School’s out for summer. But if your kitchen table just disappeared under a mountain of papers, notebooks, and artwork, you’re not alone.

Every June, parents face the same question: What do I do with all of this stuff?

The good news is you don’t need a complicated system to deal with school paper clutter. You just need a simple one you’ll actually use. Here’s a method that works.

Start with Three Piles

Before you touch anything, set up three boxes, bins, or bags. Label them: File, Digitize, and Trash. Every piece of paper, every notebook, and every crayon drawing gets sorted into one of these three categories.

That’s the whole system. Now let’s break it down.

Pile 1: File

The File pile is for papers you need to keep in physical form. Think report cards, immunization records, and official school documents. A few truly special pieces of artwork can live here too.

Here’s a simple rule of thumb: if replacing it would be a hassle, file it.

Pile 2: Digitize

The Digitize pile is for things worth keeping that don’t need to take up physical space. This works especially well for artwork and standout assignments. Use a scanning app on your phone to capture them, then create a digital folder or photo album for each school year. Beautiful keepsake. Zero clutter.

Pile 3: Trash

Be honest with yourself here. Most of what came home in that backpack does not need to be kept. Worksheets, old homework, and half-used notebooks can go. Ask yourself one question: Will my child or I ever look at this again? If the answer is probably not, toss it. You are not a bad parent for letting go of a math worksheet from October.

What to Do with Artwork

Artwork is the hardest category to sort because your child made it. It’s meaningful. But you cannot keep everything, and that’s okay.

Here’s how to break it down.

What to frame: If a piece makes you smile every time you see it, frame it. One or two pieces per year is plenty.

What to put in a file folder: Some artwork is special but not frame-worthy. Keep a dedicated art portfolio folder for each child. At the end of each school year, go through it together and let your child help decide what stays. You’re teaching them a valuable skill at the same time.

What to scan and dispose of: For everything else, scan it or take a photo before tossing it. You’ll have the memory without the mess. Some apps even turn your child’s artwork into a professionally printed book.

Earlier, I created an entire post on artwork. You can review it here.

What to Do with Notebooks

Every year, kids come home with notebooks. Some are barely used. Some are stuffed. Here’s how to handle them.

What to discard: If a notebook is worn out, mostly full, and from a subject that’s done, let it go. Those third-grade class notes are not making a comeback.

What to keep: If a notebook still has blank pages, keep it. Your child can use it for summer journaling, drawing, or creative writing. Also worth keeping: any notebook with personal writing in it, like a journal or a writing class notebook. Your kids may love reading those when they’re older.

Bring It All Together

End-of-year school organization doesn’t have to be overwhelming. File what matters. Digitize what’s meaningful. Trash the rest. When it comes to artwork and notebooks, a little intention goes a long way.

You don’t need a perfect system. You just need one that works.

Ready to tackle your school paper clutter? Drop your biggest challenge in the comments below. And if this post helped you out, share it with a parent who’s buried in school papers right now.

If you enjoyed this content, join the email list so you never miss a thing. You receive two gifts for joining. One gets your desk clean. The other puts everything you have to do in one digital place. It’s time to Get Organized! and make it look easy.

Want to see more videos? Visit the YouTube channel.

Want to listen instead? Go to FrankBuck.org/podlink and choose the service where you like to listen to podcasts. Add it to the podcasts you follow.