The Best Way to Organize Kids Clothes for the Season

In our house, the kids pick out their own clothes. I don’t really care if everything matches. Our only requirement is that they aren’t wearing sweatpants in July or a sundress in January. To help them out, I make sure that the only clothes in their closets and dressers are seasonally appropriate.

If you’re like me, the change in seasons totally sneaks up on you. It seems like spring will never come and then BAM! It’s 80 and no one wants to wear pants anymore. When that day comes, it’s time to turn around the kids’ closets stat so they’ve got the right clothing choices.

When the seasons change, donate or store the out-of-season clothes and put the in-season clothes within reach. Don’t spend all day on this chore, though. The is the best way to organize kids clothes. You can quickly turn around your child’s closet for the upcoming season!

How to Use the System

If you have two children and are planning to pass the older child’s clothes down to the younger one, follow each step in the process in order: younger child’s closet, storage bins, older child’s closet. If you aren’t planning to pass clothes along to another kid, you can just do the younger child’s closet process. Either way, it’s super simple!

Younger Child’s Closet: Goodbye, Out of Season Clothes

In this system, you’ll start with the younger child’s closet (hereafter, Kid #2).

First, remove out-of-season clothes from Kid #2’s closet. If the item is large enough that it might fit next year (or you’re passing it to another child), it goes into the storage bin. If the clothing has been outgrown but is in good condition, put it in the donate pile. Finally, if an item is too worn or stained to reuse, you should recycle it or throw it away. Torn clothes are great for kitchen rags!

Next, check the closet for any clothes that are still in-season but are outgrown or worn. Decide whether the item should be stored for your next child, donated or recycled, depending on its condition. Now Kid #2’s closet should have some space and be ready for some “new” clothes.

Storage Bins: Hello, Hand-Me-Downs

The first step is to remember where you stored the hand-me-downs. Then, you have to figure out what size is in each bin! That done, you’re ready to go through all of the hand-me-downs. If you come across something that you didn’t like or your kid wouldn’t wear, just donate it. If you find items that aren’t in good condition, go ahead and recycle them. In general, it’s not worth storing either type of item in the first place!

When reviewing the hand-me-downs, the system is again simple. If the item is in-season and fits a kid, it goes into that kid’s closet. Now that my oldest is growing a little slower, she can sometimes re-wear clothing from last year. Otherwise, the items is passed to her sister. If the item is out of season but might fit when that season rolls around, it goes back into storage. If the item is in-season, but doesn’t fit either child it gets donated. Finally, if something is in poor condition, recycle or pitch it.

Hopefully you’ll end this process with a mostly empty storage bin, because you’re going to need it for Kid #1’s closet!

Older Child’s Closet: Something New

Now it’s Kid #1’s turn to get cleared out. First, take all of the out-of-season clothes out of Kid #1’s closet. If the item is in good condition, store it. If the item is in poor condition, recycle it. Simple! You can also go through any in-season clothing that’s still in the closet. If the clothes have been outgrown by Kid #2, store them or put them right into Kid #2’s closet depending on the size.

After you’ve cleared out the closets, it’s time for the fun part. Kid #1 gets new clothes. It sure is great being the older sibling sometimes! (They’ll pay when it comes to curfews.)

Storage Tips

A few clothing storage tips will make your life a lot easier when you’re ready to do the seasonal clothing shuffle. First,  go ahead and donate any clothes that you or your older child just didn’t like. Don’t waste storage space on worn or stained items, either. Recycle those now.

If you have the space, put each size in a separate storage bin. Also separate clothes for different seasons, either by stacking them on opposite sides of the same bin or putting them in different bins. Put a piece of paper on top of the clothes indicating the size and season before closing up the bin and storing it. That way you’ll know what you have when you pull it out, without having to actually sort through the clothes.

Switch the Closets in No Time

The best way to organize kids clothes, and make sure they stay that way, is to come up with a plan. This simple system will get your kids’ closets switched to the new season in no time, and you’ll easily be able to store hand-me-downs and donate unneeded items. It’s a great feeling to have those closets all ready for the upcoming season!