10 Tips For De-cluttering Your Playroom.

Wow! I have never gotten up and had a Social Moms opportunity in my inbox already:) But this morning was great! I just happened to get a RAMBO alert in my emails this morning. So guess what? I have another great opportunity to write about a very top priority subject. I don't know how many times I have had to use these tips. And I have to tell you, the product they are working with... I think I am going to have to check these out myself:)

How many times do you walk into the bedroom or playroom, and have to step over little toy vehicles laying all over the floor? What about the nightly trips to the bathroom and there are toys coming out the bedroom door? Well, the little toy vehicle problem has been solved!! Hot Wheels has now come out with Wall Tracks where they don't play on the floor, they play on the wall!! I am absolutely serious about this and I can't wait to look for them at my local WalMart.

So, with all that said, I am going to give you some tips on how to organize and de-clutter your playroom or little ones bedroom. These are some tips I have found handy through the years and yes, they are not perfect by any means, but these have really helped me.

1.Organize With Plastic Bins and Containers.
This is my number one tip. Pretty much for anything, use bins! We have the type that are stand-up with drawers and the kind that sit on the floor with lids. I use all types and they really come in handy. I can't tell you how much this helps a bedroom or a playroom to look clean! That way things are off the floor and put away.

2.Use Labels.
I use labels for my bins but also for childrens clothing, toys and school things. With 2 children in the house, sometimes things get hectic. Labels will help keep things separated and you won't have all the fighting over things. Labels on bins make sure that things are put back in the right place. I like the ones that I can write on and I will use a marker to put a picture on it or you can use a sticker. That way if the child is too young to read, they can still be learning where things go.

3.Make Cleaning Fun.
Get down with your children and help them clean up, but have fun while you are doing it. Teach them songs as you put away the toys, count and do some math as you clean up. This will help teach them while having fun.

4.Have a Cleaning Time.
I know this sounds funny, but make sure you have a time where they clean up. Many times the kids go in to play while I am cooking dinner and then they get called to come eat. That doesn't give them time to pick up what they were playing with so then after dinner, everyone has chores and the room keeps getting put off. Make sure to stick in time somewhere to pick up their room.

5.Corkboard on the Wall.
This way all the artwork and papers are in one area. Make sure there are tacks(that stay on the cork-board), and let them hang up their papers out of the way, but where they are seen by everyone. This keeps it off the floor but where they can be proud of it.

6.Display Shelves.
We like to use display shelves for the things they want to be noticed. Maybe they put together a model, or something like that, and they don't want it ruined by putting it in a bin? Well, this is the way to do it! And it keeps it neat:)

7.Clean Out Unwanted Toys.
If you notice a toy has not been used for a while, take it out of the room. I have also found that it is best to do this quietly or that child is somehow going to figure out a way to talk you into keeping the toy:D

8.Clean Out Day.
Normally during the Spring, we go in and clean out the items that are no longer being used but also the ones that the kids are outgrowing. Maybe your child is 7 and no longer plays with the little plastic toys anymore? We found that they often had little toys that they had outgrown, but were still cluttering up the room.

9.Use Hooks on the Wall.
This is helpful for the hats, clothing, costumes, etc. Sure you could hang them up in the closet, but this way you have more room in the closet, as well as it is easier for the children to hang them up.

10.Use Bookcases and Racks.
In our household, books are all over. We have bookcases in the living room, the bedrooms and the playroom. We couldn't live without them:) Make sure you have them for your childs room and let them decorate or put toys on some of the shelves. This always helps to keep a room neater. We also have some of those metal racks that are best for DVD's and CD's.

So those are my tips. Hopefully they can be of some help to you. Please leave a comment below if you have some other ones for me:)

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hot Wheels® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.