This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect my recommendations; I only recommend products I truly love. Thanks for shopping these links to support the content I provide! xoxo Suzette

Professional Photos By Christa Tippmann

If you’re a parent, you know that it is HARD to organize a small kids’ bedroom and keep it clean. Like… really, really hard.

Because kids’ interests are always changing and they are constantly growing, you have to stay on top of:

1.| Monitoring what/how much stuff finds a home in the room

2.| Regularly removing and dealing with old, unused, or outgrown belongings

Then, even if you DO manage to stay vigilant, you still need to find ways to display and store remaining items in a purposeful and aesthetically pleasing way.

In today’s post, I will show you my favorite functional and stylish storage solutions to help you organize a small kids’ bedroom without overwhelming the space.

I’ve narrowed it down to my top 5 must-have organizational tools and I’ll show you my favorite product picks in each category. After going through this guide,  you will be armed with some fun new kids bedroom ideas that will help you add stylish storage to your children’s spaces.

If you get stuck or have questions, simply send me a message and I will do my best to help you out.

Let’s get started!

Download your free list of my favorite 101 online shopping sources now >>

Kids’ Bedroom Storage Solution 1:

Small Closet Organizers

If your child has a small bedroom, they probably also have a small closet. So you have to put some thought into maximizing the space you have.

Over the years I have tried lots of strategies in my kids’ small closets and found some great hacks to make a smaller reach-in closet live large (obviously these all work well if you are lucky enough to have a walk-in closet in your kiddo’s room too).

Here are my top suggestions:

Maximize Your Hanging Space

Hanging Fabric Organizers

I purchased a set of these early on for each of my children and have used them for many purposes over the years. When they were little I stored their tiny shoes and sweaters folded on the shelves and as they got older and their clothes got bigger I switched over to using them for storing toys, sports, equipment and craft supplies.

I chose colored ones, but if I could do it again I would opt for a simple neutral canvas version so that I could transition it into a hall closet or another room in the house as needs change.

This version from Walmart is affordable and easy to get your hands on.

Or the set below comes in a neutral charcoal or an ivory color and includes a wide range of coordinating pieces for a complete closet system you can install in minutes. It’s a great way to organize a small kids’ room closet.

Simply velcro the organizer onto an existing closet rod.

Ready To Hang System

A more involved option might include installing a closet system in your closet.

Elfa systems are great because they are adjustable – meaning you can reconfigure them as your child’s needs change. For example, you might set the hanging bar low when they’re little so they can reach their clothes – and move it up as they grow.

These closet systems are relatively easy to install, but if you are zero percent handy, The Container Store offers installation services.

A few times a year, they have a 30% off sale; keep an eye out! These units give you all the functionality of a custom closet at a fraction of the cost, making them the perfect solution for small kids’ closets.

Closet Rod Extender

If your child’s closet only has a single bar, it can be hard for little ones to reach their clothes when it’s time to get dressed.

A closet extender is a simple solution that simply hooks onto the existing rod and gives you another layer of hanging space beneath. I used this in my son’s room when he was a preschooler so he could choose his daily t-shirts (and I hung special occasion or too-big clothes up in the space above it).

For about $20 this is an easy way to add functionality and organize a small kids bedroom closet!

Freestanding Storage

Get creative and add freestanding storage to help a small kids’ closet live large. This packs storage into the space so that no vertical space is wasted.

Cubes and Bins

Bins are important for two reasons:

1.| They contain like items and create an easy to follow organizational system for children to follow

2.| They conceal clutter visually which makes even the fullest closet feel more orderly

Cube bins are a standard kids’ closet option for a reason… they are affordable, come in a wide range of materials and colors, and are lightweight.

Add A Dresser

When I’m asked to organize a small kids’ room, I always look for ways to maximize the open space in the bedroom.

One great way to accomplish this is to drag the dresser into the closet to get it out of the way and add valuable play space on the floor (which makes the bedroom feel bigger).

Plus, it’s just nice to have a dresser in the closet.

If your child’s room already has a dresser, try it out! And if you don’t have a dresser yet I recommend you get one. They can store a LOT. And not just folded clothes. They can store legos or other toys, collectibles, craft supplies… anything you want!

Old dressers are easy to come by at garage sales, thrift stores, or estate auctions and can be given a new life with a fresh coat of paint in a fun kid-friendly color.

