When you think of your kids’ playroom, what comes to mind? Chaos? Clutter? The indescribable agony of stepping on a toy in your bare feet? Check, check, and (very unfortunately) check.
If you’ve currently got a messy playroom spot in your home that’s low on inspiration and high on frustration, don’t give up! There is a way to achieve maximum playroom organization with minimal cost, we promise you. Stick with us, and we’ll not only teach you how to organize a playroom, but we’ll also give you plenty of playroom storage ideas, and ways to get the kids actively involved in the care and maintenance of their space. So, grab your garbage bags, label maker, and imagination, and follow us to the mythical land of the organized playroom…
Clear the Canvas: Decluttering Essentials
The first step in any organizational project is always to declutter. No matter how good your playroom organization ideas may be, they won’t be successful if the room has too many toys and doodads to be tamed. The million-dollar question is: how do you declutter a kid’s playroom? Keep scrolling to find out.
Purge with Purpose
To get yourself in the right mindset, make a goal for your purging exercise. Maybe it’s to remove all the broken toys, the games that are missing pieces, or the items that your kids have outgrown. Heck, maybe it’s all three. Set measurable goals for yourself (and anyone else involved) and always keep the end result in mind.
Designated Donation Bin
One of the easiest playroom organization ideas to pull off is separating out items to donate from items to the trash. Would you give it to a friend’s kid to play with? If so, then it’s probably good to donate. Figure out local shelters, children’s hospitals, or after-school programs that are in need of items and drop donations off with your kids so they can see the impact of their hard work and feel the gratitude of the recipients.
Rotate Toys Regularly
Another great idea is to remove toys from the current rotation (and maybe even the playroom itself). Cycling between toy sets keeps things fun and interesting for little ones, who will often forget how much they love a toy until they’re reunited with it. Store them in either a spot at home (that’s protected from prying eyes) or in a self-storage unit.
Zones of Imagination: Creating Functional Areas
Of all the DIY playroom ideas for small spaces (and big!) we’ve seen and implemented ourselves, creating zones of imagination is our favorite. Homes and Gardens Magazine suggests that zones give order and structure to a room, making it overall more enjoyable for you and your kids!
Define Activity Zones
To zone a playroom, you’ll want to (mentally) divide it into quadrants and assign each section a purpose (for instance, playing, reading, painting, winding down, etc.). For those wondering how to organize toys in a playroom, this is how: after zoning the room, move the related toys, tchotchkes, and furniture that you’re going to keep into the correct quadrant. This will help you quickly size up the areas in which you still have too much clutter.
Storage Solutions
Once you’ve got everything in the proper quadrant, and have perhaps even thinned your kids’ belongings again, you’ll need to get serious about your kids’ playroom storage. There are a bunch of low-cost options available on the market, but we have found that open, easily accessible bins work best for creative play and easy pick-up. For bulky or oddly shaped items, you’ll likely need to invest in stackable, see-through storage containers. (These will also come in handy if you decide to move items into a storage unit.)
Labeling Storage Containers
Label everything in clear, kid-friendly handwriting. It’s much easier to tidy up when all the items have an assigned spot. Make sure everything you want the kids to have access to is at kid-level with easily visible labels. It might help to squat down or sit on the floor while you’re organizing your kids’ playroom storage to make sure they can access toys and supplies.
Displaying Creativity: Aesthetically Pleasing Arrangements
Your kids’ playroom is the ideal place to display the fruits of their creative efforts – and inspire them to do more! Aesthetically speaking, you’ll never go wrong creating a bright and airy space with plenty of natural materials, lots of decoration, and lots of celebration of the kids themselves.
Interactive Wall Displays
Interactive wall activities are all the rage and might make a great addition to your playroom redo. We’re talking climbing walls, magnetic walls, whiteboard walls, art walls, chalkboards, activity panels…you name it, you can make a wall out of it. Get creative and involve the kids in picking which type of wall to install. Remember: Anything that can be an outlet for energetic children – and doesn’t take up extra space – is a win.
Themed Décor
We love a good theme when decorating because it makes it so much easier to shop. Kids love themes too because they pay tribute to characters or scenes they find meaningful. Since the playroom will only be a temporary part of your home, you should feel free to lean into whimsical décor or take risks you might not otherwise. A whole room decked out like the Hundred Acre Wood from Winnie the Pooh? Why not?
Flexible Furniture Arrangement
When buying or repurposing furniture for your kids’ playroom, look for pieces that can be used in a variety of ways. Provide several soft and cozy places to land – like big beanbags, stuffed blocks, yoga mats, and soft chairs – and you’ll be surprised at how the little minds put them together. Finish it off with a fuzzy rug and kids will have everything they need to be comfortable and creative.
Maintenance Made Simple: Sustainable Organization
When pulling together your wishlist of playroom organization ideas, keep an eye out for sustainable choices that will be better for you, your kids, and the environment overall. If you’re feeling so inspired, try limiting manmade materials in your décor and the toys and games you buy. Also ask around or check online marketplaces for hand-me-downs. Reusing something that was destined for the landfill is the ultimate in sustainability.
Daily Cleanup Routine Involving the Kids
Once you’ve learned everything there is to know about how to organize a playroom and are ready to let the kids loose in their exciting new space, it’s time to think of more mundane matters. Namely, who’s going to keep the area looking nice and neat and how they’re going to do it (hint: it’s not you). Make a simple daily cleanup routine for the upgraded playroom and then write it somewhere highly visible. Give the kids a way to mark chores off the list each evening – and lots of positive reinforcement – and you’ll have a crew of happy helpers in no time.
Teach Mindful Consumption
Reorganizing the playroom is an ideal time to talk about consumption (and over-consumption) with your kids. Hopefully, the process will show them how easy it is for toys to get ruined without proper care and how many other children could benefit from their hand-me-downs. By giving them the storage solutions they need to make their toys last and showing them the importance of donating, you are teaching lessons that will last a lifetime. And here you thought you were just reorganizing your kids’ playroom!
