especially if you use this organizer vertically.
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- Crayon Station For Study Tables Drawer – Use a clear plastic desk drawer organizer or colorful pencil tray basket organizer to store your pens, crayons and other supplies that you want placed inside your drawer.
- Crayons and Other Art Supplies Storage – This has 12 compartments with a drawer which will give you an ample amount storage not only for your crayons but also for your other art and office supplies that you want to easily access.
- Craft Cabinet With Multiple Drawers – This is great organizer for storing and organizing classroom art supplies including crayons or for organizing your kid’s art space at home.
A Crayon Storage Solution To Make Them Inaccessible To Kids
- Clear Plastic Storage Satchel – This has 64 small compartments ideal storage for crayons, colored pencils, markers, paintbrushes, and more. These 64 compartments make all stored items visible at a glance without the need for digging through boxes just to find what you need. It also has a snap-tight lid to keep the contents inside secure while you are putting them on the top most shelf of your storage cabinet to keep them out of reach of your little one’s hands. The plastic handle makes the satchel easy to grab from the top shelf and easy to carry around which makes this crayon organizer perfect to make them inaccessible to kids.
- Divided Basket Bin with Handle for Craft – If you have just a small crayons collection, this divided basket bin with handle is great. It comes with 11 compartments which will allow you to store your small crayon collection and other craft supplies. The open top and divided compartments provide easy accessibility and visibility to all the things that are stored in the caddy tote. Plus, the built-in handle makes transporting your crayons from shelf to desktop or desktop to shelf a breeze. Simply grab and go.
Portable Storage
Crayon organizers with handles are ideal for portable storage.
Storage Ideas That Will Allow Group Of Kids To Share
Organizers that provide easy access features such as organizers that come with removable containers or cups and or with a rotating base are crayon organizers that will allow kids to share crayons.
Image Source:Pinterest (craftsbyamanda.com)
- Several small buckets or pencil cups inside a lazy susan turnable
Personalized Crayon Storage Ideas
Storage containers that are compact, handy, portable and with a closure are ideal organizers for personalized organizing.
The above mentioned crayon organizers are not only good to store crayons but also a perfect gift for teachers, artist kids and friends and parents with kids that like to draw and love to color.
I hope that these Crayon Storage Ideas help you to find your crayon storage solution that you are looking for.
