Kids Room Organization: Your Complete Guide

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A kid’s bedroom can be just as organized as the rest of your home. After you follow this kids room organization guide, you’ll have everything you need to organize it and keep it that way.

From toys to clothes to school papers, a kids’ room easily becomes disorganized and messy. There is just so much stuff to keep track of and store. And when you are super busy, your kids room organization gets neglected. It’s easy to let that stuff pile up. 

But having an organized kids’ bedroom will save you so much time. You won’t lose important papers, shoes, or socks as often. 

Discover step-by-step instructions for how to organize your kid's room. Find easy toy and clothes storage solutions in this kids room organization guide.

Wondering where to begin? Get our FREE guide, The 30-Minute Organizing Secret, and discover easy ways to overcome the chaos of clutter – even with kids at home!

Kids’ Room Organization

This guide will walk you through every step of the kids’ room organization process. You’ll learn how to organize your kid’s bedroom, tricks for setting up specific areas in the room, and how to teach your kids to keep their room clean. 

Everything in this post – and more – is in our Take Back Control book. It’s an easy download and gives you all this information right on your phone or tablet!

Table of Contents

What you’ll find in this guide:

  1. How to Organize Kids’ Bedroom – 15 Steps
  2. 4 Easy Ways to Keep the Kids’ Room Organized
    1. Set up Rewards
    2. Constantly Maintain Storage Solutions
    3. Before Holidays and Birthdays, Donate
    4. Keep Storage Ideas Kid-Friendly
  3. Storage Ideas for Kids’ Rooms
  4. How to Create a Homework Station
  5. How to Create a Reading Nook
  6. Tips for Organizing a Shared Bedroom
    1. Establish Space for Each Child
    2. Store Unused Items Elsewhere
    3. Teach Room Maintenance
  7. Kids’ Clothes Storage Ideas
  8. Toy Storage Ideas
    1. Stuffed Animal Storage
    2. LEGOs Storage
    3. Under Bed Storage
How to Organize a Kids' Bedroom: a Step by Step Guide for Overwhelmed Moms

How to Organize Kids’ Bedroom – 15 Simple Steps

These 15 steps will walk you through every part of the process. By following each step, you will have a super clean and tidy room for your child. 

1. Throw Away All The Trash

The first step is also the most obvious. Before you can begin organizing everything, remove all the trash. 

Throw away any broken toys, unwearable clothes, and any school papers that they don’t want to keep. 

After you remove the trash, you’ll be able to see how much stuff you need to store or donate. 

2. Go Through All the Clothes

After all the trash is removed, sort through their clothes. Clothes are the number one problem in children’s rooms. It’s so easy to accumulate more clothes than they need. 

You can either do this in sections – sorting through the drawers first, then the closets. Or you can choose to do it all at once. 

Create 3 piles: 

  • Keep – These are clothes your child still wears currently, in the current season.
  • Donate – Clothes that are out of season and won’t fit your child next year. This could also include clothes your child doesn’t want to wear or doesn’t like. If you don’t have a lot of extra storage space, consider donating extra clothes. 
  • Store – Put away or store clothes that you are wanting to hand down to another child, or clothes that hold significant emotional value.

Fabric storage bags or totes with handles work great for storing kids’ clothes. Use storage bags that have a useful label pocket on the front so you can easily keep track of the sizes you put in each bag. You can also fold the bags to store them when they’re not in use and save space.

As you find clothes that are too worn out or stained to wear, throw them away. If it isn’t wearable, don’t donate it. 

3. Sort Through The Toys

The next largest project will be sorting all the toys in your kids’ room. 

If you encourage your child(ren) to sort through the toys with you, it is more likely that they will learn how to keep their room clean on their own. Use this as a teaching moment, helping them understand how to let go of things that are broken or that don’t interest them anymore. 

Only keep the toys that either have a deep emotional connection (like their favorite teddy bear) or things they enjoy using currently. 

Read on – later in this guide you’ll find some toy storage tips and ideas. 

4. Organize All the Books

After you know what toys you are keeping, turn your focus to your kids’ books. 

