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Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organised Kid’s Room in 7 Steps
Turn chaos into calm in children’s rooms with this easy, seven-day plan
We all know that a little one’s room explodes into chaos several times each day. That’s just the way it is. But when the mountains of clothes and toys are pared back, a child’s space doesn’t feel so chaotic – even when every single toy seems to have found its way onto the floor.
For kids with allergies or asthma, having a clean, dust-free room is essential, and that’s easier to maintain when there’s less to keep clean. This weeklong plan will get you there.
For kids with allergies or asthma, having a clean, dust-free room is essential, and that’s easier to maintain when there’s less to keep clean. This weeklong plan will get you there.
Day 1: Simplify
Decluttering tasks: As you go through this process, try to have a clear vision of the sort of room you want for your child and how it will help to make your lives simpler. Toys that easily fit within bins and on shelves are more appealing to play with, and giving clothing some breathing room in the wardrobe and drawers makes getting dressed in the morning less of a challenge.
Decluttering tasks: As you go through this process, try to have a clear vision of the sort of room you want for your child and how it will help to make your lives simpler. Toys that easily fit within bins and on shelves are more appealing to play with, and giving clothing some breathing room in the wardrobe and drawers makes getting dressed in the morning less of a challenge.
- Remove clothes and shoes your child has outgrown and set them aside to give away, sell or store.
- Remove toys that are broken or have missing pieces and can’t be fixed.
- Remove toys that your child has outgrown and decide whether to store, give away or sell them.
- If your child has a lot of very similar toys, remove enough so that what’s left can easily be stored and enjoyed.
Day 2: Sort and conquer
Key concept – Top 10: If you’re working with your child to pare back belongings, try introducing the concept of the top 10. This will gently shift the focus from the things your child is giving away to zero in on what is most important.
Kids older than about age 4 (depending on the child, of course) can really get into making lists and picking favourites. For instance, have your child pick out his or her top 10 favourite stuffed animals and display them prominently. Meanwhile, the other 40 can be shifted into a box in another cupboard or given away. There’s no need to be super-strict about it – 11 or 12 is fine. Just trying to stay within a certain number can be a great help.
Decluttering tasks: After the big work of decluttering on Day 1, your child’s room should be looking noticeably better. Now is the time to make some refinements and find a home for everything that’s left.
Key concept – Top 10: If you’re working with your child to pare back belongings, try introducing the concept of the top 10. This will gently shift the focus from the things your child is giving away to zero in on what is most important.
Kids older than about age 4 (depending on the child, of course) can really get into making lists and picking favourites. For instance, have your child pick out his or her top 10 favourite stuffed animals and display them prominently. Meanwhile, the other 40 can be shifted into a box in another cupboard or given away. There’s no need to be super-strict about it – 11 or 12 is fine. Just trying to stay within a certain number can be a great help.
Decluttering tasks: After the big work of decluttering on Day 1, your child’s room should be looking noticeably better. Now is the time to make some refinements and find a home for everything that’s left.
- Continue winnowing down toys, games and clothes using the top 10 method.
- Make a separate stack of clothes your child hasn’t quite grown into yet and put them somewhere accessible – but not mixed with the clothes that fit now.
- Store like with like. Board games on one shelf, puzzles on another and so on.
- Categorise small toys and put them in separate bins or baskets (for instance, small plastic animals in one, racing cars in another).
Day 3: Deep clean
Cleaning tasks: Hopefully after Days 1 and 2, your child’s room will be less cluttered and more organised. Now it’s time to tackle the dirt.
Cleaning tasks: Hopefully after Days 1 and 2, your child’s room will be less cluttered and more organised. Now it’s time to tackle the dirt.
- Thoroughly vacuum the room, including the ceiling, window treatments and floor, and behind the furniture and inside the wardrobe.
- If your child has asthma or allergies, consider renting or purchasing a sanitising steam cleaner to remove allergens from the floor, rug and even toys.
- Have your child help you give all of the hard plastic toys a “bath” in warm, soapy water. Work in batches and spread the toys out on towels to dry.
- Clean crayon marks and other “artwork” from walls.
- Spot-clean upholstered furniture.
- Launder cushion covers, bedding and small, washable rugs.
- Clean the windows.
Day 4: Organise art
Decluttering tasks: Children’s artwork is a special case, because it pulls at our heartstrings – and because they create so much of it! If you’re having trouble letting go of your child’s work, remember that to kids, it’s much more about the process than the product. It’s OK to keep a few pieces that best represent who your child was at each age and stage, and let the rest go.
