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HOME I Summer Kids Capsule Wardrobe and Free Checklist!

Summer Kids Capsule Wardrobe and Free Checklist!

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kids capsule wardrobe checklists free printables

Having a Spring and Summer capsule wardrobe for each of my kids has saved me time, money and made laundry MUCH more manageable! Don’t forget to grab your free seasonal checklist at the end of this post!

kids capsule wardrobe checklists free printables

I have a confession to make: I LOVE shopping. I could seriously spend all day shopping clearance racks and thrift stores for cute clothing for my kids. So much more fun than shopping for adults, right? And you know what, I have done just that.

Flash back to when my first two girls were toddlers, and their closets were jam packed with the sweetest little dresses and tiny skirts, bonnets, and stockings that I had found for a couple dollars each at garage sales. So many little things that my girls hardly ever wore!

Have you seen my newborn essentials checklist?

Why? Because I had a few favorites that I kept reaching for when I would dress them each day. And as they got older, they would always pick the same 3 outfits day in and day out.

As our family grew, and I had less and less time to spend scouring sale racks, and less room in my house for storing bins and bins of little clothes. It was time to come up with a plan!

I wrote down a list with each type of clothing they wore and numbered each one, that way I had a goal set that helped me limit how many outfits I could buy and it helped me to make sure everyone had what they needed each Season.

My kid’s closets are packed to the brim anymore. They have a few cute and quality items that they love and wear on repeat. I spend less time doing laundry, and less money in the long run!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure here.

What is a Capsule Wardrobe?

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of clothing items that work well together, and when layered different ways can create different looks and outfits. It is usually made up of a limited number of basic pieces with classic colors and patterns.

So how does this work with kids’ clothing since they are constantly growing from one size to the next? The same way it works for adults, but maybe with some extra fun colors involved!

Since kids are constantly growing and changing sizes, its really helpful to have less to keep track of and less to buy each season and size!

Here are some great tips on starting an adult Spring capsule wardrobe!

Why you might want to try Having summer Kids Capsule Wardrobe

  • Less Laundry. Need I say more Mamas? Laundry is supposed to be this thing that nobody can keep up with, right? Well I’m here to tell you that having fewer clothes in your home, leads to less laundry. Its that simple!
  • Less Time Spent Keeping Track of Clothing, and less time sorting clothes for the changing seasons. Much less time spent picking up clothes when the toddler decides to dump out every drawer for the 20th time in a week!
  • Less Space Taken up in Your Home. The less clothing you own, the less room needed. Fewer bins in the basement and less crowded closets! (see my simple clothes storage plan here)
  • Spend Less Money. Sticking to a small wardrobe, you’re allow yourself to buy only so much for your kids, no matter what cute clothes or great deals come along. When you’ve filled out your capsule wardrobe checklist, that’s it! Enough clothes is enough clothes!
  • Hand Me Downs are Much Easier to Keep Track Of.
  • Quality Over Quantity. We can afford to buy better quality clothing that will last through more than one child.

How Do You Start a Spring and Summer Kids Capsule Wardrobe

1. Figure out how many outfits each child needs

The easiest way to do this, is to figure out a maintainable laundry routine. If you wash laundry every other day, that’s 3 days worth of clothes each of your kids needs to make it through that time.

Now you might be thinking, 3 outfits?! Well not quite. Age and gender have a lot to do with how many outfits your child needs for 3 days. For example, a 3 year old boy is going to need a few more pairs of pants than a 10 year old girl will.

Think like you’re packing for vacation.

And then add an extra outfit for “just in case”. The older your kids get, the more choices they will probably want, so the numbers will need to reflect that. Here’s what this looks like for my kids:

kids capsule wardrobe checklist

dressy clothes

Now this list doesn’t include dressy clothing for church and special occasions or apparel for specific sports.

Each of my kids has 2 dressy outfits for their Spring and Summer capsule wardrobe plus an Easter dress for each of my girls. This is plenty for them to have a couple of options to choose from each Sunday but it keeps decision making easy.

pajamas

For pajamas the amount your kids will need will depend on how many days it takes for you to get your laundry washed and dried.

For our family, since it takes 3 days at most for laundry to get from the dirty laundry basket back to the dresser drawers, my kids each need 3 pairs of PJs. Little babies will need 5 or 6 since they sometimes need to be changed in the middle of the night (those little diapers just don’t seem to do the job).

2. Make a checklist list of each type of clothing your child wears

This list will vary by season, age and gender. I’ve included a free printable kids capsule wardrobe checklist to help you get started right away! All you have to do is fill in the number of items your child needs to make the number of outfits you planned out in step 1.

3. Use this list to declutter the clothing you already own

This is not the fun part. You just have to go for it though! Make a pile of everything your child currently fits. Then make piles of each article of clothing.