If you have room to store all the books you own, take notice of how much room you have left for future books. If you are running out of space, don’t bring more books in until you give some away. 

Store precious books in containers with lockable lids. You want to protect the book from any pests or accidents.Ā 

5. Pillage the Papers

Next, gather up all the loose papers in the entire room and figure out what you are going to keep, if any at all. 

Papers are one of those things that accumulate and seem to grow, like a living thing. It’s very likely that you will throw away almost every single one. 

6. Clean Out From Under the Bed

When was the last time you cleaned out from under the bed? That’s the next step to organizing your kids’ room. 

It might help to move the bed around so you can reach everything that fell underneath it. 

Pull out everything and put or throw it away. 

This step leads you right into the next one: deep cleaning everything.

7. Clean Everything 

Before you put everything away, wipe down and clean all the surfaces. Vacuum or mop under the bed. Dust the tops of the dressers. 

Everything will look nicer – and it is more hygienic – in a spotless room. 

8. Create New Storage Solutions

Now that you cleaned out every single item, you should have a pretty good idea of what you need to store. 

Make a list and start creating storage solutions that are customized for your child’s bedroom. 

Do you need more book storage? Maybe you need a place to store LEGOs or a plush collection. You’ll find ideas for both later in this kids room organization guide.

9. Create Memory Boxes

As you sort through all the books and papers, you will find little things that your child clings to as memories. 

Create a memory box and tell your child that they can keep whatever fits in the box. This is perfect for art they create, photos, and little gifts they get from family and friends. 

10. Clean Out Desks and Drawers

Now that you have almost everything cleaned and sorted, it’s time to empty out the drawers in the room. Do the same donate/trash/keep sorting that you’ve done for everything else. 

Before putting everything back in the drawers, wipe them out and create new storage systems inside like drawer organizers.

11. Keep Tops of Dressers and Desks Clear of Extra Things

As you go through and create your new storage systems, resist the urge to store things on top of dressers or desks. 

It seems like horizontal surfaces are magnets for disorganized piles of stuff. If you make it a point to always keep them cleaned off, you will be enforcing new organization habits. 

12. Replace Broken Furniture

While you are in the mode of keeping only useful things in your kids’ room, turn your attention to the furniture too. Replace or fix broken furniture. 

Also consider replacing used furniture with options that have additional storage capabilities. 

Look for storage benches or ottomans with places for books, toys or shoes.Ā 

13. Make the Bed

After putting everything away in your new storage systems, make the bed. This one finishing touch can make the entire room look even cleaner and more polished. 

When you are making the bed, take an inventory of everything your child keeps in the bed. How many stuffed animals or books are taking up space? 

Try to find better places for all that stuff so the bed is easier to make in the future. 

14. Rearrange Furniture

Rearranging the furniture is an optional step, but it can breathe new life into the room. 

Changing the placement of the bed and dresser can also give your child more playing room. 

If you choose to change it up, keep in mind traffic flow. Leave room for safe walkways. 

15. Create Maintenance Chores

Finally, create chores that will maintain the newly cleaned and organized room. 

These are the chores that your child can do that will keep the room clean: 

  • Make the bed everyday
  • Keep toys put away
  • Pick up and put away clothes
  • Throw away all trash
  • Give away toys they don’t like or play with anymore
4 Ways to Keep the Kids' Room Organized
A kid’s bedroom can be just as organized as the rest of your home. After you follow this kids room organization guide, you’ll have everything you need to organize it and keep it that way.

4 Easy Ways to Keep Your Kids’ Room Organized

Since going through and organizing a child’s bedroom is a huge project, after it is completed, you will want to keep it that way for as long as you can. 

Here are 4 proven ways to help keep your kids’ room organized long-term. 

Set Up Rewards

First, set up a rewards system. Reward your child every time they do something that keeps the room clean. 

There are lots of printable rewards charts you can find for free. This simple rewards chart is so basic, you can use it for almost any behavior that you want to encourage. 

Maybe give a sticker for every time they put their toys away, and once they fill up the chart, they earn a reward. 

