Have you ever timed how long the kid’s room exists in order after the last cleaning? I’m pretty sure that this blessed period lasts no more than a few minutes :) Well if the order in the nursery is on a regular basis, my congratulations - you could be considered as a hero! For most of us, no matter what age of our kids is - from infants to teens - this is a real disaster.

Why did I find this topic essential to point out? The playground is a special marvelous world for the baby that makes him excited with its reality. And if one is caught up with it, he typically isn’t able to find out what is happening around. This also refers to adults, there is a concept of “creative anarchy” and for somebody, it’s just a way of living and working. Therefore we won’t be highly strict on our kids, but let’s help them with organizational stuff giving good advice, support and patience.

Is it a familiar background, isn’t it? :)

So it's high time to attract little helpers!

What arguments work with kids?

Game “It’s time to sleep” for toys, and box-baskets-shelves are their “cribs” (mostly works with girls). The main thing here is that the process of going to bed isn’t meant to last for hours.
“Who cleans up the room faster – you or your mom?” competition. Or make this challenge between two or more kids (usually works with boys), the winner gets a prize. In this case, not only speed is important but also the quality of cleaning: it won’t go “in bulk”!
Cleaning along to the accompaniment of top music. But you shouldn’t throw a dance party 10 minutes before bedtime, otherwise, they’ll get overexcited that delays them falling asleep for a long time.

Don’t forget to:

Before you’re going to scold your kid for the mess, look objectively at whether he is able to clean up and if he knows how to do it properly. Remember the main rules - sorting, wiping and others - that are relevant to any cleaning.
It’s better to use small boxes for little toys, the ones of different colors or with markings that your kid could understand. The more you get the boxes, the more is the probability of keeping everything in order. The boxes can be stored on shelves, racks, under the baby crib, etc.
All stuff that is often used on a regular basis should be kept as low as possible – according to your baby’s height.
The storage space should be proportionate to the size of the toys.
A special case is about favorite toys that many of them are left but the kid no longer plays with them as before. If they are in good condition, choose a different place for the old “collection” - the upper shelves or racks, a spot around the window, niches and so on and so forth. The only thing that you shouldn’t do with it is to “smear” this collection across the walls. And you can also make a special color background for these toys and it’d be better if it was neutral or in a pinch, solid color. And all the wall shelves are of the same color.
If all the “possessions” cannot be placed in one room at once, remember that somewhere perhaps there’s a baby who’s dreaming about at least one such a toy, even a little worn out. After all, if you use such an argument to your kid, you won’t only make his room a bit more spacious, but also teach him kindness and care about people in need.

And of course, use all the corners of the room, furniture and extra aids for storing stuff. I’ve picked up for you 7 super easy ways to keep kids’ toys. These are your little helpers:
- boxes and lockers;
- baskets and bags;
- bench storage with drawers;
- hanging cabinet organizer;
- wall shelves and ledges;
- storage racks;
- special furniture for kids.

Keeping all stuff in order but not just in the nursery depends on several important things. But for the kids’ room there’s a special approach:

Enough storage space is a must.
Convenient furniture arrangements - separate zones for each type of activity. In a nursery room, it looks like this: the toys should be kept completely far away from books, clothes, and notebooks.
Group items not only by purpose but also by size. For small stuff there should be separate small containers like boxes and baskets.
The storage racks where you can put these colorful containers in are the most comfortable furniture for the nursery. Each of the non-transparent containers can be marked with a picture or note describing what is inside.
Don’t follow the color similarity of these boxes. It would be better and easier for kids to learn what and where is stored using the appropriate color of the container.
Another essential principle is the ease of cleaning. The shelves and ledges height where there are things for daily usage, should be in proportion to the height of your kids.
When you purchase a new table, pay more attention to the number of shelves and drawers in it rather than to design and color.
Look for lightweight multi-tiered organizers with removable drawers, they are easy to take out and then, when the stuff is folded, put them back in it.
Hanging wall fabric pockets on a solid base are perfect for small things.

All of these tricks will help your kids get used to the fact that all things should be in their place.

And one more little piece of advice - before storming into the store for new “helpers”, make an audit of what you’ve already got at home, it could make sense to reuse something for these purposes making it a little more fancy, colorful and cozy.

About The Author

Eva Wilson is a mom to three amazing kids, currently residing in Milwaukee, WI alongside her husband, two dogs, a cat, and a hamster. She’s a 30-something mom with a B.A. in history and education and a founder of EvaBabyGear.com - a parenting blog where she posts true-to-life stories and shares parenting experience.

How to Put Away The Toys In A Big Family With No Suffer

What arguments work with kids?

Don’t forget to: