A child’s bedroom is a place to slumber, to play, to create and to enjoy quiet time. Organize a child’s bedroom based on the child’s current needs and interests. Organizational furniture and storage units should not be selected based on functionality.
Before organizing the child’s bedroom, remove all items. Clean windows and wash curtains. Repaint the walls to give the room a fresh start. Donate or give away any old items which the child no longer needs or uses.
Plan
Consider the practical aspects of implementing the child’s needs, and discuss alternatives with the child.
Plan out how different corners and areas of the room will be used. Place large furniture, including the bed first.
Lay down rugs or play mats to separate different areas of the room. Providing visual organization is the first step to organizing a child’s room, as well as encouraging her to keep it neat.
Use foam alphabet or number puzzle mats for toddlers and preschoolers. Add shag rugs and piles of pillows to create a quiet time or reading corner.
Plan an area for creative play, with a table and two chairs. Leave a large area of the floor open for open play, movement and playing with friends and siblings.
Organize
Sort the child’s belongings into piles. Toys and items which the child uses each day should be stored on shelves, or in open bins, according to Professional Organizer Ramona Creel. Store board games by stacking them safely. Small toys including characters or puppets can be stored in an open bin, on racks with slanted shelves, or into transparent boxes with covers. Larger toys including electronics may find their own homes in bins.
Organize books by reading level. Sort age-appropriate books into topics and seasons. Use small plastic bins to organize the books by subject.
Store arts and crafts in a storage bin with drawers. Place stickers in one drawer, construction paper and craft paper in another drawer. Keep coloring books and educational workbooks in another drawer. Sort crayons, paints and craft supplies into individual plastic containers with covers. Keep paint, glue and small times out of reach and out of sight. Keep large toys in a toy chest or tucked under a train table or large play table.
Maintain and Revamp
Assist children in keeping their rooms organized. Require children to pick up their toys and books at the end of the day. Help the child clean the bedroom once a week. Washing bed linens, vacuuming rugs, and wiping down table surfaces will not take long, and it will teach the child to take pride in her clean and organized room.
Pull out stored toys from a closet weekly or monthly to rotate age-appropriate toys. Children may grow bored with the same toys, and rotating the toys will spark interest in toys the child already owns.
Clear out toys which the child has not used for 6 months or more. Remove all batteries, give them a good cleaning, and donate the toys to a local charity.
Reconfigure the room’s organization based on a child’s needs as they change. If the child is spending most of her time drawing, make sure a drawing table and chair are conveniently located in the room, and that the organized art supplies are now within reach.
Use picture labels for toddlers, words for school children, and both words and pictures for preschoolers.
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