There probably isn’t a single parent in the world who hasn’t ever tripped over a toy in their kid’s room. There also isn’t a single kid who hasn’t lost a sock or two amid all the mess in their room. From toys to clothes to stationery to school books and everything in between, it takes seconds for a kid’s room to become messy and disorganized. This is why kids’ room organization is so important.
For a lot of parents, cleaning their kids’ room is a herculean task. With so much stuff to store and keep track of, it can sometimes become impossible to keep the room perfectly organized. And well, kids are kids.
They will create a mess and will leave you to clean it up.
But, not all hope is lost.
When it comes to kids’ room organization, you just need a few smart toy storage and organization strategies up your sleeve. A mess-free and an organized kid’s room will ultimately save you so much time.
And, not to mention, you won’t be losing shoes, socks, toys, and other things as often.
Remember, it is possible to have kids and a perfectly tidy room both at the same time.
A Guide on Kids’ Room Organization
This detailed guide on kids’ room organization will teach you how to keep their room clean and spick and span. Moreover, it will also provide you with some storage and organization hacks that will come in handy when cleaning your kids’ room.
Simple Tips to Get You Started
First things first, before we get to organization methods, there are a few tips to help you get started.
Make Your Kids Part of the Organization Process
Cleaning children’s rooms can feel particularly disastrous if anything, especially if there is more than one room to clean. So, one effective way to go about it is to involve your kids in the kids’ room organization process. The idea here is to work with them, not around them.
Kids that are three years of age and above often get very excited at little things and want to participate. Even if it’s something like cleaning, they just want to be involved. So why not use it to your advantage and give them a few tasks to handle?
It could simply be picking up the toys and placing them in their respective place.
Most importantly, they will feel a certain degree of ownership and will want to take control over the organization process.
Talk to Them about the Importance of Cleanliness
If your kids are old enough to understand, talk to them about the importance of cleanliness. Tell them how everything in their bedroom also has a home just like they do.
Sometimes, just using clever language with a bit of storytelling does the job of making a little kid understand what you are trying to tell them.
The goal here is to not only get them to clean their room but also know where everything goes so that they are careful all the time.
Turn It into a Game
Every kid likes playing games and having fun, right?
So why not make a game out of the whole kids’ room organization process?
Simply count up to ten and have your kids pick up one item at each count. That way, they’ll keep ten things back where they belong, be it clothes, toys, books, or anything else. Or, you could cover your eyes, count to ten, and have them tidy things up.
Kids love games no matter what kind of game it is, so the chances are that they will have a ball organizing their room! Moreover, it will make the task less boring for them, and they will actually feel like doing it because it’s a game, remember?
Lead by Example
Every parent knows kids mirror what they do, so you can use this to your benefit when organizing their room. Your child is likely to model your behavior, even if it’s as small or basic as picking up a toy from the floor and putting it away.
So, you must lead by example and get your kids to take charge of keeping their room clean and organized.
Create a Reward System
When was the last time you rewarded your child or showed appreciation because he or she did something good?
The process of encouraging and rewarding positive and desirable behaviors is known as ‘positive reinforcement’. This is a popular concept in behavioral psychology that aims to establish a pattern of behaviors that are desirable.
There isn’t a fixed reward system that you need to create. It’s a completely personal choice so do what works best for you. For instance, you give your kids a sticker each time they pick up the toys when playtime is over.
Then, you can create a rewards chart which, once filled with stickers, earns your kids a reward. The reward could either be a toy, a sweet treat or a day of fun in the park.
The ultimate goal here is to teach your child the importance of keeping their room clean, tidy and organized. Additionally, encouraging positive habits, behaviors, and expectations too at the same time.
Steps for Organizing Kids’ Rooms
Kids’ room organization is a process that includes a series of steps that you must do one at a time.
Each step accomplishes a different goal, and by the end of it, you will have a perfectly neat and tidy room.
1. Pick Up the Trash
Begin by picking up all the trash and throwing it away in the bin or garbage can.
This is the most obvious step because once the trash is out of the way, then you can move on to the useful stuff.
You can divide this process between you and your kids. You separate the trash and get your kids to help you by throwing it in the garbage can.
Trash includes things like empty chips packets, biscuit wrappers, broken toys, crumpled up pieces of paper, used tissue papers, etc. Throw every unwanted thing away, after which you can sort through other things.
2. Clean the Desks and Drawers
During kids’ room organization, make sure to empty desks and drawers and remove their contents at least once a month. Then, give them a good cleaning and clean their interior properly with soap and water.
This is essential to do in order to keep them free of dirt, dust, and debris.
This might take a long time, but it’s absolutely necessary. Make your kids a part of the cleaning process where they can assist you with the steps involved.
3. Sort All the Toys
Most kids’ rooms are full of toys, some that they love and some that they probably hate. Sort through their toys and ask your kids what they want to keep and what they would like to give away.
