The easiest way to keep kids' artwork under control is to sort each finished page into one of three places: the wall for now, a keepsake box for the special ones, and a photo for the rest. Give the display spot a fixed size so new pages replace old ones, keep one box or folder per child per year, and write the date, age and a few words about the picture on the back before it goes in. Let your child choose which pages stay, and paper stops taking over the house.
Below: how the three piles work, display ideas that make room for a new favorite in seconds, when laminating is worth it (and when it isn't), how to store keepsakes so they still look good in twenty years, and how to let go of pages without upsetting anyone.
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The three-pile system
Every finished page goes to one of three places. Doing it once a week, rather than every day, keeps it quick.
| Pile | What goes there | How long it stays |
|---|---|---|
| On display | This week's favorites, the picture they're proudest of | Until something new replaces it |
| Keepsake | Firsts (the first picture they signed), pages with a story behind them, a few from each season | For good: one box or folder per child per year |
| Photo, then let go | Everything else, once it's been enjoyed | Kept as a photo; the paper is recycled |
A rough guide many families find manageable: around ten to twenty keepsake pages per child per year. Fewer, well-chosen pages mean more to look back on than a crate nobody opens.
Display ideas that make swapping easy
The best display is one your child can update without asking for help. Some easy options:
- A wall line with clips. A length of string or wire with pegs or clips, at child height. Hang five pictures; a sixth means one comes down.
- A front-opening frame. Some frames open at the front so a picture can be swapped in seconds, and some hold a stack of pictures behind the one on show.
- A row of clipboards. Clipboards screwed or hung in a line on the wall, each holding the current picture over the previous ones.
- The fridge door, with a limit. Agree how many pictures the fridge holds. Without a limit it fills up in a week.
- A "gallery" shelf. A picture ledge where pages lean in clear sleeves, with a little label your child writes: title, artist, date.
Rotate with the seasons and the old display pages go to the keepsake or photo pile. Children usually love "opening" a new exhibition.
Instead of
Another one? Where are we going to put all these?
Try
Tell me about this one. Does it go on the wall or in your treasure box?
Protecting the pages that get handled
Most pictures don't need protecting: they hang for a few weeks, then move on. Protection is worth it for pages that get touched a lot or reused:
- Laminate activity pages such as mazes, "spot the difference" pages and character sheets. With a dry-erase marker, a laminated page can be done, wiped and done again.
- Laminate pictures that become objects, such as placemats, bookmarks, door signs or a cover for a homemade book.
- Use clear sleeves (sheet protectors) for pictures on display or in a binder. They keep fingerprints and spills off, and the picture can come out again.
These are the protect-and-keep picks from our Creative Supplies shelves, each with an honest note on who it suits:
Supplies for displaying, protecting and keeping coloring pages
| Pick | Best for | Good to know | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
Laminator for reusable and keepsake pagesScotch Thermal Laminator TL901X
|
Makes pages wipe-clean and reusable | For grown-ups: it gets hot | Currently unavailable on Amazon.com As of DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. |
Pouches for the laminatorScotch Thermal Laminating Pouches, Letter, 100 Pack
|
Fits a full letter page | Needs a thermal laminator | $15.99 on Amazon.comSave 10% Price as of DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. |
Storage for the supplies behind the artLearning Resources Create-a-Space Storage Center
|
Every type of supply gets its own container | Takes up table space | $21.99 on Amazon.com Price as of DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. |
Trimmer for tidy edges, cards and labelsFiskars SureCut Deluxe Paper Trimmer, 12 in
|
Perfectly straight edges | For grown-ups: it is a blade | $28.00 on Amazon.com Price as of DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. |
Amazon shows the current price and delivery. Tap any name for our full write-up, including what it’s not good for.
Storing keepsakes so they last
Paper keeps best flat, dry, dark and cool. A few habits keep this year's pictures looking fresh for many years:
- Store flat, in a large folder, a portfolio or an art storage box, not rolled or folded.
- Choose acid-free boxes and folders for anything you want to keep for decades. Ordinary cardboard and plastic can yellow paper over time.
- Keep it out of attics, basements and sunny spots. Heat, damp and sunlight are what damage paper and fade colors most.
- One box or folder per child per year, labeled on the outside, so the collection is easy to look back through.
- Write on the back in pencil: name, date and age, plus anything your child said about the picture. "This is Riyu climbing the tallest hill in the world, age 7" is the part you'll treasure most.
Photograph the rest
A photo keeps the memory without the paper. Take pictures in daylight near a window, flat and from straight above, so colors look true and edges aren't distorted. Keep them in one album per child, and at the end of the year some families turn the best ones into a printed photo book: a whole year of art on one shelf.
Photographing a picture also gives a natural moment to let it go. "Shall we take its photo for your art album?" is an easy question to say yes to.
Letting go without tears
Children are often less attached to their art than grown-ups are. What matters to them is being asked. A few gentle rules:
- Let your child choose what stays on display and what goes in the keepsake box. Make the choice together, not behind their back.
- Recycle out of sight. Finding a favorite picture in the recycling bin hurts.
- Give pictures away. Grandparents, friends and teachers love receiving one, and a picture turned into a card or a gift tag has a second life.
- Keep the story, not just the picture. The few words written on the back are often what makes a keepsake precious.
If the art pile starts with the supplies taking over the table, our guide to setting up a coloring corner in a small home covers the supply side of the same problem.
The Rainbow Kite
Lunai and Riyu turn a tangled kite tail into a meadow ribbon dance.
Print it freeQuestions parents ask
What should I do with all my child's artwork?
How do you store children's artwork long term?
Should I laminate my child's coloring pages?
How many pieces of kids' art should I keep?
How do I display kids' art without damaging the walls?
Is it OK to throw away my child's artwork?
The one thing to remember
You don't have to keep everything to keep the memories. A display that changes, a small box each year with the stories written on the back, and an album of photos for the rest: that's a collection your child will actually want to look through one day.
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