Organizing Tools for Kids’ Spaces

February 6, 2021

Kids’s spaces aren’t just their bedrooms these days. It often seems like just about any room in the homes in Peyton CO becomes the kids’ spaces. That means toys, books, and more invading each room. Fortunately, there are a number of organizational tools that can help make cleanup a little easier and make some of those items look like they belong, not to mention tools that are great for kids’ own rooms and official play areas.

It’s great to encourage your child to read from an early age, but those thin picture books can easily get lost in the shuffle. A great idea for bedrooms, family rooms, and even some areas of the kitchen are picture-book shelves, much like artwork shelves, set at the child’s level. These shelves keep the books organized and easy to see and pick. In a regular bookcase, those thin spines get lost. This lets the child see the various book covers, but also gives them an easy place to put them back when done.

As their books get thicker, make sure you have some good bookends. These make it easier for kids to pull books out without all of the books toppling over. Best of all, there are a lot of fun and functional bookends that will appeal to kids — and probably quite a few adults, too — such as animal shapes made from a heavy fabric and filling. They’re sturdy enough to hold up the books, but can do double duty as toys, as well.

Whether for use on the floor, coffee table, floor pouf, bed, or sofa, a tray with a tall lip is a great item to have on hand. It’s particularly good for smaller things like building blocks, games with small pieces, puzzles, or even coloring, because the lip keeps items from falling off and getting lost. Plus, it makes the projects easier to transfer, which works for both kids and parents.

One trick that parents use to try to get rid of old toys is putting them in bags and storing them in the garage. Unless the child asks for it within a certain amount of time, it’s probably safe to donate the toys or get rid of them if they’re too far gone for donation. The reality is that out of sight is out of mind for a lot of kids. However, because of this, if there are toys that you do want your kids to play with regularly, it’s best to put them on display somehow. This is where open shelves and cubbyhole storage really comes in handy, especially in the kids’ bedrooms, but also in playrooms or even family rooms. You can keep some smaller toys of a certain grouped theme in baskets placed on the shelves and cubbyholes, but whenever possible, try to organize the toys so that they’re visible, especially if they’re learning toys that you want to encourage your children to enjoy.

Most kids enjoy arts and crafts, so encourage that with their own art display board, as well as a place where they can create new works of art. A large magnet or bulletin board in the child’s room is a wonderful place to show off artwork, achievements, and family photos. This is particularly useful in the age of stainless steel refrigerators that make it hard to display those cherished works. Plus, your children can play art gallery director, curating their own displays. Don’t forget to give them a convenient place to work on projects. A shower curtain that can be spread out on the floor gives kids plenty of space to work, while containing most of the mess. Also, look for clear plastic storage containers to hold various crafting supplies, such as construction paper, markers, pipe cleaners, glues and adhesives, etc., so that kids (and parents) can easily see what is available. For items that definitely need some supervision, you may also want to label the containers so you can easily grab the appropriate items.

Finally, whether it’s in the bedroom, playroom, family room, or wherever your kids tend to congregate with their toys, you may want to have one big basket for last-minute cleanup or to store certain types of toys, such as a mountain of dolls and stuffed animals. If you use the basket for general cleanup during the week, then it’s a good idea to go through it during the weekend to put things back in their appropriate place. Of course, if you only use them for dolls and stuffed animals, then the kids know exactly where to go to find their favorite friends. Stick the basket, whether firm or soft-sided, in the corner of a room and it’s easy enough to keep it out of the way but still accessible.

These are just a few ways of keeping things a little more organized in your homes in Peyton CO. Nothing is ever going to be completely neat and orderly, but this will go a long way to making things a little easier to contain and clean up, while also fully encouraging your kids to explore their curiosities and make the most of their imaginations. Embrace the toys, knowing that they’re helping your child’s development just as much as they’re letting them have fun.

Categorized in: Design Tips, Organizing Tools for Kids’ Spaces, Uncategorized

This post was written by Creekstone Homes