Using your list, go through your kids’ closets make sure you are only keeping the number of items you have “allowed”. So say your list says your 3 year old needs 6 pairs of shorts for the Summer. Make sure you’re keeping the 6 pairs of shorts that you and your child reach for the most.

4. Use this list when buying for the next season or the next size

This is the fun part. You might think that having a list to stick to feels limiting. But, I like the freedom to be able to spend a little more on a couple of good quality items that my kids can pass from one to the other and its nice to get to be pickier about colors and prints!

Spring and Summer Kids Capsule Wardrobe Tips:

The best time to start is right before you switching seasons

When you’re about to store the clothes that your kids are wearing now and its time to start buying for the next season.

Notice what brands wear the best and last the whole season and stick to them

What styles do your kids find the comfiest? I’ve noticed my kids always reach for the outfits that feel the best over the ones that look a certain way. I mean, I do the same for myself most days!

Keep patterns and prints to either the accessories or the outfits themselves

Leopard print is classic and fun, so are bold stripes! But a leopard print dress and striped cardigan is going to look a little crazy. And is those two things are in your kid’s closet that’s probably the combination they’ll come downstairs wearing when you’re about to head out the door to Church!

a neat pile of matching pastel dresses for girls and a pair of brown leather shoes

How Many Pairs of Shoes Do Kids Need for a Spring and Summer capsule wardrobe?

Think about how many types of activities your children have in this Spring and Summer Season:

  • Playing in the mud and rain: mud boots
  • Going to Church and Special Events: church shoes
  • Playing Soccer: cleats
  • Playing outside, being wild: play shoes that are waterproof
  • Going to the grocery store, or a friends house: casual shoes that are nicer than the waterproof ones.

The number of shoes is going to depend on your family’s needs and lifestyle. Maybe you don’t have any sports in the Summer, so skip the cleats. Maybe you think your kids are fine to wear the play shoes to the grocery store and in the yard. Its up to you!

The goal for a minimal kid’s capsule wardrobe is to choose quality over quantity, and to choose styles and colors that are multifunctional. I look for clear jellies for a little girl wardrobe because they are classic, match everything and are waterproof.

Brown leather church shoes are my go to because they match everything and will last through all of my 4 girls. (they also work well in Winter which is an added bonus!)

I pick neutral colours for rainboots so that my girls and boys can wear the same ones. Saves me buying the boys new ones when they get to that age!

Be intentional. Don’t just buy the rainbow sneakers because they were on clearance. Think about ow many outfits they will actually match in your kids capsule wardrobe and what purpose they will serve your child.

a graphic showing a colorful little girls kids capsule wardrobe

One // Two // Three // Four // Five // Six // Seven // Eight // Nine // Ten // Eleven // Twelve //Thirteen // Fourteen // Fifteen

How to Save Money on a Summer Kids Capsule Wardrobe

Buy used

Buying your kids’ clothing used or second hand is a great way to cut costs. Half of the clothing pictured in this post was bought second hand! Sign up for notifications about consignment sales in your area, check out thrift stores, eBay, online consignment websites, join Facebook Buy Sell Trade pages for brands your family loves!

Just keep in mind that limit you’ve set for your self when buying used since you will come across a lot of good deals and might be tempted to over buy! Also remember to look for items that will be able to match much of your child’s wardrobe.

Shop Clearance Sales

The end of the Summer is a great time to keep an eye out for next year’s kids capsule wardrobe! Its also a time when its easy to accumulate too much. Be very selective so that you won’t be having to declutter what you’re finding on clearance the following Season. I like to shop for things like rain boots, jelly sandals, swimwear, things I know for sure my kids will need! The best time to do this is usually mid to late September.

Resell Items you are Decluttering

As you go through your kid’s clothing, try and make a pile of items that are still in great condition and try to get back some of what you paid by reselling them to people who can use them.

I’m part of a local Facebook Garage Sale page where I’ve been able to resell hundreds of dollars worth of clothing my kids didn’t need in the first place (before I started using this capsule wardrobe system).

My sister puts some of her kid’s clothing that they don’t need into a local consignment sale, and uses her earnings to buy clothes for the next season! There is no shame in being frugal, right? Right!

a graphic showing a colorful little boys kids capsule wardrobe

One // Two // Three // Four // Five // Six // Seven // Eight // Nine // Ten // Eleven // Twelve //Thirteen // Fourteen // Fifteen // Sixteen

FAQ About Having a Kids Capsule Wardrobe:

Do You Have to Have a Color Scheme?

You definitely could! But buying for more than one child, that’s going to be hard to maintain and keep track of. I find the best way to do it, is start with a few items you really like color wise and base the rest of the wardrobe off of that.

