The Essential Guide for Decluttering Your Kids Room
The Essential Guide for Decluttering Your Kids Room
Around 3.1% of the world’s children live in the US but they own 40% of the toys. Most of these toys are ones they don’t play with or have even forgotten they own.
And while toys are often the main source of clutter in a kid’s room, they aren’t the only culprit. Most kids have piles of clothes that don’t fit them and goodness knows what else cluttering their room.
If you’re googling “how to declutter my child’s room” then this is likely your reality. It might seem like there is no solution. But there is if you have the right advice!
Follow this children’s room decluttering guide to learn how to declutter a child’s room and keep it that way.
Organize Your Kid’s Room Into Zones
Your kid’s room isn’t only their bedroom. It’s also their playroom, learning center, art studio, and dressing room. This can cause your child’s room to look chaotic because there is no structure to it.
Start your decluttering kid room journey by splitting the physical space into sections. Keep their bed as their sleeping and reading space by only allowing stuffed toys in this zone. Install bookshelves above the bed so they also stay in this area.
Do this with other zones, too. Move any toys out of their closet and separate educational tools from other types of toys. Even if you are working with a small space, you can still carve out small zones that will help keep their things organized.
Invest in Appropriate Storage Solutions
Now you’ve sorted the zones, you can find and install the best storage solutions for your child’s belongings within those zones.
If you have young children but they use an adult-sized wardrobe or closet, you likely have lots of wasted space. Put shelves or a tall rack underneath where their clothes hang so you can use it to store folded clothes or shoes. Install hooks on the doors so you can hang clothes or backpacks there, too.
Finding storage solutions for your kid’s toys is a balancing act. It needs to be a system that is easy to maintain but will actually keep the toys organized.
If your kid likes lego, blocks, or toys with lots of pieces, invest in plastic containers they can throw these toys into when they’re done. Don’t expect them to put everything back in the original boxes because that’s unrealistic. Invest in hanging net bags or laundry baskets for stuffed toys.
Rotate Toys That Your Kids Don’t Play With
It’s far easier to keep your kids room clutter-free when there are fewer items to clutter it with. But kids have a funny habit of deciding they want to keep toys they haven’t played with in a while when you suggest getting rid of them!
Instead, keep a close eye on what toys your child is playing with and which they don’t. Then when they are at school or on a playdate, take those toys and hide them elsewhere. A dark plastic box in your garage should do the trick.
If they ask for a toy you’ve moved, then you can reintroduce it. But if they go over a month without asking for a toy then it’s likely safe for you to remove it for good.
And Rotate Clothes and Shoes Too
Children grow out of clothes faster than you expect. Before you know it, half of the clothes they own don’t fit and they didn’t get a chance to wear them.
You should change how you store clothes in their closet and get them dressed. When they’ve worn an outfit, put it to the right-hand side of the rail so you know it still fits.
Try and only dress them in clothes from the left-hand side of the rail so their clothes are in constant rotation. When you begin to dress them in an outfit that doesn’t fit you can get rid of it and try the next one in the queue. This will avoid you having to bribe your child to do a lengthy “try-on” of their entire wardrobe to see what fits.
Create a “One in One Out” Rule
As a parent or guardian, you need to set rules and boundaries for your kid. You can create rules to help keep the clutter out of your kid’s room too.
Whenever your child wants a new toy or outfit that they see in a store, you can say yes. But your “yes” depends on your child getting rid of another toy when you get home.
Motivate Your Kids to Declutter Themselves
Your child might feel more motivated to donate or sell their toys if they knew what would happen to them afterward. Explain to your child that giving up one of their toys means another child can get enjoyment from it too.
Leave a “donation” box out in a common family room and encourage your child to put items in there that they no longer use. This will help teach them to be generous and selfless as well as keep clutter out of their room.
Find Great Resources To Donate or Sell Items
Sometimes choosing which items to declutter isn’t the problem. Often you struggle to know what to do with the items you want to remove!
These are your main options:
- Sell
- Donate
- Recycle
- Regift
- Trash
You might think trying to sell old toys is a waste of time as you won’t get a lot for them. But you’d be wrong! Some of those toys will be in excellent condition and are worth more than you think.
Find out how to sell beanie babies here. Sell other second-hand toys on platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
Achieve the Impossible With These Kid’s Room Decluttering Tips
It’s unrealistic to expect any system to keep your kid’s room organized 24/7. But if you use these tips and you have the determination to make it work, then your child’s bedroom is much more likely to stay tidier for longer.
Is the children’s room now the most beautiful in your house? It’s likely time you renovated! Check out our home improvement articles for handy tips and tricks!