Delcuttering Games: How to make decluttering "fun"!

I’ve heard that there are people out there who genuinely ENJOY cleaning/tidying/decluttering, etc. I am not one of them. For as much as I like talking about decluttering, I’d rather do just about anything else than actually doing the decluttering work.

One thing that has REALLY helped motivate me- is to turn decluttering into a “game”. This post will be sharing some [free] decluttering games that I have used throughout the years. I can truly say that if it weren’t for these games, I wouldn’t have made near as much progress as I have! I hope that you find them helpful as well.

The Minimalism Game

My very first introduction to decluttering was through the “minimalism game”, a game created by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus (“The Minimalists”), where you declutter one item per day of the week (12 items on the 12th, etc). You can find a free #minsgame printable by clicking here.

Bingo Decluttering Games

Last year, on a whim, I drew a “sell your stuff” bingo in my journal. It was surprisingly motivating, so I thought I’d make another for my most recent closet purge and also include a printable if you’d like to join in!

As I made that bingo card, I kept thinking of more and more ideas that would be fun to do “bingo card style”. I also included a 24 in 2024 Decluttering Bingo (write down 24 areas of your home to declutter) and a February Bingo (Write down goals or fun things that you want to do this month!), as well as a House to Haven Bingo Card (See this post for more information about Operation House to Haven).

These bingo cards are not filled in because I personally think these types of things are most effective when you customize them based on your house and your personal decluttering needs. Walk around your house and see which areas need the most attention and then write those down! 🙂

There is also a blank bingo card if you want to think of your own version! Other ideas I thought of could be a To Be Read (TBR) Bingo, Recipes to Make Bingo, Bucket List Bingo– the options are endless!

Click here to download the decluttering bingo printables.

The 24 in 2024 goals Bingo card can be found on this post.

Decluttering Challenges

These aren’t quite as “game-like” but are still motivation–especially if you like checking boxes or items off a list 😉 Simply mark items off as they are decluttered (preferably after they leave the house!) This is my personal favorite game and the method I come back to time and time again to stay motivated. The 1000 Decluttering Challenge can be found here and the 2024 Decluttering Challenge can be found here.

1000 declutter challenge- like an extreme version of the #minsgame, but with less rules! Declutter your home once and for all with this minimalism challenge! #minimalismgame #decluttering #mariekondo #sparkjoy

Decluttering to $1000 Challenge

Sometimes it’s best to simply donate items that you are decluttering- but other times you’d like (or need) to sell them to recoup some money! This tracker is a fun way to keep track of how much you earn throughout the process and can also be a good motivator for getting stuff listed (something I struggle with!!)

Click here to find the Decluttering to $1000 Challenge.

Decluttering Jar

Before we moved a few years ago, I made a “Declutter Jar” with color coded sticks for each area in the house. So for example, my kitchen would be “blue” and each blue stick would be a specific area in my kitchen (pantry, under the sink, junk drawer, cup shelf, etc) I would draw a stick or two each day and declutter those areas! Randomizing the areas made decluttering feel more “fun”.