How to keep your home organized and your kids on track this summer

For most kids, summer break is all about backyard sleepovers and splashing in the kiddie pool. For parents, however, summer can be a totally different story. Having your crew at home full-time can be hectic — especially if you work remotely and need your days to have structure.

This is where a supercharged and versatile printer like the Epson EcoTank ET-4850(opens in a new tab) can tackle not only your WFH needs but also help keep your entire family organized this summer. From creating activity charts to printing out a family chore list that's actually fun, the wireless EcoTank ET-4850 is refreshingly cartridge-free and comes with a ridiculous amount of ink so you can print colorful, graphic-heavy projects to your heart's desire. Check out these easy printable ideas and kick off your summer with your kids busied and (mostly) out of your hair.

Summer chores have to be done — but they don't have to be boring. Creating a daily chore list with rocket and dinosaur graphics will make their house duties seem more like a game, and you can reward kids by putting sparkly stickers on their chores once completed. Make your own chart or download some free ones here(opens in a new tab). Just be sure to print it out with a high-performance printer like the Epson EcoTank ET-4850(opens in a new tab). After all, you want your text and lines to be as clean as your home will soon be.

Summer break is a whirlwind of play dates and birthday parties — and a simple yet very handy family organizer can help keep everyone on track. You can download some cute printable organizers here(opens in a new tab). Look for one that includes birthdays and family trips, and bonus points for things like daily meal planners and budget goals. Speaking of bonus points, by using a cartridge-free EcoTank printer(opens in a new tab), you can help reduce the amount of cartridge waste ending up in landfills, which is a nice perk.

If you have a hard time getting your kids to do summer homework — and who doesn't — why not make it fun? Just find some free downloadable clip art(opens in a new tab), digitally arrange the graphics on a page in a cool way, and then print it out to make artsy pages for your kids to do their written homework on. Just be sure to use a printer that has a killer ink capacity. The last thing you want is to run out of ink and give your kids an excuse to go back outside and play.

A spinning activity wheel is a brilliant way to gamify your family's to-do list. Check out some of the downloadable activity wheels(opens in a new tab) available and then print your pick using a printer that can handle bold colors and cardstock, like the Epson EcoTank ET-4850(opens in a new tab). Next, choose activities to write in each section, like ‘water the garden’ or ‘draw a picture of your dog’, cut out the wheel, make a small hole in the center, and put a brad (a metal fastener with two split ends) through the hole, folding both ends back. Turn the wheel over to the color side and pull the brad up about half an inch so there's enough metal to loop a paperclip through, tape a paper arrow to the paperclip, and spin away.

Hanging out with your kids over summer break is awesome, no doubt — but the time will come when you need quiet, especially if you’re working remotely. When this need arises, origami can calm even the unruliest crew and you don't have to buy a thing. As long as you have a high-performance printer(opens in a new tab) with lots of ink that can print on two sides and nail the detailed colors and lines, you can print a plethora of origami patterns(opens in a new tab) and challenge your kids to fold them into all kinds of shapes. You might need to show them the folding basics at first, but once they get it, you’ll be able to hear the filter in your fish tank gurgling again.

Summer is an opportunity to spend more time with the fam, but keeping them organized and active for the three-month stretch is key. The trick is to both plan and play together as a family. This way, everybody can get done what needs to be done and still have loads of fun.