Kid Memory Binders: Organized and Easy!
This is a repeat post from last year that got so much attention, I just had to share it again for those who never saw it. And also to inspire those who may have a New Year’s goal of keeping your kid’s stuff organized this year!
For many people, part of their reluctance to invite others into their home is because of their disorganization. And I know first hand with 3 kids how the paperwork piles up! It can really get discouraging.
I’ve shared this easy system with many of my friends. Years ago my friend Anne got me started with this simple organizational system for saving my kids’ memories over the years, by filing them into a binder.
I do not have time to scrapbook so this method gets the job done!
Now my kids spend hours looking through their books! It’s worth the extra effort to be organized! I’d rather my kids’ thumb through their books than watch a mindless T.V. show!
Supplies
2″ white binders from Costco (4 in a pack)
Scrapbook paper (or plain colored paper)
1 box sheet protectors
Starting with Pre-K, I have saved art, special memories, class pictures, sports awards, first book report, every report card, articles their dad has written – you name it, and have filed these papers into these books.
Thank you notes from special people
Our beloved dog went missing
A letter to a teacher
What to wear on a field trip
Moving up to high school
Congrats on driver’s license
10-day backpack trip
Abby’s fist time away to camp
Sports pictures
Accomplishments
Special school speeches
Annual family Christmas letters
Abby’s first post right here on RE
You get the idea …
How to make the book:
• Have a place where you dump the memories (on top of my fridge!)
• When you’re ready to organize, make separate piles (3 kids in my case)
• Start with younger years and move forward (Pre-K is when I started)
• Create a binder for every 2 years (depending on how much you need to file)
• Slip memories into sheet protectors, sometimes folding in ½ or however you can preserve it
• Slip artwork into the front cover, or use a fun piece of scrapbook paper
• Make a side label with child’s name and year(s)
When my kids get old enough, these books will become their memories to keep!
For now, they are mine, and I find myself occasionally thumbing through them too. Of course I get a bit sentimental!
What’s the secret to this easy system? Have your books ready, so when the stuff comes home you can slip it right into the book!
Do you have an organized system for keeping your kids’ memories? Or, if you saw this post last year and implemented it, I’d love to hear how it’s working for you?
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I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
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First off I would like to say wonderful blog!
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Any suggestions or hints? Thank you!
Hi. I was wondering if these were just school binders for school or if you put anything from that year in them_ for example things from friends, birthday cards anything
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I have a two step system. 1) A rubbermaid chest of drawers. Each kids has a drawer. All artwork, school papers etc. go into that drawer after we’ve reviewed them. This serves two purposes a) we don’t have to decide whether to keep something on the fly and b) all their assignments/quizzes are kept so that when the big test comes around they can pull out the other papers and study. Then, when the drawers fill up (about once a semester), my husband or I go through and decide what to keep. Usually artwork, writing samples that are espeically clever, a couple tests with A’s. These go in a rubbermaid tote (the ones big enough to fit a 8×11 paper flat on the bottom). Each kid has their own tote.
I have been considering a way to better display the artwork and short stories. A binder might do the trick. Thanks for the idea!
What do you do with the construction paper/ projects that dont fit into the sheet protectors?
For big items you can take pictures (like the board after their first scrabble game).
I used this binder method myself for making my own scrapbook for high school (1) and college (1).
I have a huge (one for each child) plastic tote full of school memories! I have a memory box for extra special stuff. This is going to happen very soon…I can just feel myself breathing easier because of it! ;) I even have a shelf tucked up high in closets to store the binders when they are done….GREAT idea
I have done this for many many years now (my oldest is 17) and I have 4 kids. I have taken pictures of the larger pieces of art to be placed in the memory binders as well. However, since I have so many kids I decided to contain everything I wanted to keep into one binder per child. On the front of each binder I placed a piece of scrapbook paper that coincides with their interests (ie: baseball, football, ballet). Then starting in the upper left hand corner I started with their Kindergarten picture and placed it on the scrapbook page (that is the binder cover) Each year, as they get their school pictures, I just place them right in order on that same page. It has been neat to see how much they have all changed over the years and the kids LOVE it!
