Sorting children's clothes for the spring-summer transition

Choosing the right time

As with any household chore that takes more of an investment, it's important to pick the right time to tackle it. Sorting clothes on a Sunday morning when everyone is tired and the kids are hungry is the perfect recipe for an endless chore! Choose a calm moment instead, like a day-off afternoon or a Saturday morning after a good breakfast, and give the kids advance notice so they're available and in a cooperative frame of mind.

Plan on one to two hours, depending on the number of children and the amount of clothing to sort. With younger children, working on one child at a time is often more efficient than pulling everything out at once.

Pull everything out

The first step is definitely the most important and the most intimidating: pulling out all the clothes! Make sure you don't miss any, whether they're in drawers, on shelves, in storage bins or even forgotten at the back of the closet. Everything that belongs to one child needs to end up in the same place, the only way to get a complete picture of what you really own.

This is also a good time to wash whatever needs it and check the general condition of the clothes: permanent stains, tears, missing buttons, etc.

Sort into four categories

Now that all the clothes are in one place, take the time to divide them into four clear piles:

• ✅ Keep: clothes in good condition that still fit
• 📦 Store: clothes that still fit but aren't suitable for summer: put them in a clearly labelled bin for the fall
• 🎁 Donate, sell or swap: clothes that no longer fit and can't be used by a younger child, but are still in good condition
• 🗑️ Recycle or toss: clothes too worn to be donated

For clothes that still fit but that you're not sure you want to keep, apply this simple rule: if your child didn't wear it at all last season, they probably won't wear it this year either!

Involving the kids according to their age

Sorting clothes is a great learning opportunity. Kids take part in organizing their own things, develop their sense of letting go and learn to make decisions.

From age 4 or 5, a child can actively take part: for example, show them two T-shirts and ask which one they'd rather keep. From age 7 or 8, kids can do a large part of the sorting themselves, with your supervision. Teens can manage their entire wardrobe, and even organize the sale or donation of what they no longer wear on their own. To help them, give them this printable, which gives them a clear method for sorting efficiently!

Taking inventory of what's missing

Once the sorting is done, you finally have a clear picture of what each child really has for the summer season. It's the ideal time to make a list of missing items before you shop, and to figure out how many T-shirts, shorts, swimsuits and sandals are needed. Use this handy list, also available on Octave, to make sure you target the right purchases and avoid doubles!

Ideally, resist the urge to replace everything at once. Start with the essentials instead, wait for the sales for the rest, and remember that kids grow fast; a few quality, versatile pieces are better than ten items bought in a rush.

Labelling and storing winter clothes properly

The winter clothes you want to store need to be stored with care. So take the time to wash everything before putting it away, and to label each bin clearly with the child's name, size and season. A label stuck on the side of the bin, visible without having to open it, will save you a lot of time in the fall.

Happy organizing! 🩳