Organizing All Things: Kindergarten Teacher Edition

Let’s be honest—kindergarten classrooms are full of excitement, creativity… and a LOT of little things that need a home. From tiny manipulatives to mountains of construction paper, it can get chaotic fast without a solid organization system. That’s why I created Organizing All Things: Kindergarten Teacher Edition—a three-part toolkit built around my favorite essentials: binders, bins, and labels. With this system, you can kick off your school year with a classroom that’s organized, tidy, and totally ready for learning.

Binders: The Teacher’s Brain

Binders are lifesavers in the kindergarten classroom. You can use them to sort, organize and store many of the important items we need such as:

• Lesson plans (organized by month or theme) (First Week Of School Lesson Plans For Kindergarten & Freebies!!)
• Student data (attendance, assessments, behavior logs) (Assessments In Kindergarten)
• Communication logs (with parents, specialists, aides) (Preparing For Back To School- 3 Kindergarten Teacher Must-Haves)
• Sub plans (for effortless and smooth transition) (Substitute Planning For Kindergarten)

Click on Image to go to Amazon.

When selecting from the vast array of binders available, you can opt for a single color to create a cohesive look or use multiple colors for different activities or resources. For instance, you might organize all Literacy materials in red binders, while Math resources could be in blue.

Pro tip: Utilize page protectors for easy changes and to minimize wear and tear.

Bins: The Home For All Things

Bins were everywhere in my classroom—ranging from centers to cabinets, and even in my storage area. While not everything I owned could fit in the classroom due to its size, it was essential to store and organize all the supplies and resources I would need in the future!

(Efficient Classroom Organization Of Materials & Activities)

Bins can be categorized into several types: individual portable bins, library book bins, ten-drawer rolling carts, storage bins with lids, or one of my personal favorites—the IKEA Trovast drawers.

Here’s how I used them:

• Center materials (one bin per center—easy to rotate or clean up)
• Art supplies (sorted by color or type—markers, glue, scissors)
• Books (themed bins like “Feelings,” “Alphabet,” or “Seasonal”) (The Library Station in the Kindergarten Classroom)
• Student materials (each child gets their own labeled bin for folders and workbooks)

I love black, clear plastic or bright primary-colored bins—anything easy to label!

Rainbow Drawers In The Classroom will give you more tips and tricks for classroom storage.

Labels: Visual Cues For Little Learners

Labels are non-negotiable in the kindergarten classroom. With early readers, picture + word labels make everything more accessible and help build independence. Label EVERYTHING!!!!

• Bins
• Shelves
• Supply drawers
• Table spots
• Cubby hooks
• Even the recycling bin!

You can also practice reading the labels together during the first few weeks of school so your little learners get used to where everything belongs. I made it easy for you with these downloadable Organization Labels.

**FREEBIE** Printable Classroom Labels

Go to “Using Classroom Caddies in Kindergarten” for some exciting ideas on using these caddies in your kindergarten classroom. Then grab them from my Amazon store. Easy Peasy!!!

Final Tip: Teach Your System

Organization isn’t just for you—it’s for your students too! I spent the first few days of the year teaching the systems: where things go, how to clean up, and why we label everything. Once they learn the routine, the classroom pretty much runs itself (okay… almost).

I’d love to hear how you organize your space—comment below or tag me on social media with your favorite tips!

Happy organizing, teacher friends!!

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