Get Back to School Organized with Drop Zones

We’re continuing our month of getting our mudrooms and entryways organized for back to school. Today, I’m so happy to have Cheyenne back with us sharing some awesome drop zone ideas for busy families! And don’t forget to scroll all the way down for shopping sources and where to find unique farmhouse items for your own family drop zone spaces 🙂

 Drop Zone Ideas for Busy Families

When we were house hunting back in March, one thing I really, REALLY wanted in our new home was a mudroom. I love how functional mudrooms are and I love that they help to corral kid clutter in one space (that you can close the door on when company comes over!). Sadly, the house we ended up buying does not have a mudroom so I have had to come up with some clever ways to create functional, organized, kid-friendly drop zones, especially now that school is about to start! Here are some of my favorite ways to accomplish the functionality of a mudroom without the actual room:

Use your wall space. I have found that a good set of wall hooks and a memo board goes a long way to keeping me organized. For me, the laundry room is a pretty central location in our house. So, I installed a set of hooks where I will keep my kids backpacks hung up. I considered making the hooks lower so the kids could hang the backpacks themselves, but they’re still young enough to want to play with their backpacks or stuff them with random toys so I decided the higher the better! I also hung an antique spoon/ladle hanger to use as a memo board. Here I will use magnets to keep school announcements or calendar in view.

Hide the entryway clutter. One things that drives me batty is when my kids come inside and just toss their shoes on the floor by the door. Our back door is our main entry, so I knew that setting a shoe drop zone up here would help to keep me sane. I bought a cute little side table at HomeGoods that had a nice shelf on the bottom. I bought a wire basket and designated it the “shoe basket” and I have successfully trained my kids to put their shoes in the basket upon walking in the house. We also keep keys, sunglasses and other entryway clutter in the little drawers of the table. It works well to keep everything accessible but hidden, just the way I like it!

Designate a kids-only drop spot. I don’t mind when kids bring toys downstairs to play with them, but I do mind when they leave them downstairs all over my couches and floor. Since the kids were little, I’ve taught them to put anything that needs to go back upstairs in our infamous “basket by the stairs.” When school starts, it’s even more important to have this drop zone so they can put any artwork or craft or anything else they may come home with in the basket by the stairs to be brought upstairs at the end of the day so we can put everything away. Our basket helps to keep toy and school clutter to a minimum and it also teaches my kids that finding things is easier when we take the time to put it away!

Getting organized before school starts is key to a smooth transition into the school year. And adding some organizational elements to your home doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style! Here are some of my favorite farmhouse-style finds for getting those drop zones and mudrooms organized – just click each picture to be taken directly to the shopping source (most are on Amazon! anyone else love shopping on Amazon? That Prime shipping makes it a little too easy, huh?) **affiliate links used for your convenience. Read my full disclosure here. 

Of course, I will always lust after the gorgeous mudrooms I see on Pinterest and continue to dream that one day I will have one of my very own. But for now, these types of kid-friendly and mom-sanity-saving drop zone ideas are a great alternative! Be sure to pin these ideas to save for later. Do you have any tried and true tips for staying organized during back to school season? Please share them in the comments!

Hey y’all! I’m Cheyenne. I’m wife to one pretty fantastic guy, mama to two little bundles of energy, and the blogger over at Sense & Serendipity where I talk about all things home decor, DIY, family and motherhood. Sense & Serendipity is where I share my passion for creating a home well loved and a life well lived. Come on over to say hello!