When you first see the double lines show up on the pregnancy test you start to think about all the goods you need to support your new little being.  Toys, clothes, furniture, bottles, and all that stuff babies absolutely need to survive all runs through your head in that moment.  What expectant parents fail to realize is that really so long as the baby can eat and has a place to rest its head it will thrive with a parents love alone.  However, as indulgent parents we feel the need to purchase and store goods that we think baby might need as it grows.

That is where toy boxes come into the picture.  Toy boxes are really one of the best gifts a new parent can receive.  My father has made a toy box for each new arrival in our family and all of our friends.  We used ours from the day we received it before baby was born to now as they have grown out of the toy stage of life.  It started out storing the new purchases until babies arrival, then moved on to the storage of toys and it now is used as game storage plus a really nice coffee table for our sitting room.  My father is really great at making these personalized kids toys boxes. He adds little features that make them uniquely each individually perfect.

If you aren’t as lucky as we have been to have someone make our children a personalized kid’s toy box I recommend you look into ordering one right away.  It helps to keep all of baby’s things in place before their arrival and helps create a space for their extra things as they begin to accumulate and take over your home.  You will want to make sure you look for a quality personalized kid’s toy box.

What To Look For

  • Safety: You really want to find a toy box that has a controlled hinge.  This will help ensure that no one gets their fingers shut in the box.  You will also want to make sure that the toy box does not lock latch.  Children love to sit in their special toy boxes and it would be incredibly dangerous if the box latched and locked them in.
  • Practical verse Decorative:  Are you looking for a toy box that also combines as a book shelf for a child’s bedroom or are you looking for something that is strictly functional for toys in the main space where a child plays?  This will be a living room or area where mom and dad can keep an eye on them for quite awhile as they play.
  • Material:  Are you looking for a personalized toy box that is made out of plastic or wood.  The benefit of wooden toy boxes is that they last forever and can be passed down as an heirloom.  Plastic ones however are less expensive, light weight and can easily be maneuvered by little ones.

Benefits Of The Toy Box

  • Quick Cleanup:  Toy boxes are perfect places to throw toys in a jiffy.  Larger toys are easily stored for use later.  Smaller toys can be placed in bins that can then be stored inside the larger toy box so that little pieces don’t get lost at the bottom of the box.
  • Easy Access:  Toys boxes are a great independent play parenting tool.  The toys inside are easily accessed and children can spend hours emptying and filling the box with their personal belongings.  Whether it is dress up clothes, teddy bears, match box cars or Lego’s kids can entertain themselves without needing to much parental interaction when toys are stored in toy boxes.

Drawbacks Of The Toy Box

  • Broken Toys: If toys are thrown in to the toy box overtime the more fragile toys will eventually be broken.
  • Forgotten Toys: Toys that are stashed at the bottom might become lost or forgotten about for the child.  Rotating toys in and out every few weeks will prevent this from happening and prevent toy boredom.
  • Potential Mess:  Isn’t this why we have kids though.  Yes, toy boxes can solve and create the same problem.  Toys get thrown in and out of the toy box.  That is what having children is all about – hiding messes.