Raise your hand if you are ready for back to school season. No? I’m not ready either but I figured I better start because, as I shared a few days ago, my boys’ first day of school is just about a month away. There is so much to do but at least I’ve gotten one thing crossed off my list- I’ve made a homework caddy that will make homework time easier for my kids! I wanted to share some tips on how to put one together and what elements you’ll want to include.
Make it portable
We have a small child sized table where the boys normally do homework but sometimes they need to do homework somewhere else. When mom or dad needs to help with an assignment or they are working on an art or building project that can’t be disturbed homework ends up being done on the kitchen table. Because of this, having a portable homework caddy is essential because they can carry it wherever they are working on homework that day.
Keep it organized
Keeping school supplies organized is the best part about making a homework caddy. I recommend using something with dividers already in it so kids can see where things go. The supplies will hopefully stay sorted a little longer that way!
Include all the supplies your children need to complete their homework
Including all of the necessary supplies is important. For children in elementary school this usually just means pencils, coloring tools of some kind, glue and scissors. As children get older they may need rulers, graphing calculators, highlighters and more. Having all of the supplies in the caddy means that your children can easily complete their homework assignments.
Make it easy to find a sharpened pencil
I’d say about half of homework time last year seemed to be the boys going through all of the pencils to find a sharpened one. Make it simple by pre-sharpening all of the pencils, or better yet just buy them pre-sharpened and save yourself some time! I also like buying all of the same kind of pencil so the boys aren’t fighting over that one favorite character pencil ;)
Keep a snack handy
My children start on homework while having a snack so it only made sense to stock their homework caddy with one of their favorites- Goldfish® crackers. I love these individual serving sized packages because it limits how much the boys can eat for snack. (I also love being able to grab a package for myself so I can enjoy a quick snack while I sit at the table with them!)
We found a variety of flavors at our local store. Lucas loves the traditional Goldfish® Cheddar flavor while Jacob’s favorite is the Extra Cheddar flavor. Be sure to check out the Goldfish® Pinterest Page for more back to school and snack ideas!
How are you getting ready for back to school season? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
This is genius. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been frustrated because pencils are one place, crayons in another and yes, they always get hungry. I’m vowing to make this year go as smoothly as possible.
These are excellent ideas. The more you can keep things organized, the better studying is going to be. I certainly learned that when I was a kid in school.
This is a great caddy! Keep it organized, and keep them away from wasting time & concentration looking for their supplies.
Love this idea! My kids don’t really have homework at their age yet, but this would be a great idea for keeping their art supplies organized plus some snacks for afterschool.
Love this! We normally go through all of our extra supplies in the summer and clean out a cupboard so we can store everything in one neat and tidy place. This idea looks like it would trim space too!
This is such a cool idea! When my daughter does her homework she usually has things all over the house, to have them organized like this would be great!
Love this, I need to start thinking about back to school. We have like one month left …. it’s flying up fast!
I love this idea, Especially adding snacks to the caddy. My daughter always seems hungry while doing her homework. We also tend to spend way too much time looking for needed supplies so this would make it so much easier
These are so cute. Perfect timing for back to school! I will have to share this with people I know with kids.
That is so cute and so practical. I could use something like that for my desk for work – especially with the snacks in it!
I love this idea of a homework caddy. I like that it’s movable. I also like the personalizing it.
My kids are both done with school (I know, I’m getting old), but I love this idea and I wish I had thought of something similar when they were younger. Homework+yummy snack=success!
This is a great idea! Love including the snacks in the homework caddy!
This is a very clever idea. I have never created a caddy before but I think it’s a great idea. And ours would totally be full of Goldfish, too!
:)
Traci
I have something set up just like this for my boys. The snacks although are in the cabinet right next to homework station.
I love this idea! Organizing for back to school is my top priority right now!
Oh, I like the individual packs of goldfish because it keeps my kids from eating too much.. They are obsessed with goldfish! Also, this homework caddy is SUCH a great idea!!
I love this idea! It’s so much easier to have everything in one spot!
I used to keep a homework station, but I never put snacks in it. That’s a great idea to keep them motivated and focused.