How to Create a Homework Caddy!

Today I am directing my efforts towards being prepared to handle the onslaught of homework and projects that will be headed my family's way this school year. When my elementary schoolers sit down to work on their homework (especially the younger ones), we prefer to tackle it at the kitchen table. There is plenty of room to work, and I can be nearby to read instructions, help out with questions, and check it over when they are done. My older two children prefer to split their homework time between the kitchen table after school, and their desks in their bedrooms later on in the evening. So we need to be prepared to work in either place. Our solution?

Homework Supplies Caddy

I purchased two of those cleaning caddies, meant to hold paper towels and cleaning supplies at Target, and turned them into homework caddies. I used some old plastic cups and filled them with all of the items that we might need to complete elementary school homework: pencils, colored pencils, crayons, highlighters, tape, scissors, glue sticks, crayons, and rulers. When anyone sits down to start homework, we pull the caddy out of the cabinet, put it on the kitchen table, and use what we need. It is easy for me to check to see when supplies (such as tape and glue sticks) need to be replaced. And it is also simple for someone to carry upstairs to use at their desk in the evening.

Other Homework Supplies

Behind our homework caddies we store other important school supplies such as a dictionary and a thesaurus (although I do find that we turn to Google more often than looking things up in the paper book!), flash drives to save documents and take them to school, and most importantly- clipboards! With so many after school activities, there are times when it is easier to attach homework to a clipboard, grab a pencil, and my son or daughter can work with me while we are at the park watching a sibling at soccer practice. I also keep on hand plenty of loose-leaf, plain, and construction paper.

Sometimes it makes sense to buy in bulk!

After one too many last-minute trips to Target to buy one large sheet of poster board for a school project, I decided that I should try to keep some on hand. That's when I stumbled upon www.discountschoolsupply.com– and made up my mind that there are many things that I should just buy in bulk and keep on hand so we always have them. It is much cheaper to purchase this way- and saves me a large number of headaches too! I buy poster board, glue sticks, construction paper, large paper rolls, and tape this way.

Save containers- especially shoe boxes!

We never throw away shoe boxes- and I mean never! In the younger grades, it seems that we are asked to send in a shoebox several times a year, and it is nice to just run down to the basement and send it in the first time that I am asked. I also use shoe boxes for storage in the kids' rooms, coat closets, really all over the house. Sometimes I will cover them using paper from a large paper roll to pretty them up a bit. I also save plastic containers if they are a nice size and plain- because they can be used for school projects or arts and crafts as well as storage at home.

Looking for More Back to School Ideas?

• Back to School Checklist (free printable)
• How to Get Your Home Organized for Back to School
• How to Create an Organized Homework Space in the Kitchen
• School Supplies for Middle School and High School– what to keep on hand and how to keep it organized
• How to Organize the Kids Closet for Back to School
• 20 Organized Kids Bedroom Ideas
• Teaching Kids to Clean Their Rooms (in 4 Easy Steps!)