I have always loved organizing kids’ bedrooms and have treasured the times I get to work alongside kids to help them figure out ways to keep their rooms organized. Over the years, I have found a few tips that almost always work to bring order to these spaces. Here are ten of them:
1. Here at reSPACEd, we find ourselves recommending the Ikea Trofast or Kallax units again and again for toy storage. We like how inexpensive these storage pieces are, and how kids can pull out the bins and move them to wherever they are playing on the floor. Plus, the Trofast and Kallax are virtually indestructible, so after your kids outgrow them, these storage pieces will still be in good enough shape for use in other rooms in your house.
2. Consider swapping out a dresser for wire mesh drawers. Wire mesh drawers are not as heavy as dresser drawers, so kids can pull them down to put things away easier. Plus, kids can see inside the wire mesh, making it easier for them to find their clothes and put them away.
3. If you want kids to be able to hang their dressier clothes on hangers, don’t mount the closet rod too high. I often see the clothing rod mounted at an adult height in a child’s closet. Yes, it maximizes space that way, but it also makes it impossible for kids to retrieve their own clothes. An adjustable height clothing rod is your best bet here.
4. Your kids’ shoes won’t all be able to fit out in the hall closet or beside the front door. Give them space in the kids’ closet by providing a low shoe rack that sits on the floor or a basket to throw shoes in.
5. Make use of the back of their bedroom door with an over-the-door shoe organizer. Sure, you could store shoes in here, but I like these organizers for storing Barbie dolls, small cars or small stuffed animals. The clear vinyl shoe organizers seem to work best because kids can see what is inside each pocket.
6. Does your child have a big pile of books beside their bed? Place a basket or small bookshelf beside their bed to store these books. A small bookshelf can work in place of a nightstand if you have a voracious reader who likes to read a variety of books each night.
7. Stuffed animal storage can be a challenge! A tall, upright basket (even a clothes hamper) can be a space-saving way to store stuffies. Shelves mounted around the perimeter of the wall can be helpful too.
8. Most kids need what we call a “treasure box” to store all of their special finds — things they find out in nature, special trinkets they get from the dentist, friendship bracelets they got from friends. You can get treasure box-shaped boxes at Michael’s Arts and Craft stores. Or any small box with a lid will do. We like to store these boxes on the child’s nightstand.
9. Many kids receive lots of greeting cards and Valentine’s Day cards each year. It’s helpful if they have a shoebox with a lid labeled “Cards and Letters” to store all their cards in. This box can live in the child’s closet at a height low enough that the child can reach it.
10. Is the bedroom always messy? Consider storing toys in a different room of the house and creating space in the bedroom for just clothes, stuffed animals and books. Find homes for the clothes, stuffies and books, label these homes, and spend 5 minutes each evening with your child putting their things away in their room. This habit will go a long ways toward keeping your child’s room neat and tidy.
Like this post? Then like our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram. In need of professional organizing services in the Portland, Beaverton or Lake Oswego area for your home or office? Contact us for a low-cost assessment and get an estimate on your project here.
