How to Organize Books for Kids

by Meghan

Sharing is caring!

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, Kellogg’s and The J.M. Smucker Company but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #SamsClubBTS  http://my-disclosur.es/OBstV

EVERY night we faced the same frustration.  My girls wanted to read a specific book that was no where to be found.  Buried among countless titles on the bookshelf – or worse, hidden somewhere it didn’t even belong – bedtime would be stalled as we scoured the house searching for the latest Pinkalicous or Ladybug Girl selection they HAD to read. With our collection set to grow even more thanks to Sam’s Club® and Scholastic’s Start School Like a Champion offer, it was time to organize books so the kids could keep them that way on their own!

Back to School Shopping Tips-2


Organize Your Children’s Bookshelf

Before kids (and iPhones), my books and music collection were stored alphabetically, by artist and author, on their respective shelves. (I may be a *tad* Type A.) When my oldest daughter was born, I started organizing books on the shelf in her room the same way.  They stayed that way – until she was old enough to take them down herself. Two kids later, our playroom shelves were a jumbled, tumbled mess with the only organization rule being get the books off the floor during clean-up time and back on the shelf.

organize books-2

Every couple of weeks, I would rip them all down, and restore order to the children’s books, again and again. There had to be a better way. And one that the kids could easily manage themselves.

Labeled Bins for Books

Even before kids can read or recognize letters, they can recognize symbols and sort by color or pictures. The key to helping them help you organize books is using labels they can read – even if they can’t read the words yet.

I started our labeled children’s book bins first for their favorite book series and authors, and next, for our different unit studies, when we amassed a large collection of children’s books on a single topic. I use ice cube bins for both durability and depth – they fit perfectly on a standard depth bookshelf.

organize books-4

I labeled ours with chalkboard tape and chalk markers. The great part about using chalk markers is the labels can be erased with water and the bins re-labeled.  As your children’s preferences change, you can swap out your Fancy Nancy bin for books about stars, and reuse the bin. I label them both with written words and an image my kids can readily associate with the books – like a ladybug for our Ladybug Girl books. This allows my 3 year old to help keep the books organized, just as easily as my emerging reader.

organize books-6

I love using them for unit studies too. For the duration of a given unit of study, I just leave that bin of books out on the table or in the girls’ reading corner to make those books quickly and easily accessible.

organize books-7

A Free Book for You, A Free Book for School

You can never have too many books!  This Fall, as you are re-stocking your pantry for back to school at Sam’s Club®, you can also stock your children’s and school’s book shelves! Shop for specially marked boxes of Kellogg’s® and J.M. Smucker Company products at Sam’s Club®, like the Kellogg’s® Frosted Mini Wheats pictured below. Upload your receipt at FreeBookOffer.com/Sams within 30 days of purchase, and redeem for your free Scholastic book. Sam’s Club® will automatically donate a second book to a local classroom. Choose from more than 80 titles, and earn up to 30 free books from now through 9/30/2016, while supplies last! You’ll definitely need more labeled bins to organize books now.

organize books-1


Want to learn how to be organized in all aspects of your family life? Check out the rest of my posts for family organization, from household finances to daily rhythms and routines. You can also find more great life organization tips from our friends at Sunny Day Family. Want more household organization ideas? Follow our Pinterest board, Organize Me!

Love it? Pin THIS!

Can't find your child's favorite bedtime story in the mess of books on their shelves? A simple strategy to organize books that will help your kids keep them that way! And you'll need it with all the FREE books you can earn shopping for back to school at Sam's Club. #SamsClubBTS #StartSchoolLikeAChampion #Pmedia #ad | Playroom Organization | How to Be Organized | Back to School | Children's Books | Book Organization

Sharing is caring!

3 comments

More to love on Playground Parkbench

3 comments

Brooke November 12, 2017 - 6:11 pm

Hi there. I️ love the ode of the ice cube tray. Where did you get yours affordable? I️ just looked on amazon and they are about $8 a pop. We have SO many books so this would get expensive fast. Wondering if you found a bulk deal? Also, have any of yours broken? Thanks!

Reply
Meghan November 14, 2017 - 9:09 am

I got mine on Amazon, and I think at the time I may have found them for 3 to a pack for maybe $1-2 less than that. I don’t use them for ALL our books, just different themes as we learn about them. But none of them have broken at all. They definitely hold up better than some Dollar Store baskets I’ve tried in the past.

Reply
10+ Kids Playroom Organization Ideas & Essentials August 9, 2016 - 8:15 am

[…] All DIY Family Financial Savvy It’s Friday – We’re In Love Mom’s Book Nook Mommy Sanity Savers My Favorite Things Politics of Parenting Recipes Family Organization […]

Reply

Leave a Comment

* By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website.

REGENERATE
shares