Summer is here! This means some special summer organizing tips are in order.
The kids are done with school and home all day long. So you can count on preparing more meals, doing more dishes, doing more laundry, and cleaning more messes. It also means beach trips, vacations, summer camps, and more outdoor time.
With so much extra going on things can easily get out of control. Soon clutter takes over and you’re spending way too much of your precious summer hours trying to keep things under control.
Well, the good news is these summer organizing tips will simplify your summer chores. They don’t require much effort to set up, but they will have a huge impact!
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Here is a list of my favorite summer organizing tips
If you’re not careful summer can be stressful. This is especially true if you’re always running around from activity to activity without being prepared ahead of time. To truly make the most of your summer, slow down and enjoy time with your family. These summer organizing tips will help you do just that.
So without further ado, let’s get started!
Clear out all school gear
Now that the school year is done take a little bit of time to put away all school supplies. Start by clearing out backpacks, school papers, and projects. Save important school paperwork including any artwork or projects you want to display or keep. Put them all away now. Recycle or trash everything else, including those small crayon bits or broken pencils.
This is also the perfect time to organize school clothing. It’s likely items will be outgrown by the end of summer. Pack those items up to pass down or donate. Store away coats and other winter items. This will make it easier for your kids to stay on top of their summer wardrobes and have plenty of room to put their stuff away.
Create a summer routine
It’s well known that children thrive on routine. But this applies to adults as well. If you think about it, by the time summer is over most of us are ready to get back into a routine.
So the best way to make the most of summertime is to set up a simple summer routine.
One of the first things I like to do is set up a simple chore chart and keep it on the fridge. After all, with the kids home all day, they’re probably creating more messes than during the school year. Make it part of their daily routine to chip in and pick up after themselves. By having a little chore chart the kids will know exactly what’s expected of them each day before they go off to play.
If you don’t have a cleaning routine now is the time to set one up. I’ve used this cleaning schedule for years. I love it because I only have to focus on one room each day and then 15 minutes of maintenance twice a day. Everyone in the family should pitch in during these 15-minute tidy-ups.
Plan out your summer events
Setting up a summer schedule that everyone has access to is an important part of summer organization. If you want to use a paper planner, make sure everyone knows where it is and can easily see what is on the schedule.
Having said that, I do recommend going with a digital planning system like Trello or even google calendar. You can share it so all family members have access.
Keep your plans simple so that everyone can stick to them. All family members should be able to see each other’s schedules at a glance (color coding is great for this and works in both Trello and google calendars.
The nice thing about digital planners is they will send out notifications about upcoming events. This way no one is caught off guard and everyone knows where they need to be and when.
To keep summer schedules organized, make sure to update the calendar at least weekly. I personally spend every Sunday planning out the week and have done this for years. Write out any upcoming trips, events, and activities for the week. You may want to include meal plans as well.
Create summer gear drop zones
Summer activities mean lots of extra summer gear. Beach towels, sunscreen, coolers, pool and water toys, flip-flops, and on and on, are all a regular part of summer. So summer organization requires having a place for all the stuff to go.
One of my favorite summer organizing tips for dealing with all that extra stuff is to create a special drop zone. Setting up a drop zone has two main advantages for keeping everything organized.
First, everyone will know exactly where their summer supplies are. But even better, it will stop all that summer gear from taking over your home and turning into clutter.
Keep a large plastic laundry basket by the back door, this is where all beach and water toys will live for the summer. This keeps the sand and other messes outside.
Use a smaller basket or another container for shoes. If you are able, consider adding some outdoor hooks near the back door for hanging beach towels and tote bags. Store things like sunscreen and bug spray inside the tote bags. Put those items in zip loc bags first, this will prevent leaks and have what you need always ready to go.
When you’re preparing to depart for your next summer adventure everything you need is right where you left it!
Limit the dishes
If there was one thing I can count on my kids for, it’s to grab a new cup every time they get a drink. And when home from school that is happening all day long. It use to make me crazy because I felt like I was spending my entire summer doing dishes.
Summer is the ideal time to go through and declutter extra cups and dishes you don’t need. Two cups per household member should be enough.
Another option is to purchase some color-coded cups and designate a different color for each family member. With each person having their own color cup, they will have to learn to rinse them out before grabbing a new cup whenever they want a new drink.
Summer organizing tips for the car
Summer time usually involves lots more time in the car. Whether you’re going on a week-long road trip or a day trip across town, keeping everyone happy in the car is a must. This includes keeping the car clutter-free!
You can search Amazon for car organizing accessories, but honestly, you don’t need them. Keep a simple basket on the floor to toss in anything that does not stay in the car. Consider using a shoe organizer for the backseat of the car. It will hold all the things you need to keep the kids busy, including snacks.
I do like the collapsable truck organizers on Amazon because you can just grab the entire thing and bring it in or out. But truthfully a laundry basket will do just as well.
Finally, remember to check your emergency supply kit. Change out the flashlight batteries, plastic water bottles, sanitizer, and wash blankets. Know one wants to use an emergency kit, but you’ll be glad you have it in the event you need it.
Create some downtime
The last, but by no means the least of the summer organizing tips, is to slow down, build in some breathing room and enjoy a carefree summer!
One of the wonderful things about summer is all the fun activities and adventures that go along with it. But there is also the wonderful aspect of having a carefree summer, one where you don’t have to be anywhere or do anything.
Creating some downtime allows everyone to enjoy the simple pleasure of summer, laying on the cool grass under a shade tree, watching the stars at night, a frozen popsicle on a warm day, and staying up late making smores over a campfire. These are the things of which summer memories are made.
When it comes to summer organization, downtime also means staying on top of household tasks. If you’re constantly on the go you’ll find the clutter piling up. Whether it’s papers and other random items left on the dining room table, overflowing dishes or a mountain of laundry summer organizing tips won’t help if you’re never home.
Instead, cross a few activities off your list. You may even have time to pour your favorite summer drink and read that book that’s been on your list for a while.
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