5 Ways to Get Organized for Back to School

Get and stay organized this school year with these easy back to school organization ideas for your home!

Since we part-time homeschool (my kids only go to school two days per week, and we homeschool the rest), I realize that “back to school” takes on a slightly different meaning for us than some other families… But based on many a conversation with other mothers, I’m pretty sure that no matter the schooling method, we can all relate to the discombobulated feeling that comes if we feel disorganized at the start of school.

It’s kind of like trying cook dinner while holding a toddler on one hip and a baby on the other and watching as your older child – in dramatic slow motion – accidentally spills the spaghetti sauce on the floor (not that I’ve ever experienced that 😉 ). In short, let’s all work to avoid the situation, shall we?

In all seriousness, I do believe there are several quick and easy ways to help yourself and your home get organized for school this fall. Here are five simple tips for back to school organization in your home!

How to get organized for back to school

Declutter

No organizing tips are ever complete without this reminder. Declutter anything you can: counters, cabinets, closets, drawers… To be honest, I have a long way to go in this department. I’ve cleaned and organized a few closets and emptied out our homeschool areas, but I’m hoping that I can continue to purge and declutter the rest of the closets this fall. The cleaner the space, the easier it is to see what you have and what you might need.

Create a Laundry Schedule

I shared about this several years ago, and I’m thrilled to say that our laundry system is still going strong. Each of my three older kids do their own laundry, and they each have an assigned day to get it done. Even if you don’t want your kids to do their own laundry, working on a weekly rotation helps to avoid the sudden panic when they don’t have the shirt they need for school on a specific day.

Group Like Items in the Pantry

I actually worked with an organizer in the spring to whip my little pantry into shape… and let me tell you, it was amazing (more to come on that later, I promise). In the meantime, let’s focus on two things that will help for back to school:

1. Group items so you (or your kids if they’re old enough to pack their lunches) can find them quickly
2. Have snacks accessible

If you set clear expectations on what snacks are allowed and when, it can help you avoid some hangry kiddos as they come home from their first few weeks of school.

Set up Homework Stations

You may have seen these desks I built for my boys (and they are SO excited, by the way!), but whatever your homework space looks like – whether it’s a school room or a corner of the kitchen table – I think there are two things that can help make it efficient:

1. Pencil Box – Fill a small plastic box with the supplies your student might need. For elementary students, it probably looks like a few pencils, a box of crayons, scissors, and a glue stick. For older students, it might be mechanical pencils, a ruler, and a protractor… Whatever the supplies might be, store them in a special box used only for homework and keep it at their station.
2. Magazine Holders – You see those vertical magazine holders? My younger kids, especially, love putting their books and papers in those before they get started. It helps keep it need and allows them to see the books easily to find what they need.

Designate a Backpack Drop

Having a designated location for backpacks and jackets is so helpful, both to keep your home tidy and to help your kids not lose their belongings! As a certified efficiency freak, I’m always looking for ways to avoid the wasted 15 minutes while my kids look for the things they need. 😉

At our home, it looks like a closet under the stairs that I made into a mini mudroom by adding hooks for jackets and spaces for rolling backpacks to park. Yours might be lockers, mudroom cabinets, or even just a spot along the wall… but make sure they have a home!

Actually, that’s probably my favorite advice for organizing in general (my kids are definitely tired of hearing it – ha!): make sure everything has a home.

I hope this helps you as you prepare to head back to school! Don’t forget to pin it.