I LOVE this idea!b In fact it’s something I started a couple of years ago when my lil guy started pre-k. He was bringing home SO much stuff! He had more stuff for scrapping than his four older siblings that had 7-14 years on him! I just grabbed a binder, and page protectors and started stuffing away! He loves it! :) I found you via Pinterest and have now subscribed to email :)
I couldn’t resist sharing a great solution that I’ve discovered. It is called Memory Pockets (www.MemoryPockets.com). For each of my kids, I got a set of Memory Pockets to safely STORE each school year’s art, papers, keepsakes, etc. There’s a LARGE – 10×13 – pocket for each year, preschool thru 12th grade. Plus they come in bright, fun colors with fill-in-the-blanks on the front where you and RECORD your child’s accomplishments, dreams, likes and milestones for each year. I keep them handy in a fabric tote on a shelf in our den. When the kids bring their new “stuff” home, I sort thru it and save/record the “keepers” in their Memory Pocket. I love them! See for yourself at http://www.MemoryPockets.com.
WOW WOW WOW
I just stumbled across this on Pinterest and I just LOVE it.
I was just thinking about what to do with all those papers from my Son’s Kindergarten year now that he is in first grade. I thought about scanning things and making a photo book but that can get very expensive if you have a lot of pages. This is FABULOUS! LOVE IT!
Thank you so much.
Oh, my stinkin’ heck! Thank you!! I loveLOVElove this idea! Gonna get started pronto!! Even though I have six kids. I’m excited about something I might actually be able to do!
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I love this! I found it on pinterest & am going to start for my oldest son this year. He’s 3 & going into preschool! I always loved looking at my old school things. Now it will be nice & organized.
Yours are so beautifully done!! We have 3 girls and are missionaries living in the Philippines. I had boxes and boxes of my own school memorabilia and I knew that would never work for us since we can’t bring things like that back to the US with us. So 3 years ago I got each of the girls a box with a lid and every piece of coloring or school work goes in that box and in the summer we go through them and add one of each genre of paper, they get to choose! Then we end up with between 5 and 10 pages per year and the rest, throw out of mail to the grandparents! Everyone wins!!
That is what we call being organized is the key to save the time.You have shown both the skills in this article i.e organization management and time management.Now you don’t to run here and their to look for Elliot’s books or Abby’s birthday card.
I do the same thing for my kids in a binder just like those. Who had the time to scrapbook anyway.
Thanks for reposting this! I never saw it the first time. I LOVE this idea and plan to start mine right away for my 3 boys. I have felt so guilty over not getting any scrapbooking done anymore, and really wanted a new solution.
I sent this link to 8 friends today also, because I love it that much! Thanks for sharing!
Denise
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Thanks for this post. It’s a great motivator!
I started doing these for my kids a few years ago when I felt like I was drowning in construction paper and glitter glue. It’s been such a do-able system so I’ve actually been able to keep up with it, even with the addition of kiddos 3 and 4. :>
I find that I save it all up til Christmas and summer breaks and then spend an hour or two sorting through the piles and filing. I also added in a letter from me to each child. The last day of school, I spend the morning in my pajamas with a cup of coffee, typing away at the computer, composing a special letter to each child. The letter includes who their teacher and friends were, what they enjoyed about the year, things that were difficult that had to be overcome as well as how I’ve seen them grow through the year. And then, of course, some sappy mom stuff. At the bottom of the letter, I add in a few of my favorite photos throughout the year, especially one with the teacher or friends. Then I tuck it into the binder for them to discover on some rainy afternoon when they are flipping through it.
I LOVE this idea and am just now getting ready to start the project! Two quick questions…do you also put pictures (aside from the class ones you mentioned – think family vacations, 3 year old professional photo, miscellaneous snapshots) in this binder, or do you do something different with them? And, do you often put groups of things in one sheet protector (ie. 8 special birthday cards) that you would have to pull out to see or do you only put in what you can actually see when you flip through? Thanks for the great idea!