4 Simple ideas to Organize your kids Activity Space

These 4 simple ideas to organize your kid’s activity space will change your life. Before I give you tips, let me say, I’m the type of mom, that keeps my four kids minds busy to productively occupy their day. This means their activity space, which is our eat in kitchen and bar area, has tons of things to keep them busy. I tried to think of more than 4 tips that will make organizing more effective, however although it has a big impact, it’s a simple thing to implement. Let’s start with the type of activities they have.

This space is for schoolwork, arts, crafts, games etc. I am a firm believer in keeping things orderly to let them do more. Undoubtedly, the easiest method I have found is using (labeled) bins, in order to physically switch them out when we change activities. Take a look at some other Mom-Hacks I have listed that you could incorporate in this space. Of course, this takes practice on their part, and specific organization on mine.

Watch me organize my kid’s activity space

Keep in mind, you should modify the method as needed, just focus on the purpose of what you are doing.

1.) Create labels for each bin in your kid’s activity space

While I sort first and then label, for you, it may make more sense to label and then sort. Either way you get the same end result. This is the cart we have had for a couple of years, that I highly recommend.

The labels for the cart are:

• Crayons
• Colored Pencils
• Play-Doh
• Play-Doh Tools
• Notebooks
• Construction Paper
• Paints & Brushes
• Stickers
• Stencils
• Foam
• 2 Water Trays (I pull them out and fill with water for water table)
• Foam paper
• Coloring Books
• Paper

Now, go ahead and write out labels for all of the supplies that you have.

The other bins that we have labeled are:

• Stamps
• Manipulatives (I’ll show you all the manipulatives we have in another blog)
• Face Masks
• Puzzles
• School supplies (pencils, expo, scissors, sharpies, pens, stapler, etc.)
• Flash cards

Label as much or as little as you may need for your specific space. The key is to be realistic with what you can handle and how consistent you are able to be. Keep in mind the ages of your children. Mine are 12-, 7-, and 4-year-old twins. Age-appropriate activities= age-appropriate storage. I have a Pinterest Board with other great storage ideas.

2.) Declutter your space & materials in your kid’s activity space

Basically, what this means is to try your best to make these bins compact. You want your space to be easy to organize and aesthetically pleasing to navigate. If you can quickly see where everything goes, it’s simple to take one bin out and swap it with another.

This is also a good time to get rid of anything that may be broken or have missing pieces. Also, use this as an opportunity to figure out if you can separate some of the items you have clumped together…into more compact bins.

As silly as it sounds, try and find ways to organize what you’re organizing. My “go to” is always Ziplock bags. Different sizes, and easy to label. I also like to use pencil boxes. I personally do not like keeping things boxed. Boxes get torn, ripped, chewed, destroyed in our house. So, I make sure to put anything with pieces into bags.

Jars, saltshakers, and mini pails work well too! I rinse out jars for all kinds of repurposing! Keep in mind, customize this for your personal family life and space. Eventually, I want to have a whole room solely for this, but until then I want to use the space we have as efficiently as possible.

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3.) Be intentional with the type of storage you use for your kid’s activity space.

First, you want to think about the types of bins you should use to organize your kid’s activity space. Questions to ask yourself:

• Should my bins be plastic, woven, or fabric?
• Do I need my bins to be open or lidded?
• How important is it for them all to look the same?
• Will it be more effective to have clear bins?
• What kind of labels will I use for my bins?
• Does the type of bin I plan to use come in different styles?

We use different kinds, but this honestly is personal preferences.

4.) Clean your kid’s activity space as you go

Sometimes, even when deep cleaning, we don’t realize how much we don’t move things to clean. When you reorganize this area, use it as an opportunity to dust, Clorox, sweep and vacuum under all the nooks and crannies that may be neglected. Get a big trash bag, to help encourage you to toss things you truly don’t need to keep.

Also, we have a table that folds with chairs that we keep in this area. It’s easy to take out, wipe down, and neatly put back. If you have kids that are old enough, have them help you clean. Remember, the goal is to start a lifestyle change, so it will take effort on your children’s part as well.

Additionally, I recommend keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer in your designated space for easy access. Also, I recommend keeping a paper towel roll in the area as well.

I truly hope these simple steps help make your day easier. For me, knowing I can quickly rotate out activity bins makes it less stressful keeping the kids busy every day. In my house, my husband or I are the ones that physically switches the bins, but the kids are responsible for cleaning it up and getting the bin organized properly. So be sure to scaffold this step appropriately for your family.

Please feel free to leave a comment letting me know what you tried, or some suggestions you may have!

Surviving the day,

Erica