Storage Ideas

storage bags will keep out the bugs and water. they make big ziploc type now too. or get the kind that rolls under the bed and store them there. do you have an attic. we have two and shortly after moving in we put in a fold down ladder to the one above our garage and floored the tallest area of it for storing stuff. sense the ladder is attached i can go up and down without the aid of another to hold it. what about the floor of his closet can you fit the tote there? i have girls so their closets are FULL but perhaps a boys wouldnt be. good luck.

Not how small your house is, or how many toys your son has, but there are a few options. First of all, I hate clutter, so I have taught my kids to give their toys away when they are not getting used...it has help to teach them not to be pack rats and how to share, etc...I usually let them choose what they want to keep - I'll tell them - keep one, give one away, etc...so before Christmas, they will have half the toys they had and have room for more new ones. Kids also out-grow toys faster than you think, so really, a few good toys will last for a long time until they get new ones, then the old ones can be given away. It also helps families that cannot afford toys; I give a lot to Goodwill.
As for the storage options...bins under the bed work well...I also bought my DSD a pretty toy box that doubles as a bench for under her window. Some of the shelving options for closets are amazing these days - if you think vertical, there are more options....installing a shelving system in a closet is very easy - if I can do it, any one can! I don't blame you for not wanting to keep the toys in the garage...mine is prone to bugs also....but my plastic storage bins are a good about keeping stuff out of the holiday decorations. Also - if you buy things that double as storage, that will help a lot as well - such as an ottoman that has storage inside instead of a plain ottoman....or a day bed with shelves built in, or even an armoire that has doors for another room in the house - like a tv stand that has drawers or doors that can be shut and no one would be the wiser. Also - I bought my daughter a hammock for her stuffed animals....it hangs in the corner above her bed and it is a great way to display and keep out of the way (http://www.stacksandstacks.com/stuffed-animals-toy-storag... son likes to display his bionicles and have easy access to his board games, so he has metal racks that store all his stuff....they are rather large, but keep things off the floor...my daughter also has a bookshelf that is skinny, but tall, and it can house a lot of things such as books, cds, figurines, tea sets, etc....Good luck - interested in knowing what you come up with!

Some people like the plastic storage containers that are low and long and fit under the beds. AF

I shipped some toys to grandparents so that when children go to visit them, there seems to be a new supply of toys! Get a large rubbermaid container, fill up with their "old" toys and send over there (with parents' permission, of course). My parents were delighted and it saved me time from having to pack toy bag for visits. Works for aunts, uncles, godparents, etc.

a good rubbermaid storage bin or qood quality trash can will indeed keep out bugs and spiders, and rotating your toys is an excellent idea.
you might also consider the unpopular one of having few toys. kids really do not need a fraction of the toys parents think they do.
khairete
S.

we put up shelves in our house and use storage boxes as they hold their shape. bugs don't get into good boxes either. We can put our boxes up high and even put a curtain over them. We don't put any toys in our kids rooms so it isn't so messy there.

Do you have an attic? If so, check and see if it has any flooring. If not, you can go to home depot or lowes and buy precut plywood to place across the beams, creating a floor for the bins. I did that in our last house and it worked like a charm.