Guides

A pile of children's drawings and paintings spread on a wooden table

How to keep kids' art without the guilt

The easiest way to keep kids' art without the guilt is to keep all of it, in two places: the originals you love best in a small box, and every piece, big or small, in a gallery.

A hardcover book of children's art standing on a shelf beside a framed piece

Turn a year of kids' art into a book

Save each piece as it comes home, choose the favorites that tell the year, and turn them into a hardcover book.

A child's drawing of a dog with glasses on a wooden table beside a paint set

The Friday folder ritual

Pick one short moment each week, look through the school folder with your child, choose a few favorites, save those, and keep the rest in the gallery.

A parent's hands steadying a child's drawing of a dog while it is photographed from above

How to talk to your kid about their art

Ask about the piece, then let your child tell the story.

Let your kid choose what to keep

Ask the artist.

An open hardcover book of children's art on a marble counter

Why not just use your camera roll?

A camera roll is a fine start, but it mixes your child's art with everything else and has no titles, dates or order.

An open hardcover book showing a child's drawing of a dark house on a wooden table

Kids' art gifts grandparents actually keep

The gifts grandparents keep are the ones that make the art easy to hold and enjoy: a hardcover book of the year (coming in November), titles in your child's own words, and a finished piece sent from your phone.

How to photograph kids' art so it looks beautiful

Use soft, even light near a window, lay the piece flat, hold your phone parallel above it, and take one photo.