Toy Chests Buying Guide

A toy chest can be both a sentimental  and practical item for your child, allowing him or her a special place to store all of the most prized toys  and playthings.   Some toy chests are hand-carved  and hand-painted,  while others are durable plastic  that can be easily taken apart and put back together again.  To help you sift through your choices, get to know some of these toy chest basics.

Pros and Cons

• The biggest advantage to having a toy chest is obvious--it makes for easy clean up. If you're in a hurry and want your child to be able to help with the cleaning effort, a toy chest is a great hideaway. Simply toss all the toys inside and shut the lid for that pleasing out of sight, out of mind feeling. Toy chests can also be a great decorative item, with hand-painted designs to match room themes.  They can even have some added practical value, with bench-top  lids where children can sit.
• Toy chests may damage your more to fragile toys  if you end up tossing those on the bottom and the more heavy ones on top. Plus, it may even promote a mess if your child needs to dig through toys (subsequently throwing them on the ground) to find the one special item he or she was looking for. To remedy this problem, you may consider buying storage trays  for inside the toy chest that are designed to hold smaller, more delicate toys on top, leaving the rough-and-tumble toys on the bottom.

Special Models

Cushioned Toy Chest  These toy chests can help prevent injury to a playful child and may also be used as comfy seats for youngsters and friends.  Offered in a variety of fabrics, they can easily match with any room theme.	Collapsible/Portable Toy Chest  These toy chests work great just about anywhere.  From the outdoors to the playroom to grandma's house, these are easy to store and transport.	Toy Chest Bookcase  Unlike a conventional toy box,  this model combines a bookcase and a storage chest. Common features often include moulded-in cubbyholes for books and other small toys (especially the fragile ones), plus a roomy toy box for all things stuffed.	Beach or Backyard Toy Chest  These toy chests are usually made of mesh and plastic.  They're great for storing beach toys and bath toys, and anything else that may involve sand and/or water that needs to be drained.

Major Manufacturers

• KidKraft 
• Guidecraft 
• Lifestyle 
• Mattel 
• Queen Anne 

Related Guides

Baby Toys	Toy Buying Basics	Classic Toys	Age Specific Toys

External Links

• About.com: Check out a list of some of the most unique toy chest models.
• Best-Child-Toys.com: Things to Consider when buying and using a toy chest.