Smart storage solutions can make your day so much easier. Get it right, and your kids won’t come home from soccer complaining they didn’t have their shin guards, and tripping over a mess of bags in the entryway will become a thing of the past.

If you’re wondering how to store extra bags and backpacks, you’ve come to the right place – no matter how much space you have available!

1. Find the right space

The best place for keeping bags is going to be near the door you use most for entering and exiting your home. This might be your front door, a back door, or a garage door. Keeping bags nearby means there is less of a chance of things getting dropped along the way in the rush to get somewhere. There may even be a covered space outside that you can devote to this purpose. 

You may have to rearrange some furniture or clear out a closet, but it will be worth it as you’ll feel so much better when you’re organised every day.

If you absolutely have no space (trust me, I know!), find an accessible alternative space. My trick is to prepare the bags we’ll need to take with us beforehand and plop them next to the door.

2. Minimize your bags

One way to deal with after-school activity bags is by having fewer of them in the first place. Now, I’m not saying your kids have to give up a beloved sport or activity. Instead, you can invest in one good after-school activity bag rather than having a bunch of separate bags for each activity.

Pick up a few cheap drawstring bags, one for each activity, and place the corresponding gear inside. Each day, you can pop the appropriate bag into the main bag or empty its contents into it. This saves a lot of time packing each day and trying to remember everything they need to bring.

I also have a few items that are needed regardless of the activity that always stay in a different compartment in the main bag. These include tissues, sanitiser, wipes and snacks, which I refill immediately before I store them away. The drawstring bags can be stashed wherever you have the space for them (ideally nearby).

3. Ideas for bigger houses

There are lots of clever storage solutions for bags in bigger houses. I personally don’t have the space, but I love the backpack stations I’ve seen online where people use bookcases, cubby furniture, or even bookcases turned on their side so that each child has their own section. 

The most popular variations have a longer vertical cubby with a hanging hook and more shelves above and/or below that you can use to store shoes or gear. Storage boxes keep items out of sight, and some also incorporate file holders for school papers. Those with a lot of room even give each child their own mini chalkboard or corkboard area where you can post schedules or lists of what they need to pack. 

4. Ideas if you have a closet you can use

One of the more clever storage solutions if you have the space is to turn a small closet (or a part of the kids closet) into a mini mudroom. You can remove the rod and attach hooks to the wall for each child or each activity bag, or simple install a shelf. Small baskets are handy along the floor for catching shoes, hats, sunglasses, towels and whatever else you may need, making sure to place each one under the corresponding bag. This is how I store all my kids’ stuff.

5. Ideas for smaller spaces

If you have a smaller home or limited space, you may be able to find a small area or section of wall that you can use for organising bags. One popular approach is hanging bars with hooks over a small seated storage bench. The bags can hang on the hooks; you could even place two rows of hooks, with one for bags and another above it for hats or jackets. Shoes and other gear can go inside the bench to keep the house looking tidy, and kids can sit on the storage bench to put on their shoes.

Another good option is a small storage cart with pull-out baskets, like those marketed for kitchens or craft areas. Depending on your budget, you can get a nice wooden one or something simpler with wire mesh baskets. Attach hooks onto the sides for hanging backpacks or hats, and use the baskets to stow away activity-related items on days you won’t need them.

There are lots of great bag storage ideas for small spaces and bigger ones alike. It may take some time to set up, but it will make your afternoons so much easier!