For kids, the summer season often means endless playtime and spontaneous sleepovers with visiting cousins or friends. Their room, being their playground for the season, is probably filled with a steady build-up of toys, clothes, pillows, and school remnants everywhere. But as a new school year is about to roll around, you’ll need to ensure your child’s room is set up for their school day routine.

A clean, well-organized room can help your child sleep better during school weekdays. Sleep experts recommend decluttering your child’s room to create a restful environment, since quality sleep is closely tied to better emotional regulation and school performance. As many as 25% of younger children in the U.S. suffer from poor sleep, which impacts their school performance. 

And so, this guide shares with you some tips on how to effectively declutter your child’s bedroom before school starts.

Begin With a Clean Sweep

Strip the bed, sweep or vacuum the floors, wipe down surfaces, and mop the floors. A deep-cleaned room makes it easier to see which things actually need to stay.

Once the cleaning’s done, sort your kid’s things into three piles: keep, donate, and toss. This part can be difficult, especially if your kid’s sentimental about their stuff. To make it easier, you can let your child participate in categorizing the items. Tell them that the only items they can keep are the ones they’ll genuinely use. For items they haven’t used in six months, it may be best to let them go.

Sort the furniture pieces in their room, too. To lessen their number in your child’s room (especially if they have a smaller space), focus on using multi-functional pieces.  

For example, a full sofa bed can double as a seating space during the day when they do their homework and a bed at night for their sleep. You can view the full sofa bed range from trusted stores and find a space-saving option that matches your child’s likes and needs.  

Organize Toys by Category

One study found that a middle-class family has about 139 visible toys in their house on top of those that are out of sight. That’s definitely a lot, which is why it’s no surprise that toys are the biggest source of clutter in children’s rooms. But instead of trying to cram all of them into one big toy chest, organize them by category. 

Use different clear bins or fabric baskets to organize their stuffed animals. That way, they can see what’s inside each container clearly without having to take out everything if they need a toy. Labeling each container also helps. For younger kids, you may use images or icons to label them.

Meanwhile, if you’re short on space, consider using a sofa bed with hidden storage (under-bed storage) so you can tuck your child’s toys out of sight while keeping them easily accessible.  

Declutter the Closet and Drawers

It’s impressive how much kids’ bodies change over just a few months. According to research, many children experience subtle growth during summer. Even if they don’t shoot up in height, their body proportions often change. 

So, before the school year kicks off, take time to go through their drawers and closet. Sort out clothes that may already be too small, worn out, or not seasonally appropriate for your child. Organizing their wardrobe now will help make your child’s mornings easier as they won’t have to be rummaging through their closet to find a fitting shirt for the day.

Set Up a Homework Station

Help your child mentally prepare by setting up a homework station. With their toys now tucked away and their clutter taken care of, you now have space to set up their study zone. Having a dedicated homework station can signal them that it’s time to focus on their studies.

To set up their homework station, have a dedicated desk and use small containers to keep their school supplies sorted. For example, have a separate container for their pencils, pens, scissors, paperclips, and crayons. Then, you can use wall-mounted file holders or magazine racks to manage their paperwork and reduce paper pile-up.

Encourage your child to use this space only for artwork/school work, and not for snacks, play, or entertainment. Doing so will help them set a boundary between fun and focus.

Key Takeaway

There you have it! Getting your child’s room ready before school starts doesn’t have to be stressful. As long as you have this guide, you can surely create a space that supports your child’s learning, play, and sleep. And remember, decluttering your child’s room means less stress for everyone and a breezier start to the new school year.