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No matter what grade your kid is entering this year, you know that helping them keep their assignments, study pages and other school gear in order can often feel like herding cats:
“Where’s that permission slip for the field trip?”
“Where’s the study guide for that big exam coming up?”
“Where’s that 10-page paper that’s due today?!”
The good news is that a few key items can help keep kids of all ages in check — but they’re often overlooked when most school supply checklists are created. Sure, they might mention a plain binder or a couple of folders, but the simplest versions of those school supplies may not provide enough function to keep your student optimally organized.
I’ve always been a bit of a nerd when it comes to school supplies and organization. I love things with pockets and sections, and have the mindset of “a place for everything and everything in its place” — or at least I try to. So the thought of rounding up this list of fun, colorful, durable and ultimately functional organizational finds was right up my alley. What’s even better is that they’re all impressively affordable and easily shoppable at Walmart.
Plus, RetailMeNot shoppers score a whopping 6% cash back on Walmart purchases through the end of July!
Walmart’s Back-to-School Shop Is Packed With Smart Deals
The back-to-school shop at Walmart is already packed with smart deals, and they’ve made it easy for busy parents to tackle school supply checklists without missing any summer fun. You can easily shop online or in the Walmart app and have everything you need shipped right to your door. Shipping is fast — in as little as two days, or even faster with Walmart+ — but you can also opt to buy online and pick up your order at your local Walmart to tackle all of your errands in one fell swoop.
Now that we have that covered, let’s jump into the super-functional organizational finds that’ll help you and your kids achieve a stress-free school year.
10 Functional Finds From Walmart For an Organized School Year
Pen+Gear 12 Pocket Spiral Poly Organizer
The simplest way to stay organized throughout the school year is with a nice stack of folders — but it’s even better if they’re bound together like this organizer. With 12 pockets inside, they can wrangle all their most important study pages and exams in one place, and utilize the color-coded tabs to organize everything by subject. It’s slim, too, so it’s easy to slide into a backpack without cramping their style.
Price: $4.34
Five Star Xpanz Zipper Binder
If your kid needs something a bit more durable to stash their stuff, this expandable zipper binder from Five Star is the way to go. Its 2-inch rings offer enough space for hundreds of sheets of looseleaf and folders, and it also has internal pockets and a zippered external pocket for more storage. It even comes with a removable zipper pouch to keep all their pens, highlighters and other little necessities wrangled. Best of all, Five Star’s “lasts all year” guarantee ensures they can throw it around and let it get banged up without showing wear or tear.
Price: $12.67
U Brands 13 Pocket Expandable File
Sometimes, maximum durability and impressive functionality isn’t enough to get a kid excited about organization — and that’s okay! This gorgeous floral file folder is made to steal the spotlight so they’ll want to keep it within easy reach at all times. It has 13 pockets to keep their assignments sorted, and a gold button-and-elastic closure for an extra pretty touch.
Price: $7.97
U Brands Single Pocket Poly Document Holders, 6 Count
Perhaps the perfect convergence of form, function and affordability, these colorful document holders are a sophisticated step up from your average paper folders. Sturdier and more attractive, they hold standard 8.5- by 11-inch papers and keep them secure with button closures. They come as a pack of six in a rainbow of hues to easily keep things color-coded by subject.
Price: $6.94
Pen+Gear Vibrant Color 8-Tab Dividers with Pockets
Binder fans need a little more than just those three rings to keep their important docs sorted. Tab dividers are a crucial component of the organizational system, and this colorful pack of eight should be more than enough to get the job done. Not only do they act as dividers between stacks of looseleaf or thin, hole-punched notebooks, but each durable plastic divider also offers two pockets to stash study pages and test papers.
Price: $4.48, $5.39
Avery Insertable Style Edge Plastic Dividers
If they don’t require many folders in this digital era of learning, these sleek edge dividers may be all they need to keep their class notes categorized. Each of the sturdy, plastic dividers is three-hole-punched and designed to resist wear and tear with frequent use. Each one also has a colorful tab that allows for a removable label, so these can be used for years.
Price: $4.68
Five Star 7-Pocket Expanding File with Reminder Tabs
With a durable plastic shell, all-around zipper and reinforced gussets, this file organizer offers maximum durability. It’s a nice alternative to a binder or separate folders, as it boasts seven pockets and six tabs to sort everything by subject or importance. It also has two loops to keep pens or highlighters handy, and a clear-view cover that allows them to show off a little personality.
Price: $7.96, $8.97
Post-it® Tabs and Flags Combo Pack
Help them keep their notes and study materials organized whether they’re in a binder, notebook, textbook — wherever! This combo pack of Post-its includes both tabs and flags in multiple colors for easy categorization. They’re durable and easy to reposition, and you can even write on them to highlight notes or leave reminders to revisit certain topics for studying later.
Price: $5.84
Five Star Advance Wirebound 5-Subject Notebook, College Ruled
Sometimes, staying organized is as simple as having a sturdy notebook, like this one from Five Star. It’s a cross between a binder and a divided notebook, with tabs to separate five distinct sections, a movable divider pocket for extra customization and an exterior pen loop to make sure they’re ready to learn at the drop of a hat.
Price: $9.14
Pen+Gear Metal Mesh Desk Organizer with Hook
Staying organized goes beyond the backpack, too. If your kid has a dedicated locker at school, it’s so easy to just toss everything in there and create a mountain of stuff that won’t be unearthed again until the last day of school. Fortunately, this organizer can be critical to keeping things in check. Built from sturdy yet lightweight wire mesh, it has three generous sections to stash papers, folders and even thin notebooks and workbooks. It can stand at the base of their locker, or be hung with some 3M hooks or magnets glued to the back (if you’re up for a 2-minute DIY).
Price: $13.97, $15.98
Check out Walmart’s Back-to-School Shop to tackle their entire school supply checklist for less.
The post 10 Fun Organizational Finds to Ensure They Never Lose Their Homework appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
