How to Organize and Declutter Kids' Rooms and Closets

If you want to be able to regularly see the floor of your child’s room and ensure they learn organizing habits, you’ll probably need to help them along by creating a system that’s easy to follow.

You need to take impetus for the first step. Every few months, go through your kids' rooms and closets and get rid of any clothes or toys that they no longer use or need. You may want to set up a rotation system to organize your kids' toys at home. For example, one month may be all about LEGOs, puzzles and dolls. All other toys are boxed up and put in storage. Then the next month, a new rotation of toys comes in, which can help your little ones from getting too bored with everything they already own. 

Seasonal clothes can be tucked into luggage or plastic bags and put in the corner of the closet or up in the attic. Older outfits can be donated to thrift stores or gifted via Facebook “buy nothing” groups. If there are pieces your kids just aren’t willing to part with, you might want to consider making an afghan out old T-shirts or baby clothes. 

With the right furniture, you can find plenty of places to put things. A bookcase with square cubby holes can be divided so books go in one section, blocks in another, and so on. Placing everything at your child’s eye level (or lower) is key. Not only will they be able to see where everything goes, they can also access it. If you can, lower the bar in your child’s closet so shirts and jackets are easy for them to hang up. 

To make the organization process easy, label everything: pencils, crayons, scissors and other items can get their special place to go. That way, it’s also easy to see when a particular item isn’t in its holder. 

Some boxes can also go underneath the bed as long as they are similarly labeled. These stowed away containers should not become random repositories. Some parents are so particular about labeling things, they even set up a series of drawers with the days of the week so their son or daughter knows where to find his or her clothes each morning. 

After you’ve created all these organizational systems — labeled containers for toys, craft materials and clothes — give them a few minutes each day to put everything in its place. YouTuber ClutterBug says she requires her kids to pick up everything before they’re allowed to play games or watch TV. Because they clean every day, the process takes about five minutes. It also helps to praise them. This routine not only helps mom, but also develops habits that will hopefully last a lifetime.