Stuck trying to figure out how to organize a year of school papers?
You’re in the right place! By implementing these simple steps you will be able to avoid overwhelming paper chaos. Ensuring that only their most important memories are saved.
In this blog post, we’ll explore practical tips for organizing schoolwork after the year has ended.
When is the Best Time to Organize?
There isn’t a more exciting time of year than when the kids finish school for the summer. At least for them! But somehow, it’s the parents that get stuck with their mountain of schoolwork to sort through.
To help lessen the amount of work come summer, a good idea is to practice recycling unnecessary papers throughout the school year. If you can keep this up consistently you’ll have a lot less work at the end of the year!
That’s a tip for next year though, as we have a mountain of paperwork to deal with today.
Let’s take a look at how you can organize a year of school papers effectively.
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How to Organize a Year of Kids’ School Papers
1. Establish a Plan
To prevent overwhelm by paper clutter, the most important step is to have a clear plan of action before you begin. Decide where and how you will organize your child’s school papers. This might be your dining room table or comfortably on your couch and coffee table. Then, dedicate a space to store these papers from the year. I recommend using a file folder for each school year and keeping them all together in an archive box, one for each kid.
2. Lay it All Out
You can now start getting your hands dirty by dumping out the contents of your child’s backpack. Gather all the papers into a single pile and put anything else off to the side so you can focus on this task first. Sorting through a large group is much more efficient than trying to pick through each thing from the backpack individually. From here you can create smaller piles for different categories like trash, keep, and recycle.
*Remember to remove the staples from the papers before recycling them!
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3. Reuse Papers for Summer Work
To keep your kids engaged in learning throughout the summer, consider reusing their unfinished workbooks, sheets, and lessons. For workbooks that are only partially completed, remove the finished pages to recycle and save the rest for “summer work.” This way, your children can continue learning during the break without you having to purchase additional worksheets. Having grade-appropriate lessons ready makes it even more relevant!
4. Clean out Backpacks (and Lunch boxes!)
After you organize a year of school papers, don’t forget to give those backpacks and lunchboxes a thorough clean! Empty out the whole thing, dispose of leftover food, and wipe down the interiors. Most backpacks can be run through a washing machine, but double-check the tag for washing instructions. A fresh start for the upcoming school year begins with a clean slate – emphasis on clean!
5. Want to Go Paperless?
Preserving memories digitally can save you tons of space and reduce household clutter. Check out my favourite apps for achieving this:
Artkive
The #1 solution for preserving and celebrating kids’ art!
Google Photoscan
Create enhanced digital scans, with automatic edge detection, perspective correction, and smart rotation.
You can use them to take photos of your child’s most memorable artwork and schoolwork. I love using these with my clients as they’re also great for taking photos of 3D artwork. If you don’t have the space to display a clay sculpture, simply snap a photo and look fondly at it anytime you wish! Create a digital album where you can store these cherished memories and even share them for extended family to view. Digital storage also ensures that these precious pieces are protected from physical wear and tear, or accidental breakage.
6. Maintain Throughout the Year
To simplify the end-of-year organization process, make it a habit to maintain your system throughout the school year. Encourage your kids to bring home papers they may no longer need. Regularly sort and pare down these papers to keep only the most special pieces. By adopting this practice, you’ll find that organizing school papers becomes a breeze at the end of each academic year!
Where to Store Kids’ School Papers
Organizing school papers after the year ends can be a daunting task that requires some planning and a methodical approach.
But by implementing the tips mentioned above, you can avoid the stress and clutter that often comes with organizing a year of school papers!
Remember to establish your plan, sort through the papers quickly, embrace digital storage, and maintain your system throughout the year.
By practicing these strategies consistently, you can say goodbye to paper chaos and give a big welcome to a clutter-free end of the year!
How do you store your kids’ school papers? Comment below!