For example: If you found some really cute green striped shorts for your little boy you are going to want to avoid tops that will clash with that. So you would buy solid colored tops and then buy more playful and colorful shorts to finish out the wardrobe.

Keep your fun patterns to one type of clothing in the wardrobe. Maybe you keep your girl’s dresses solid colors and get her fun bows and tights as accessories. Or the other way around. Remember the goal here is to make everything as inter changeable as possible to make it easy for your kids to dress themselves each day.

One pieces and rompers are my favorite since they can be fun patterns and there’s no need to make sure tops and bottoms will match.

a graphic showing a colorful big girls kids capsule wardrobe

One // Two // Three // Four // Five // Six // Seven // Eight // Nine // Ten // Eleven // Twelve //Thirteen // Fourteen // Fifteen

How Do You Know How Many of Each Clothing Type Each Kid Needs?

I went over this earlier in this post, but the best way is to have a real laundry routine, and then keep track of how many times a day your child seems to need a change of clothes. Babies definitely need several outfits a day, whereas an 8 year old could probably wear the same outfit 2 days in a row!

Think outfits instead of articles of clothing in the beginning. 5 outfits might end up being 10 articles of clothing depending on whether your child wears separates of one pieces.

The older your kids get the more choices they will want when they get dressed. But they also are slower to go through sizes, so having a few extra outfits in their closet is worth it.

How Do You Keep Clothes From Getting Ruined When You Have a Small Amount?

I’ve been asked this question a lot and the answer is, the same way you do when you have a larger wardrobe! We take care of the clothes we have and if one item gets ruined, we can replace it if we need to. Usually by the end of the season some of my kids’ clothes are worn through, so they go to the trash can, and we don’t have to figure out where to store them or where to donate them.

Check out this post for more my homemade stain remover spray.

a graphic showing a colorful big boys kids capsule wardrobe

One // Two // Three // Four // Five // Six // Seven // Eight // Nine // Ten // Eleven // Twelve //Thirteen // Fourteen // Fifteen // Sixteen

Does it Cost a Lot to Get Started with a Kids Capsule Wardrobe?

It doesn’t have to! Start by decluttering what you have, sticking to the number of outfits you’ve decided each child needs for the stage they’re at. Then when it comes time for them to go up to the next size of clothing or time to buy for the next season, just keep your kids capsule wardrobe goal in mind, being more intentional about the number and types of items you are purchasing.

You will most likely end up saving money because you will have put limits on the amount you are “allowed” to buy.

How To Deal With Clothes that are Given to You?

This is another commonly asked question that is tricky to answer. The best way I have found to deal with this personally is to be open to family about our goal to declutter. You don’t have to bring this up at the time someone gives you something, but just bringing it up casually at other times. If we are still given things we don’t necessarily love or need, I let the kids keep them for as long as they are interested.

For example: My daughter has been gifted fancy dresses that aren’t really “my style”. Rather than get rid of them, I put them in her closet, and she wears them for a while. If she stays enamored with the sequin studded dresses, of course she can keep them! If they end up just hanging in her closet for a few weeks on end, I’ll donate them.

Think of it how you would want someone else to deal with a gift you gave them that they didn’t necessarily love, and is not in line with a plan they are trying to follow to better their life. Of course you would understand if after a bit, they gave it away to someone who really loved it!

Now, what if the person is very sensitive and asks about the gift later on? Its probably just in your best interest to be very open about how having a more minimalist home helps you in so many ways and how you are keeping the clutter at bay.

Is it a Lot of Work to Keep Track of a Kids Capsule Wardrobe?

It can take a little time to get started and get the hang of it, but its really a time saver in the long run for me since I know exactly what I’m looking for when I go shopping for each season (no more wasted time browsing without a focus) and its definitely saved me time when switching seasons of hand me downs!

Since we don’t have a lot in each size, its as easy as pulling out the next size up tote of clothing, filling the drawers and taking note of what I need to shop for to fill in the gaps of each kids capsule wardrobe!

kids capsule wardrobe checklists free printables

Don’t forget to grab your free printable checklist to get started!

More Organizing and Decluttering Posts

  • Minimalist Newborn Capsule Wardrobe
  • Minimalist Newborn Essentials Checklist
  • How to Store and Organize Your Kids Clothes
  • Fall and Winter Kids Capsule Wardrobe
  • How To Declutter Your Kids Toys

I hope you found this post helpful in starting a capsule wardrobe for your kids! Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions in the comments below.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elli Hurst

    April 5, 2021 at 12:42 pm

    Such a great post!! We love having capsule wardrobes too! I love reading content on this topic! Especially since we want a lot of kids, this will come in handy one day!

