How to Store and Save the Avalanche of Children’s Arts and Crafts
Meet Jayne, a mother and valued member of our fantastic Parent Panel*; a diverse community of Bright Horizons parents sharing their experiences of raising happy, thriving and confident children. In this blog, Jayne shares meaningful ways to store their little works of art, and how to recognise what’s a keepsake and what’s just clutter.
*Incentivised content
Imagine the scene: you arrive at nursery pick-up, spot your child, and they proudly present you with a lovingly created picture. The ink is still slightly soggy, but a work of art, nonetheless. “So sweet,” you think to yourself… except it’s the fourth one this week and you’re not entirely sure where on earth you’re meant to put it.
Balancing sentiment and sanity
Thankfully, I’ve discovered some clever ways to manage the mountain of arts and crafts your child will no doubt be bringing home from their Bright Horizons nursery.
As a mum of three, over the years I’ve become much more ruthless when it comes to my children’s artwork. At heart, I’m a sentimental soul who would probably keep every lolly stick glued to brown paper if I could. But I’m also a clean freak with a deep hatred of clutter, so something had to give.
Letting go of guilt and glitter
First things first (and I know this might sound controversial), but here’s the truth: not every piece of artwork is a keepsake. Some things are special because they mark a moment. A first drawing of your family. A handprint Christmas card. The first time they wrote their name in a way that looked vaguely intentional. Other things? Lovely in the moment. Not necessarily something you need to store until they fly the nest age 26.
One thing that saves both space and sanity is taking photos and then letting things go. If your child has made something enormous, awkwardly shaped, covered in glitter, or clearly not built to last more than six business days, take a picture of it. I will never forget the time my eldest was tasked with decorating a potato for World Book Day. Her proud little face turned to sadness when I explained we could not keep the potato forever… and that, dear friends, is why I have a picture of Potato (painted in the style of Wally from Where’s Wally) saved to my camera roll. You could even create a folder on your phone for each child and save the pictures there, or print a little photo book at the end of the year if you’re feeling particularly organised. And if you’re not? The camera roll still counts in my book.
Simple ways to store what matters
So, you’ve decided a masterpiece has made the cut. Now what? Here are some storage solutions I use and genuinely swear by:
- Cardboard art tubes Those round cardboard tubes architects seem to carry around with blueprints? Brilliant. One for each child, roll the artwork up, pop it in, and you’re done. It keeps everything safe and any rogue glitter falls neatly to the bottom rather than all over your house.
- A memory box This can be fancy or as simple as a cardboard box. Let your child decorate it for extra crafting credentials, and it becomes their special place to keep all their treasures. I did this for one of my children and kept it in her room so she can rummage through it whenever she wants. I should probably organise something similar for my other two children, actually…
- Deep artwork frames We were kindly gifted one of those deep frames that stores multiple pieces of artwork, and it’s such a lovely idea for the extra-special ones. Perfect for the things that are not only sentimental, but also, dare I say it, actually quite good.
Memories without the mess
Ultimately, managing children’s artwork is really about finding the balance between treasuring the memories and not letting your home turn into a full-time craft archive. You do not need to keep every single scribble, glued pompom, or slightly unsettling papier-mâché creation to prove you’re a loving parent. Keep the pieces that matter, photograph the ones that don’t need to stay forever, and find a storage system that works for your home and your sanity. Because, yes, their artwork is precious. But so is being able to see your kitchen table.
