CAR TOY ORGANIZATION

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Car toy organization can make or break a trip with the kids. Whether you’re running to the store or driving cross country, I’ve got you covered!

I don’t know about you, but my car gets trashed. Little hands are constantly grabbing toys and leaving everything strewn about. The only way I’ve found to combat this is to have a place for everything. That way, even if the little ones don’t put it back, it’s quick and easy for you to put it back as you get them out of their car seats. I have a few key car toy organization tips that have transformed the interior of my car.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Get my full disclosure here.

If you missed my posts about the actual toys we keep in the car, don’t forget to check those out! There are a couple of hacks you won’t want to miss.

BEST CAR TOYS FOR BABIES
BEST CAR TOYS FOR PRESCHOOLERS

CAR TOY ORGANIZATION SUPPLIES

The first thing you need to organize your car toys is some gear. I try to re-purpose things whenever possible, but for this job I really think items specifically made to fit your car are key.

Here are my favorite organizers for the car:

The Backseat car organizer on the left serves a wonderful dual purpose. Of course it houses so many toys and notebooks! But it also protects the back of my seat from little footprints.

The one on the right fits perfectly between the two car seats, and my older daughter can easily reach in and grab things out of it. It’s perfect for a few blankets and other items I want her to have easy access to even while buckled up.

CAR TOY ORGANIZATION FOR BABY

I have one of the backseat car organizers hanging from each of the front seats of my car. The one on my younger daughter’s side is a little more difficult to access because her rear facing car seat blocks the upper portion. It’s still perfectly handy though. I place all of the small toys she likes to play with while we’re on the road into the large lower pocket. That way I can easily reach back while driving, grab something by feel, and hand it to her.

I also use the “cup holder” pocket to hold a large muslin blanket. It’s perfect to shade her stroller for a nap, lay on the ground for a play mat or diaper change, keep her warm on an unexpectedly nippy morning, or play a rousing game of peek-a-boo!

CAR TOY ORGANIZATION FOR OLDER CHILDREN

My older daughter utilizes her seat back organizer much more. The top pocket has small flat items, the bottom has larger flat items, the cup holders have colored pencils (which we store in a cup), her pens are easily accessible, and her sunglasses are handy. Plus her footprints are invisible on the black fabric. Unfortunately my car is too small for her feet to avoid the seat all together.

UTILIZE ALL OPEN SPACE TO ORGANIZE CAR TOYS

The area between the car seats was a no-man’s-land where things went to die. Once something was dropped there it was out of sight, and therefore out of mind. I got this great back seat organizer and it has proved worth it. My older daughter can reach right in and grab things out of it, even with her 5 point harness on. I keep blankets in the back part, and “current” toys (often which belong in the house) in the front portion. It has several smaller pockets too!

ORGANIZING THE BACK OF THE CAR

Just in case you were curious, here is the back of the car. Luckily I’m able to fit my stroller this direction, because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to fit groceries!! I actually took the floor model stroller out to my car to test it before deciding on it.

The purple basket houses reusable grocery bags and the adapters to put the 2nd seat on my stroller.

On the left, the light/bright blue thing is a waterproof blanket. This is a must to have in the car if you have kids! And the large rectangular bag is one of my hacks for you. See a full explanation with more pictures below.

And yes – I do have a t-shirt over my seat. I fully realize I could buy a proper seat cover. But the problem of little feet dirtying the seat while my daughter is rear facing will be short lived, so I threw a t-shirt over the seat. I then realized when I got this new stroller (because baby #2 was on the way) that it also serves the purpose of protecting the back of that seat from dirty stroller tires. Eventually I would love to replace it with a proper seat cover, but in all honestly I just haven’t found the time to research what will fit my car properly!

CAR HACKS FOR MOM

While I’m at it, I thought I would share a couple of hacks with you.

CAR SEAT HEAD SUPPORT BAND

First, I must say that I’m not a safety expert and I have not thoroughly researched the safety of using something like this in an accident, so I would encourage you to do so before purchasing or using any items not made specifically for and/or by your car seat/car seat manufacturer.

Not that that’s out of the way, I absolutely love this CAR SEAT HEAD SUPPORT BAND. It breaks my heart to watch my little girl’s sweet little head bobble around with each stop sign. I worry her sweet little neck will get hurt. I was tying a scarf from the Dollar Tree around her seat to slip down over the top when needed. Just when I was thinking I was going to get rich with my new invention, I found out somebody already made it! So, after spending a second mourning my vacation home in Italy, I ordered them right away.

LARGE UTILITY TOTE BAG

This LARGE UTILITY TOTE BAG has changed my life. I got the idea from Jordan over at Fun Cheap or Free. In the morning (or sometimes even the night before) I set it on the bench in the kitchen and it holds all the items I need to bring with me that day. Before I had this I would make piles (and forget them), or take things out to the car in multiple trips. Now I put it all in here, and just carry this tote bag right out to the car. Once it’s in there, I put anything in it that needs to be brought inside such as purchases I made that day, school paperwork, etc.

Mom brain is real, and it hit me extra hard with the 2nd kiddo. My short term memory is GONE! Now, instead of remembering things, I place them in the bag (it puts the lotion in the basket keeps running through my head), and it all makes it in the car.

I hope you found something useful or inspiring in this post today. Happy travels!!

SHOP THIS POST

SEAT BACK ORGANIZER
BACK SEAT ORGANIZER
CAR SEAT HEAD SUPPORT BAND
LARGE UTILITY TOTE BAG
CITY SELECT LUX STROLLER (mentioned in video)

RELATED POSTS

CAR TOYS FOR BABIES
BEST CAR TOYS FOR PRESCHOOLERS
DIY BARRETTE HOLDER

CAR TOY ORGANIZATION VIDEO

PIN IT FOR LATER

Thanks for stopping by!!

XO,
Morgan
The Cheeky Homemaker

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