The last few days of school before the summer holidays are a great moment for a quick household check. Not everything has to stay in the school bag until September, but not everything belongs in the trash immediately either. Those who sort through notebooks, pens, folders, and craft supplies now will start their holidays more relaxed and avoid buying duplicates when school starts.
According to the Ministry of Education, the summer holidays for the 2025/2026 school year begin on July 4, 2026, in Burgenland, Lower Austria, and Vienna, and on July 11, 2026, in the remaining federal states. Just before this is the best time to go through things with children: What is still usable, what goes into the craft box, and what is really missing?
Sort into four piles
Don't just put everything in one big pile. Four clear areas are better: reuse, repair, craft box, and dispose. This helps children see faster that not everything needs to be bought new automatically.
- Reuse: empty or half-full notebooks, intact folders, working pens, ruler, scissors, sharpener.
- Repair: folders with loose elastic bands, pencil cases with a stuck zipper, pens that need sharpening, school bags that need cleaning.
- Craft box: colorful paper scraps, empty notebook covers, yarn scraps, stickers, cardboard, old folders as a painting mat.
- Dispose: dried-out glue, broken felt-tip pens, broken rulers, heavily soiled or damaged items.
Check first, then buy
Many families buy school supplies twice: once out of habit and later again according to the school's specific list. It makes more sense to have a small inventory list: What is available? What is really used up? What should only be bought once the new list arrives?
DIE UMWELTBERATUNG (The Environmental Consultancy) recommends consciously paying attention to quality, recycled paper, solvent-free glue, and durable products when it comes to school materials. This is not just an environmental issue. Good pens, sturdy folders, and repairable school bags often last longer and need to be replaced less frequently.
What to clean before the holidays
The school bag doesn't have to sit in the corner until September with snack crumbs, crumpled papers, and old tissues. Empty all compartments, shake out crumbs, and carefully wipe out the bottle compartment and the bottom with a damp cloth. Then let it dry well while open.
Pencil cases, water bottles, snack boxes, and gym bags also deserve a round of cleaning. Items stored clean and dry won't smell unpleasant in the autumn and won't need to be replaced out of pure desperation.
Let children participate in the decision-making
When children are allowed to sort things themselves, they are more likely to take responsibility for their belongings. A simple rule helps: Each child chooses five things that will definitely be reused in the autumn. Then, together, you decide what goes into the craft box or onto the shopping list.
For older children, a quick inventory often works better than a long cleanup. Ten minutes is enough: empty the school bag, put usable pens in a box, stack open notebooks, note down broken items.
Saving money without pressure
The Chamber of Labour (Arbeiterkammer) regularly compares prices for school supplies and shows that: comparing is worth it, especially when there are several children in the household. Nevertheless, not everything has to be bought immediately. Those who check existing items first will have a shorter shopping list and less stress later.
For families on a tight budget, it can also be useful to find out about support programs like 'Schulstartklar' in good time. The important thing is: note down what is missing early, but only compare larger purchases with the actual school list.
Mini-checklist for the last day of school
- Empty the school bag completely.
- Test and sharpen all pens.
- Collect notebooks with free pages.
- Sort folders and covers by condition.
- Put craft scraps into a separate holiday box.
- Write missing items on a list, but don't buy everything yet.
Read also
- Planning summer holidays 2026
- Holiday craft box
- How to support your child for school
- Finding the right school bag
- Psychological trick: Let teenagers help with housework
- Emergency Checklist for Families
Sources and further information
- Federal Ministry of Education: School holidays 2025/2026
- DIE UMWELTBERATUNG: Shopping for school healthily and saving money
- Chamber of Labour: School supplies price comparison
- Ministry of Social Affairs: Schulstartklar
- Less waste: Environmentally friendly start to school
Article image: AI-generated symbolic image.
