Organize Your Child's Playroom in 4 Steps

Organizing your child's playroom takes planning.

Teaching your child to keep it organized requires your help and patience... BUT here are 4 easy steps to achieve an organized playroom.

So often my clients say something like:

"The den looked so organized 6 months ago but now it's worse than it was before!

I don't want to keep doing this over and over again! What can I do?"

The answer is family team work, no matter how large or small your family and regardless of the ages of your children.

Here are 4 steps to maintaining your room the way you set it up:

Have a family meeting to decide some ground rules. For example:

Before taking out another toy, put the one you are finished with back. (I know, "But I'm gonna play with it again later." No more.
Parents have rules, as well. If you want to knit, read a book or have a cup of coffee in the playroom while the kids are there, take your stuff out with you when you leave. Of course, put your stuff back where it belongs.
Decide together what happens at the end of the play session, or day, to the toys that are not put away. Stick to that plan.

Set up a system that makes sense, with special areas for each type of activity.

Arts and crafts corner with clear bins, cubbies or baskets to keep supplies organized.
Educational toys: puzzles, science projects, chess, checkers, flash cards.
Reading area with books arranged by category, and perhaps by age appropriateness, depending on how many children and the span of their ages.
Music area for playing instruments of listening.
Computer games, X Box, etc. The CDs that belong to each system should be in their proper covers so that they are handy when the next time to play comes.
Legos.

Keep a small trash container in each area. No need to go too far to keep the are clean of debris.

Have another family meeting once the room is organized. You'd be surprised what they have forgotten they had.

This is a great opportunity to work together to actually see what there actually is in the room and what the kids think about their toys'
Do they no longer play with certain items?
If particular toys or games are in good condition and they are either bored or tired of it, you can decide together where to donate them.
If something is broken, used up or a game is missing pieces, help them dispose of them properly.