Playroom Organization Tips

Ah, the playroom. It’s your kids favorite spot in the house, but it tends to get pretty messy. You might be tempted just to close the door and pretend the mess doesn’t exist, or you could do something about it. Our whole country is facing school closings because of COVID-19, so it's a great time to involve your kids in organizing their space.

Organizing your playroom may feel daunting at first, but with the right tools and tips, you’ll have it under control in no time. Channel your inner Marie Kondo and read on for some practical tips on how to organize your playroom for good:

Step One: Declutter!

It’s easier to organize when you have less stuff. Start by going through what you have and making ‘keep’, ‘donate’, and ‘toss’ piles. Keep toys your kids are still playing with, donate toys that are no longer of interest but still in good shape, and toss stuffed animals that can’t be donated and toys that are broken or missing parts.

It’s a good idea to keep a couple toys or games that are suited for younger kids if you anticipate family or friends visiting. This is also a good time to pack away special toys or books or games that hold a sentimental value or might be passed along to younger siblings.

Plan on doing this once or twice a year, perhaps aligned with birthdays or Christmas when kids will be getting new toys. If there’s anything you’re on the fence about, stick it in an out-of-the-way place, and if your kid goes looking for it, bring it back out, but if they don’t know that it’s safe to pass on.

Be Realistic

This probably isn’t what you want to hear, but you need to be realistic with yourself (and your kids!) when it comes to how clean the playroom is expected to stay. Each home and family is different, but a good place to start is limiting toys to the playroom or kid’s bedrooms.

This way, when the space gets inevitably trashed, you know it’s limited to one room, and not the whole house. Be firm about keeping toys in their designated spaces, but also be realistic about how clean and organized these spaces will stay. Try enforcing that all toys must be taken off the floor and put into storage bins at the end of the day, but don't specify exactly which bin each toy must go in.

If your kids have to use a play space as a school-from-home space for the time being, introduce desks or clear off tables to use for homework. In this case, we recommend starting the homeschool process with a deep clean of the playroom, and doing your best to keep the space as distraction-free as possible

Label with Care

Lots of moms swear by labeling containers with pictures or words to denote what’s meant to go where. This can definitely be helpful in terms of keeping track of toys, but gets tedious since you’ll end up changing the labels many times. Overall, this gets complicated, and chances are kids won’t necessarily follow the system. At a minimum, we’d recommend sorting toys by type, and keeping toys for younger siblings close to the ground, and toys for older siblings on higher shelves. Our toy boxes are a great idea for younger kids since their lids are fitted with anti-slam hinges to save little fingers.

Use walls to your advantage

Blank wall spaces are great for displaying artwork, books, and more. Take advantage of vertical space and hang clothesline style wires with hooks to display artwork and floating shelves for books. Consider hanging a magnetic white board too!

A whiteboard or chalkboard will really come in handy when conducting homeschool lessons. It mimics the classroom space they're used to, and can be used to make giant drawings on the weekends.

Make the Space Grow with Them

Sadly, kids don’t stay little forever. You’ll want to invest in pieces that will adapt to their changing needs—from toddler to big kid. Consider investing in well-built storage units and seating. Or a table with multiple sets of legs that can be swapped out as your child gets taller. This way, you’re not completely redoing the space once a year. Kid-sized table and chair sets are a great place to start.

Do you have any great tips for organizing a playroom? Let us know in the comments section below!