To all the parents who have been operating schools, libraries, science labs, art studios, gyms, and play centres out of their homes, we are with you breathing a collective sigh of relief as kids return to classrooms. After months of heavier home use than ever, and now that kids have actual (or at least virtual) classrooms to go to, it’s a good chance to reset our living spaces.

Here are a few ideas for tackling those hard-working family spaces that have kept our kids entertained:

Curate art creations. Display and enjoy favourite art, track memories (Artkive is an app that’s several of my clients enjoy), and toss the more ‘experimental’ creations in the recycling.
Tackle odds & ends. Gather all the random loose items, piecing useful sets back together. Donate any random pieces to Tiny Toy Co. to be creatively upcycled.
Allocate prime storage space for favourite toys. Keep the most frequently used toys/sets where they are enjoyed and move the less frequently ones out of your main living area to rotate in and out. (Dolls, Hot Wheels, Paw Patrol and slime made the cut as favourites for this family.)
Pack up the most involved games and activities for now and give yourself a break. Science experiments and messy crafts can be put away for special occasions when you are recharged!
Edit craft supplies. Separate art supplies into key categories. Make room for staples like scissors, markers, and glue sticks that you still want to keep handy. When it comes to all the random toilet paper rolls, pom poms, sequins, or scrap paper, group them in bags within a larger bin that will inspire creativity. Be realistic about what’s still useful and worth the space, and donate or recycle the rest.

To get everything off the floor, we also reorganized the drawers, made use of extra cupboard shelves, and used existing bins in the basement with new labels to help everyone find what they are looking for and keep things sorted.

Back to School Reset