This is completely personal, so do what works for your family. The most important thing to remember is that if you want your child to help keep their room clean, you have to encourage new habits and set expectations. 

Constantly Maintain Storage Systems

Second, maintain the storage systems in your child’s room. As they outgrow shelves or tubs, either donate some things or create a different system that works better. 

Before Holidays and Birthdays, Donate

Third, make it a habit to go through all your child’s things before every holiday or birthday.

If you know they are going to be getting a lot of new things, create room to store them. Stay proactive. 

Keep Storage Ideas Kid-Friendly

Finally, your child’s room will stay organized longer if the storage solutions are kid-friendly. 

If your child can’t read yet, label the boxes with pictures. Keep bookshelves at their level so they can reach them. 

Storage and Organizing Inspiration for Your Child's Room

Storage Ideas for Kids Rooms

Here are some beautiful kids’ rooms that will give you some storage ideas and inspiration as you begin cleaning and sorting. 

Organize A Kid’s Room on a Budget

Find ways to upcycle and rearrange the room that won’t cost you a ton of money. Here are some inspirational ideas for kids’ rooms. 

Use a Bookcase as a Closet

If you don’t have a lot of closet space, you can easily convert a bookcase into a closet. Hang up clothes from it and use some baskets for other storage solutions. 

Wooden crates are the perfect size for stacking and using as book storage. Paint them the same colors as the child’s bedroom for a personal touch. 

If you use this as a bookshelf, attach them securely to each other and to the wall. This will protect your children from accidents.

If you have older children, add some plastic crates above the window. This can hold toys, books, games, and anything else that is getting in the way in the closet.Ā 

It’s also a really cute way to display collections of plushes.

Create an art corner

And if you have a free corner, you can set up a small table and chairs and add a few towel rods for a lovely art corner.Ā 

How to Create A Homework Station

When your child’s room is clean and organized, it is easier for them to think and focus on their homework. 

If there is enough space, consider creating a little desk area for your son or daughter. Give them a dedicated homework station where they can do their work quickly and get back to being a kid. 

To create a homework station, all you need is a desk and an organization plan for the office supplies.

Even a small closet can become the best homework station ever.

What you need for a useful homework station: 

How to Create A Reading Nook

If your child doesn’t already have a reading nook, create one. Establishing a corner of the room for books and reading will encourage a love of reading, and help you keep all the books in one place. 

Here is how to create a functional reading nook for your child. 

You don’t need a whole lot of furniture or room to create a reading nook. In the picture above, they used 2 pallets and a few body pillows. 

This is what you need to create a reading nook: 

Tips For Organizing a Shared Bedroom

Sharing a bedroom is really tricky. You have multiple children all trying to store their things in the same space. 

Even with more than one child in a room, it is possible to keep it all organized. Here are some tips for organizing a shared bedroom.

Establish Space for Each Child

The first step is to create a specific area for each child to store his or her things. If there are 2 children, it’s easiest to give each child half of the room. 

If there are more than 2 in a room, you might have to get creative. Use these tips for creating an area for each child.

  • Use floating shelves – Give each child a floating shelf next to their bed. This can hold their electronics, books, and other personal things.
  • Label bins in a bookshelf – Give them each their own tub or basket for storing personal things.Ā 
  • Use hanging closet organizers – These can divide the closet for easy clothes storage while also holding more of their things.Ā 

Store Unused Items Elsewhere

Go through the room and remove anything they don’t currently use. Store them in protective tubs in another room like the basement or hall closet. 

Removing anything extra will give everyone usable space for their things and cut down on stress.

Teach Room Maintenance

Finally, the last tip for organizing a shared bedroom is to actively keep it picked up. 

Leaving piles of items on the floor creates stress and makes organizing a bigger job than it needs to be. 

After you create zones and storage solutions, teach daily habits such as picking up the floor before going to bed. 

Storage Ideas for Kids' Clothes, Toys, and More

Kids’ Clothes Storage Ideas

One of the largest problems with kids’ rooms are clothes. They just seem to accumulate so many clothes and it can be tough to keep them all contained. 

If you think your child might own too many clothes, trim the collection down to a manageable level. 

