How To Declutter All The Kids Stuff at the End of the School Year

It’s no secret that when school is out (and in the weeks leading up to it) your home can be inundated with papers, artwork, supplies, and random objects far beyond what your home can handle. Today we’re going to break down each category of kids’ school clutter, how to declutter them, then what to do with what you want to keep. And yes, we’re going to discuss how to work with your kids to get them involved in the process so it’s not all on your shoulders! Yep, I’ve got you!

School Papers + School Work.

EDIT: Go through any school papers that came home with your child or have them go through it on their own. My now 8-year-old does this completely on her own. I like to quickly glance through the stack before to scan what’s been going on in her world, then I let her take over the process. Take a few minutes to marvel with them in the stories they wrote, the assignments that were particularly challenging, or things they enjoyed the most. If it feels daunting, set a timer for 10 minutes to keep things moving.

RECYCLE: Anything that doesn’t want to be kept and is paper-based without tape or glue can be recycled.

KEEP: If there are papers you or your child wants to keep, assign them to a folder for a while (ie. give it a clear boundary with a home your child can manage). Revisit this folder in a few months to see if these keep items still need to be kept (often they are ready to part with them sooner than you’d think).

Kids Artwork.

EDIT: Go through the art pieces with your kids or have them go through it on their own. I love having them tell me about their favorites and how each was created. Pull aside the favorites they want to keep and set aside the ones they’re ready to move on from.

RECYCLE: Art made from tapeless origami or watercolors, crayons, colored pencils, and/or markers on paper can all be recycled when no longer wanted. If a piece of artwork has paint, stickers, glue, googly eyes, glitter, popsicle sticks and feathers, it should go in the trash. Are there plastic pieces? Foam stickers? These are all things that cannot be recycled, and shouldn't be placed in the recycling bin even if they are attached to paper or cardboard. See addition kids art recycle and toss tips HERE.

KEEP: Artwork that your child wants to keep can be saved in a few ways. 1) Displayed in the home in frames or pinned up in any way you choose. We rotate out artwork each season or every few months n frames on an art ledge. 2). Have a keep folder (like the papers) to save for a while and revisit later. 3) Make it into something else, like a card for a friend’s birthday or gift wrap for a grandparent. 4) Take digital photos of their favorite art pieces and create a printed photo books each school year, semester, or whatever timeframe works best for you. I love how Holly Blakey creates art books for her kids using this technique. Alison Mazurek also has the best space saving suggestions related to kids artwork and saving here. I hope to get more diligent with this in our own home, so I’ll keep you posted on my progress soon!

School Supplies.

EDIT: Before you start chunking things in the trash, look at all that has come home with the filter of “could we use this again next year or someone else?” Over the last several years, we’ve been able to reuse several things from year to year. From backpacks, lunch bags, notebooks, plastic folders, dividers, to pencil cases, crayons, colored pencils, pencils, some unused notebooks, pens, erasers, etc. All the sudden your bill for school supplies next year doesn’t seem so high!

RECYCLE: Extra paper boxes and bulky packaging that’s no longer needed can be recycled so they don’t take up as much space. Reuse or donate anything in good shape that is no longer needed or you have duplicates of, from books, to writing utensils, extra paper, notebooks, rulers, etc. Full notebooks that have been used up as journals or for notes can be recycled if they are without tapes, glues, stickers, etc. These extras can also be offered up to local schools and charities to support teachers and students with school supplies needs. Check out all my donation links under schools and teachers here for more ideas.

KEEP: If you have school supplies you anticipate using again for next year, I would encourage you to pull them aside in a bag or container and label it. One of my age old tricks is to remove any permanent marker from notebooks and plastic folders with a damp Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. If you’re trying to remove any labels or stickers on most plastics or non-paper surfaces, it will easily come off with some drops of lemon oil rubbed on it for a few minutes. Wipe the area clean with water and dry off completely once the label or sticker has been removed.

Random Toys + Misc Objects.

EDIT: Before you start editing, talk together with your kids about where these fun “extras” are going to live in your home. Give them a clear boundary or two so they have a home for the toys/extras so can be easily returned there. Pull everything out onto a table or flat surface to go through it. Identify what’s trash, recycle, donate and keep items. Discuss limiting duplicates, things that broken or no longer loved. With a clean boundary (like a basket or a drawer) it will be clear how much can be kept moving forward.

RECYCLE: Paper-based items, cards, boxes, notes, etc. can make their way to recycling if they’re not longer being kept. Check on what plastics your area accepts locally. Consider toys in good shape that could be given away/donated/sold and pull those aside for donations. If it is a cheap plastic toy that will break in two seconds, it’s best to send it directly into the trash. You can also offer up a box of toys or kids decor freebies to a local Buy Nothing Group or share to your area on Freecycle for others to enjoy.

KEEP: With the newly establish boundary for your child’s random keep items, help them organize what they have and discuss how to filter what comes into your home in the future. For example, group items by sizes and how it is used/by type for example. Ask them questions about what they enjoy playing with or what they enjoy having around the most to help them focus on what they should allow into the home in the future. This editing and organizing process will also give them clarity on what they already own. Discuss that once this “boundary” is full or feeling disorganized (they’re digging around, can’t find things or the drawer won’t shut for example) it’s a red flag to take some time to go through and edit what’s in there. They can ask for your help or go through it on their own. Practice over time will make this process easier and smoother, promise!

Are there any other kids “school clutter” that I missed or you want me to talk more about? Make sure to drop it down below in the comments. Now tell me, have you tamed the school clutter yet in your home this summer? Tell me everything in the comments below!

Want to get this decluttering party with your kids + need more help getting started? Here’s a few options for you to get you moving + motivated.

Declutter Guide For Kids + All Their Stuff

Free Declutter Guide, Learn the basics of Decluttering, Schedule Decluttering Support, Donate Your Decluttered Items For Good Links