End of school organizing

This is my book bag from high school. Yes, I still use it which is why I still have it!

School’s out! It’s summer! Now what?

Those of you with kids are well aware that school is out here in GA with everyone else finishing up this week in other parts of the country. Who doesn’t remember that awesome feeling when school finished and it felt like you had all the time in the world to play, relax, go to camp, swim, hang out with friends? It was magical!

Even if you’re not in school and don’t have kids that are, you can do these quick organizing tasks to have a more fun summer. Although it seems like summer will be here forever when you’re a kid, we adults know that the next school year is just around the corner–9 weeks to be exact. Sorry to remind you. 😦

Clean out book bag

I mean really clean it out! Take out the papers, pencils, ruler, books, etc. and turn it inside out. Shake out the bag outside and don’t be surprised at what comes out. 🙂 Take off any of the zipper accessories so that you’re left with just the bag. Check the tag to make sure but I’d put it in the washing machine on a cold water, gentle cycle and then let it air dry. Determine if this is something your child can use next year or if it needs to be donated. I’d vote for keeping it and using it another year if possible but I know these bags carry a heavy load and can’t last forever. Just go ahead and clean it out now so it doesn’t sit until school starts.

Clean out school binder

The 3-ring binders that you took out in the first step should be cleaned out of any old notes and tests. Have your child determine if he needs to keep anything for next year or summer school and toss (recycle) what you don’t need. Again, I would think seriously about re-using what you can next year and having a binder that’s already been cleaned out is a lot more appealing than an old, trashed one. You may have a hard time convincing them they can re-use it but remember Neatsmart’s mantra that clean stuff works better.

Put other school supplies together

If there are pencil boxes or bags, pencils, folders that will be used, make sure they are cleaned out and then put them back in the book bag. This way they’ll be ready for use once school starts. I know a lot of parents spend a crazy amount of time running around time once they get that school supply list but I’d be willing to bet some $ that they already have a lot of what they need. They just don’t know where it is. Keeping these items together and then putting the bag away helps clear out what you don’t need at this time.

Clean out your lunch bag

Neatsmart used a brown paper or small shopping bag in her school days so this is new to me. See, recycling has been around for a while! Follow the same steps and clean out the lunch bag(s) and put them with the school bag. Nobody wants to open up a lunch bag that’s a few months old that never got cleaned out!

In case you haven’t read it, Neatsmart has a great suggestion for how to organize essential school papers and this is a a perfect project to put together this summer. Get your kids to help make their own!

Let’s make room for beach towels, sunscreen, and flip flops! Enjoy your summer reading, camps, and vacations knowing that you’ve got a head start on getting ready for school in a couple of months.

Happy organizing!