Cubbies come in various shapes and sizes and can be made of different materials. The typical cubby is a large wooden cabinet, but there are others that are made of metal wire shelves with plastic tubs on the shelves. These metal wire cubbies are often on wheels and can be used by an art teacher or specialist teacher who travels to classrooms. Some cubbies are very tall and have a long vertical space used for hanging up coats and backpacks.
Cubbies are used for organized storage of materials. In many classrooms teachers have cubbies with trays in them labeled with each student's name. Students store their supplies in their trays, such as textbooks or art supplies, so they can keep their desks clear. Cubby cabinets are also used in classrooms or in homes to store miscellaneous items, such as microscopes, toys or math materials. Art teachers often use cubbies with long thin openings to store artwork for students as it dries or as it awaits completion.
Large cubbies with brightly colored trays can be found in many early elementary classrooms. As you move throughout a school you will notice that the cubbies remain, but they are often void of trays. Trays are very useful when the cubbyhole contains materials that are loose and not flat. In primary classrooms the trays will often contain glue sticks, crayons, markers and scissors that would fall out of an open cubby hole. In older grades the cubbies are often used to store textbooks which do not require a tray to hold them in place.
You can purchase cubbies from office supply stores, educational catalogs and even big box stores such as Target or Home Depot. If you are purchasing a cubby cabinet for a home, purchasing one from a local retailer is fine. If the cubby cabinet is for a classroom, you should research your purchase and buy from an educational supplier or from a school furniture provider, so that the quality and craftsmanship is able to withstand constant daily usage.