Kids Room Organization: 3 Steps to an Organized Room (and Keeping It That Way)

Do you feel like you’re constantly stepping on on Legos or wading through clothes in your child’s room? If you’re at the point that you can hardly stand to look at your kid’s bedroom, no judgement. Instead, let’s talk through decluttering and organization for your kid’s room.

If you’re over the arguments and stresses over keeping rooms clean, stay tuned for the best tips on decluttering and organizing your child’s bedroom. 

Step 1: Decluttering

Think about your child’s room for a moment–is it possible there are things they don’t need? Clothes that are too small, half-broken toys, used-up notebooks, etc.? Why waste time sorting items you don’t want to keep?

For a successful kids’ room organization experience, start the project with a thorough decluttering.

We’ve teamed up with our favorite organization expert, Corinne Morahan of Grid & Glam, to bring you this article full of practical solutions, approved by moms and professionals! Corinne is sympathetic to the challenge of decluttering, but she also says this:

“Purging is the hardest, most sentimental part of the process but also the most important. So go easy on yourself but stick with it!”

Note: You’re not going to get all your decluttering done in one afternoon (or even one week), and that’s okay! Especially if you have multiple kids, decluttering is a process.

Tackle one project at a time to streamline your decluttering process. Need help getting started? Try out the tips below!

1. Sort through dressers and closets – Whether it’s the outfits they’ve outgrown, the socks with holes, or the excess items they’re never going to wear, clearing out dressers and closets is an ideal first place to begin decluttering. Immediately trash stained or ripped items that can’t be used anymore, and gather everything else to be donated.
2. Get rid of books that are too “babyish” – If you don’t plan to have another baby, you simply donate books for another little one to enjoy. If you’re hoping to have another, get a tote and put these books in storage.
3. Decrease the number of toys in your kid’s room – When your kid has a lot of toys, they can become overwhelming to care for. In fact, they may play with them less. First, declutter your kids’ toys. Then put the remainder of them in totes. You can rotate toys every so often to keep them “fresh.”
4. Schedule regular decluttering sessions – While you can do some gatekeeping to prevent too many new items coming in, decluttering is an ongoing process. Give it a few more months, and you’ll likely find more things your kids can do without. For great kids’ room organization, make it a habit to go through their rooms once a season to organize, refresh, and reset.

Something to keep in mind: Get the decluttered items out of your house ASAP. If you don’t, that bin of old toys is guaranteed to get found by your kids and dragged back out to your living room. Ask me how I know.

Step 2: Create Storage

Hopefully, there’s a lot less stuff in your kid’s room after decluttering. Even so, you still want to optimize storage! Here’s some great ways to do it: I’m a big fan of multi-function furniture when I’m looking for household storage ideas.

• Consider getting a bed with drawers – If you’re making the switch from a nursery to a “big kid room,” take advantage of the opportunity to get a storage bed (like this).
• Try rolling under-the-bed storage tubs – If you already have a bed without drawers, long, flat tubs with wheels (like these) are a great way to store dress up clothes or toys.

• Add a bookshelf – And they don’t have to just be for books! My daughter is super artsy and wants to keep ALL her origami, stuffed animals made of old socks, and anything else that pops into her little head. Unfortunately, that means her dresser can get cluttered up really quickly. That’s why we have 2 small shelves specifically for her art. As she makes new things, she can pick what to display and what to let go of.

• Utilize corner space – If your child’s room is really small, it may be hard to get furniture in it. In that case, a corner cabinet or corner desk may be perfect for them.
• Think vertically – Use hammocks that hang from ceilings or walls to store stuffies and choose a chest of drawers instead of a dresser for clothes.

NOTE: If you’re buying furniture for you kid’s room, Corinne says to measure the space (twice!) before buying anything. Don’t be like me and get something just a few inches too large to fit in your child’s space (whomp whomp).

Step 3: Keep Things Organized

Now that you have storage space, think about how you want to use it. Here’s our ideas:

• Use cubbies to organize toys – While you don’t need to “micro-organize,” breaking toys down into general categories (Legos, dress up, dolls, etc makes it easier for your child to clean up and figure out what to play with. I love cubbies with coordinating cubes for storage and easy clean-up.
• Consider bagging board games and puzzles – Have the boxes for your child’s board games and puzzles seen better days? Toss them and put your kid’s games and puzzles into these mesh zipper bags instead! Then, you can store the bags on a shelf or in a cube.
• Make sure you have a laundry basket in your child’s room – That way, they can learn to put their dirty clothes in the basket and keep them off the floor (at least some of the time).
• Add a “blanket bucket“ – When babies are born, blankets tend to be a go-to gift. I’ve noticed, however, that even as our kids get older, they still get tons of throw blankets. We have a fabric basket that we keep our blankets in, so the kids know exactly what to do with them.  
• Figure out where stuffed animals live – Whether your child prefers a hammock, a stuffed animal “bean bag” chair, or just to sleep in a sea of stuffies on their bed, find a way to keep stuffed animals picked up out of the floor easily.

General Kids Room Organization Tips

Beyond decluttering and toy organization, there are plenty of other tips and tricks to eliminate the mess in your little one’s bedroom.

• Create an age-appropriate checklist for cleaning their room – This may be as simple as “Throw away trash, put clothes in hamper, put toys on shelf, and help mommy make my bed,” or it may become more complex as your child gets older. While your kids may need help at first, eventually, they’ll be able to clean their own room with less guidance from you.
• Create a space for clothes that are too small – In the past, I’ve separated too-small clothes from my clean laundry and put them to the side, only to find them back in my kid’s drawer the next week. Learn from my mistakes, and keep a basket in your child’s closet for clothing they’ve outgrown. Then when it’s full, you can drop it off for donations.

• Consider your child’s interests for their room – My younger daughter is obsessed with houseplants. So, she’s created a station in her room for her plants, and she’s in charge of watering them. So whether you’re making space for your budding horticulturist, or adding a drawing desk for your future artist, make sure you personalize their room to their needs as best you can.

Helping Kids Keep Their Rooms Clean 

Our organization guru, Corinne, has two great tips on helping your little one keep their room clean:

1. For the Parents: “Remember that by teaching your kids organizing skills, you’re preparing them for adulthood. Think ahead to their dorm room or first apartment: Wouldn’t it be incredible if they knew how to maintain an organized home from day one? Yes, it will take time to teach them how to maintain their organization, but it’s so worth it.”

2. For the Kids: Corinne’s suggestion is to encourage children to tidy up every day. Remember not to force them into micro-organizing their belongings, especially when they’re young. This can be stressful and overwhelming to a little one.

Your children will look to you to determine the “correct way” to keep rooms clean and organized. Show them how to put things away and ensure they understand where everything is supposed to go.

Eventually, you’ll see habits forming and changes in the overall messes inside their childhood bedrooms. We love to see it! 

Do you have any kids’ room organization ideas that you love? Please share!