First week of school? While some exhausted mommies recovering from a long summer would run their rear ends right to a spa. A gym. A coffee shop. A quiet book store. Their local Target.
A bar! Anyone?? Be honest!
What does this mom do? I tore apart the playroom. I couldn’t wait! *insert evil mommy laugh* Literally, that week leading up to school starting I would curse that room when I walked through. I’d taunt it. I’d give it the stink eye. I even flexed my muscles at it now and again….waved a few trash bags in its face like they were my pom poms.
This playroom….I love this space…and love that the kids love it even more. But boy did they love on it a whole lot this summer. It was overdue for a serious clean-up / purge session. So the first week the kids went back to school, the day Natalie stayed for “it’s your lucky day” (pre-school lunch), I spent my entire 5 kid-free hours going through every last toy, game, and stuffed animal. Now that it’s once again clean, organized and pretty, I thought I’d share some updated pics with you guys…
And for any new blog readers (mwuh!), I’m linking to projects I’ve completed in this space in the event you too are organizing your playroom now that your kids are back in school.
I have to admit, this space is working really well! Why? It’s the baskets, the wall system, and keeping the toy inventory under control. Everything has a place to live. Maybe it doesn’t always end up where it’s supposed to be, but when I walk through at the end of the night and there are a things lying around, it’s a quick clean-up. It doesn’t bother me to pick up this space…doesn’t annoy me because it’s easy. That is why it’s working.
Don’t get me wrong, not everything I plan out around the kids works so well. This space? It does!
I purchased the wall system from Pottery Barn last year. The wall used to be empty…
This blank canvas was begging for this piece! It works so well and offers a ton of storage. Those cabinets below aren’t even full…
I went through each basket on these shelves, purged toys I didn’t see the kids play with all summer, and put them back up. Easy! I made these chalkboard labels (on the cheap) last year too! And they are still working very well!…
I moved their table under the window so they have more natural light for coloring, crafting or having a snack…
I’ve noticed moving that table helped with the flow of the room a little better. Their play table, that used to be under the window, is now near their art wall. And it works better here because now the kids can get to all 4 sides, instead of just 3 as it had been pushed up against that window wall…
Can’t wait to see what pieces will hang here this year…
The post about the art display wall is here…
The 2 built-ins that flank the windows hold extra toys and labeled mesh bins with even more toys. May look like a lot, but we have really pulled back on the mesh bins…
With 3 kids, different ages and stages…there are going to be a lot of toys. I think we’ve done a good job paring it down to only what we play with. It’s so nice to walk through this organized space now. You can see this main walkway here behind the couch…
And my other favorite view?…
The Goodwill was pretty happy!
Now that the space is clean and organized, I’m going to work on updating the framed photos scattered around the room as well as bringing in some fall decor. I can’t wait to start decorating for fall!
Have a good day!
(I linked up with Liz Marie Blog)
I have 3 kids of similar ages to yours, and now that they are all finally in school full time, I need to purge our play room too. But I know that once I bag up an unplayed with toy for Goodwill, my youngest daughter will suddenly remember that toy and ask for it. Do you take the cast off toys to GoodWill right away or do you hold onto them for a bit? How do you handle that? I know some people say you should go through the toys with the kids, but that would make me nuts.
Hi Nadine! Yes, I do take the toys off right away. And I do my sorting / purging when the kids are NOT home. The toys that are leaving the house are toys they never ever play with and wouldn't ever miss. I've only ever one time had a child ask for something. It was a tiny stuffed animal he won from a coin machine. He never played with it and one day randomly asked for it. When I told him it must have been lost in the move, he was fine. He moved right on from the topic and never asked for it again. Hope my answer helped you!
I think back to school time must make us all want to organize! I just tore into a few closets and my garage rearranging and purging things. Your shelves are perfect for the space. I wish I had done something like that for ours…our playroom TV wall looks like your "before" shot. Yours turned out great and the entire space looks beautiful!
Shelley
Thank you so much!!!
While most of my 6 children are grown now (only 3 still living at home), I was the same way each spring and fall. While I home schooled, I would get the itch that things just had to be gone through and reorganized. I just couldn't function very well otherwise. I still do it to our spaces now. Spent the morning going through my closet and switching seasonal clothes. It always feels to good. Love your space and using a few of your ideas in our basement to create a space for future grandchildren! Thanks.
SIX children? AND you home schooled?! You are officially my hero! Seriously! Yes, going through closets and drawers and cabinets and clothing a few times a year feels so so good! Just so nice to have a cleaned up space! Thank you so much for the comment!!!
I am currently purging our playroom too. However, it is taking forever! Four kids and several moves in a few years. I'm still pulling junk out of boxes. I am enjoying packing those trash bags for Goodwill though! My children are helping with the process and I've been pleasantly surprised with how generous they have been about donating. I've been really proud of them.
Skimmed too quickly and thought maybe you had decided to take on my homeschool room challenge after all! 🙂 It was inspiriting and encouraging even if it's the play room! And some good schoolroom ideas, too!
Your playroom looks great! The first day my kids went back to school, I clean and purged my 10 year old and 5 year old's rooms. I think my house released a big sigh of a weight lifted when bags of too small clothes, toys which collected dust and books that are no longer read went out the door. They have yet to miss anything 🙂
Hi,
Like the couches. Where are they from?
Tracy
http://gottadabble.blogspot.com
I love everything about this room, it's so cozy and organized! And that art display wall is such a great idea, I love how each of them has their own little bulletin board!