3 Ways to Organize Your Playroom for Both Order & Increased Creativity

Has your child ever complained about boredom while surrounded by tons of toys? While we may provide all the toys our kids want or what we think they need, this may backfire on us. Too many toy options and a lack of order in their space can overwhelm children and limit their creativity. 

Today, I am sharing 3 tips for organizing your playroom to enhance fun and creativity and decrease complaints. Don't worry; I won't recommend a super neat, incredibly organized playroom—that's impractical. But I do recommend creating easy organization systems for you and your kids to keep up with while allowing quick access to play and learning for your kiddos.

Tip #1: Sort Strategically to Let Your Kids Truly See Their Options

Like any other space in your home, a playroom should be organized into zones that ensure easy access and cleanup for any given type of play. For example, store similar items together and have a designated spot for them. 

The most common categories I see in my client's playrooms (and from raising my own two boys) are arts and crafts supplies, puzzles, games and books, building toys like blocks, magnetic tiles and Legos, vehicles, dolls, action figures, and tiny figurines (which I think we can all agree are the worst), technology like video games, iPads, and computers and imaginative play like dress-up clothes, toy kitchens and pretend cash registers.  

Once you have sorted the playroom into these categories, determine the best spot in the room for each zone and decide how you will contain them. With kids, keep the storage super simple and clear. Open-top, large bins and chests work great for larger toys like stuffed animals, dolls, and Nerf guns. Smaller clear containers work well for small toys like cars and doll accessories. Clear doesn't hide the mess, but the goal is for your kids to be able to see everything they have and empower them to clean up after themselves. 

Pro Tip: I commonly organize arts and crafts supplies out of the reach of little ones, requiring your help when they want that type of play, like paint, markers, Play-Doh, and slime. This is totally age-dependent and a personal family preference, but I wouldn't want anyone's child painting the walls or taking a black Sharpie to all the playroom furniture while mom takes a time-out. You can thank my 3-year-old son for this tip :).

Tip #2: Empower Your Children to Clean Up Their Way

While you may be craving a higher level of order, it is essential to create just enough organization in the playroom that you feel like it's not too chaotic and allows your kids to clean up in their own way—or else they may not clean up at all. You may want specific stackable bins for every category, but chances are your kids cannot keep up with that. 

Add a large bin or basket that can hide a quick cleanup for when you don't have the time to sort everything back where it belongs in the system immediately. This bin can be a fun pattern or color other than clear. The goal is to hide the mess inside quickly. This serves two purposes. One, the visual noise is gone for you, mom, and two, your kids have easily cleaned up when you told them to.  When you have more time, you can sort that bin out so they have a fresh start the next time they go to play.

Tip #3: Encourage Your Littles to Set Up Systems

Encouraging your kids to organize their own spaces will serve them well. They can easily learn that everything has a place so that when it is time to clean up, they know how to do it quickly, in a way that satisfies you.  

Set up the system with them by asking where each toy should go. Then, explain why organizing is important and how this order contributes to the house. Teach them that it is important to put one thing away before starting to play with something else. You can make the process fun by timing them to see how quickly they can clean up and if they can beat their last time or their sibling for a prize (I apologize if this causes any fights ;).  

You can also label the system with them, using photos and words (depending on their age), and they can help with the arts and crafts part of that project. When it's time to check whether toys are still relevant, talk to them about how donating these toys to other children helps them share in the same fun that toy brought them and makes space for new toys they can enjoy.  

Pro Tip: If a toy drives you nuts and must be gone, do it in the middle of the night when they are sleeping, eliminating any discussion or meltdowns about it. Chances are they will forget all about it, and if they don't, redirect their attention to some other toy they love.

Bonus Tip: Keep Up the Excitement with Toy Rotations

If your kids are struggling from boredom in their play spaces, they are likely overwhelmed with too many options and now is the time to set up a toy rotation. This means storing away a handful of toys in each category that they still like and are age-appropriate. You can rotate the toys in the playroom with the ones stored away every few weeks, bringing a whole new appreciation to those items when they reappear.  

This is also a great thing to do when your kids get a lot of birthday or holiday presents. Store them away, then bring them out slowly throughout the year and rotate them—it's like a surprise over and over! And if you have too many, regift them when you attend those birthday parties that seem to come up every week.

Remember that a playroom is a fun place to make memories, create, and learn. Don't take its order too seriously, or the inevitable mess will stress you and your kids out. We organize playrooms to be practical, not perfect. Playroom projects are the most easy-going spaces I organize because of who is using them. Lower your expectations and create just enough simple order that you won't feel like you're living in a war zone every time you enter it.  

Create a general system with zones and bins for easy cleanup when the day's messiness, creativity, and learning are done. Remember to choose storage options that complement your home's decor and are fun and inviting for your little ones when they are in there. That creates a win-win for you all.

If you loved these playroom organizing tips, you’ll love learning how Organized by Meg will transform your whole Denver area home…and your life! Join our mailing list to get inspired and grab your behind-the-scenes guide here.

Sending you organized vibes,

Meg