Tips for Clutter-Free Kids' Spaces

Kids will ask for new clothes and backpacks at the start of each school year, but give them something they really need—organized and decluttered spaces. Kick off the new school year by cleaning up kids' bedrooms, bathrooms, and homework areas. It's easy with our simple organization and cleaning tips that will work for kids of all ages, from preschool to 12th grade.

Photos: Fotograf Lisbet Sporndly / Planet Fur

Bedroom

A combination of sleep and play areas, the bedroom is likely to have large amounts of clutter and mess. But don't be overwhelmed, our easy steps will lead you to a clean and organized room.

• Get your kids involved with the cleanup, no matter how small they are. Grab a couple of boxes, one for items you want to store and another for items you will donate, and a garbage bag for trash. Purchase storage bins, baskets, and shelves if you need more space to store items.
• Start with a small area, like a desk or set of shelves. For young kiddos, stick to 15-minute cleaning bursts. Trying to tackle a whole room in one day will be too overwhelming for both of you.
• Once you've decided what will be donated, thrown out, stored, and kept, it's time to make sure everything gets put back in an organized fashion. Use labeled bins, drawer organizers, and any other method of organization to keep everything in its place. Finish one area before moving on to the next.
• Repeat throughout the room until every nook and cranny is clean--this may take more than a day.

If your kids are young, ask them why they're discarding certain things. For example, if you notice your son is throwing out all of his cars, ask him why. This will give you a better understanding of what your child likes and dislikes. It will help you know what not to purchase for him in the future.

Also, it's important to explain to little ones that donations will go to other families who need the clothes, shoes, and toys. This may make their decisions easier.

Photo: Creative Organizing

Homework Space

The designated homework space probably hasn't been touched since school let out (if the kids are lucky!), so it's time for a deep clean.

• Start by clearing out old paperwork. Store any must-keep art project or important papers in folders labeled with the school year in a file cabinet, so they're easy to find if you need them. \
• Take stock of the supplies. Discard any broken pencils, dried out markers, or stuck-together scissors, and replenish the drawers with new supplies. 
• Did your organizational system work last year? If so, stick with it. If not, brainstorm some ways it can be improved. Here are a couple of our favorite ideas:
• Hang a dry erase calendar above the kids' workspace and make sure all important deadlines and dates (like tests, field trips, and school dances) are marked on the calendar. 
• To avoid mixing up papers, label all folders and boxes with the corresponding kid's name. Another way to do this is to assign each child a color, and keep all of their folders the same color.

Design: Ventana Construction LLC / Photo: Scott Chytil Photography

Bathroom

Make getting ready in the morning a breeze by decluttering every drawer, cabinet, and shelf in the kids' bathroom. (You can use these tips in your bathroom, too!) For younger kids, this process will be shorter.

For junior high and high school students, who have just discovered cosmetics and hair products, it may be a more in-depth clean.

• Throw away used and outdated items. Replace all nearly-empty items, such as shampoo, soap, or hairspray, so you're ready to go on the first day of school. 
• Organize all drawers, shelves, and cabinets by placing things that get daily use (lotion, toothbrushes, hairspray, etc.) in easy to access places: top drawers, medicine cabinets, and countertop. 
• Anything that gets weekly, monthly, or once-in-a-while use (fancy hair ribbons, nail polish, sunscreen, etc.) should be organized by purpose and stored in linen closets, cabinets, and over-the-toilet storage. Labeled bins and baskets make it easy to keep everything organized.

Need more help? Check out these organization-themed stories:

• How to Organize Every Room in Your Home
•  Small Bathroom Storage Solutions  
• Organizing Your Bedroom Closet