Use this as a teaching moment by letting them sort the toys with you. Tell them they need to let go of toys that are either broken or ones that they no longer like.
You can donate the latter to a needy person with kids who might be looking for some toys.
4. Sort All the Clothes
After toys, clothes are what add to the mess and clutter, so that’s what you need to sort through next.
Your kids’ drawers and closets are probably brimming with clothes, so you must organize them properly.
There are likely to be clothes that your kid has outgrown and some that are too big for them. Divide all the clothes into separate sections and create three piles of clothes that you wish to:
- Store for later because they are too big
- Donate to charities or someone needy
- Keep because your child is wearing them currently
For the first two piles, you can get storage bags for storing them neatly. One bag goes back in the closet to be used later, and the other is donated away. There are might also be a few clothes that your child doesn’t like and wouldn’t wear again.
If they are in good condition, consider donating them. If they are torn or too worn out, simply get rid of them.
5. Organize the Shoes
A typical kids’ room looks something like this – shoes scattered on the floor, shoes piled up near the door, and some shoes with only one pair sitting alone in a corner.
A very important step in kids’ room organization is putting away their shoes neatly. Now, there are many ways you can do this. You can either arrange them on a shelf attached to a wall or make a DIY shoe rack or stand.
Additionally, you can also place them neatly in a wicker basket and tuck that way inside one of the cupboards.
Sort through the shoes the same you did with clothes earlier. Keep the ones that your child wears currently and get rid of torn or worn-out shoes.
Then, identify the ones your child doesn’t like anymore or has outgrown and put them aside for donation.
6. Arrange the Books
If there is a book rack or bookshelf in your kid’s room, that’s where all the books go. Arrange them neatly according to size, color, thickness, or anything you like.
However, if not, specify a storage space for the books in one of the drawers. Or, pile them up in a basket that you can keep inside one of the cupboards.
7. Organize Other Miscellaneous Items
You’ll find many other things in kids’ rooms such as school bags, arts and crafts supplies, drawing books, hairbrushes, etc. These are the other miscellaneous items that probably already have a designated place in the room.
A huge part of kids’ room organization is making sure your kids keep these items back in place.
Get your children to pick them up and arrange them neatly wherever they belong. Again, get rid of anything they no longer need or like.
If something is in good condition, donate it. This applies to literally every item in their room. And, truth be told, you’ll have so much extra space in the room once everything is sorted accordingly.
8. Sweep or Vacuum the Floor
Once your kids’ belongings are in their proper places, it’s time to give the floor a thorough cleaning. Whether you want to sweep or use a handheld vacuum, that’s your choice.
If the floor is carpet-free, the cleaning process is going to be a breeze. If not, you might have to do some extra efforts to remove all the dust and dirt from the carpeting.
It’s not the floor that needs cleaning, but also the bed, the top of the dressers, and other such spaces. A part of kids’ room organization is dividing the cleaning zones between yourself and your kids to speed up the process. This will also teach them how it’s done.
Kids’ Room Organization Hacks and Storage Ideas
Kids’ room organization isn’t just limited to picking up things and placing them where they belong. It’s also about coming up with organization hacks and storage ideas to make efficient use of the available space.
We’ve rounded up some of the most useful hacks and ideas that will help you organize your kids’ room nicely. Moreover, they will also save space and make the room look super neat and tidy.
Beds with Slide-Out Drawers
A lot of people have beds with inbuilt storage in the form of slide-out drawers in their bedrooms. In many cases, these drawers are heavily under-utilized and are just there, not serving any purpose.
In other cases, they function as a mini storeroom holding a collection of forgotten things.
These drawers present the ideal opportunity to store things like toys, games, puzzles, Lego boxes, out-of-season clothes, and so much more.
If your kids’ room doesn’t have such a bed, you can take a few crates or storage boxes and place them under the bed. This way, you can keep things out of the way and also make maximum use of the storage space under their bed.
Fabric Bins or Baskets
Kids play with toys every single day, which means that these are a daily-use time. You probably find yourself walking into a pool of toys strewn across the floor every now and then.
To prevent the mess and to keep the space tidy, use fabric bins or baskets for storing the toys.
These bins and baskets make the process of tucking away toys such a breeze, especially at bedtime. You can then place them either in an empty corner of the room or stow them inside a cupboard.
So, every time your kids want to play with toys, they will simply have to take the basket out. Once they are done, they put the toys back in the basket and keep them in their specified place. They are super easy to move around, don’t require much effort, and can effortlessly pull a room together.
Storage Baskets for the Closet
Every person knows how handy and useful storage baskets are, especially for kids’ room organization. When arranging the kids’ closet, plastic storage baskets present the ideal solution for perfect organization. You can either hang them inside the closet or place them on top of each other.
Have a different basket for each item, such as socks, underwear, night suits, swimwear, and other such things. These baskets are so useful not just for you but also when your kids are tidying their rooms. They will know exactly where each item goes without having to ask you every time.
