Clear out the Kid-Clutter
A 7 Day Declutter Challenge
Nowadays, I don’t have to declutter many of the children’s toys (aside from the skills-based toys they have outgrown) but this method does help us to keep on top of things and it also stops me from accidentally buying duplicate products.
Before I really got into a rhythm of decluttering and organising every season, I would often end up with duplicate or even triplicate items. Once, when clearing out my art supplies, I realised that I had bought several packs of googly eyes. Fast-forward five years and I’m still making my way through that collection but I know for sure that I do not need to buy anymore!
Whilst the full challenge is listed below, you might also wish to download the 1 page printable pdf which you can find at the bottom of this post.
Set yourself a daily reminder to complete the challenge
Whilst this is a seven day challenge, you won’t receive seven emails from me during that time frame because I don’t want to bombard you with emails. Instead, set yourself a calendar reminder on your phone so that you don’t forget.
Starting this week is ideal because there’s still plenty of time before the Christmas season truly begins. Additionally, this will allow you to really review what you already have and still have time to order presents.
After that, make decluttering part of your seasonal rhythm. You can still use the same seven day challenge approach or set aside one day each season to get things done.
How long will this take each day?
It will really depend on how much stuff you have! If you are already pretty minimalist, you might be able to tackle everything in a day.
If you don’t have much time or you have a lot of belongings to sort through, doing one task each day will make the challenge feel less overwhelming.
Day One: Play Space
Gather all toys in the space together.
Remove any broken toys and bin/recycle.
Sort any duplicate items ready to donate.
Remove outgrown items to donate or store away for younger siblings.
Organise remaining toys by type - e.g. all puzzles together.
Note down items that might be missing from your toy collection that would help to encourage independent, engaged play.
Take a look at the This Playful Home Gift Guide or the Toys 101 Workshop series for more ideas.
Day Two: Children's Bedrooms (toys)
Repeat the steps from day one
Decide on a limit for items like cuddly toys and dolls - e.g. 10 of each. Get your child to decide which toys they are keeping.
Place items with special meaning in a labelled box and store away.
Day Three: Children’s Bedrooms (clothing)
Remove clothing from drawers and cupboards.
Place outgrown clothes in one box ready to donate, sell or keep for a younger sibling.
Put out of season clothes in another box. Label it clearly and store away.
Organise clothing by type and place back in the cupboards.
Take note of items that your child needs.
Day Four: Art Resources
Gather all art resources together.
Throw away old playdough, dried up markers and items that don't work properly.
Organise items by type - e.g. all crayons together in a jar.
Take note of items that need to be replaced.
Day Five: Books
Gather all of the children's books together.
Place all outgrown books in one pile for donation / storage.
Donate or sell any duplicate books
Remove any old or broken books and recycle where possible.
Organise books by type, alphabetic order or use the rainbow method.
Day Six: Organise
Place out of season clothing in a clearly labelled box and store.
Organise skills-based toys to keep by developmental stage or skill type (e.g. all 'number' resources together)
Store outgrown items (that you intend to keep for younger siblings) in clearly labelled boxes.
Day Seven: Remove items from the house
Don't let any of the items you have organised remain in your house / garage / boot of the car.
Donate or sell items that are in good condition.
Throw or recycle other items
Trust me when I say, it is so so easy to organise items ready for donation, then leave them to gather dust in your house or car for weeks or months on end. Once you’ve made your decisions on what to donate, you need to do it fast!
When it comes to selling items, be discerning. I tend to sell ‘big ticket’ items (our stroller, baby carrier, outgrown bike) and donate the rest. Otherwise, you can often end up with too many timewasters on selling sites who promise to turn up at your house, then ghost you!
Download the Guide
Next Steps
If you found the guide helpful, please consider joining my Substack page as a subscriber. I currently have two options available (free and paid) which you can read about here.
And if you need more help understanding toy choices, join my paid membership because this month is my Toys 101 Workshop. You can read more about it below:
