If you have children, you likely have a bathtub. And if you have a bathtub, you likely have bath toys. And if you have bath toys, you’ve likely had to kick them out of the way to use the tub, or found them strewn across the bathroom countertop, or leaving puddles of water all over the floor tile. Sound familiar?Some of these instances might be alleviated if you could simply figure out a way to organize and/or store those bath toys. Of course, you have to find a method that works for your family and your bathroom. Below are a few ideas to get you started in the right direction:

1. You could house all bath toys in a plastic laundry basket on the bottom shelf of a cabinet. (Of course, roll-out drawers are a bonus for accessibility, like those seen here, but not always a possibility.) One of the reasons this is a good idea is because your kids can access the toys they want to play with prior to playing in the tub, and they can also help put them away after bathtime.

2. Maybe you have cute, bright bath toys. Then you could easily store them on a shelf, out in the open! The toys can double as décor for the kids’ bathroom, which ultimately simplifies your life and adds fun color to your space. A word of caution with this strategy: make sure you limit the number of bath toys, so that the shelves don’t become a free-for-all junk drop. Two or three larger toys might just be all you (or your children) need in the tub.

3. You could store bath toys on a built-in ledge on the tub surround. Benefits of this storage system are pragmatic – the toys are also given plenty of air space to dry out after a bath, and if they do leak water, it goes straight into the tub. Also, children are given easy access to the toys before and after bathtime, so they can choose their favorites and help put them away. And bonus: This method requires a finite number, so your bathroom won’t be overrun with entire flocks of rubber ducks!

4. If you have exposed shelves but don’t want to store your toys in plain site, consider housing them in coordinated baskets. This keeps the serenity and order of your bathroom intact while also accommodating children and their love of playtime in the bath! In these baskets, toys are still exposed to the air for drying purposes, but they are not exposed visually. I find this to be a good balance for all ages using this space.

5. It might sound old-fashioned, but you could consider storing them in the tub itself, in a mesh bag or on a bath board, as shown here. This particular setup is stylish, functional (it allows the tub floor to be cleared of water after bathtime), and simple. The movable bath shelf works for the child in the tub and also for others who may be using the shower here, as they won’t have to step on toys to bathe. Plus…I don’t think you can go wrong with that fantastic tub surround.

Picture sources: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.