Decluttering tasks: Children’s artwork is a special case, because it pulls at our heartstrings – and because they create so much of it! If you’re having trouble letting go of your child’s work, remember that to kids, it’s much more about the process than the product. It’s OK to keep a few pieces that best represent who your child was at each age and stage, and let the rest go.
- If you have a big backlog of artwork to go through, enlist your child’s help to pick favourites. If you have any favourites, keep those, too, and throw the rest in the recycling bin.
- Sort the keepers by date, labelling those without dates as accurately as you can remember. Don’t be afraid to guess – your memory will only become hazier as time goes on.
- Store artwork in a large art portfolio or lidded plastic bin.
- If you have old 3D projects that are too big to store or are too fragile to keep long-term, snap a picture of your child posing with the project, put the photo in an album and throw out the project itself.
Day 5: Carve out zones
Decluttering tasks: Today’s goal is to take a wider view of your child’s room: How is it working? How is the flow? Is there space for your child to read, sleep, play and create? Think about fashioning small zones tailored to support different activities:
Decluttering tasks: Today’s goal is to take a wider view of your child’s room: How is it working? How is the flow? Is there space for your child to read, sleep, play and create? Think about fashioning small zones tailored to support different activities:
- Reading: A comfy seating area, neatly organised books, good lighting and perhaps a few stuffed animal friends.
- Sleeping: An inviting bed with a small lamp and a place to put a cup of water within reach.
- Floor play: Clear space on a rug, with toys in containers (blocks, trains, plastic animals etc) nearby.
- Dramatic play: Dressing-up clothes on hooks or in a basket, a child-safe mirror, a play kitchen or playhouse toys.
- Creativity: A child-sized work table with arts and crafts supplies stored nearby. Keep messy materials in an adult-height cupboard.
- Puzzles and other activities: A kid-sized table with puzzles, games and educational materials on a shelf nearby.
Day 6: Label it
Decluttering tasks: Neatly organised bins and baskets are practically worthless if you can’t tell at a glance what’s in them. Pick up a bunch of identical labels and make signs for each basket, bin and box, including in the wardrobe.
Cleaning tasks: Put together a small cleaning kit to keep in your child’s wardrobe to make regular clean-up easier. Include a stick vacuum cleaner if you can. Also tuck in a child-sized dustpan and brush and a few rags for your little one to use to help clean up.
Decluttering tasks: Neatly organised bins and baskets are practically worthless if you can’t tell at a glance what’s in them. Pick up a bunch of identical labels and make signs for each basket, bin and box, including in the wardrobe.
Cleaning tasks: Put together a small cleaning kit to keep in your child’s wardrobe to make regular clean-up easier. Include a stick vacuum cleaner if you can. Also tuck in a child-sized dustpan and brush and a few rags for your little one to use to help clean up.
Tip for kids who can’t read yet: Make labels that include both the word and a simple drawing or photograph of the item inside. Having a print-rich environment will help your child begin to recognise letters and words, and the pictures will make locating things easy.
Day 7: Start daily habits
Cleaning tasks: It takes time to begin a new habit – don’t give up!
Cleaning tasks: It takes time to begin a new habit – don’t give up!
- Put away one toy before getting out another (unless your child really is playing with them together).
- Put all toys away before bed each night.
- Vacuum and tackle other cleaning tasks each week. Offer small-sized cleaning tools so your child can help.
Decluttering tasks: Choose toys to give away before each birthday and holiday when your child will be receiving gifts. Pick a local children’s charity that you and your child can visit to drop off the toys; if your little one knows he or she is helping another child who doesn’t have any toys, it can make the process easier.
When your child moves up a size, remove the clothes and shoes that no longer fit. Have them pick favourite pieces of art each month, date them and store them in an art portfolio. Throw away the rest.
Tell us…
What’s the biggest cleaning or decluttering problem you face in your child’s room? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
When your child moves up a size, remove the clothes and shoes that no longer fit. Have them pick favourite pieces of art each month, date them and store them in an art portfolio. Throw away the rest.
Tell us…
What’s the biggest cleaning or decluttering problem you face in your child’s room? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Look over the entire plan before you begin and tailor it to meet your needs – if there are mountains of stuff to go through, you may want to divvy up the work over several weekends.
For some, tackling a major decluttering project in a child’s room is only fathomable without said child being present; for others, tossing a single item without your little one’s knowledge could result in a meltdown to end all meltdowns. You know your child best, so make the call that feels right to you.