"Tiptop shape", "spick-and-span" and "well-kept" are usually not the words to describe a child’s bedroom. Now there may be exceptions, but they are few and far between. Chances are, when you open the door to your kids’ rooms, there’s chaos inside. You’re treated to the sight of an unmade bed, books lying face down on the floor, dirty socks hanging on the back of a chair, toys piled up on top of each other all over the room and if you’re lucky, a hand-painted surprise on the wall!

So how do we turn things around? A simple request or a stern reprimand might not do the trick, but the following foolproof ways will help your kids keep their room hazard-free and organized:

Play games. Give "organizing" a playtime treatment to get kids excited. It could be anywhere from putting the toys back in their respective places in under 10 minutes, or (if you have more than one child), get them to arrange clothes by the colors of a rainbow and see who did better. Adding a dash of healthy competition will not only make cleaning up an easier process, it’s a good way to make them motivated. You can even play upbeat dance music while you’re at it to liven things up. Be creative and vary your cleaning games from time to time.

Designate stuff. An organized storage and labeling system is a key foundation to a tidy bedroom. Early on, children should be taught where things are located as well as where they are tucked away. Different-colored bins are ideal containers to segregate toys: blue for educational toys, red for stuffed animals, yellow for dolls and action figures and so on. For little girls, decorative boxes are perfect for small items like hair accessories, jewelry, and other treasured knick knacks. Wall space should also be maximized for storage as much as possible, including shelves and hooks. Install pegs for hanging coats, jammies, bags and other objects they wear frequently.

Give incentives. Instead of threatening your kids to a week without TV, make a much nicer deal with them. Consider rewards. Young ones are suckers for anything that recognizes what good little kids they are. Offer to take them out to see a movie they really want to watch, or buy them their favorite dessert once they’re done cleaning up. Decide what reward system works for you and your kids. Implementing this is sure to give you twice the satisfaction, and apart from gaining an organized room, you’re also treating your kids with something special.

Encourage donation. You may also set up a box in the corner of the room meant to put away unused and outgrown toys, clothes and other belongings. Charity begins at home and this is exactly what you would be instilling in them. If they’re still too young to figure out what to toss, do it for them. It can be old baby gifts they no longer have use for such as building blocks, "first word" books and the like.

Organizing doesn’t have to be a bore, or a burden, or a chore. Follow any of these tips (we recommend doing them all, of course!) and you’ll see your child’s room transform from jungle crazy to clutter-free.