ᐅ How can I customize Ikea Pax wardrobes for children's toys?

Hello everyone,

I am planning to use one or more Ikea PAX wardrobes to organize my two children’s toys in a clear and practical way. I want to make the storage space as flexible as possible since the toys vary greatly—from small building blocks to books to larger play items. Additionally, everything should be easily accessible and safe for the children, so nothing falls out or is too hard for them to reach.

I am particularly interested in how to best divide or equip the PAX wardrobes, which modifications like dividers, boxes, or baskets make sense, and whether there are recommended accessories from Ikea or third-party suppliers that integrate well with the PAX system.

Are there also ideas on how to modify doors or fronts to be more child-friendly, for example with magnetic boards, whiteboards, or handles that improve usability?

I look forward to your tips, experiences, and practical suggestions on how to adapt PAX wardrobes optimally to the specific needs of toy storage. Thank you in advance!

Hello nakonrad50,

Your question is very precise and well thought out, especially the mention of variability in toy sizes, which I consider an important point.

In my experience, the Ikea PAX wardrobes already provide a good starting point thanks to their modular design. Here is a suggestion on how I would approach it:

- Interior layout: Use several levels of different heights. Wide shelves for books or larger toys and adjustable shelves for smaller toys.
- Increase storage space with baskets or boxes that can be taken out. The 'SKUBB' textile boxes from Ikea are suitable, as they are lightweight and flexible.
- For small items, stackable plastic boxes with compartment units, such as the 'Samla' series, are ideal.
- For safety: The PAX systems can be reinforced with additional back panels to make them tip-resistant — this is important for cabinets accessed by children.

I would also modify the doors so that, for example, small items can be hung on magnetic strips — small whiteboards for labeling also help maintain order.

One more question: How much space do you have available and how old are the children? This will determine how deep the shelves should be.

Hope this helps a bit!

Laukau5 schrieb:

- Interior layout: Use multiple levels at different heights. Wide shelves for books or larger toys and adjustable shelves for smaller toys.

Interesting point, but here I would raise a critical question: Isn’t a solution that is as flexible as possible and not too rigid more appropriate for children’s toys? The variety of toys changes constantly, especially in the early years.

Therefore, I would recommend not installing too many fixed levels. Instead, modular systems with removable boxes or flexible dividers would be better to adapt to changing needs.

Laukau5 schrieb:

I would also redesign doors so that small items can be hung on magnetic strips, for example – small whiteboards for labeling also help keep things organized.

However, before modifying doors, it is essential to check whether child safety is still ensured. Magnets and detachable parts can pose risks for young children.

Has anyone come up with practical ideas that are both everyday- and child-safe? From a practical standpoint, I’m not only looking for an appealing design but also guaranteed safety in daily use.

To complement my comments on small parts and secure storage:

IKEA PAX wardrobes are well known for their modularity, but the accessories originally offered for storing children’s toys are not ideally designed. Therefore, it is advisable to use third-party boxes and inserts that can be tailored precisely to the various compartments. A key focus when choosing these should be on safe, shatterproof materials, especially for baskets and boxes.

Additionally, I recommend paying attention to the following points:

- The back panels should be properly fixed and secured to prevent the wardrobe from tipping over.
- Child safety locks are advisable for the doors, especially if valuable or swallowable small parts are stored inside.
- If you equip the doors with whiteboards or magnetic elements, make sure to use child-safe accessories, such as special MDF boards and rounded magnets that cannot fall off.
- Flexible inserts like fabric boxes are useful but should be washable and durable enough to withstand everyday use.

Could you possibly provide more detailed information about the types of toys you mainly want to store or about the room size and the accessible environment? This would allow for a more precisely tailored solution.

faso31 schrieb:

Before modifying doors, you should always check whether child safety is ensured. Magnets and removable parts can pose a risk to young children.

This is a very important point, thank you for mentioning it. The children are 3 and 6 years old, so I consider them potentially curious and sometimes a bit careless.

Their toys range from building blocks (Lego Duplo), puzzle blocks, and books to small cars and stuffed animals.

It is important to me that the smaller parts are not scattered everywhere, but that the children can still access the items as independently as possible.

Therefore, I tend to equip the Ikea PAX wardrobes mainly with easily removable boxes or baskets that I can also rearrange inside the wardrobe as needed.

In addition, I am considering lockable or at least securely closable doors, so that I can control the storage of the small parts.

Are there any specific inserts or boxes you would recommend for Lego and similar items that integrate well into PAX and are not too expensive?

I look forward to more practical suggestions that are child-friendly and functional.