Organizing Your Homeschool with Backpacks and Tubs

It’s the last day of the Organizing Your Life posts hosted by The Joyful Keeper!  Today’s topic is Organizing Your Homeschool.  I’ve written a lot on this topic, but there are a couple of organizing tips I haven’t mentioned much that I think could really benefit your homeschool.  They consist of Backpacks & Tubs.

{Disclosure:  I was given this backpack by Staples.com.  I chose this particular one because I LOVE the colors and my husband and eldest son have met Skip Yowell, the co-owner of JanSport.}

I like backpacks.  A lot.  I even use a backpack as a diaper bag.  The kids take backpacks as “fun bags” on long trips.  And my son uses a backpack for his snacks and extra clothes when he goes to work.  But, here’s another way to use backpacks – as an organizational tool in your homeschool!

Once upon a time, I had a designated homeschool table.  However, I didn’t have any place for supplies, paper, and workbooks.  That’s when backpacks became my friend!  Each child had his or her supplies and books in a backpack on the back of their designated chair.  It kept things neat and tidy and every child was responsible for their own books and supplies.

Lately, we’ve been using this particular backpack to hold the girls’ piano books.  But, truth be told, if I get my hands on it, I’ll turn it into a new diaper bag! 😉

Probably my most favorite way to organize our homeschool is plastic tubs!  I have 4 large tubs in the living room.  I had an extra end table I was able to use to store these tubs.  The top left is my Personal Tub.  This one includes my Blogging Notebook, my Recipe Binder, as well as extra paper and folders.  The top right tub is History and elementary-aged Science.  My Tapestry of Grace binder is in there, any books we are currently reading from are in there, and the kids’ notebooking notebooks are there too.  The third tub in the photo on the lower shelf of the end table is our Five in a Row tub.  I keep the books, project folders, and notebooking notebooks  in there.  Just peeking out from underneath the end table is a flat tub full of school supplies.  The 4th tub is behind my chair and contains all of our Bible and Missions supplies.

Backpacks and tubs are compact, easy to tote from room to room, and keeps things nicely contained.  They really are a lifesaver for the organizationally-challenged homeschool mom!

Want to read more about how we have organized our homeschool over the years?  Here are a few of my favorite posts:
Organizing the Large Family Homeschool
Homeschool Assignment Binders
Modified Workbox System for the Large Family

And don’t miss other homeschooling mama’s posts on this topic!  Visit The Joyful Keeper for more links!