Fun & Functional Organization for Your Child’s Closet

The anticipated arrival of a baby brings with it a period of ‘nesting behaviours’ for many parents who are rushing about, baby-proofing, cleaning and organizing their homes before baby’s arrival. Setting up the nursery is often the focus, but in the hustle & bustle of making a nicely decorated room for baby, there is one important feature that new parents often overlook: creating a functional closet space to contain toys, diapers, blankets and clothes. To avoid the clutter that can easily amass during the course of caring for and chasing after little ones, everything needs to have a designated space. 

Modular closet organization systems which allow for easy modifications to features such as rod-height, containers and shelving, are ideal for baby nurseries and children’s rooms because they can very easily be modified as your growing child’s needs change as follows. 

Baby’s Closet  

Your nursery closet should be set up in a way that accommodates you, the parent, since baby won’t have access to it until he’s walking. Consider making two or three rows of rods for hanging onesies and tiny clothes. Baskets can be nested on shelves to hold diapers, and baby care products within easy reach for mom and dad. A few hooks come in handy for holding burping clothes, baby towels and blankets when not in use. Easily installed LED lighting allows you to find what you need from baby’s closet without waking baby.  

A closet & shelving systems idea for a baby’s room, by Rubbermaid

Toddler’s Closet 

Closets always seem to need more organization, especially those that belong to small children who are constantly pulling things out and tossing them back inside with no thought as to where they land. At this stage, your child’s closet becomes a catch-all for clothes, toys and books, and is accessible to your curious toddler. When choosing how to organize your toddler’s closet, you’ll want to use options that are fun and efficient. You’ll also want to keep things closer to the floor, depending on your child’s height, so items are more easily reachable. Plastic bins or baskets nested close to the ground are ideal for containing toys, while a small shelf can keep your toddler’s growing book and plush toy collection well organized. Move baby care products and items which require parental supervision to containers nested on higher shelves well outside of your toddler’s reach.  

A closet & shelving systems idea for a toddler’s room, by Rubbermaid

 Kid’s Closet 

As your child grows, his closet can be reconfigured with mounted clips, drawers, hooks and bins to accommodate his wardrobe along with sporting equipment, shoes, caps, bags and backpacks. At this stage, you can involve your child in configuring his closet to encourage his participation in keeping his room tidy. 

A closet & shelving systems idea for a school-aged kid’s room, by Rubbermaid

6 Elements & Ideas to Consider for Organizing Your Child’s Closet 

Hanging Rods: You’ll want several hanging rods for your child’s clothes. Keep like items together, so you don’t have to hunt for what you want. Pants can hang on one rod. Shirts can hang on another rod. Jackets can hang on a third rod. Since you’ll only need short rods for children’s clothing, you can include double-stacked rods in the closet, which should give your child plenty of room for their clothes. 

Baskets: Mount one or more wire drawers or baskets inside the closet. This fun storage option works well for holding balls, stuffed animals, toy blocks, boxes of crayons, colouring books or other items. Side-by-side baskets work best if you have space, so accessibility is easier, and you’re not limited to what you can store by the height of an item. With baskets, your child can see what they contain and simply toss things back into a basket when they’re finished with them. 

Open Shelves: Open shelving is perfect for shoes and boots. Line up all footwear, so each pair is easy to grab and doesn’t end up in a pile on the floor. Open shelves also give your child someplace to set miscellaneous items that have no other place to go, or items they intend to use on a regular basis. They can even keep their schoolbooks here, in a spot where they’re easy to grab each morning before leaving the house. 

Open Cabinets: Any item of clothing that you can fold will fit well in an open cabinet, such as jeans, sweaters, shorts, and T-shirts. You can also store hats, gloves, and scarves in an open cabinet, so they’re easily found when needed. Open cabinets will hold small purses, tote bags, or even a piggy bank. Cabinet-style storage always looks nice in any closet. The closed sides help to keep things from shifting around, while the open front allows your child to see everything stored inside. 

Closed Cabinets: Provide sets of drawer-like cabinets to hold things like underwear, socks, and sleepwear. You can also use these cabinets for athletic outfits or dance clothing. They can even provide a spot where someone can keep a diary, a seashell collection, trading cards, or many other things. Closed cabinets are especially useful if you don’t have room for a large enough chest of drawers or dresser in the bedroom for storing items. 

Bottom Cabinets: For toys, you’ll want to use several long, toy cabinets or chests on the floor of the closet. Keep games, dolls, train sets, or other toys stored here. Since they’re on the floor, these items will be within easy reach for your child. When the day is over, they’re able to quickly put things back into these chests and hide them away without anyone’s help, so everything looks neat and clean. When a child can access their items and put them back themselves, they gain a sense of control that gives them added self-confidence and independence.