5 ways to organize and style your kid’s spaces
With sounds of school bells in the air, now is the perfect time to take action and declutter and organize your kid’s stuff.
If you’re like me, your kids just have way too much shit. Toys, gadgets, rock collections, slime making kits, princess dresses…. the list goes on and on.
Most kid’s bedrooms play areas are dumping grounds for toys, but once a space is set up with the right structures and systems, kids actually love to clean up because it gives them immediate gratification — and there’s no better motivator then that.
So, without further ado, here are 5 organizational tips to bring Style and Order to your kid’s spaces.
1. Declutter first.
Before you begin organizing, you have your help your children declutter their toys. Some kids may struggle with letting go of their possessions. So it’s important to involve them in the minimizing and decluttering process.
I’m not a fan of throwing everything out while they’re away at school. Instead, declutter together and guide them to make choices for themselves.
Here are a few suggestions:
Encourage them to donate to kids who may not have toys.
This works for great my son Jalen (age 8) who has a compassionate, open heart. He also has a keen understanding that there are children living in poverty and need toys to play with too.
On several occasions we have gone together to various women and children shelters and donated new and used toys.
Now Miles, the 5-year old, could care less about homeless kid’s living shelters. But, when I told him that he could donate some of his baby toys to his baby cousin Henry, he was all game!
The fact that he knew the place and person where the toys were going made it much easier to part with dozens of his baby toys.
Another tip is to ask them what they want to keep vs. what they want to get rid off.
It’s a psychological trick that emphasizes the “keeping” of an item. Once they see and determine what they really want to keep, getting rid of the remaining toys becomes a lot easier.
Get them excited about an upcoming birthday or Christmas. This works like gold for both of my kids. About a month before their birthday or Christmas, we start discussing the new toys and things they want. We then create a list of the items and once the list is finalize I let them know that THEY have to “create room” for the new toys.
They do this with enthusiasm and gusto! Knowing more toys are on the way always leads to an easier decluttering process. Quick tip: Toys that can immediately be tossed out are: anything broken, all McDonald toys, small favor toys etc. No kid’s opinions needed.
2. Bins for errrr thang.
You want your kids to be able to clean up their space completely unassisted? Get you some containers girl!
In my house we have a container for: hot wheel cars, magic tracks, trains, Bob the builder shit, chalk etc.
I like to use woven baskets and clear containers to maintain structure. I also label each container so clean up is a breeze. Miles can’t read yet but let him find a train in the block container—he’ll literally come find me to tell me that he found a train in the block container. Love that kid.
3. Add Style to the Order.
Adding style to your kid’s stuff can sometimes be a bit challenging. I mean, there really isn’t really a pretty way to display the latest slime creation. But I do have a few tips to create a more stylish kid’s space:
Color-coordinate books.
This is a stylish trick that makes clean up for small kids easy and fun but it also looks great!
Display the things they love. Kids love to see their favorite toy proudly displayed for all to see. Miles, a.k.a. Avengers #1 fan, has a small Avenger figurine collection that I display for him on his window seal. He loves it and it also looks really cool! (Check out my IG highlights for examples)
Display achievements as well. Whether it be a perfect attendance award, soccer trophy—make sure it’s displayed where your kids can see them. I got this tip from Jack Canfield’s book, The Success Principles. He talks about how seeing your accomplishments daily makes your strive for even more success. This works in our own life as well.
Use chic, modern baskets to store toys and/or for laundry baskets. I love this tip because it’s a small change but it creates a big impact. Stylish laundry baskets and bins are great for items that you have multiples of and are soft, like balls and stuff animals. Plus it gives the space a clean, chic look.
4. Keep the messy stuff high and out of reach of small children.
If you want to streamline and create an easier clean up process, this tip is KEY. In my case, the “messy shit” is 100 piece puzzles, playdough, board games with several small pieces, glitter glue, finger paint etc.
Anything that requires extra close attention or needs all it’s parts in order to function.
My kid’s are only allowed to play with these items one at a time. So, if we are putting together a puzzle—that’s the only thing we’re doing. And we are done, we put it away, immediately.
5. Have Compassion. In a Pinterest perfect world, our kid’s bedrooms and playrooms would always be clean and organized. But they’re kids! So this won’t be true most of the time. So give them grace and compassion. Let them explore, have fun, and use their imagination. But also empower them; make them take ownership and responsibility for the things they acquire.
Help them thrive by creating functional systems in their space and enable them to see value, not in things, but in time spent together. And most of all, have compassion for yourself! It’s not easy raising kids, but I think you’re doing an amazing job!
Lastly, as always, it’s my goal to help you simplify and design your best life! If you’re ready for an easy, purposeful way to live but are a bit overwhelm by the stuff, then schedule a call with me. I'm here to show you what's possible.
In love and light,
Jamilah Lang
