‘Drop Zones’ Are the Best Place to Neatly Store Your Kids’ Crap

Rip the doors off of a shallow hall closet, give it a fresh coat of paint and slide some overhead storage bins into the upper shelf. Boom. Done.

If you’d really like to tuck away the mess, give a coat closet or pantry a storage-minded makeover, and some bright lighting.

Use simple wooden crates to delineate a drop zone area in your garage or basement. Give each kid their own designated crate, so there’s no confusion over whose adorable, tiny wellies go where.

When space is at a premium, there’s nothing wrong with making a drop zone right alongside the front door—especially if it seamlessly blends in with the furniture.

That useless swath of wall below the kitchen light switches? It would make a perfect little spot for a drop zone. We love the idea of adding chalkboard storage bins beneath your bench for kids to write their names on.

If your best storage spot happens to infiltrate your dining room, simply maximize a piece of dining room furniture. (XL galvanized metal bins should hold your kiddo’s shoes and backpacks easily, while the upper bins make a great drop spot for dog leashes and pocket messes.)

Not into the whole coats on hooks thing? At the very least, make a petite drop zone by styling a little bench with an oversize wooden basket below. We promise it’ll earn its keep.