5 Tips To Declutter and Organize Kids’ Rooms (and Playrooms)

Your kids’ bedroom or playroom — or what I call “the place where good toys go to die and never be seen again.”

If your kids’ rooms are anything like mine, they collect all sorts of toys and gadgets throughout the year.  This is more common around birthdays and holidays, of course.  However, even when there has not been a special “toy increasing event”, I swear that little trolls come out from underneath their beds while they sleep and magically duplicate the treasures and toys!!

I honestly declutter and deep clean my kids’ rooms about every 6 – 8 weeks.  I find that by doing so, it really keeps the clutter under control and takes me less time to take care of each room.  With 3 kids, it can be a lot of work!!!  The more frequently I clean, the better the the toys, shoes and clothes stay under control!

Here is how I go about cleaning each of my kids’ bedrooms.

1.  Start with the closet. I start here because I can clean out the entire closet and then hit the rest of the room. The first thing I do is pull out any shirts that I know they no longer wear and/or do not fit them.  I toss those which are beyond repair and set aside those that we can donate.  I then do the same thing for the shoes.  If it happens to be a seasonal change, I will swap around the shirts. For instance, if it is spring, I move the long sleeve shirts to the back of the closet and put the short sleeved items where they can see them.

2.  Tackle the dresser.   Next up comes the dresser! I do the same thing as with the clothes in the closet.  I toss any items with holes or stains.  If they can be repaired with some small sewing, I set those aside.  Otherwise, they are folded and added to the donate stack.

I also check  to make sure all of the socks have a mate to go along with them.  If you find a missing item, put the sock in with your cleaning items as they make GREAT dust clothes and cleaning rags.

This is also a good time to take note of items that they may need, such as new jeans, socks or pajamas.  I write these down, along with the number I need, so that if I come across a sale, I know what I need without having to go into their rooms to take a quick inventory.

3.  Look into getting organizers.  My kids each have storage bins and a bookshelf in their rooms.  This is where they have 90% of their toys.  I empty each bin and find anything which is broken or missing a part and get rid of them.  I also remove all of the “restaurant treasures” and toss them (or place to be donated to the school for their treasure boxes).  When sorting, keep like items together.

For instance, my son has Army vehicles and men as well as Minecraft toys.  When I am organizing his room, I toss all of the Minecraft toys into one bin and Army toys into another. That way, when he is playing with those toys, he can find what he wants, which actually helps keep his room easier to keep clean (less toys on the floor to find the one truck he needs).

We also have a bookshelf which is filled with books and other larger toys.  When I put items back, I always try to set them in a different place.  That way, it makes everything seem new and fun again, which gives the toys a new life. You might even consider keeping some toys in storage and rotating them around every 3  or 4 months.

You don’t need expensive storage units in order to get organized.  You can use shoe boxes, oatmeal containers and plastic tubs from Walmart or Target.  As long as the room is neat and they can find what they need, you are successful!

4.  Declutter alone.  This is my best tip of all.  Not only can I tackle the rooms more quickly if they are not around, I also do not have to hear “But Mom, I looooove that toy” (which I know they have not played with in 6 months).  Rarely do my kids miss anything I remove from their rooms.  However, I DO keep most items in a bin in our basement for a month or so.  That way, if there was something that they really wanted, I don’t have to tell them it is gone.  Instead, I get to be the hero by just happening to find it for them!

5.  Don’t forget under the bed.  It seems that this is the place good toys go to die.  If we are missing something, this is one of the first places I look (and the last place my kids think about).  I’ve found missing socks, food wrappers (which were not suppose to be there), LEGOs, stuffed animals, coats….and more….all hiding under my kids’ beds.

Do you have any tips to add to our list?

If you are trying to get your home organized, you might want to read more about Decluttering Your Entry Way or Decluttering Your Kitchen and get some new ideas for those rooms too!