After you know that the clothes your child has are the ones they will wear, use these clothes storage ideas to help them keep them put away: 

Put Closet Rods In Their Reach

If your child is too short to reach the closet rods, lower them. Make the closet usable for your small children so they can take ownership of their clothes and keep them picked up. 

Label Drawers

Use chalkboard paint on the dresser and label each drawer. This will help your children remember where to keep their clothes.Ā 

Use Hanging Organizers for Clothes Accessories

If your child has a lot of scarves or fun socks, use a hanging organizer in the closet for these extra things. 

Hanging closet organizers are such a lifesaver. You can store almost anything in them. They are great for kids because they are so easy to use.

As you organize their closet, use this super-easy Tackle Your Closet toolkit. It includes printable labels and closet divider hanging tags (amazing for shared closets).

Divide Drawers

Create DIY drawer dividers with foam board to organize messy drawers. 

These dividers can keep shorts separated from jeans or socks and underwear in their own zones. 

Keeping clothes organized is as simple as finding a storage solution that works for your child and only keeping as much as the room can hold. 

How to Create an Organized Space for Kids to Work and Play

Toy Storage Ideas

The second biggest problem in kids’ rooms is where to store all the toys. Whether it’s loose LEGOS or a pile of plushes, these tips will help you control all their toys. 

Stuffed Animal Storage

If your child has a plethora of plushes, here are some ideas about how to corral them. 

Curtain Rod Stuffed Animal Storage

The space between a curtain rod and the wall is perfect for stuffed animals. Depending on how many stuffed animals you have, you might have to install a few curtain rods on the wall.Ā 

Build A Plush Zoo

A plush zoo is simple to create with just some 2x4s and bungee chords. In fact, DIY Created has a tutorial you can follow. 

Use Nets

A classic storage solution for stuffed animals is to purchase some nets and hang them on the wall.Ā 

Fill A Bean Bag

Finally, you can take a bean bag cover and fill it with plushes. This idea is popular because it puts all the plushes out of site while also creating more sitting space.Ā 

LEGOs Storage

When you are storing your child’s LEGOs, the most important thing to consider is how to keep them off the floor. 

The easiest option is to purchase shoebox-sized plastic tubs with lids and separate the blocks by color.Ā 

Another idea is to create a LEGO table. That Mommy Blog has an IKEA hack that creates both a play area and storage solution. 

Under Bed Storage

The under bed storage are some of the best places to store things in your child’s room. 

Either raise the bed up with risers and use tubs or find a bed frame with drawers.Ā 

Here are some things you can store under the bed: 

  • Memory Boxes – things like pictures and small gifts 
  • Shoes
  • Extra blankets
  • Accessories or Toys

There you have it! This was your complete guide to kids’ room organization. If your little one is still an infant, you will want to check our Our Complete Guide to Nursery Organization for even more tips. Don’t forget to pin this post so you can come back and reference it. Take this guide in small doses and soon you’ll have a completely organized room for all of your children. 

Struggling to get motivated? Sign up to get our FREE guide, The 30-Minute Organizing Secret, and discover easy ways to overcome the chaos of clutter – even with kids at home!

How do you keep small pieces together?

There are lots of tubs and bins with lids and bags that you can zip up and seal. The secret to keeping parts together is to store them in containers together. Invest in small containers with lids.

How do you rotate toys so they keep feeling like new?

Only keep out a few toys at a time. Store the extras in a closet or in the basement. Every few months, switch the current toys with a few of the toys from the closet. Young children will feel like they have brand new toys!

How many toys are too many in the kids room?

This depends on how much storage their room has. If it is a small room with very little storage space, you need to keep fewer toys in it.

Discover step-by-step instructions for how to organize your kid's bedroom. Find easy toy and clothes storage solutions in this kids room organization guide.

More Home Organization Articles

Now that you organized your child’s room, here are more organization articles for your family.

One Comment

  1. Great guide!! Well written and very practical. It turns what could be a very overwhelming process into smaller tasks that you will instantly see progress. I can’t wait to share this with my daughter and grandaughter!

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