Clever Storage Solutions For Kids Who Don’t Put Things Away

Getting kids to pick up their toys often feels about as hopeless as asking a dog to drop its bone. You don’t want to do it yourself, and you certainly can’t expect children to magically love tidying. The solution? Creating storage that makes it super simple to put things away so your kids don’t have to think twice.

Look for open-top containers that make it quick and easy for kids to toss in items. Maximize vertical space to give children more visible storage. Use clear containers, picture labels, and open shelving. Keep toys and other items easily accessible. Think about your children’s daily activities and habits, and use storage that works with them instead of against them.

After playtime ends, cleaning up is anything but fun, so what can you do to make it as easy as possible? These suggestions for a hassle-free clean-up strive to make picking up more manageable and efficient for kids, so you aren’t stuck with the mess.

Why Kid-Friendly Storage Is Different

Kids come with toys, art supplies, shoes, clothes, backpacks, stuffed animals, books, sports gear, and the list goes on. Telling them to “just put it away” doesn’t cut it because most children aren’t concerned with how organized their stuff is. Instead, kids think about their items from the viewpoint of how accessible they are. How fast can they get to their favorite toy or the library book they’re reading?

When you consider this, it makes sense why kids lean toward leaving everything out in the open. They figure it’s right where they need it when they want to use it again. It’s similar to the idea of people who never make their bed because they’re just going to sleep in it again. Because children focus more on accessibility, traditional storage solutions aren’t always a good fit. Things like lidded bins, folded clothes, and uber-organized systems require more energy and effort than most children are willing to expend.

The Foundation Of Effective Kid Storage — How Easy Is It To Put Away?

Overall, when choosing storage methods for your kids, ask yourself how easy it is to put the items away. Organizing expert, Cassandra Aarssen (Clutterbug®), nails it when she suggests that things have to be just as easy to put away as they are to leave out. Even many adults do better with this mindset if they want to maintain a workable system.

Think about it — what child is going to take the time to remove a lid, pull out a drawer, put things away, close the lid, and push the drawer back in? Then, they need to repeat this for every toy, book, and block? By comparison, what if they just need to dump the cars into a bin? Or toss the stuffed animals into a basket, and hang the bag of costume accessories on a hook? These latter clean-up options are much easier for kids to handle and stick to because they require minimal time and effort.

Choose Storage That Contains Instead Of Controls

Forget about elaborate systems or detailed organization when it comes to storing items. Concentrate on simply containing your kids’ belongings instead of trying to keep everything picture-perfect. It’s time to give up control and perfection and settle for good enough.

Younger children, especially, are more likely to stick with cleaning up if the process is easy and their stuff remains visible. Therefore, opt for low-effort storage. Here are some good examples of storage that works for kids.

• Large open baskets
• Open-top bins or crates
• Pull-out drawers under the bed
• Hanging mesh baskets for plush toys
• Front-facing bookshelves
• Picture ledges
• Wide bins instead of narrow, so it’s easier to toss in items
• Soft-sided baskets or bins are a bit more forgiving with how much they can fit

Organize In Broad Categories

Another way to make clean-up easier for children is to create macro categories rather than micro ones. For example, imagine getting super-detailed with LEGO brick storage, sorting every single piece by type, color, etc. Can you realistically see a five-year-old stick to this plan?

However, since you don’t want a bunch of painful land mines scattered about the floor, the kids still need to pick them up. Therefore, settle for a couple of large bins or boxes devoted to all the LEGO chaos. The same goes for cars, action figures, animals, and anything else that your kids play with or use. Broader categories not only require less physical effort to stick to, but also less decision-making and brainpower.

Embrace Vertical Storage

Maximize what kids see when it’s “picked up” by using vertical space effectively. Of course, items need to remain within children’s reach to stay accessible, but don’t let wall space or the back of doors go unused.

• Picture ledges hold books forward-facing, creating storage and a cute display.
• Mount hooks to hang jackets, backpacks, and dress-up clothes.
• Install a ceiling hook to suspend hanging mesh baskets for stuffed animals, lightweight balls, or dolls.
• Make storage fun by mounting a basketball hoop above specific bins so kids can toss smaller items during clean-up.
• Utilize shoe organizers on the back of doors to hold small stuffed animals, action figures, or small trucks.

Prioritize Locating And Accessing Items

In case you missed it, if you want kids to put things away, it has to be as easy as possible. Therefore, don’t make them search or second-guess where stuff goes. Here are some ways to make locating the proper containers a breeze:

• Use clear containers whenever possible.
• Label bins and baskets clearly, using picture labels for children who aren’t yet reading.
• Store the items you expect your kids to put away at or below their eye level.

Making it easy to locate where things go also helps with cleanup when your kids have friends over. Their pals don’t have to wander aimlessly trying to find where Captain America goes or cram him into the book bin.

Storage Furniture For Kids

Kids accumulate a ton of stuff, so maximizing storage opportunities is crucial. Organizers are great, and various bins and baskets are perfect for corralling toys, blocks, and art supplies. However, don’t forget about the furniture.

Choose furniture that pulls double duty, opting for pieces that include storage. You’ll have more places to stow items, which helps keep things looking tidy. But make sure the options you choose still make it easy for kids to clean up after themselves. Some examples of furniture for kids’ rooms or playrooms that include storage are:

• Benches that open (can double as a big toy chest)
• Ottomans with removable lids (great for extra blankets)
• Beds with drawers, shelves, and cabinets
• Nightstands with open shelves or drawers
• Desks with built-in bins underneath
• Bed frames with drawers

Organize Storage By Activity

Consider sorting and organizing your kid’s things by activity rather than by item. Of course, you know your child best, so this depends on how they think and approach playtime. However, it might be easier for them to find what they need and put it away if it aligns with what they want to do. Assign a bin per zone, such as an art zone, building zone, or restaurant zone. Label the containers according to your child’s interests and favorite ways to play.

Assigning a designated number of bins per category also helps keep inventory from growing at an overwhelming rate. When a bin gets full, you know it’s time to make some choices on what goes and what stays, not buy another bin. This exercise is also a good way to teach children about organizing, choosing what adds value, and letting go of items they no longer use or need. They can build their decluttering muscles over time and learn that quantity isn’t necessarily better.

When Choosing Kid-Friendly Storage, Think About Real Life

The best kids’ storage solutions are the ones that stick. It doesn’t matter how great your child’s room looks after you clean it, if it reverts to chaos after one play session. Effective tidying methods are easy to maintain, which means they work for your lifestyle. The goal is to make life run more smoothly, calmly, and efficiently. Therefore, if the storage methods you choose don’t help you reach these goals, they aren’t the right ones for your family.

As you select storage for your kids’ spaces, match it to their behavior so it works with them rather than against them. Prize progress over perfection and keep systems simple, so kids can follow and maintain them without a second

thought.

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