By Guest Blogger Marcela De Vivo
Your child might be great at math, a budding piano prodigy or the star of their little league team, but chances are organization isn’t their strongest suit. Kids just don’t have any interest in staying organized, and it’s really a skill that most learn in their teen years.
While you might not be able to turn your kids into an organizational wiz overnight, there are some ways you can help organize a playroom that they spend time in. With the right storage solutions, you might even have a shot at keeping the playroom organized for more than few hours at a time.
Corner Shelving
The average kid’s playroom is full of all sorts of toys of different sizes and shapes. A playroom should also be set up with a good amount of books to get kids in the habit of reading.
For that reason, a corner shelving unit can help keep items off the floor, while helping to maximize floor space for actual play. A built-in corner shelf unit is an option, but there are modular systems out there that can be utilized for less money and effort.
Use Display Storage
A playroom designed for children will likely have carpet or some sort of modular flooring. If not, it likely includes a few plush rugs where kids can play on the floor.
However, what most playrooms lack is any sense of design. Your children may not care, but as a homeowner, you probably would prefer your child’s playroom to fit in with the rest of the house or at least have an identity of its own.
Wooden store displays, like the old ones used to sort Coca-Cola bottles or other products, make ideal storage options for small kids toys, while actually making an impact on the way the room looks.
New wood store displays may actually be a better option since you can paint them and make them fit the room and color scheme; they are also cost-effective and safe for your child, as they’ll be free of sharp or jagged corners, which may be an issue with some poorly maintained vintage store displays.
- Storage Cubbies
Almost every preschool, kindergarten and daycare facility in the world utilizes storage cubbies for keeping a child’s belongings and toys organized. While your child may not have to share all of their toys with other kids all the time in their own playroom, there are other benefits to using cubby-type shelving units.
That type of organization – the one that doesn’t require advanced sorting and grouping – is often better for kids. You might even get them to put their toys away without asking them to do it five times if the organizational system you have is really simple.
Children may not care about staying organized, but with the right solutions, you can start to teach them organizational skills. Organization skills are something they’ll use in school and throughout the rest of their life, so they’re pretty valuable.
The right storage solutions for your child’s playroom can also keep you from having to spend so much time organizing for them. You know – just in case it takes them a few years to learn to organize properly!
Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer from Southern California and founder of Gryffin Media. She enjoys writing about family and her role as a mom, and the many things that she enjoys doing with her children—from crafts, to nature walks, to spontaneous dance parties at home.
