Organizing with Your Family: Getting the Kids Involved
With a new season underway and back-to-school routines settling in, now is the perfect time to teach your kids some valuable organization skills! Getting your family involved in the organization of your home isn’t just about checking chores off the list—it’s about creating a team environment where everyone plays a role in keeping things running smoothly. By involving the whole family, you’re not only lightening your load, but you’re also fostering responsibility and independence in your kids.
In this blog post, I’m taking you through six different spaces and items that your little ones can help organize, along with fun, simple strategies to make the process as easy as possible (for both of you!).
Games & Puzzles
We all know how quickly board games and puzzle pieces can take over your living space. The secret to getting your kids to help organize? Make it a game! Turn the cleanup process into a fun activity that keeps your kids engaged and teaches them responsibility at the same time.
Keep, Donate, or Toss Relay
Have your kids race against each other to sort their games and puzzles into categories. This will inspire quick decision-making and teach the value of giving to others!
Race the Clock
Set a timer for ten minutes and have your kids work together to declutter as many items as possible.
Musical Decluttering
Put on some music and let the games begin! When you pause the music, kids must decide whether to keep, toss, or donate the item in their hands.
The Memory Game
With your child, take inventory of their puzzles and games. Then, without them looking, remove several and see if they can recall which are missing! This game fosters mindfulness in intentional living!
Practice the One-in-One-out Rule
For every new game or puzzle, let go of an old one. This will prevent clutter from building up over time.
Arts & Crafts
Creativity is often stifled when kids have access to too many options—this goes for toys, activities, and, you guessed it, craft supplies! Paring down will not only open their imaginations to new and creative ways to engage their brains, but it will also mean less to manage and clean up.
If your kiddo is an artist in the making, going through all of their craft supplies can be a daunting and even emotional task. But it doesn't have to be!
Document the Process
Documenting the process can turn an overwhelming chore into a fun and engaging activity! Take before & after pictures or make a time-lapse - having kids see their progress will be so motivating for them!
Schoolwork & Keepsakes
If your kids are as sentimental as mine, they want to hold onto every A+ paper and every picture they draw. Without a plan, this can get chaotic FAST!
Our favorite way to organize and limit these papers is to utilize a Keepsake Bin—one for each child. This not only manages the clutter but also teaches kids the importance of organization and making thoughtful choices about what to keep. This system allows them to revisit their favorite memories without feeling overwhelmed by the amount of papers.
Limit the Space
Wait until the end of the school year to go through everything all at once. Often the things kids want to keep in the moment are easier for them to let go of at the end of the year.
Utilize a Keepsake Bin
Our Kids Keepsake Bins create a physical limitation to how much schoolwork and artwork can reasonably be stored. Click here to find our DIY Kits in our Etsy Shop!
Another Way to Save
Take a photo of bulky or hard-to-store items like dioramas, poster boards, or large craft projects! You can save these to an album on your phone or have it printed into a book.
Books
For little bookworms, saying goodbye to old books can be quite a challenge! Books hold endless memories and adventures, making it tough to let go. But letting go of those lesser-read stories is more than just a lesson in decluttering; it's a chance to teach your kids the importance of making space for new stories and adventures while celebrating their reading achievements!
Reward the Results
Giving kids the opportunity to cash in on their reading achievements can encourage them to let go of the books they’re no longer reading. Find a local book buyer or consignment shop to take unwanted books to!
Rainbow it Out
Encouraging your kids to organize their books in rainbow order can turn the daunting task of gathering books from around the house into a fun and enjoyable activity!
Toys
When it comes to decluttering, toys are one of the greatest challenges for kids! They often form deep attachments to their toys, each holding memories and emotions. No wonder it's hard for them to say goodbye!
Going through toys is all about creating a low-pressure environment where kids can make decisions at their own pace - this allows them to put thought into the choices they're making, which helps the process feel less stressful and overwhelming.
Here is our favorite low-pressure approach for toy decluttering:
Decide Later
Remember that toys are one of the hardest things for kids to purge! Follow all of our usual purging tips, but in addition to Keep, Toss, and Donate bins, give your kids a “Decide Later” box.
Ease Into Letting Go
The “Decide Later” box is where all those “maybes” can live until they are okay letting go of them. Once those items are moved out of their room or playroom, it’s usually easier for them to part with later on.
Start Simple
Start with the easiest, least emotionally charged toys first, and slowly work your way towards more sentimental items. This will help your kids gain confidence in their decision-making powers!
Clothes
If you have a little fashionista in the making, you understand the struggle of keeping up with a closet overflowing with clothes and endless piles of laundry! But if you follow these simple tips, decluttering their wardrobe can actually be one of the easiest tasks for kids!
This or That
Reduce overwhelm and hold up two items at a time - encourage your child to keep one and donate the other. Start with obvious keep and toss items to build confidence (for example, hold up a beloved favorite character t-shirt next to one that is worn out).
The 3 Essential Bins
In addition to keeping Too Big and Too Small bins in your kids’ closets, consider adding a Donate bin! This will give them a place to put the items they don’t want or wear anymore.
Maintainable Storage
If your child is too you to hang items (or just doesn't want to), using bins will allow them to keep their clothes organized without needing to hang or fold anything!
I hope these tips and ideas have sparked some excitement for getting your kids involved in organizing your home! And the best part? Every strategy we've covered can be tailored to fit any organizing project you take on as a family.
If you’re ready to take things to the next level, our Bellingham and Seattle, Washington teams are here to help! Schedule your complimentary consultation with us today, and we’ll help you create lasting systems that make staying organized effortless. After all, the key to a clutter-free home starts with having the right systems in place!
