Spring Cleaning Part 3: Organizing Children’s Play Areas

Those among you with kids know: The summer bug has hit. Their squirrely, wiggly selves can’t wait to escape from school and get to work playing in every corner of your home! So this May, we’re tackling ideas for organizing their play areas to keep those adorable balls of energy laughing and playing all summer long.Imagination Is the Limit (and the Point)Let’s be honest: If you spend more than 10 minutes on Pinterest, you’ll find a plethora of options for organizing your kids’ favorite things. Just remember that playtime for kids is all about imagination. Give them easy access to the building blocks, and they’ll create the fairy grotto or fort with whatever tools they have on hand.Below, we’ve listed ideas for putting their toys, clothes and books in order. The more organized your home, the quicker they can grab what they need — and clean up when they’re done!Clearing the Closet ClutterYour kids won’t get far unless they’re able to find their shoes, socks and play clothes in a hurry. Avoid morning-time meltdowns by getting their closets in order! Extra storage is one of the easiest ways to separate items by category, whether it’s simple over-the-door hanging storage or custom built-in drawers, rods and shelves.Start by getting rid of any items they’ve outgrown — by donating them, trashing unusable items or selling anything of value. Services such as ThredUp.com and Swap.com provide a way to sell or trade items, letting you get some extra mileage out of their belongings!Next StepsOnce the pathway is clear, we can come in for a personal consultation — and then install cabinets, shelves and any other storage you need. From there, you can get to work adding the details that’ll keep everything tidy all summer long.With your new custom storage, stock the shelves with baskets and tubs to keep toys easily accessible. Labeling each bin with a word and a picture is a great way to teach kids how to clean up after themselves as well as reinforce language skills.For even more clever storage and organization ideas, click here. Soon, you’ll have everything in its place!Organizing Common AreasGetting your kids’ closets in order is one thing; making sure the rest of the home can keep up with busy hands is another. For common areas, apply the same principles you did in the closet by keeping items clearly marked and within reach.A shoe organizer can become a home for arts and crafts supplies, such as paintbrushes, markers and glue sticks. Buy one with clear pockets so it’s easy to see what’s inside, and don’t forget to label it. Then, simply hang it on the back of a pantry or closet door!Maximizing Garage SpaceIf you’d rather contain messes to the garage, we can help you make use of unused spaces and create a corner play area, too. First, decide what to keep, donate or throw away — and then we can install custom shelves and cabinets that make it a cinch to store arts and craft supplies, sports equipment, water-play toys and much more.These are just a few ways to tidy up and organize play areas for your children. Field your kids for thoughts and ideas, and try to incorporate their interests. If you have more ideas, post them in the comments section.To discuss designing custom spaces for any place in your home, please contact us.