Little House

For the youngest kids, home isn't just where the heart is, it's also where the fun is. But our houses aren't always designed to let little ones stay in the thick of the action and do things -- like reach toys -- by themselves. So we've got some easy tips and pint-size solutions for tailoring your house to fit its smallest inhabitants, including a clever design for turning a rain gutter into a bookshelf and picture-perfect dresser labels that help prereaders find their clothes.

You can start with these simple storage solutions:

LITERARY GARDEN

Plant a bouquet of books in a plastic window box for floor storage that can be easily moved from one reading spot to another. Let your toddler help decorate the box with stickers (we used self-adhesive felt flower stickers to which we added tempera paint centers). We also affixed Magic Sliders (see magicsliders.com) to the bottom. The smooth-glide strips make it easy for toddlers to push the box around while preventing scratches on floors (available for about $7 at hardware stores and major retailers).

BIKE BASKET BATH BIN

When it comes to playful bathroom accessories, you can't beat a kid's bike basket. It's cheap, cheerful, and perfect for holding bath toys: the open weave offers plenty of ventilation, while the durable plastic won't rust. If you opt to hang it, use high-quality power-lock suction hooks, such as Bath Basics (available at Target), which are easy to attach to the wall and strong enough to hold the weight.