As I prepare for next year, I am trying to purge and clear out, gather anew & organize. So for all you veteran hs moms out there, what do I do with all their crafts and artwork??
They just produce so much of it and obviously it can't all be saved. I have very little wall space to use for school purposes already. But I can't toss it in front of them. Do I just tell them I'm putting it in a box to make room for next year's beautiful creations and hope that they will forget about it (they always do at this age)? Or what? Any other ideas?
8 comments:
I just stumbled across your blog and want to say "hi".
I'm not sure what to do with either. I sometimes recycle, sometimes put it in a bin for later....
mostly I recycle it. I feel kinda guilty but...there's so much!
here's a thought....why don't you let them pick their 1 or 2 favorites from the previous year and put them in a binder (with those clear pages)...pitching them ALL seems a shame, but letting them choose a favorite seems fun! If there is one that is special to you as well you could add it in. My dad came across some artwork I had done in 3rd grade saying that I wanted to be a farmer when i grew up....he brought it to my wedding reception (i married a dairy farmer for those who don't know us)....so glad mom hadn't thrown that cool tidbit away!
Thanks for visiting my blog. I didn't think I'd ever have anyone other than DH and my Mom visit.
My good friend has a very long blank wall in her kitchen. She hangs everything up on the wall and has her child pose in front of it in several spots to photograph them with all of their creations. She scrapbooks these photos on about two to three two page spreads. She has them pick one or two of their favorite things that are "scrapbookable" and includes these along with an interview of her child about the project. Then they get tossed. I wish I could do something similar but I don't have the wall space.
Blessings,
Jennifer
Hi!
I just saw your comment about SOTW and your 5 yr old on Sharon's blog (Equip Academy). I have been using volume one with my 6.5 yr old son and daughter who just turned 5 this year (in Australia the shool year is February - mid December). My daughter just listens to the chapter and does the colouring picture, only my son does a narration and the map work. If we do one of the other activities she joins in, like making phoenecian bread or going on an 'archaeological dig' in the sand pit! At first I thought she wasn't really taking much in because she seemed to vague out and become a bit fidgety, but every time she hears key words like 'Egypt', 'Nile', 'Mesopotamia', 'Crete', etc. or sees a picture of heiroglyphics she gets very excited, and she can recall various facts about these areas we have learned. She has also decided she wants to live in Egypt!
I didn't expect too much of her on the history front, so I am very pleased that she absorbed so much! I'm sure if you are enthusiastic about the subject it will wear off on your daughter and she will soak in all that knowledge too - even if she does seem to 'vague out' at the sound of your voice...
Thanks for the nice blog! It's nice to read what others are doing and how EVERYONE encounters the same issues and struggles no matter where they are in the world!
Praise God for the positives of the internet!
Bec :-)
I hang them for a while. I choose a few favorites to put in the scrapbook (3 ringed binder with sheet protectors). The rest go to a special place. I hate it when the kids look through the recycling bin!
Last year, I collected the best pieces of my son's work and took them to the local office supplies store to be bound into a book (just plastic comb binding and paper covers). It only cost a few dollars, is a lot thinner than a ringed binder and I have more than one or two papers for posterity. I can still see how he progressed through the year.
This year, I plan to have each of the bigger three kids end up with two comb-bound books - one their made-it-myself Bible story book, and another for the rest of their work. I guess in a few years they might end up with four, with new ones for history and science. But then I'd just probably get them bound together with slightly thicker combing. What's one inch-thick book per year per student going to matter space-wise when I compare it to the fact that my dining room has slowly been transformed into a library since we moved here two years ago (five bookshelves there now and there are another three in the study and one in the lounge). Yes, I think our house is more in danger of being taken over by books than by school papers.
Of course, this is not talking about 3D projects. For them, take a pic and either scrapbook or blog it. I love being able to use my blog for those records.
~ Sharon
Hey there! Long time no see! I can't figure out why I'm so busy this summer....
Anyway, I feel your pain! I usually pick a few samples to save in a notebook or frame and trash the rest. Horrible, I know, but with 5 kids you can't keep every masterpiece. I also send some to grandparents, family, & friends as greeting cards.
I've got lots of purging left to do, too...
Oh, the endless papers!! I feel your pain. If it truly is an outstanding work then I'll keep it. My mom kept some of my poems and letters from when I was a child and gives them back to me every now and then (usually on mother's day). I really appreciate that.
With art work I usually take a picture of it and then encourage them to give it away to someone else.
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