Among the many products for storing toys, the classic toy chest is one of the most classic and traditional. Styles of toy chests can range from a simple wooden box to a beautiful piece of storage furniture that looks good in any room of the house. When selecting a style among the numerous toy storage products available, key considerations are (1) the location where the toy box will be placed (2) the toy chest's structure and safety characteristics and (3) the future use of the toy storage product.

Location

Will the toy chest be placed in the child's bedroom? Will it be placed in a play room? Or will it be placed in a living room, recreation room or perhaps even the kitchen? A child's bedroom or play room are often the preferred locations. These locations often have a decor with a theme which should be considered along with the child's interests. For example, a girl with a love for princesses would do well with a princess-themed toy chest while a boy who dreams of being a firefighter would love one with a fire truck theme. Almost any theme can be found with a little research. If another room in the house is the intended location, keeping with the decor of that room is a fitting approach. A toy chest in a standard wood finish that matches other furniture in the designated room is often the best selection. A living room with cherry wood decor for example would be a great location for a cherry finish, bench-style product.

Structure and Safety

While wooden toy chests offer the strongest structure, sometimes plastic or even collapsible canvas units are all that are needed. Certainly, a toy box that will be a permanent fixture in the home is best selected among the sturdier, wooden products. However, some rooms in the home are amenable to plastic or even collapsible type toy boxes. If a parent wants to teach a child respect and responsibility for their possessions, selecting a toy chest that can serve as a special place for a child's treasures can help being teaching that child at an early age that special things have a special place and require special care taken. That said, a parent would only want a special place for their child's toys if it was safe. Best safety practices for include a slow closing hinge, a gap between the lid and sides of the box to prevent little fingers from getting caught. Parents should avoid any chest that locks to avoid a child being trapped inside. Finally, the sturdier the material with which the chest was produced, the less likely it is that the toy chest will collapse or fall over.

Future

When selecting from among the many toy chests available today, one final and important consideration is what the future holds for that chest. Will the toy storage product remain in the same home or will it be passed down to the next generation when the child starts a family of their own? Toy boxes that remain with the parents can often be re-purposed as a storage chest of some sort. A blanket chest, a toy box for grandchildren, a pet toy container, or even a tool chest are all real-life examples of what a child's toy chest became. Chests that remain with the child as they move on can either be passed down to the next generation or can also be re-purposed for other uses like a hope chest, a dorm storage bench or even a storage box for not-yet-needed wedding gifts or other supplies in a storage-less, small apartment. When making the original toy chest purpose, at least some thought should be given to what the future use of the toy storage unit will be once the child grows up.

While there are other considerations when purchasing a toy storage product, this article discusses three of the key considerations. Location, structure and safety and the future are important things to think about when buying a toy chest for your child.