I Finally Found a Smart Way to Store Kid Art, and It’s Unexpectedly Perfect (It’s a Teacher Secret!)
I’ve never been someone who has a lot of stuff. Decluttering is deeply cathartic for me, and also necessary as a parent trying to maintain order in their home. Even the most rigid minimalists have their weaknesses, though, and mine is kid art. I inherited this from my mom, who often had my and my sibling’s work professionally framed, and still has a collection of favorites under her bed.
When I was growing up, I jumped at any chance to be creative, and now my daughter is the same way. Every Thursday, when her school sends home all of her work from the week, we go through the folder together and talk about what she made. We both love this little ritual — it makes her feel special, and it makes me feel proud. So proud, in fact, that aside from the guided worksheets, I struggle to throw anything away. (I do, I promise, but I can’t say I enjoy it.)
When my daughter started daycare at three months old, her finger painting quickly took up all the space on our fridge. After that, her art was relegated to storage bins, where they went largely unappreciated. This continued for years, until I was chatting with my mom about the predicament and she brought up an ingenious idea: binders.
Using some leftover binders from her teaching days, we got to work sorting my daughter’s art into school years and sliding everything into sleeve protectors. At the end, we had what felt more like books of precious memories documenting growth, development, and passion. We both knew we’d found the perfect solution.
The best part is, my daughter loves the binders too. She knows exactly where to find them, so she can pull them out whenever she wants. Sometimes she likes to show others what she’s created, and other times it’s just for her. She often has thoughts or questions about specific pieces, and on occasion she’s even asked me to frame something — just like my mom did with my art.
To be transparent, pieces above the standard 8.5” x 11” size still live in a storage bin. Because that’s all that’s in there, however, they’re much easier to access and appreciate. I’ve also realized that because my daughter’s art has a real place and purpose now, I keep less. When we’re thumbing through the pages, as at least one of us is so often doing, I want the best of the best to be seen. Kid art will always be my kryptonite, but binders, in a way, are the gentle antidote.