Have you ever wondered what to do with all the papers that come home with your child from school? How to organize and store the ones you and your student want to keep? At our house, we organize them at the end of the school year in a 3-ring binder.
In the kitchen, we have a bottom drawer that all the kids school work goes into when it comes home. After we have thrown away the ones we don’t want to keep of course. The drawer continues to fill up during the year as they collect their artwork, stories and projects.
Then usually during the summer, I plan a day to empty the drawer. All the kids are present and we sort through the huge pile of papers organizing them according to who they belong to. Each person can only keep what will fit into their binder. Each kid gets to pick what is saved and what is thrown away. The keepers are punched with a three hole punch and are placed into the binder. The throwaways are laid out on the floor so we can take a picture of them and then are sent to the recycle bin.
The picture is added to the end of the binder, the binder is labeled and then placed on the shelf with the others. We have gotten so good, we have been able to fit a couple of years into one 2 inch 3-ring binder. Then the drawer is all cleaned out and ready to go for the next school year.
The fun part has been to be able to look back and see their old, scribbly handwritting, artwork and reading the funny things they have written. The kids love to see just how much they have learned over the years. As a mom, it makes me feel a bit sad to see how quickly they grow up and to realize that another year has been organized into a few pages of memories and stored on a shelf. What are some of the things you do to get organized at the end of the school year?
**I usually buy a few extra binders at the beginning of the school year when the school supplies at Target go on sale at 50-75% off and save them for the end of the year clean-up!
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Brenbren says
Where did you get those flower the dresses are hanging from on your post on the decorative initials!?! I want some. [email protected]
I've got a huge box of kinder papers to go through & couldn't figure out what to do with them. Thanks for the great idea!!
You have the cutest ideas. I absolutely love this site. Keep them coming I am always inspired!
brilliant idea,, my kids are not kids anymore but i have loads of their papers that I need to go through and do something with,, thanks for sharing a great idea.
Brilliant. I have to keep up with the "school work" scrapbooks! You made me think twice.. I need to get started!
I love this idea and wish I'd been introduced twenty years ago when my oldest started 1st grade. I linked to this post, hoping my daughters or nieces can use it with their children.
love this idea! my first just started kindergarten and i am already amazed/overwhelmed at what they are bringing home. i was just wondering what to do with it all!! thanks!!
I love this idea! Thanks for the helpful tip! I am going to do this too