Little Picassos- Your young artist keeps churning out one masterpiece after another. Here’s how to display the best of it.

by Kate Shatzkin

Making art is one of a child’s earliest creative acts. It’s evidence of his development, a springboard for discussion, a key to his soul. And, let’s face it, a storage dilemma for his parents.

From a toddler’s first doodles to a teenager’s elaborate painting, kids generate thousands of pieces of art at home and school. The refrigerator holds only so much. Yet throwing away a young one’s creation can feel just wrong.

We turned to professional organizers and parents for tips on putting kids’ work in its place – some of them just as creative as the art itself.

Sort it. Keep drawings and paintings for a while, then get your child involved in choosing favorites to keep – and others to toss.

“It is an important life lesson for your child to learn that not every single thing they draw merits being kept,” says Baltimore professional organizer Amy Rehkemper. “The most important part of their artwork was their experience creating it, not the experience of watching it collect dust on the kitchen table.”

Recycle it. Wrap gifts in pieces the kids are willing to part with. Or use several old works of art to create a new one.

Give it, periodically, to a relative or close friend. Far-away grandparents will especially appreciate receiving this tangible connection to their grandchildren.