The Best Way to Declutter Your Child’s Things + FREE Checklist!

The best way to declutter your child’s things is to set them up so the child can help to keep them clean and organized.

How to Declutter Your Child’s Things

Generally, kids will put their things away if the item has a place to go. If an item doesn’t have a home, your child will not know where it belongs and just drop it on the floor.

Before you decide where to store the items, decide which ones should be kept, donated, or thrown away. This will help you see exactly what will need to be organized.

As you are going through the items, group them by category. Puzzles, games, books, stuffed animals, dolls, video games, movies, dress-up, and arts & crafts should all have designated spots.

When deciding on storage solutions, start with a system that will expand as your child gets older.

How to Keep Toys Under Control

Storage solutions work best if they are at your child’s level. The easiest way to create an expandable system is to use storage cubes. This one is perfect because you can put it on its side so your child can reach all of the toys in the cubbies. As your child grows, you can add more cubes for more storage. Bookcases work well also-just be sure to attach them to the wall so they don’t tip over.

If you would like to use shelves to store toys, they should be low enough for your child to reach the shelf items without climbing up to get them. Floating shelves would be great to store books and small toys your child likes to play with. As your child grows, continue adding shelves for additional storage. Place two medium-sized bins or one large bin under the lowest shelf to maximize storage on the floor. Bins are perfect for storing larger toys or blankets.

Remember that all of their toys do not need to be out at one time. It is best to rotate their toys every few months so they seem fresh and new and will be played with. Rotating toys will also help keep clutter to a minimum because there are fewer toys to scatter about.

How to Declutter the Playroom

A Melissa & Doug toy chest is good for storing large toys. Avoid putting small toys in chests because they get mixed up and lost and become challenging to find. Use small bins or baskets for small toys to help maintain order. Inexpensive over-the-door shoe organizers like this one also work well for keeping collections like blocks, small cars, and Barbies together in one place.

Another option to contain toys in the playroom is to have a large tote bag around. You can use it to hold toys that your child carries from room to room.

This popular rolling art caddy can hold a ton of supplies and be moved from room to room if needed. A portable craft organizer is perfect for storing your child’s art supplies on the art caddy. It has compartments to keep everything neat and tidy. You can also use bins and baskets to hold and organize art supplies.

A fun touch would be to add an adjustable table and chairs for arts and crafts, puzzles, games, and tea time in the playroom. Your child will love the colors this set comes in.

Tips for Decluttering Kid’s Rooms

If you are tight on space, use the area under your child’s bed for storage. Measure the height under the bed before purchasing any under-the-bed containers to make sure they will fit. I like to use this 2-piece set because it zips up, has a clear top to see what’s inside, and handles making it easier to move around.

If your child’s room is large enough, a desk is a perfect place to do arts and crafts and homework. I love incorporating desks in children’s rooms because the shelves can store all of the supplies your child needs to keep near. A desk also works well for homeschooling because it can store textbooks, notebooks, and paper on the shelves.

A shelf with pegs is handy in a child’s bedroom to hold jackets, pj’s, sweaters, hats, belts, dress-up clothes, etc. Hang it at your child’s height and raise it when needed. The top shelf can hold stuffed animals and other soft items to prevent injury if it falls off the shelf.

Since clothes will change in size as the child grows, choose a closet system that can be modified. Hang a double rod in the closet and hang out-of-season clothes on the top rod and in-season clothes on the lower rod where they can reach them. Another idea is to install a shower tension rod about 3 feet below the existing rod. This will give you more hanging space than the double rod hangers you will find in the store.

A collapsible hamper in the closet will minimize towels and clothes lying all over the floor. These laundry hampers have handles, which makes them easy to carry to the laundry room. They also come in colors that will look great in any room.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed with Toys

If you take the time to declutter your child’s things, you’ll see that it isn’t difficult to set up, but it requires maintenance to keep it organized. Having a specific place for everything will help your child know exactly where things belong and will help them put the toys back when they are done playing with them.

Are you having a hard time figuring out how to declutter your child’s things?  Send me an email or leave your questions in the comments section. I’d love to help!

By the way, if you’re looking for an easy way to declutter your entire home, I created a free decluttering checklist you can download to help you get started. Click here for your free checklist!

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