Add A Shelving Unit

There are a lot of freestanding shelving units that can be placed on the floor of a small closet to give added storage. The best solution for your unique space will depend on what you want to store.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Bookshelf
• Shoe Rack
• Slanted Bin Shelf
• Stacking Cube Organizer (like this or IKEA)

Drawer Units

Stacking shoe drawers have been popular for the past few years in organizing circles, and they work well if you want to organize a small kids’ bedroom as well.

There are also versions with flip-down fronts which are easy for kids to use.

Additionally, you can use the clear acrylic drawers stacked on shelves in place of a dresser if that is a better fit in your child’s closet. I do this in my daughter’s clost!

These are great for storing underwear, socks, or swimwear and you can easily label them with a chalk marker or an adhesive label to organize a small kids’ room easily.

Use The Back Of The Door

If your child’s closet has a traditional door, don’t forget to use the valuable real estate on the back of the door!

Over The Door Organizer

Hang an over-the-door canvas pocket organizer to store shoes, stuffed animals, toys, or sports gear. These hang from hooks so they are temporary – great if you’re renting or commitment averse.

Back Of The Door Unit

Want more storage? Make it permanent and install one of these back-of-the-door solutions. They are a STEAL when you consider the value they add.

Command Hooks

Easy and impermanent, hang a row or two of decorative command hooks on the back of the door at a kid-friendly height to encourage them to hang hats, dress-up clothes, robes… whatever you want them to pick up!

Kids’ Bedroom Storage Solution 2:

Wall Mounted Storage

Another key concept when you want to maximize space and organize a small kids’ room is to put your wall space to work.

I realized how important this concept was when my kids were little and I was overwhelmed by the volume of stuff that comes with having little ones.

Once I learned the power of a good heavy duty drywall anchor and became familiar with how to use a drill, I was able to add some much needed storage relief.

When you incorporate this tip, you’ll be wondering why you hadn’t tried it sooner!

Here are my favorite wall-mounted options to help you organize a small kids’ bedroom.

• Wall mounted storage bins
• Wall shelves
• Bulletin boards or magnet boards
• Hook rails or individual hooks
• Wall mounted bookshelf units

Kids’ Bedroom Storage Solution 3:

storage Nightstand

You need a nightstand for a reading lamp and a glass of water at night- so you might as well multitask and make it a storage nightstand!

The graphic above shows several unique nightstands at a variety of price points that have a fun, youthful quality but also offer easy, flexible storage to organize a small kids’ room.

Kids’ Bedroom Storage Solution 4:

Under Bed Storage

A great thing about under-the-bed storage is that you can go about it in many different ways. So you can try a few strategies and see what works best for you! 

The photo above shows the built-in storage that I had our cabinet maker incorporate into our bunk beds for linen storage, and this is a great example of how to use under bed space for storage.

But you don’t have to install custom cabinetry to enjoy the benefits of utilizing this often-overlooked space when you organize a small kids’ bedroom!

Here are a few different tools to help you efficiently use the space under your child’s bed for storage.

Rolling Drawers

Although you can totally use a simple plastic tote, I recommend choosing a kids’ bedroom storage solution on wheels to make it easier for kids to pull out (and protect your floor).

The wheeled drawers shown in the graphic above give you space that is very similar to what you would get with a custom built-in at a fraction of the cost.

The drawer set from Article (#3) actually comes with a matching bed (plus it’s pretty, well made, and a great price!).

The affordable mesh black drawers are budget friendly and work well for toys- we used them to store extra linens and provide hidden storage in the loft of our Colorado Cabin Remodel.

Kids Storage Bed

There are also a ton of great kids storage beds on the market. Some of my favorite kids’ furniture sources for kids storage beds include:

• Pottery Barn Teen
• Crate + Kids
• West Elm Kids

TIP: When shopping for kids’ beds I like to think long term- if you have the space, consider choosing a full or queen-size bed so that they have room to grow into it as they get older.

Kids’ Bedroom Storage Solution 5:

Open Storage

If you’ve followed all the tips above and still want to add more kids’ bedroom storage, here are a few additional options:

1. Wire Ball Bins | Great for storing sports equipment and stuffed animals
2. Rolling Library Cart | Keep books easily accessible for little ones and encourage reading (win-win!)
3. Slanted Bin Storage | There’s a reason preschools everywhere use these bins! They provide easy access at just the right height, and they help keep toys and belongings organized by type. Add labels for extra organization.
4. Wall Hooks | Hang individual hooks or a hook rail unit at kid-height to make it easy for kids to use (perfect for storing dress-up clothes, robes, or jerseys) or hang them higher up to display medals, hats, or memorabilia.
5. Steele Canvas Rolling Truck | I use these everywhere; I’m obsessed with them. They are heavy duty, high quality, and make cleanup a breeze. A toybox you can drag around? Yes, please.
6. Lockers | I purchased a bank of lockers for $300 off Facebook marketplace for my son’s room when we were in a rental house because his “room” was an office that didn’t have a closet. It stored all his clothes and toys beautifully and we have lugged it around with us ever since. I love the playful look of lockers for a sporty kids’ room; there are tons of colors available on the market at a range of price points and they make great storage units. Or check out Craigslist to score a secondhand treasure!

