No doubt about it, the 2021 school year is going to look very different. Maybe you have decided to homeschool your kids or maybe you’re going with virtual learning. It’s a new way of life; one that our generation has never experienced before. And with that, comes a whole new set of challenges.
If you are wondering how you’re going to organize your kid’s school supplies, you’re in the right place! I have rounded up a handful of organizing ideas from around the web that are specific to organizing school supplies at home. Most of these ideas can be made with supplies you have laying around your house. And the others require very little investment! These ideas will inspire you to set up a homework station for your kids, which will help make the learning experience a little easier for everyone!
TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER WITH A FREE HOME PROJECT PLANNER!
Use this project planner to keep track of all your home organizing projects! 👇
#1 – ORGANIZE SCHOOL SUPPLIES IN A BASKET
I love the look of this!
Organizing your kid’s school supplies this way will make it super easy to clean up when they are done with their school work for the day!
You can carry their school supplies from one room to the next or from one table to another.
Found on: See Vanessa Craft
#2 – KEEP SUPPLIES IN EASY REACH WITH A ROLLING CART
This is a perfect idea if your kids are always doing their schoolwork in different areas of the house.
You can use different bins and cups to keep supplies separated and use the bottom shelf for papers and/or folders.
These types of carts are available at Ikea, Walmart, and most craft supply stores.
Found on: Kindergarten Kindergarten
Related Post: 20 Inspiring Family Command Centers
#3 – ORGANIZE SCHOOL SUPPLIES IN A DRESSER DRAWER
If getting out of the house just to buy organizing products isn’t an option, a dresser drawer will work in a pinch!
You can use drawer dividers, bins, baskets, or plastic containers to keep everything sorted and neatly contained.
Found on: Four Generations, One Roof
#4 – USE PLASTIC SHOEBOXES TO SEPARATE SUPPLIES
This is my favorite way to organize and categorize small items like craft supplies and school supplies!
Not only is it neat and streamlined, but shallow containers also make it easy to find what you need.
And clear containers are always great for kids since they can see everything that’s inside. All you need for this project is some plastic shoe boxes and some chalkboard labels!
Found on: Kelly Elko
#5 – SEPARATE WRITING UTENSILS IN GLASS JARS WITH LABELS
Isn’t this setup great?? This would be fantastic for older kids. If you have younger kids, I definitely recommend choosing another option from this list. 😂
Found on: The Home Edit
#6 – KEEP SUPPLIES IN A KITCHEN CABINET
Having a dedicated place for all of your children’s school supplies will make sure they always have what they need. If you have room in your kitchen cabinets, this is a great way to organize school supplies!
Found on: The Sunny Side Up Blog
#7 – USE A CRAFT CART
I had this old craft cart that was full of random papers, so I decided to clear it all out and move it to our living room. The top drawers are used for crayons, pencils, glue, scissors, etc.
And the deeper, bottom drawers are for my kid’s folders and notebooks. I also have paper and coloring books for my younger kids.
Found on: The Maximizing Momma (that’s me!)
#8 – USE A LAZY SUSAN FROM YOUR PANTRY
A school supply-lazy susan is a phenomenal way to keep everything contained in one spot at the kitchen table!
To make this organizer, you will need a lazy susan turntable, a few galvanized buckets, and some Gorilla glue to adhere the buckets to the wood.
Found on: Pinterest
#9 – KEEP SMALL SUPPLIES IN A MUFFIN TIN
If you don’t have another way to keep your kid’s school supplies organized in one dedicated spot, this is a simple idea that will work well. All you need for this is a muffin tin and some plastic cups!
Found on: Content Injection
#10 – USE AN OVER-THE-DOOR SHOE ORGANIZER FOR EASY ACCESS
Over-the-door shoe organizers work for everything, and they’re just as useful for organizing school supplies! You can get one at Walmart for less than $10.
And if you’re already using your organizer for actual shoes, find a temporary place to store them (like in a basket by the door).
That way, your kids can access all of their school supplies while they’re doing distance learning for the next few months.
Found on: I Can Teach My Child
#11 – CONTAIN SCHOOL SUPPLIES IN A BATH CADDY
A bath caddy will keep supplies handy while your kids do their schoolwork. And when they’re done, everything can easily be put away!
You can pick up one of these at the Dollar Store, Target, or Walmart.
Found on: Alejandra TV
#12 – USE A DISH RACK FOR PAPERS & FOLDERS
This solution is more for organizing school papers and reading supplies, but I wanted to include it because I think this would be a great way to keep multiple kid’s assignments separate from each other!
All you need is a simple dish rack and some manila file folders.
You can label each folder by your children’s names. Or if you have one child, you can separate the folders by subject. Then add the papers to the corresponding folder and you’re all set!
Found on: Scholastic
bonus idea! learning area
If you’re wanting to set up more of a learning space, Katie from Clarks Condensed has a post that goes into detail on every inch of the learning area that she set up for her kids.
What I love about this is that she didn’t rush out to buy any fancy new furniture. And she didn’t have space for an entire classroom, so she created an area for her kids right in her living room!
Found on: Clarks Condensed
YOUR TURN
We are in unprecedented times right now. And the 2021 school year decision is likely one of the hardest decisions you will ever make.
In our family, my kids will be learning from home for over 9 months, which is crazy! But we’re making the best of the hand we’ve been dealt. And keeping their school supplies accessible has made a big difference in their willingness to learn from home.
Having a dedicated workspace will provide your kids with a similar structure to the one they had in school. And the best way you can get started with a workspace is to organize school supplies!
You can organize your kid’s supplies with any number of household items:
- Find some type of container, basket, or cart around your home
- Add art supplies, writing utensils, notebooks, paper, etc.
- Use mason jars, plastic cups, galvanized buckets or drawer dividers to keep similar supplies categorized together
Choose one of the ideas from this post and organize your kid’s school supplies this week! 😉
When you’re ready to set up a homework area, grab a copy of the Home Project Planner! It will save you time and frustration while you plan your school supply organizing project!
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[…] 4. Set high expectations for the organization and tidiness of the space. Research says that the orderliness or lack thereof of our physical environment is a representation of what our mental environment is or will become. Set your child up for success by teaching them to keep all of their supplies in their place. […]