Spice Racks Make Ideal Shelves
If you’re on a budget and are looking to add some DIY shelves to your kids’ room, spice racks are your true friends!
Repurpose old spice racks that you might have lying around, paint them with your kids, and turn them into shelves! You can use these spice rack shelves for many things such as small toys, books, hair accessories, or anything else.
Create a Reading Corner or a Mini Library
Reading is such an essential habit that we need to inculcate in our children. While most kids don’t fancy the idea of reading, you can actually make it a fun pastime activity.
A great way to do that is to create a reading corner or a mini library in a certain area of their room. All you need to do is stack a few wooden crates either on top of each other or lay them side by side.
Then, fill them with books and a variety of short stories. You can even paint these crates according to the color of the room and create matching crates.
If your kids aren’t old enough to read properly, stack colorful books on numbers, alphabets, and colors for them instead. You can even place some of their favorite toys in this mini reading corner so that they take an interest in this activity.
Doing this will serve two major purposes – your kids’ books will be tucked away neatly in a corner, and they will fancy spending some time every day reading a book.
Wheeling Carts
Another excellent storage and organization hack is using wheeling carts. These are super fun to use and can be moved around with great use. Get your kids to pick up their toys from the floor and load them up in the cart.
As they wheel the cart here and there, they won’t be just tidying the room. But, will also have fun while they are at it!
Create Custom Labels
Every organizer knows well in their heart that labels are the ultimate key for great organization and storage. From baskets to bins to drawers, label everything with custom labels.
Labeling prevents things from getting lost, but more than that, they help find different things and items quickly.
Additionally, custom labels also make the organization process so much easier. When cleaning the room, you simply need to find the right label and keep things in their respective places.
Hook It Up
Things like towels, nightdresses, PJs, and others are used every single day. You might not want to go through the hassle of taking them out of the cupboard every time.
The best way to organize daily-use items is with the help of hooks. Either find an empty wall in the room or use the inside portion of a cupboard wall and attach some hooks. From towels to clothes to backpacks, you can hang anything you want on those hooks.
If more than one kid shares the room, get your hands on personalized hooks in each of your child’s initials. This way, they know where their things are and will also prevent the daily fights over what belongs to whom.
Make Use of the Back of the Doors
Whether it’s the room door or the bathroom door, when it comes to kids’ room organization, the back of your doors offers great storage spaces. You can use them in so many different ways while maintaining a neat and tidy look.
For instance, you can hang fabric totes on hooks and put your kids’ stuffed animals or blocks inside them. You can hang more than one bag and use each of them for storing a different item. Again, make sure to label them so that both you and your kids know exactly which item goes where.
Ladder Up
A lot of people have stylish wooden ladders in their room, mainly for aesthetics purposes. Well, they are so much more than that.
If your kids’ room has an empty wall, place a cute decorative ladder there. You can use it to arrange their books, lining their toys, or even keeping freshly folded laundry on it.
The main idea here is vertical storage which isn’t only space-saving but is also easy on the eyes.
Can or Jar Organizers
How many times have you found your child crying because they couldn’t find some markers from their market set?
Kids have a tendency to lose small items like markers, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, and other such things. Not just that, but these small items also create quite a mess when kids are doing their homework, for instance.
The best way to keep small items organized is with the help of a jar or can organizers. Grab a few old glass jars or tin cans from the kitchen that are no longer needed. Reserve each organizer for specific items like pencils, crayons, markers, etc., and make sure to label them.
Every time your child sits down to do their homework or draw a painting, they can grab these containers with them. Once they are done, they can put the contents back inside as well as the organizers back in their respective places.
Create a List of Daily Chores
Once your kids’ room is perfectly neat, clean, and tidy, you must create a list of daily chores for them to do. This is to ensure that they maintain the newly organized room and don’t mess it up again with toys and other things.
These are some chores that your child can do daily to keep the room clean at all times:
- Make the bed every day in the morning
- Collect and throw away all trash from every corner of the room
- Put toys away in their storage space once they are done playing
- Pick up and put away clothes that they aren’t currently wearing
- Put aside all those toys that they don’t like or wish to play with anymore
- Throw the dirty clothes in the laundry basket
- Arrange all the books back in place once they are done reading.
These are just a few examples of chores that your kids can perform every day to keep the room organized.
The reward chart or system that we mentioned earlier also applies here. Each chore they do with success earns them a sticker. Once the chart is filled with stickers and all chores have been performed, the child earns a reward.
Final Word
As overwhelming and draining as kids’ room organization sounds, it really isn’t if you have a strategy in place. When cleaning your kids’ room, make sure to involve them in each step.
This is to teach them about keeping their room tidy and organized and to provide them a sense of ownership.
At the end of the day, kids need to learn the importance of cleanliness and keeping things back in place once they finish using them. These kids’ room organization tips will ensure that your children will keep their rooms neat and tidy and have a good time doing so!
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