In the same way a messy home causes you stress, cluttered kid’s spaces can cause your kids to feel irritable, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Your kids can actually develop a lack of interest in playing with all those toys you’re tripping over. As we approach the holidays, encourage your kids to donate items that they no longer need to make room for the new.
My kids (at ages 3 and 8) helped me put together this declutter challenge… just for kids! Below is a step-by-step guide complete with videos of my kids showing your kids just how easy and (sometimes) fun decluttering can be.
PARENTS GUIDE
I like to include kids in the process as much as possible, even if that means they are just sitting on the floor playing while you do all the work. It’s important to show your kids how to be mindful of their possessions and it’s never too early to start. If at any point your kids become overwhelmed by this process, that’s okay, even to be expected (think of how difficult and exhausting it was for you to clean out your closet!) Be encouraging, affirm that it’s okay if they start to feel frustrated, and take lots of breaks (cookies optional).
As adults, we may find Marie Kondo’s practice of talking to our possessions and thanking them before we donate or trash them a bit silly, but I have found that this works really well for young kids. So if they have a toy they just don’t play with anymore, have them tell it, “thank you for all the fun times, but now it’s time for you to get a new kid.”
Any progress should be viewed as a victory, whether that’s finding two things to donate or ten. If there’s an item they really want to hold onto, even if you feel it’s something they no longer need, let them keep it, and reassess the next time you declutter.
Kid or adult, decluttering becomes easier as you go. Start with the easy items. It will give your child (and you) a sense of accomplishment and ease right out of the gate. We start slow with art supplies and work our way to toys. Once the kids have made it to the point of purging toys, they’ll know what to expect and they are going to make better, quicker decisions.
Break this challenge up however it best fits into your schedule. Maybe you want to complete all five days in a row, or maybe you complete a single day’s tasks over the next five weekends. It can be helpful to incentivize your kids to accomplish each task. Choose prizes for a job well done that will be motivating to your child—a movie night, baking cookies, a sleepover, or maybe, a little cash.
KID’S DECLUTTER CHALLENGE
DAY 1: ART SUPPLIES
What you need:
· Trash bag
· Recycling bin
· Organizing materials: Containers like small bins, jars, or Ziplock bags
𝥁 Test your markers and pens. Throw away any that are dried out.
𝥁 Sort out crayons that are broken or too small to use—you may wish to throw them out, but with a grown up’s help you can melt them down for other fun art projects!
𝥁 Throw away dried out play-doh and modeling clay.
𝥁 Toss out dried paints and damaged paint brushes.
𝥁 Sort through used notebooks, coloring books, and paper, tossing pages that you don’t need to keep.
𝥁 Throw out sticker sheets that have been used up or are no longer sticky.
Put away any art supplies that are out of place as you go. Each type of art supply should have it’s own container. This helps keep things organized and makes it easy to find what you need.
𝥁 Is it damaged? Does it have holes or rips? Is it missing buttons?
If you don’t already know, learn how to put your clothes away. Have a parent show you the right way to fold your clothes and where they belong.
Keep a bin in your closet for clothes that you outgrow. If you put something on and it doesn’t fit, put it in the bin. This keeps your closet and drawers from getting cluttered with clothes you no longer wear. You could keep a separate bin for clothes that are too big that you still need to grow into.
· A box or bag (for the books you wish to donate or sell)
Your interests—and reading level—are always changing, so it’s a good idea to sort out the books you no longer want. Here are some questions to think about as you sort through your books:
𝥁 Have you read this book?
𝥁 Are you going to read it again?
𝥁 Is it damaged?
𝥁 Was this a gift from someone special?
The books that you no longer want or need can be donated at most donation centers. Instead, you may wish to check with your local or school library, or see if your community has free lending library stations—it can be fun to seek out these boxes and load them up with your unwanted books for other kids to enjoy!
DAY 4: PUZZLES AND GAMES
What you need:
· Trash bag
· A box or bag (for the games you wish to donate or sell)
𝥁 Lay out all the games and puzzles.
𝥁 Throw away games or puzzles that are broken or missing pieces.
𝥁 Donate or sell games and puzzles that you have outgrown or no longer want.
If possible, store board games and puzzle boxes vertically—like books. It will be easier to see what you have and easier to take them out and put them away.
· A box or bag (for the toys you wish to donate or sell)
· Organizing bins (like toy boxes, to sort your toys as you go)
· The KIDS GUIDE FOR DECLUTTERING CHART that will help you determine if you should keep, donate, or throw out a toy. (Ask a parent to print it for you.)
𝥁 Sort out the toys that you wish to donate or sell. Sometimes, it can be hard to decide, so we made a chart to help you. If you’re still having trouble deciding, go ahead and keep it for now. You can always change your mind later.
𝥁 Throw away toys that are broken or missing pieces.
𝥁 Organize the toys you want to keep. You may want to keep all super hero toys together in one bin, cars and trucks in another, and Barbie’s in another. Just make sure you give all your toys a “home.”
𝥁 Make labels for your toy bins to help you remember where everything belongs. You could label the bins with words, drawings, or even a photo.
This chore can get kind of frustrating. It’s okay to take breaks. Just remember, you’re going to love having all your favorite toys to play with when you’re done. Getting rid of the toys you don’t love, makes the ones you keep easier to find and more fun to play with!
Join The Spruced Home Facebook Group and share photos of your progress!