The Essential End-of-the School Year Organization Guide

The end of the school year is such a rush. Everything is winding down and it’s a time for relaxation (hopefully) and fun! By being proactive you can make the beginning of the next school year less stressful for yourself by doing some organization. Here are some organizational tips to try with all those school ‘things.’

There are three main options for all of the school supplies, clothing, etc. that have accumulated over the course of the year. You can save the items for next year, throw out broken or damaged items, and sell/donate anything else.

What To Do With Clothing/Accessories
With summer being a HUGE yard sale season, you may be planning on having your own sale or stopping by some local ones to shop. Go through your child’s clothing and see what you’ve got.

1. Throw out: Torn, stained, ripped, or faded clothing. Don’t be afraid to keep some for ‘messy’ clothing just in case you decide to do some projects around the house this summer!
2. Keep: Clothing that is in good condition and that will still fit your child or will possibly fit your other children.
3. Sell or Donate: Clothing that will not fit your children this fall. There is no need to save clothing that will serve no purpose. You can earn extra money or help the needy.

Once this is done you will be able to see what clothing you have for your children and what you may need to keep an eye out for. It can be hard to know exactly what size your children would need, but try to use your best guess.

What To Do With School Supplies
Did your children come home with their backpacks bursting with leftover supplies? Set aside some time to go through all the items that have managed to make it home. You’ll be happy you did. This section has 4 main options because the term “school supplies” encompasses many things!

1. Throw out : Torn, ripped, and broken school supplies. Examples: Worn out folders, old paper, broken pencils etc. There is no need to have them sitting around all summer! Be sure to test the pens and markers. Throw out ones that are broken or no longer work. (You may still end up needing to throw some out in the fall, but you will still save yourself some time.)
2. Keep: Things that will be useful in the coming school year or at home. Partially used spiral notebooks can be used for notes and scrap paper around the house, even if they don’t have enough paper for a school year. Keep folders that aren’t torn or worn out. Keep three ring binders, even if your children no longer need them, you can use them to organize recipes, coupons, or much more. Essentially anything that can go with your children next year to school, things that could be re-purposed for your home, or items in good working order.
3. Donate: Unneeded but still useful school supplies. Sometimes doctor’s offices, hospitals, preschools, and daycares will gladly accept crayons, markers, and colored pencils, even if they are not new. Sometimes you may even come across items that are still brand new. You could always save them for one of those donation drives for school supplies in September.
4. Sell: Sometimes there may be expensive items such a calculators floating around. If they are no longer needed you may want to consider selling them to get a bit of extra cash…assuming no other student in your house could use it in the coming year.

What next? Now that you have sorted through the school supplies you can bag up individual packets of markers, crayons, pens, pencils, etc. for each child. Place them in your children’s backpacks so that you don’t lose them before the next school year.

What to do with Backpacks

1. Throw out: This is probably a no-brainer, but backpacks that are worn out can probably be thrown out. If something is no longer functional there is no reason to keep storing it.
2. Keep: Most backpacks can hold up for more than one school year. However, they may need to be cleaned. Check the tags to find out how to best launder them. Many can be machine washed and hung dry. Even if your children no longer need a backpack, they can be used for camping trips or other events.
3. Sell or Donate: If you have any extra backpacks that are no longer needed you may want to think about paying it forward and donating them to your local schools. You may also put them in your yard sales just in case someone is in the market for a new bag!

What to do with Books

1. Throw out: I think you know the drill by now. Books that are torn, have mildew, are drawn on, or damaged beyond readability should be recycled.
2. Keep: Books in good condition that you or your children enjoyed. Some books are timeless, some are required reading materials and may be useful for your other children. Of course, keep an eye on how much space you have in your bookcase!
3. Sell or Donate: Books that you don’t want or need you can either try selling or donate. Local libraries are often don’t have large budgets and will gratefully accept gently used books to put on their shelves.  You can also sell them on Amazon for a decent profit.

Try some of these tips and see if you can make your life easier next fall as you prepare for the new school year! Are there any tips you would add to this list?