Kid-Friendly Organizing Systems
You can be the most organized person in the world, but once you throw kids into the mix, your world might turn upside down. Literally. If you’re currently stuck at home with kids, then these tips are for you. We’ve included our favorite products and systems to best get your kid’s toys and schoolwork organized and help them stay organized.
If you’re dealing with a lot of toys laying around the house then continue here…
Before you get started, make sure that all the toys are living where you want them. Do you have a playroom? Prefer the toys live in your kid’s bedroom? No matter where you want your toys to live, try to keep them all together in a designated area. Creating this area will help avoid toys from living in unwanted spaces.
When it comes to big bulky toys like blocks, Playmobil, Legos, etc. we usually suggest the Stackable Storage Drawers. They’re translucent so you can see what belongs inside. They also easily slide open with enough room to hold these bigger items.
If you have shelves or drawers and need to find a way to contain your toys within them, my personal favorite are these Plastic Storage Bins with Handles. They come in a plethora of colors and sizes and are super transportable with their handles.
When it comes to containing your light, but bulky items like stuffed animals, these oversized bins are the best and super cute too. The bins are super light and transportable to make cleaning up a breeze. This Storage Box is another alternative.
If you’re looking for a hack to hold stuffed animals or small dolls like Barbies, try using an over the door shoe organizer like this one.
If you’re looking to minimize the struggle of cleaning up, another alternative is to have a Collapsible Storage Bin where toys can be contained once they’re done being played with and then easily put back where they belong.
When you notice your kids are starting to outgrow certain toys, have a conversation with them about donating them to other children to bring other kids the same joy that they once gave them. Start this conversation early and have it often so that it doesn’t feel like you’re ripping things away from your children, rather having them choose to give their toys away willingly.
Trying to keep schoolwork and school supplies at bay? Keep reading below.
Now that your child’s schoolwork isn’t being transported to and from school within a backpack, it needs more of a permanent residence. We suggest purchasing one of these bins for every subject (ie: math, science, social studies, ELA, language, etc). Make sure to label each bin so you know what subject it represents. Hurry, they’re currently on sale! Here’s another alternative to store schoolwork. We suggest one bin per subject.
Once the unit or school year is over, go through the work together and purge what’s no longer needed. For schoolwork that you’re choosing to keep, store it in a folder, binder or clear bin that’s labeled with your child’s name and the year the schoolwork is from.
Whether or not your child’s work space is an actual desk or table transformed into a desk, it’s important to have a desk organizer for your writing utensils and other school supplies. This desktop organizer will give your student’s supplies a home to live when they’re not in use. Here’s another smaller version. What matters most is that whichever desk organizer you choose, it fits all of your needs and supplies.
Poppin has a lot of other desk organizers that can help keep your papers sorted both vertically and horizontally. Regardless of which direction you have your paper, make sure they’re labeled on the bottom of the horizontal file, or on the hanging vertical file folder.
Want toy, book or craft storage that needs to be easily transported? These utility carts are super popular. You can find them at Target, IKEA, and The Container Store, just to name a few. One of my favorite things about these metal carts is that you can attach these Perch Magnetic Components to contain extra craft supplies and tools.
Another alternative to storing your craft supplies are these SmartStore Totes. What I love about them is they come with different size inserts for you to sort and categorize your craft supplies ie: crayons, markers, paint brushes, scissors, etc in whatever layout works best for you.
If you don’t have a proper work desk for your child, now might be a good time to invest in one. If you’re unsure whether or not they will use it, we suggest starting with a lap desk.
When it comes to both toys and school supplies, make sure to label as much as possible. This will help anyone responsible for cleaning up toys (both kids and adults)! Having the names of the toys spelled out can also help with word association for any youngsters.
Help set a good example for your child by creating easy to follow systems to stay organized. You will help create routines to rid yourself of visual clutter and keep things current!