Back To School – Organize to Optimize – Child’s Bedroom Dresser Drawers
Creepy Crawlies and Treasures
Parents know that a child’s pockets and dresser drawers are miniature treasure troves. One minute you’ll find a carefully drawn picture, the next a smooth rock, a random stick or—if you’re unlucky—a squashed insect. During the elementary years children collect anything that captures their curiosity, and those collections can quickly take over drawers and cubbies.
Today we’ll tackle dresser drawers, desk drawers and cubbies in the child’s room. This task can be surprisingly satisfying: you’ll uncover memories, sort through keepsakes, discard the trash, and restore order. You might even discover socks where art supplies belong and art supplies stashed under the sink.
Let’s Get Started:
1. Optional: take a before photo. A picture helps you remember the starting point and feels great when you compare it to the finished result. Many kids enjoy snapping a before-and-after shot to celebrate their work.
2. Gather supplies: a trash bag for garbage, a donation bag for outgrown or unused items, and a clutter box for things that belong elsewhere in the house.
3. Sort systematically: throw away obvious trash, place unused or outgrown clothing and toys in the donation bag, group like items together, and put anything that doesn’t belong in the room into the clutter box.
4. Remove items from the room: take the trash to the outdoor bin, move donations to your car or a holding spot in the house, and return the clutter box items to their proper places around the home.
5. Take an after photo to celebrate. You’ve completed the Back to School Organize to Optimize challenge and restored order to the dresser drawers!
Tip: Consider where art supplies are kept. If they live in the child’s room, make sure there is a clear, contained space for them—use small bins, labeled drawers or a portable caddy to prevent stray markers and paper from turning walls and hallways into a gallery of accidental masterpieces. If keeping art supplies in the bedroom feels risky, store them in a supervised shared area and rotate materials to keep creativity fresh without overwhelming the room.