    Reply
  2. chey

    April 5, 2021 at 4:43 pm

    This is a great idea! I think it’s a great way to downsize our adult wardrobes as well. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  3. Lauren Green

    April 7, 2021 at 3:52 am

    Elizabeth! You started me on the idea of capsule wardrobe for my kids last year! Its definitely made more sense for our lifestyle of moving around and huge bonus of saving money and buying better quality- which also have higher resale when we’re done! Lots of wins here!!

    Reply
    • athomeontheprairie

      April 8, 2021 at 2:47 pm

      Lauren I am SO glad its helpful!! I know its hard to put a limit on all those pretty girly dresses so I need to be strict with myself

      Reply
  4. Anne Richnavsky

    April 8, 2021 at 5:00 pm

    Two questions, 1. When you need to buy new clothes do you always buy brand new or do you buy secondhand like from ThredUP or eBay (or similar)?
    2. With your boys, how much of their clothes do you keep since the next youngest is a girl and you don’t know when or if you’ll have more boys?

    Reply
    • athomeontheprairie

      April 8, 2021 at 5:47 pm

      Good questions! I should have addressed that in the post.
      I buy a lot of things used but I’m really picky now as to brands I know will hold up and colors that will go with what we have. All of the boots pictured were bought on ebay for example.
      For the boys I’m keeping only the amount of clothing I have on the checklist (one boy’s worth ) and no more. If we have another boy he’ll be set. And if we don’t, we aren’t storing too much.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
      • athomeontheprairie

        April 8, 2021 at 5:48 pm

        Also, I’ve joined several buy sell trade pages for brands my girls love and that has saved us a lot on their dresses!

        Reply
  5. Tara

    April 15, 2021 at 4:03 pm

    Great tips for being intentional with a capsule wardrobe! I like the flexibility you incorporate with different items for different occasions while staying true to simplifying.

    Reply
  6. Rose

    April 15, 2021 at 6:05 pm

    This is such a great idea!!!

    Reply
  7. Lauren

    April 15, 2021 at 7:07 pm

    Great post! Inspiring me to declutter as we change closets for the summer season.

    Reply
  8. Anna

    March 3, 2022 at 3:14 am

    Sooooo adorable, and so helpful for those of us with no notion of style. Thank you!

    Reply
  9. Ada

    March 3, 2022 at 2:52 pm

    These are great tips!!!! I agree; I prefer quality over quantity. This inspired me to declutter. Thank you so much for sharing!!!!

    Reply
  10. Julie

    March 10, 2022 at 3:00 pm

    Boy, do my kids wardrobes need this! What a helpful thing to add a checklist. Totally going to download that! ❤️❤️

    Reply
  11. Steph

    May 30, 2022 at 12:49 pm

    Hi! I love this. What are your favourite dress brands? I love the ones I see hanging there!

    Reply
    • athomeontheprairie

      May 31, 2022 at 2:45 am

      Hi Steph! I’ve found really pretty dresses from Mila and Rose, Goldybelle and Alice and Ames brands. To save money, I’ve found most of them used on Poshmark or Facebook BST groups!

      Reply
  12. Sarah

    May 31, 2022 at 2:02 am

    Hey how can I get this checklist? I’m missing where I can access this 🙂

    Reply
    • athomeontheprairie

      May 31, 2022 at 2:42 am

      Hi Sarah! Towards the end of this post you’ll find a place to enter your email address to get your checklist delivered to your inbox 🙂

      Reply
      • June

        July 22, 2022 at 12:59 am

        I actually cant find the place to enter my email address. 🙁

        Reply
        • athomeontheprairie

          July 28, 2022 at 3:32 pm

          Hi June! I’m sorry about that! I signed you up myself. You should have the charts in your inbox or spam folder 🙂

          Reply
  13. Lauren Stalvey

    May 31, 2022 at 2:23 pm

    Hi! Can I get the checklist emailed to me? I think this will be so helpful when changing the kids closets over for summer!
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • athomeontheprairie

      June 1, 2022 at 1:55 am

      Hi Lauren! Did you enter your email address in the spot toward the end of this post? You should get the checklist right away. But it might end up in your spam folder

      Reply
  14. Amanda Nonmacher

    July 9, 2022 at 6:37 am

    This is so great! I’m absolutely doing this for my 2 girls, but I’d like to do it for myself as well. Do you have a list for the Momma’s?

    Reply
    • athomeontheprairie

      July 10, 2022 at 3:19 am

      I don’t have a list for moms right now but I’ll try and get one made soon! I’m so glad you found this one helpful!

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Elizabeth, mama of 7 living on the beautiful Kansas Prairie.

I love finding and sharing ways to simplify this busy life, making more time to really enjoy homemaking. Stick around if you enjoy making things from scratch and healthy, kid-friendly recipes! Read more here

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