The Closet Clean-Out Game for Kids (And Adults!)
Do you ever find yourself looking at a full closet thinking you have nothing to wear? How about washing the same five pairs of leggings and the same ten tee-shirts over and over, while the clothes you would describe as being “your style” sit unloved in the dresser?
I’ve always been a sentimental person, and I get easily attached to things like a favorite shirt. The problem, especially when I was a kid (but let’s be real, even as an adult…) is that things don’t fit forever. Sometimes we outgrow them, they get stained, they pill, or they just sit forgotten in the closet and we reach around them every morning.
If you have kids who hate to clean out their closet, or if you struggle with your own closet, let me introduce you to a game my mom played with me when I was little.
It’s called, “You’re leaving in five minutes. Are you going to put this on?”
That’s also how you play. You take everything out of your closet and dump it on the bed or in a chair. Then, one at a time, you pick up an item and ask, “You’re leaving the house in five minutes. Are you putting on this shirt?” If the answer is yes, absolutely, it goes back in the closet. If the answer is no, it goes. Whether it gets donated or thrown straight into the trash or the rag bin depends on the condition of the item.
But, I hear you cry, not all clothes are everyday wear items! That’s true. For those things, change up the question. “You’re leaving for a relative’s graduation in five minutes. The pants you were going to wear have a hole in the crotch. Are you going to put these on instead?” Or, “My husband’s holiday work party starts in half an hour and I have to leave now. Am I going to put this on?” Then either put it back in the closet or toss it out.
Each item in your closet is taking up valuable space, and you deserve to have clothes you love in there! If you’re reaching around things you’ll never wear, you’re doing yourself a favor by tossing them out.
Another way to play this game, especially if you work from home and don’t have to leave the house often, is to ask yourself, “If I had to pay rent equal to the worth of this item to have it in my closet, would I be willing to pay it?” If the answer is yes, then you know it’s something you really love. If not, it may be time to look at getting rid of it.
I like this option for more sentimental items that I don’t wear very often or at all, but don’t want to get rid of. Things like my wedding dress, or an old shirt that belonged to my grandfather. I don’t necessarily wear these things, but I would absolutely pay closet rent to keep them.
Either of these options can make it easier for you, and for your kids, to get rid of clothes that are taking up room in closets and dressers but aren’t being worn. Then you can either replace them with things you will actually love and use, or you can enjoy the extra space you’ve created! In either case, you’ll be able to fill your life with more things that bring you joy.