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How to Declutter Kids’ Rooms and Keep Them That Way Easily

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How to declutter kids’ rooms and keep them organized using the KonMari method. Our experience with finding joy in everything we have!

This post contains an affiliate link, you can find my full disclosure HERE.  

As promised, here is the scoop on the munchkins’ rooms.  Let me tell you, when I first started reading Kondos’ book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, she was speaking my language.  

I couldn’t wait to start going through everything in our house; purging, and creating homes for items that would stay.  I wanted to immediately go through my husband’s and kids’ belongings but Kondo mentions that if you are patient, your family will see the impact of decluttering and organizing and will want to get in on the magic.

How to Declutter Kids’ Rooms and Keep Them Organized

How to declutter kids rooms and keep them organized.
How to declutter kids rooms and keep them organized.

I approached my 6 yr old daughter first and told her how everything in her room should make her happy.  Of course she insisted every single piece of clothing and toy does make her happy but I followed Kondo’s method of having her hold each item and see if it makes her smile.  

Wouldn’t you know that when we had finished, at least 30% of her clothes and toys were in trash/giveaway piles by her choice.  It is by far the most success I have had with her room.  Usually my method is to sneak out happy meal toys, trash, and too small clothes when she’s at school. 😉

declutter kids room with toys in basket and bins
Everything in its place.
Declutter kids rooms and keep clothes neatly hung.
Clothes neatly hung.

We organized the remaining toys in the closet.  Her stuffed animals are in the two pink bins and only two of the cloth bins are holding doll clothes and barbies.  The third cloth bin is empty.  Success!

declutter kids rooms and fold clothes according to Marie Kondo.
Clothes folded in the KonMari way.

The hanging clothes left are only dresses and coats. 

decluttering kids rooms using the konmari method.
The KonMari method of folding.

After using the KonMari method of folding,  her three dresser drawers all fit into one.  My daughter’s dresser now has TWO empty drawers.  Amazing! 

Decluttering kids rooms left empty drawers and bins.
Empty drawers!

The bottom drawer hold dress up clothes and the top holds clothes that are too big.  We’ll see how the empty drawers hold up.  

The only toys out in her room are her dollhouse and basket of dollhouse items.  Organizing the toys and keeping like items together and where she uses them, will help her keep things nice and tidy. Think about where in your child’s room he/she uses a certain item and consider storing them together in that spot.

declutter kids rooms by organizing items by type and storing them together.
Dollhouse items are stored in a basket under the dollhouse table.

My daughter’s books, video games, board games, and Legos are neatly organized in a bookshelf on the other side of her closet. One of the things I love about the KonMari method is that you go through items by category. So each of my kids’ rooms has ALL of their toys and belongings with the exception of a few books that stay in the living room. That helps the entire house stay neat.

a bookshelf in the closet helps declutter kids rooms
A bookshelf in the closet helps keep items within treat but out of sight.

My 10 yrs old son’s room had even a better outcome.  He willingly purged about 10 bags of toys and a bag full of clothes.  I would say that at least 40% of the stuff in his room is gone.  Both of the kids had fun decluttering by holding items and seeing if they truly sparked joy.

Clothes folded neatly the konmari way to declutter the kids rooms.
Neatly folded clothes the KonMari way.

I know it can hard to get rid of so much as parents because we think of how much money those things cost. But this one-time purge using the KonMari method sets better habits for the future and you see how much easier it is to live with things we really don’t need. Fewer items make for a better and simple life. Trust me!

We put all of his clothes including dress clothes and slacks into two drawers.  Only his winter jacket is hanging.  The other drawers are for costumes and masks.

Folded clothes in a drawer
Folded clothes in a drawer.

Like his sister, the remaining toys fit into a bookcase in his closet and a plastic clothing hamper holds swords, nerf guns, and tactical gear (like father like son!).  We decided to move his books onto the bunkbed desk to free up shelves for Lego creations. 

bookshelf adds needed storage in the closet
A bookshelf in my son’s room for much needed storage.
closet organization in our rental home
Closet organization in our rental home.
Use a bookshelf for lego storage and creations.
Space for legos and lego creations.

I really enjoy NOT stepping on Legos every time I come into his room!  The desk drawers are perfect for holding notebooks of his original stories, a matchbox car case, and Pokemon cards.

a neat desk with books and a few toys
Neat desk with books and a few toys.

The kids’ rooms were decluttered and organized almost two months ago, and the outcome was a success.   Picking up the rooms at night is much quicker and easier for them.

I created a new golden rule in the house, “You can pull out clothes, but you can’t put them away until you learn how to fold the KonMari way.”  My oldest is learning but I’m totally fine not finding all of my daughter’s clothes in a big heap in the mornings.  She has really stuck to it!

This book really was magic!

   

Make sure to check out the best decorating ideas and DIYs for Spring and Easter! You’ll find loads of information with free checklists for using Marie Kondo’s book for the entire house and other cheatsheets.

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