Items To Toss or Keep at the End of the School Year

Shuffling through all your child’s school stuff at the end of the year is a hassle. It’s even more troublesome to determine which items to toss or keep at the end of the school year. To ensure you don’t get rid of essential supplies and mementos or use up valuable storage space at home, check out our recommendations for distinguishing what to trash, keep, or donate this summer.

Toss at The End of The School Year:

1. Broken or unusable school supplies: Discard any pens, pencils, markers, or other school supplies that no longer work or are damaged beyond repair.
2. Old notebooks and papers: Get rid of completed notebooks, old assignments, and papers that are no longer needed. Keep only those that hold sentimental or important value.
3. Outgrown or worn-out clothing: Donate or toss clothes that no longer fit or are in poor condition.
4. Expired or unused art supplies: Check the expiration dates on art supplies, such as paints, glues, or markers. Dispose of any expired or dried-up items. Donate usable supplies if they’re in good condition.
5. Irrelevant textbooks or workbooks: If you no longer need certain textbooks or workbooks for reference or future use, consider donating them or recycling them if possible.
6. Outdated or unnecessary school projects: Discard old school projects that have served their purpose and are no longer relevant or needed.

Keep at The End of The School Year:

1. Important documents: Store important documents such as report cards, certificates, or awards in a safe place. Consider organizing them in a folder or file for easy access in the future.
2. Useful school supplies: Keep school supplies that are still in good condition and can be reused for the upcoming school year. This includes items like calculators, rulers, binders, and folders.
3. Sentimental items: If there are any items with sentimental value, such as notes from friends, meaningful artwork, or special mementos, you may choose to keep them for sentimental reasons.
4. Reference materials: Hold on to reference books, dictionaries, or other educational resources that can be helpful for future learning or studying.
5. Reusable containers or backpacks: If your containers, lunch boxes, or backpacks are still in good shape, you can keep them for future use.

Remember, the decision to toss or keep certain items will depend on your personal preferences, available space, and the condition of the items. It’s a good practice to declutter regularly to maintain an organized and clutter-free environment.

Toss and/or Keep:

Backpacks

Most backpacks are designed with the durability to last at least 2 years. Some backpacks that are taken care of, however, can last upward of 10 years! So, it’s likely that your child’s backpack is good to stick around for the upcoming school year. It could even get some use for trips to the pool or any summer vacations the family goes on.

There are a few notable occasions on which you’ll want to donate or toss your child’s backpack. Per the top backpack safety tips every parent should know, you should swap out their book bag if it makes them uncomfortable. If your child hit a growth spurt during the school year, consider donating their backpack to a school in need. Of course, you’ll need to toss it if it’s a worn hand-me-down pack that’s a bit too tattered for another school year.

Crafts

A craft is one of the most difficult items to toss or keep at the end of the school year because it reflects your child’s creativity at that specific age. Unfortunately, not all macaroni necklaces can hang around forever. Select a few special crafts that your child was really proud of to hold onto.

Be sure that for every craft you keep, you have a designated storage spot to keep it, so you don’t end up holding onto too many crafts. If you have a hard time throwing your child’s crafts away, you can always take a photo of their creation for safekeeping.

Please comment below and let me know what you often keep and toss after the school year is over. Also, please do not forget to share if you found this article helpful or informative.

Sincerely,