Now that Spring is here and the weather is warming up, it’s a good time to get started on your annual spring cleaning. Maybe you’ve washed the windows, cleaned out the fridge, and cleaned up the garage, but have you put much thought into doing some spring cleaning of the kid’s spaces in your home? Not sure where to begin? Here are some ideas:

1. Take inventory of their warm weather clothes. Now that the weather is warming up, it’s a good time to see what your kids have to wear and what clothing still fits them. Pull out all the short-sleeve shirts, shorts, bathing suits, sandals and check sizes or have them try clothes on. If it doesn’t fit, put it in a box to be donated while in season, store for a younger child, or pass on to a friend.
2. Store the scarfs and pull out the sunscreen. You no longer need to have your winter hats, gloves, and scarfs easily accessible, so wash them and store them for next season. What you will need accessible now is hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and bug spray. Make a spot by the door to store these items for easy access on the way out. Hooks and baskets by the door work well. Consider a basket for each child or a basket for each type of item. Remember that sunscreen expires, so refresh your supply if needed for adequate sun protection. If your sunscreen doesn’t have an expiration date on it, remember most sunscreen should be replaced after 3 years. Sunscreen should also be stored at room temperature to maintain it’s potency, so storing it in your car or garage is not ideal.
3. Refresh or relinquish your outdoor toys. Now that the kids are outside more, what are your outdoor toys looking like? Do you need to inflate the bike tires, inflate the basketballs, or trash some empty bottles of bubbles? Take a look these items and decide whether they are in good condition, need repair, are trash, or have been outgrown and can be donated.
4. Store sports gear smart. Spring sports are in full swing and some of them require lots of equipment. Whether its bats, balls, shin guards, or helmets, make it easy for yourself and store them in an accessible location, so you are not frantically looking for them before every practice. Hooks or baskets by the door designated for each activity work well. As long as you have the space, and regularly take the same car to practices, a basket inside the trunk of a car can work well too. This can save some stress and time when leaving for practice or games.

Don’t forget to get your kids involved when the spring cleaning involves their things. Organization is a learned skill, so showing your kids (even the youngest ones) where to put things away, how to sort them, and when to part with their items, is an important step in teaching them this skill. Letting them give their input allows them to take ownership and pride in maintaining their belongings.

Happy Organizing!

Elyse