Five great back-to-school tips for a fun and organised school year

By Photobox on 29 July 2026

From staying on track with a planner to creating a dedicated productivity space, kick the school year off right with these tips.

A young boy smiles while hanging off monkey bars in a playground, capturing the last days of summer before Photobox's back-to-school tips for a fun and organised school year.

With summer coming to an end and a new year of school ahead, it’s time to get organised. Here are five tips to help you stay on top of the back-to-school rush.

1. Stay on schedule with a planner

A family planner hangs on a wall next to a vase and some books, illustrating Photobox's tip to stay organised for the school year with a personalised planner.

A planner is a handy way to keep track of what everyone in the family is up to, especially if your schedules are packed with all sorts of day-to-day activities, from appointments to after-school commitments and more. Our family planners are easy to create and customise, so you can tailor it to your needs and visual style.

2. Look back on summer with a photo book

An open photo book on a kitchen table features images of young girls having fun at the beach, illustrating Photobox's tip to look back on summer memories with a personalised photo book.

Keep the kids’ favourite summer moments close with a photobook. It’s a great way to share their summer with their friends too – they’ll be the stars of show-and-tell. Why not create it together? With many creative options, you can put together a photo book that’s unique to them. Don’t forget to add some text alongside your snaps detailing the memorable moments from that day for an extra personal touch.

3. Make a stationery checklist

A young girl wearing a colourful backpack excitedly looks at stationery in a shop, illustrating Photobox's tip to make a fun back-to-school stationery checklist.

Keep everything organised with a checklist of the school supplies your child will need, from new school bags to notebooks. Then turn it into a fun family activity – go over the list with your little ones, and take them to do the shopping together with treats and snacks in between to grow the back-to-school excitement.

4. Create a place where they can focus

A personalised calendar showing September and featuring a photo of a young girl hangs above a desk with a pencil pot, a vase of flowers and an organiser holding art and stationery supplies, illustrating Photobox's tip to create a focused study space for the school year.

Having a dedicated space that’ll help you be productive is a tried and tested method – so why not do the same with your kids? Create a study space with them by deciding together on what it’ll look like and what kind of furniture and items it’ll have. A photo calendar can help keep track of your little one’s schedule while displaying their favourite photos.

5. Plan a passion project for the school year

A father and his two daughters paint together at a table, representing Photobox's tip to plan a fun passion project for the school year.

Give the little ones a breather from school with a series of DIY projects that you can do together. Have a brainstorm session where you think about ideas and how long each project would be. Try to keep it simple – maybe you could paint and craft decorations for their rooms or create a mini garden together during spring and summer.

Kids going back to school can seem difficult, but with these ideas, we hope that it’s easier for you and the little ones to stay organised.