Start with the space, not the toy pile
Before choosing a basket, measure the spot where it will live. Check the available width, depth and height, remembering that the listed basket height may not include the handles. Leave enough room for a child to lift toys out without scraping the basket against a shelf or wall.
Measure the largest toys you want to store, too. A basket can be roomy overall but still be awkward if chunky vehicles, soft toys or large building sets cannot fit through the opening. For a low shelf, floor space beside a play area or the bottom of a wardrobe, width is usually the measurement that matters most. Check whether the stated width is measured at the widest point, as it is for several of our baskets.
Match the basket to the toy collection
Small baskets suit a focused collection rather than a whole playroom. They work well for puzzles, small figures, toy food, wooden blocks or the toys a child reaches for every day. Keeping one category in a smaller basket can also make tidying less overwhelming: everything goes back into one place instead of being spread across a large container.
Large baskets are more useful for mixed collections, dress-up clothes, soft toys and bigger toys. They hold more, but they can become difficult to sort if every type of toy is tipped into the same space. If you choose a large basket, you could use smaller boxes or fabric bags inside it for separate categories.
Extra-large baskets are useful when you need one generous home for a bulky collection, such as large soft toys or a mixture of playroom favourites. They need more floor space, so measure the footprint carefully and think about whether a child can reach the bottom. A basket that is too deep may encourage toys to be left beside it rather than put away.
Compare the children’s basket sizes
- Tiger Basket - Small measures 20cm high, excluding the handles, and 22cm wide at its widest point. It is handwoven from seagrass, hand dyed and embroidered with a tiger face. As each basket is made individually, colour, form and size can vary slightly; sizes may vary by 2–3cm.
- Tiger Basket - Large measures 30cm high, excluding the handles, and 30cm wide at its widest point. It is handwoven from seagrass, with a hand-embroidered tiger face and painted stripe colour. Each basket is individual, so colour, form and size may vary slightly; sizes may vary by 2–3cm.
- Plain Seagrass Basket - Large measures 30cm high, excluding the handles, and 30cm wide at its widest point. It is made from handwoven natural seagrass and folds down inside itself for easy stacking.
- Dinosaur Basket - Large measures 30cm high, excluding the handles, and 30cm wide at its widest point. It is made from handwoven seagrass and hand-painted with a dinosaur motif, making it a fun option for dinosaur toys.
- Yellow Lion Basket - Extra Large measures 36cm high, excluding the handles, and 45cm wide at its widest point. It is handwoven from seagrass and hand-painted with a lion’s face; the mane is hand threaded, so each one is unique. As with the other handwoven baskets, colour, form and size may vary slightly, with sizes varying by 2–3cm.
Make tidying easier for children
The best basket is one a child can use without an adult rearranging it first. Put it where toys are played with, rather than across the room, and keep heavier items at the bottom. Leave a little space at the top so toys can be lifted out and returned without everything spilling over the sides.
For younger children, one basket for one broad category is often easier than several tiny categories. You might use one for soft toys, one for puzzles and one for vehicles. For an older child, labels or picture labels can make sorting more independent. If the basket is shared by siblings, assigning a simple category to each basket can help avoid arguments about where things belong.
Handwoven baskets are individual, so measure the available space with a small tolerance rather than planning a completely exact fit. Keep the basket on a stable surface and follow the care and safety instructions on the label.
Our recommendation for a mixed toy collection
We recommend the Tiger Basket - Large for a typical mixed toy collection because its hand-embroidered tiger face gives children a clear visual marker for where everyday toys belong.