What To Do With Kids’ Artwork and School Papers (Without Losing Your Mind)
If you have young children in school, chances are your kitchen counter is drowning in a flood of papers—spelling tests, handprint turkeys, math worksheets, and finger-painted “masterpieces.” While that 2nd-grade math quiz might not tug at your heartstrings, it’s easy to get emotionally tangled in all the colorful artwork and handmade treasures that come home stuffed in backpacks.
We once had a client whose kindergartner’s school papers had taken over her mudroom—literally. Bins of newsletters, worksheets, coloring pages, and even school lunch menus filled every corner. She held onto it all, thinking she’d eventually do something with it. Maybe. Someday.
While not every parent is that sentimental, we’ve seen our fair share of kids’ paper clutter in our years, formerly as home organizers and now as photo organizers. The bad news? School work and art projects are usually on cheap paper that doesn’t age well. The good news? You can keep the memories without keeping every single scrap of paper.
Here’s how to tame the chaos and create a meaningful collection you and your kids will actually enjoy.
Be Selective: Set Your “Keeper” Rules
Let’s be real: not every piece of paper deserves archival status. The key is deciding what’s truly special—and letting the rest go (yes, even if it has glitter, or especially if it has glitter).
We suggest setting personal “keeper criteria” to guide your decisions. Here were mine when my kids were younger:
- It had to be unique. A one-of-a-kind drawing? Keeper. A mass-produced coloring sheet that every kid did the same way? Toss.
- It had to be meaningful. Those heartfelt Mother’s Day projects? Always a yes.
- It had to hold up over time. Spoiler: macaroni does not age well.
Make your own list of what qualifies as a “keeper,” and stick to it. This will make decisions easier and more consistent throughout the school year.
Create a Central Drop Zone
Let’s face it—life is busy. That’s why school papers end up scattered across every flat surface.
Designate one specific bin, basket, or drawer to collect potential keepers. Place it in a convenient location like the mudroom, a hallway cabinet, or even under a bed. Throughout the school year, simply drop items in without judgment.
At the end of the year (or more often if you’re feeling ambitious), go through the pile with your child. Talk about what’s worth saving, what brings happiness, and what can be let go. It’s a great opportunity for connection and decluttering.
For longer-term storage, we love something like this school memory bin with a hanging folder for each grade. Pair it with a larger bin for bulkier mementos like baby blankets and yearbooks to keep things compact but meaningful.
Shoot It, Then Toss It
Let’s talk about the pasta art and glitter explosions. You don’t have to keep it all in a box forever.
Instead, take a photo.
Here’s how to get great shots of your kids’ creations:
- Use a neutral background (a wood table or piece of black foam core works great).
- Shoot in natural light near a window—avoid glare from overhead lights.
- Get parallel to the artwork and zoom in close for a clean, full-frame image.
Once you’ve taken the photo, you officially have my permission to toss the original. Keep a few physical gems if you must, but remember: your future adult child will not want bins of dried-up Play-Doh projects.
Time to Enjoy the Masterpieces
Now that you’ve digitized the artwork, it’s time to actually enjoy it!
- Create a photo book with your child’s art and school highlights from each year. These make great coffee table keepsakes—and perfect grandparent gifts.
- Use changeable art frames like these display frames on Amazon to rotate favorites throughout the year. It’s like a personal art exhibit in your hallway.
Ready to Declutter and Celebrate Your Kids’ Creativity?
You can honor your child’s creative spirit without saving every paper scrap. With a simple system, a camera, and a little intention, you’ll transform clutter into a cherished collection your whole family can enjoy.
Need help turning your kids’ artwork into lasting keepsakes? Whether it’s a custom photo book or a digital archive, Good Life Photo Solutions is here to help you preserve what matters…without the overwhelm.
Let’s get those masterpieces off the fridge and into your life. Contact us today to get started!
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This is an issue that many struggle with. Love all the good ideas. I have often suggested a portfolio divided into years. I also like to have the kids involved in what is kept – child can choose X number of items and parents can chose x amount.
This post really hits home! As an organizer (and a parent), I’ve seen firsthand how quickly school papers can take over a space—and how emotional it can be to let them go. I love the idea of setting “keeper” rules to help make those decisions easier. Unique, meaningful, and durable—such a great trio to keep in mind. Thanks for sharing such practical (and heartfelt) advice!
I wasn’t able to do this in real time as I’m too old LOL. BUT, I did take your advice to manage the boxes of artwork that I had saved in my attic. The process was a little icky, and some of the stuff I had saved was made with food (e.g., dried macaroni), which apparently attracted bugs. You can picture the exoskeletons all over the place. But I was able to photograph the best ones, upload them, and make each girl a book of preschool and elementary art.
I did hesitate for a second to trash the originals, but I finally did, and I felt great about the whole project.
You had me at “Macaroni does not age well.” These are all essentials that parents really need to embrace if they don’t want to feel like they’re drowning in paper by the time their kids are in third grade. Unique, meaningful, and hearty — so true. This is all great advice for helping parents not only help themselves, but to instill lessons in their children.
I don’t think my mother and I saved more than a handful of artsy things (let’s just say I was a talentless hack at visual representation, and leave it at that!), but the next time I go home, I think I have some actual academic papers still waiting to be set free. (By about second grade, my mother put me in charge of keeping track of all of my school papers, so at the end of the school year, I purged anything that didn’t make me smile or laugh. However, I don’t think I had time to purge anything from the end of college and through grad school before I moved south, so there are a few “grownup” kid papers awaiting destruction. 😉 But the macaroni? It’s long gone.
I find the longer something is in my possession, the harder it is to get rid of it, so I applaud your recommendation to go through this stuff once a year.
I knew a woman who carefully organized both her kids’ school papers in binder, and I hope for her sake (and theirs) that she gave up this practice by the time they were in high school. There’s more to being organized than just being organized!