Get Organized: 5 Ways to Keep Toys Tidy A few storage and sorting strategies help the kids keep their spaces cleaner Keeping a child's play space clean can often feel pointless. You finally get it neat and clean, and 30 minutes later it's the same whirlwind of toys, books and clothes. Instead of cleaning up the constant clutter, follow these five tips to maintain the tidiness and encourage your children to -- believe it or not -- help clean up the mess themselves. 1. Sort by activity. Before you purchase any type of organizational system for your child's room or play space, take stock of everything that's in there and start sorting. Sort toys and books into piles to keep, throw away or donate. Then organize the items you've decided to keep by activity. This should help you figure out how much storage you'll need and what kind of system will best suit your space. If you have enough space, divide up the playroom according to the kids' activities -- this will make organization even more streamlined. Create a reading corner with books and bean bag chairs, a table or floor space for cars and trucks and put dollhouses and play stoves in another corner. If your children are old enough, get them to help out! It's a great way to teach them about cleaning and organization. And this way they'll know where everything goes from the very beginning. 2. A place for everything. If you're using vertical storage, like