only the picture of the artwork but a record of
how old your child was when she made it. You
can then save the photo and recycle the art.
For smaller pieces, choose a few to go into the
child’s binder or file box, then go digital with
the rest.
Artwork by Ethan Hearn
go digital
For smaller pieces, you have several options.
Artkive (artkiveapp.com) is a free app (available for both iOS and Android) that allows
you to photograph your child’s art with your
smartphone or tablet and label it with your
child’s name and age. The photos are stored
in the cloud and backed up regularly, so you
don’t have to worry about losing them. Artkive
sorts the art into albums by child and grade,
and you can use the service to share albums
with other family members or print photo
books of the art as keepsakes or gifts.
If you prefer DIY, scan or photograph the art
as it comes in and use your favorite photo service to order photo books, make screensavers
for family use, or create other photo gifts, such
as coffee mugs or tote bags. You can also create
a collage or mosaic of your favorite pieces to
display as a single work of art. Display the art
in a digital frame, and then recycle the actual
art. You can still enjoy it without the physical
clutter.
have your child help
Get your child involved in the curating and
let him help you choose which pieces to keep.
Showing him how to save only the best, and
preserve other favorite pieces digitally while
recycling the actual art, can be a great lesson in how to let go of stuff and overcome
the hoarding mentality most children have.
Decluttering isn’t an ability that comes naturally to most children, and curating their own
school papers and artwork can help them
learn this valuable life skill.
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