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What to Do With Your Kid's Art Masterpieces (Shhhh, We Won't Tell if You Don't)! by Kim Kusiciel

Parenting
April 05, 2017
Kim Kusiciel
78 Tips 141 Followers
What to Do With Your Kid's Art Masterpieces (Shhhh, We Won't Tell if You Don't)!

I have three kids. That means three kids worth of art projects, crafts, rock and leaf collections, painted pottery from birthday parties and so much more. You name it, it's in my house. Correction, it was in my house. I have learned the rule of three. It is a lifesaver!

  • For every three projects your child brings home, they get to keep one. 
  • When they have saved three, you get to keep one. The rest go in a really special place – the recycling bin.

This can be the tricky part, they aren't always ready to part with their masterpieces. But that is when a little midnight magic works. After they are asleep, take those works of art and throw them out. Be sure to hide them in between other garbage or recyclables so they don't find the evidence the next day!

Kimberley Hemminger
I always get caught! I'm not good at stuffing it deep enough. 😉
Like Reply 2 9 years ago
Donna John
Been there, done that, Kim Kusiciel . When I moved about four years ago I had three HUGE boxes of my kid's stuff in the attic. I went through each box and kept just a few things for each child and tossed the rest. For my oldest daughter, I had kept every spelling test, kindergarten worksheet. Insane! It's now all in one small box - and it's the really important or memorable things.
Like Reply 2 9 years ago
Kim Kusiciel
Kimberley Hemminger, I have been caught before, too!! When they catch me, I just say..."hmmmm, how did that get in there??" They usually forget about it...eventually!! 😂😂
Like Reply 1 9 years ago
Katie Sloan
My 7 year old busted me for doing this and got upset. I took him to my closet and showed him the special items I've saved since he started school. Now that he knows I save really cool memories it isn't a big deal to recycle "so that other kids have paper to draw on."
Like Reply 2 9 years ago
Kim Kusiciel
Sometimes we also "send" it to relatives. ;)
Like Reply 1 9 years ago
Veronica Bartles
I scan things into my computer to save a digital copy of their art and school work. If it's not flat or simply too big for my scanner, I have the child hold it while I take a picture, which gives me a record of how old they were when the artwork was created as well. I've saved 2 or 3 special things for each child, but most of it is enjoyed digitally. Cuts the clutter even more! Bonus: I never have to worry about the kids finding their precious artwork in the recycling bin. They put it there themselves after we scan it. :)
Like Reply 1 9 years ago
Kim Kusiciel
I have done that, too. :) Except that my hard drive crashed last month and I lost it all. Bad mommy for not backing up my picture files or scanned images. #LessonLearned :(
Like Reply 1 9 years ago
Kim Kusiciel
The Rule of Three helps me keep the physical items more manageable. After I keep three, then I whittle it down to one, and so on until there are only a few left to represent the year!! It helps me keep only the most important pieces like Donna John said!
Like Reply 1 9 years ago
Christine Jones
And for the artwork that you do save here's a way to get it off the fridge -
a post from a while ago. 30seconds.com/mom/tip/12157
Like Reply 2 9 years ago
Ann Marie G. Halstead
Yes! Thanks, Kim Kusiciel! Taking pictures of some artwork is a great trick too. I love what my boys' school does; they work with Artsonia; all the artwork is saved there. We can order gifts made from their artwork or just look at it and enjoy it there! Friends and family members can check it out there too!
Like Reply 1 9 years ago

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