How Can You Get Kids Involved in Decluttering Before Christmas?

Before new toys, books and clothes start arriving for Christmas, it can be a good time to make a little room for what’s coming next. And instead of quietly clearing out the toy box while the kids are at school, getting them involved can help them learn how to decide what they still use and what they’re ready to let go. 

Keep the process simple and age-appropriate. You don’t need to declutter the entire house. Start with their toys, books, clothes and other belongings, and let kids have a say in what stays and what goes. 

Key Takeaways

• Start decluttering before Christmas so new toys, books and clothes have a place to go.
• Keep the process age-appropriate by sorting one toy bin, shelf, drawer or category at a time.
• Ask kids questions about what they still use instead of telling them what to give away.
• Use keep, donate and toss-or-recycle categories, plus a small “not sure” pile for difficult decisions.
• Try toy rotation for less-used items kids are not ready to donate.
• Label toy-rotation bins by child, age or category so they are easy to find later.

How Do You Explain Decluttering to Kids?

Keep the explanation focused on making room rather than getting rid of their things. 

Explain that they’ve grown, their interests have changed and there are probably toys or clothes they don’t use anymore. Going through those belongings makes it easier to see and enjoy the things they still love. 

Christmas provides a natural reason to do it. New gifts may be coming soon, so making some space beforehand can keep bedrooms and play areas from becoming overcrowded. 

Avoid framing decluttering as a punishment for having too many toys. The goal is to help kids make thoughtful decisions about their belongings, not make them feel guilty for owning them. 

Where Should Kids Start Decluttering?

Start small. Asking a child to “clean out your room” can feel overwhelming because there’s no obvious starting point. 

Choose one category at a time, such as: 

• Stuffed animals 
• Action figures or dolls 
• Books 
• Puzzles 
• Art supplies 
• Board games 
• Clothes 
• Shoes 

You could even tackle one drawer, shelf or toy bin at a time. Finishing a small area gives kids a clear stopping point before moving on to something else. 

How Can Kids Decide Which Toys to Keep?

Instead of asking whether they want to get rid of something, ask questions that help them think about whether they still use it. 

Try questions like: 

• When was the last time you played with this? 
• Do you still like playing with it? 
• Would you choose this toy if you saw it in your toy box today? 
• Do you have another toy that’s similar? 
• Is this something you want to keep using next year? 

Give kids room to make their own choices when possible. A toy that looks forgotten to an adult may still be important to them. 

Should You Have Keep, Donate and Toss Piles?

A simple sorting system can make decluttering easier for kids to understand. 

Try creating three categories: 

• Keep: Things they still use, wear or enjoy. 
• Donate: Items in usable condition that they’ve outgrown or no longer want. 
• Toss or recycle: Broken, worn-out or incomplete items that aren’t suitable to pass along. 

For anything they genuinely can’t decide about, create a small “not sure” pile and revisit it at the end. This keeps one difficult decision from slowing down the entire process. 

How Can You Make Decluttering Fun for Kids?

Turn it into a short activity rather than an all-day chore. 

Put on a Christmas playlist, set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes and see how much you can sort before it goes off. Younger kids may enjoy decorating or labeling the donation box before filling it. 

You can also work alongside them. While they go through their toys, sort through a drawer, closet or another area of your own. Seeing adults make decisions about their belongings reinforces that decluttering isn’t something only kids have to do. 

Should Kids Donate Their Old Toys Before Christmas?

If toys are still in good condition, donating them can be one option for belongings your child no longer uses. 

Let kids help with this part of the process, too. Depending on where you’re donating, they might help pack the box or come along when you drop everything off. 

Avoid promising that every donated toy will go directly to another child for Christmas unless you’re participating in a program where you know that’s the case. Instead, explain that you’re passing along things your family no longer needs so they have an opportunity to be used again. 

What Should You Do With Toys Kids Aren’t Ready to Give Away?

Not every toy your child has stopped playing with needs to go straight into the donation box. 

If they’re genuinely not ready to part with something, try creating a toy rotation. Keep their current favorites within reach and pack away some of the toys they use less frequently. After a few months, swap a few back in. Sometimes a toy can feel new again simply because it hasn’t been sitting in the same bin every day. 

Toy rotation can also help you figure out what’s actually worth keeping. If something has been packed away for months and nobody asks about it when you rotate the toys again, it may be easier to decide whether it’s time to pass it along. 

For families without enough closet, basement or garage space for a larger rotation, Public Storage can give less-used toys and kids’ gear a place to go between rotations. Label bins by child, age or category so it’s easy to find what you want when you’re ready to switch things out. 

Just don’t let storage become a substitute for decluttering. If something is broken, outgrown or unlikely to be used again, Christmas can be a good opportunity to let it go rather than packing it away indefinitely. 

How Do You Keep the Clutter From Coming Back After Christmas?

Before putting away the new gifts, give everything a designated place. 

Instead of trying to squeeze new toys into already-full bins, use the space you created during the pre-Christmas declutter. You can also continue the same habits throughout the year rather than waiting until next December for another major cleanout. 

When a toy is outgrown, a puzzle is missing too many pieces or clothes no longer fit, deal with them as you notice instead of letting them accumulate. 

Make Room for What’s Next

Decluttering before Christmas doesn’t need to become a massive cleanout or a battle over every stuffed animal in the house. Even clearing one toy box, bookshelf or section of the closet can create a little more breathing room before new gifts arrive. 

More importantly, involving kids gives them a chance to practice making decisions about their own belongings. They can learn that keeping something because they genuinely enjoy it is different from keeping it simply because they’ve always had it. 

And not everything has to be an immediate keep-or-donate decision. A toy rotation can give less-used favorites some time away while keeping everyday spaces more manageable, and Public Storage can provide another place for those rotation bins when space at home is limited. 

Keep the favorites, pass along what they’ve outgrown and make room for what comes next. Then, when Christmas morning arrives, the new stuff will actually have somewhere to go. 

FAQs: Decluttering With Kids Before Christmas

How do I get my child to declutter before Christmas?

Start with one small category, such as stuffed animals, books or art supplies. Explain that making room before Christmas helps kids see and enjoy the toys and belongings they still use most.

What toys should kids donate before Christmas?

Kids can donate toys that are still in usable condition but no longer interest them, fit their age, or get played with. Let children help decide what they are ready to pass along whenever possible.

What should I do with toys my child is not ready to donate?

Create a toy rotation by packing away less-used toys for a few months while keeping current favorites accessible. If a toy stays packed away and no one asks for it, it may be easier to decide whether to donate it later.

How can I declutter toys without upsetting my child?

Avoid treating decluttering as a punishment. Ask questions about what your child still uses, give them choices, and use a small “not sure” pile for items they need more time to decide about.

Can storage help with toy rotation?

Storage can hold labeled bins of less-used toys and kids’ gear between rotations when closet, basement or garage space is limited. Keep current favorites at home and rotate other toys back in when your child is ready for something different.