How to Declutter Your Child's Room

With all the great things that come with having children, also comes the endless clutter! Buying a ton of storage probably won’t cut it – you need a strategy, and you might need to chuck out a few things down the line too. Follow these tried and tested tips on how to declutter your child’s room.

How to declutter your child's room strategically

1. Decide what will stay and what will go

The first step is to go through all the things in your child’s room to evaluate what is really needed. Be ruthless here! Evaluate at least the following:

• Nearly finished crayons and pencils
• Broken toys
• Clothes that are too small or never get used
• Board games that are missing pieces
• Books they’ve outgrown

Don’t just throw these things out, though - recycle, donate or gift as much as you can!

2. Motivate your child to get involved

When it comes to decluttering, your child might get emotional – they might not like the idea of letting go of anything. Don’t try to do it all in one day, start with one area.

Help your child understand the process by explaining that the things they barely use can get a new home somewhere. The thought of helping others can be motivating and a great educational experience for children who are old enough to understand. Alternatively, you could suggest they sell their items in a yard sale, using the money for something previously agreed upon.

3. Store by category

Toys, clothes, sports gear, arts and crafts materials… all these tend to get jumbled together in a child’s room. Create relevant categories and source a separate, suitable storage solution for each. Make storing things more fun for your child by colour-coding storage baskets or decorating containers with stickers.

4. Use the walls

Using the walls of your child’s room for storage is a great way to free up space on the floor. Install shelves, hooks or a cute wall basket to add storage space without making the room appear more cramped.

How to ensure your child's room stays decluttered

The best way to teach your child to keep their room decluttered is by setting the example yourself. Easier said than done, right? Yet, if your children see you store and organise things in the house, they will pick up the habit too.

What’s more, decluttering your child’s room doesn’t mean it has to look boring! It’s important it still feels homey and tickles their imagination. Wall décor, such as a personalised sign, a cute print or a stuffed animal head brings life to the room without creating clutter.