Pin this checklist to save these tips for later>>

More Tips To Help You Organize A Small Kids’ Bedroom

Now that you have some ideas about how to decorate and organize a small kids room for maximum functionality, I want to share a few final tips about maintaining your newly organized space.

Many people overlook this part and are disappointed when they don’t get the results they expected from their efforts.

While kids are kids and their rooms will get messy, I’ve helped several clients improve their maintenance processes after implementing all of the processes I’m sharing here.

They aren’t a magic bullet, but they do help make it easier for kids to do their part in keeping their spaces tidy. Most importantly, following these tips will help prevent clutter pile-up, meaning when you go to do a reset it will take significantly less time.

Here are the top strategies I recommend:

Try Labeling

If you use storage bins in your closets or on your shelves, consider labeling them. There are a variety of label options ranging from stickers to bin clip labels that make this easy. It will help kids understand the expectation of exactly what goes where- making it easier for them to contribute to maintaining their personal space.

Define + Enforce A Dirty Clothes System

I have a messy kid and for some reason he really struggles with leaving dirty clothes on the floor. If you experience this with your kiddos too, simply adding a large hamper in a convenient, central location can go a long way. I simply remind him to toss any dirty clothes into it before he gets in bed each night and it takes 1 minute, tops.

Schedule Weekly or Daily Pick-Ups

A lot of families do this on Saturday mornings but you can do it any time! Find a time that works for your family’s schedule/rhythm and add it to your family calendar or chore chart if you have one. A weekly reset that is routine will get a lot less complaining and it will prevent things from piling up to the point of absolute chaos. If you find that weekly cleanups are taking too long, try setting a 10-minute timer before bed each night instead.

Plan Seasonal Cleanouts

In addition to weekly maintenance (kids’ job), I recommend a more in-depth cleanup every six months or so. During this session, work beside them. Help them purge broken/outgrown toys, sort through clothes/ make donations, and use the opportunity to reconsider whether any of your organizing strategies need to be reconsidered. This is a great time for a deep clean, too. I like to do this once before school starts and usually again in January in the dead week between New Year’s and when school starts again.

Designate a “Special Things” Box

If sentimental items are your weakness (or your child’s), you can encourage thoughtful curation of a reasonable amount of memorabilia by purchasing one large storage tub for each child. When you do your seasonal cleanouts and identify items that you want to keep but not keep out… you can add them to the box. When it becomes full, you can encourage the kids to start making decisions about what to keep or pass on. This strategy encourages them to start being mindful about what is important to them. Of course, as the parent, you always get ultimate veto power!

Try Too Small/Too Big Boxes

Sometimes in between cleanouts, you’ll realize that a shirt has become too tight or your kid no longer wears a certain pair of pants because they’re itchy. Keep a box or bin on a high shelf for these items, and toss them in there as you go. You can keep this on a shelf in the closet or even in your laundry room. Keep filling the bin until it’s full or it’s time for the next purge- then add the contents to your donate pile. Similarly, if you are passing clothes down from an older child, you can keep a “future” bin with clothes that are still a bit too big. Then check to see if they’re ready to be put into rotation on the next bi-annual work day.

If you implement these simple maintenance strategies regularly (seriously, enter them in your Google calendar so you have a reminder!) you will be amazed at how much cleaner your kids’ rooms are.

Need more help with this? Check out my post on cleaning habits and routines for an organized home with kids. It shows you lots more actionable ideas like these ones to help you take back control.

Wrapping it up

If you thoughtfully incorporate these ideas to organize a small kids’ bedroom into your child’s space and then focus on simple, regular maintenance, you’ll be well on your way to organizing success.

Keep in mind that I shared a LOT of possible kids’ bedroom storage solutions- you certainly don’t need to use them all. Start with what you have, and add items that meet your needs one at a time if that feels good.

Becoming more organized is a PROCESS and you can’t rush it.

You’ll get the best results if you work at a manageable pace.

Over to you! Tell me which solution you are thinking about trying… I want to know!