It seems to me that an entry is the perfect place to provide a place for kids to hang their stuff. A nice rack on the wall, an open bench with boot tray or runner below it just for their shoes, and you are done.

We have a closet in the entry. Coats and jackets on hangers, umbrellas and dog leash on hooks on the side wall, caps and mittens in shoe pockets behind the door.

What other "stuff" do your kids have?

When our kids were little, their backpacks got tossed in a corner of the dining room. By the time they were in middle school, they brought their backpacks to their bedrooms, since that's where they did homework.

It would help to see a photo of the area.