Organizing School Work and Art Projects

A few weeks ago I shared our Wall of Fame with you.  It's been a fun place to celebrate learning.  

Today I want to share with you some organizing ideas that we've been doing for the past 2 years. 
{This little project} has worked really well in our family for keeping us organized and for taming the paper monster that comes with school work and kids. 

Where do those things go after 
they are done on the wall?  


And since they can't all go on the wall
where do the other favorites go?

Into a book:


Let me tell you why I love {this little project}:

*  My kids really enjoy looking back at what they have accomplished in the past.  It helps them see that they have made progress.  And it's especially great for them to see that they have tackled something hard before.  And succeeded.  It gives them courage to try hard again.


*  And looking back is also a fun way to review what they have already learned.

*  There is a lot more satisfaction in creating something great if you know it won't become garbage tomorrow.  

*  It's fun to see what the kids were learning at their different ages.

*  They know that most-especially their favorites-will be displayed as well as treasured. 

*  Binders are super easy to store.  And they don't take a lot of space.

So how do we keep this all organized?




All you need to make {this little project} is:
a binder 
 calendar pages (one for each month). I printed my calendars here.
a 3-hole punch
a place/tray to gather completed school work 
page protectors (12)

First, punch holes in your calendars and put them in the binder. You need one for each child.  Be sure to label the child's name and the year on it.

I like to put a page protector in the binder with each month to hold small things or things that don't punch very well--like books and small art pieces.

Then, each day when you clean out their backpack, you (or the child) puts the things you want to keep in a folder or tray for each child, (or on your own wall of fame!)

At the end of each week you just hole punch everything in the folder/tray and put them in the binder behind the current calendar month.

easy, huh?


But, what do you do with the "big" things that won't fit in the binder?  

 *  We like to take a photo of them and let them run as the screen-saver on the computer.  That way we can still "see" them even though we can't "keep" them.

*  A pizza box (for each child) also works great for storing large art pieces.
Good luck taming the paper monster with {this little project}!


p.s. we have usually fit about 9 months of work in a regular binder, but you could always use a bigger binder if you need to!

1 comment:

GianneCurry said...

Thanks for the leafpeople idea!! I featured it on my blog and gave you linky love. Thanks for helping me make memories with my little artist!!

Gianne at cowsgomooandducksgoquack.blogspot.com

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