Whether it’s games, toys, homework, or art supplies, your kids’ stuff can quickly overrun your home. (Who hasn’t stepped on a Lego in the living room?) The quest to conquer this clutter can feel like a never-ending Groundhog Day, looping endlessly into oblivion. If you’ve already tried various toy boxes and bins, it’s time to consider some overlooked areas of your home for tidy inspiration.
Hang It
Options abound when it comes to transforming walls into storage and organization hubs. Install large peg boards and outfit them with hooks to hang catch-all buckets. Or arrange toys such as Nerf guns on peg board hooks to not only solve a storage problem, but also create a cool display.
Dedicate one wall for your kids’ latest works of art to free up space on the front of the refrigerator and cut down on paper clutter. Create floor-to-ceiling shelves from cut-to-size rain gutters to get piles of books off the floor and into order.
Sit on It
Benches with built-in storage are stealth clutter-busters that tidy a room in no time. Use one in the entryway as a drop-off spot for when kids get home from school. Install a bench under a window in a bedroom to create a reading nook with storage for books, pillows, and blankets. An outdoor bench is perfect for stashing yard and sandbox toys.
Hide It
There’s no room for monsters under the bed when you fill the space with bins for out-of-season clothes and extra bedding. Rolling under-bed storage makes it easy for kids to pick up. Paint a race track on a rolling cart that can be moved when play is over, or use it as an art table perfect for small people to sit around.
Elevate It
Get ceilings into the clean-up act by hanging a hammock to create a stuffed-animal sanctuary. Use mesh organizers in bedrooms to organize lighter items such as doll clothes and in the bathroom for putting away — and drying — tub toys.
Angle It
Don’t overlook the corners of rooms, which can be transformed into reading or homework nooks with the addition of a simple desk and shelves. Hang a curtain in the space to create a fort, dress-up closet, or theater.
These solutions should help you get a better handle on the sheer volume of stuff that’s naturally part of kids’ lives. Of course, getting your kids to actually help pick up their toys is a whole other story. But we’ve got some tips for that, too.