Taking on any major organizational project can feel daunting, and the playroom has the added challenge of making the whole thing kid-friendly. However, with the right tools, storage ideas, and approach, you can tame the messiest of playrooms.
Reduce the Clutter
The first rule of organization is to get rid of stuff you don't need. This is especially important in a playroom. Before you invest time and money into organization, make sure to get rid of broken and unused toys. The easiest way to do this is to sort all items into 4 categories: keep, store, donate, and throwaway.
- Keep: In order to qualify for this category, items must have been used by your children within the last 3 months. These are the toys that you'll end up keeping in accessible areas for your children to use.
- Store: Be very picky about items you put in this category. Only store items that have significant sentimental value or items that you are fairly sure you'll reuse with your younger children.
- Donate: This includes items that are in good shape but no longer used.
- Throw away: If it's broken, worn out, or not worth donating, toss it.
Use Wall Space
Toy shelves are great, but remember— you aren't limited to ground space in your journey to organization. You don't want your playroom to be so full of bookshelves, chests, and boxes on the ground that your children don't have any room to actually play. It's time to take advantage of a new toy storage idea: wall space. Wall-mounted organizational tools can help create a significant amount of visual space in a room. You can use the right combination of organizational features to give you the storage you need without crowding the playroom. Use a combination of hooks, hanging shelves, and bins to take advantage of vertical storage space without the bulk of a bookshelf or wardrobe. Of course, shelves, drawers, and cabinets are all useful storage tools, but using a combination can make your playroom more logically organized and less visually cluttered.
Keep Messy Toys Out of Reach
Finger painting can be a lot of fun for kids, but it's not so fun for Mom or Dad whey children paint unsupervised. Most kids have a few toys or activities that are best if enjoyed with direct supervision from an adult. In these cases, it's best to take an out-of-sight, out-of-mind, out-of-reach approach. If you have small kids, invest in wall cabinets that can store toys and crafts that require supervision. Install the cabinets high enough that your little ones can't reach them unassisted. If you have a particularly determined child, you might consider installing a lock on the cabinet doors to ensure the items stay out of reach.
Make Age-Appropriate Accommodations
When organizing a playroom, it's important to keep the age and abilities of your children in mind. Your young toddler will probably have a harder problem sticking to your organizational plan than your older children. However, that doesn't mean you have to resign yourself to a messy playroom until your youngest child is ready for the full system. The solution? Set up a catch-all bin. A catch-all bin is fairly simple; it is a specific bin where your younger children can put any toy or activity once they are done playing with it. You can even assign an older child to sort the bin every couple of days. This system serves two purposes.
- You won't have to deal with toys littered across the room.
- Even your youngest child will start to form a habit of putting things away.
Plan for the Future
Your kids won't be little forever. It's important to have playroom storage that can grow with your children, or you'll end up running into the same organizational problem every few years. Slatwall panel organizers provide a flexible base you can customize according to your current needs. Slatwall panels allow you to install hooks, bins, cabinets, and more all across your room without committing to a specific arrangement. As your children's interests (and storage needs) change, you can easily change your organizational layout and resources.
