#GroomYourRoom Day 2 : Books
Sort, clean, and organize your bookshelves by genre, size, or color; make simple labels and arrange favorites for easier reading and tidiness.
Step-by-step guide to Groom Your Room — Day 2: Books
Photosynthesis | HHMI BioInteractive Video
Step 1
Decide how you want to sort your books today by picking one method: genre or size or colour or favourites.
Step 2
Gather all the materials from the list and bring them to your bookshelf area.
Step 3
Take every book off the shelf and place them in a neat pile on the floor or a table.
Step 4
Wipe each empty shelf with a soft cloth and mild cleaner to remove dust.
Step 5
Sort the books into separate piles on the floor according to the method you chose.
Step 6
Write a simple label for each pile on a sticky note or index card using your colouring materials.
Step 7
Stick each label where you plan to put that pile on the shelf using tape or label stickers.
Step 8
Put the books back on the shelf one pile at a time with the spines facing out.
Step 9
Make a special easy-to-reach spot on the shelf for your favourite books and place your favourites there.
Step 10
Put any books you want to give away into the donation box and tidy up your workspace.
Step 11
Share your finished creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have sticky notes, label stickers, or a soft cloth?
Use index cards or masking tape and a pen instead of sticky notes or label stickers, and substitute a clean cotton T-shirt or a damp microfiber cloth for the soft cloth when wiping each empty shelf with mild cleaner or water.
What should we do if the labels keep falling off or the shelves stay dusty?
If labels fall off, secure them with tape or write directly on masking tape after you wipe each empty shelf with a soft cloth and mild cleaner so the surface is dry and dust-free before sticking labels where you plan to put each pile.
How can we change the activity for younger or older kids?
For younger children, limit the sorting to two piles like favourites and others and have an adult help take books off the shelf and wipe with a soft cloth, while older kids can sort by author, create a color-coded system with colouring materials, or measure shelf space to organize by size.
How can we make the bookshelf more personal or turn this into a longer project?
Decorate your sticky note labels with drawings or stickers using your colouring materials, create a special easy-to-reach 'favourites' spot with a small basket, label a donation box for giveaway books, and share before-and-after photos on DIY.org as a mini portfolio.
Watch videos on how to Groom Your Room — Day 2: Books
Photosynthesis
4 Videos
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis: The Biochemistry Behind How Plants Make Their Food
Photosynthesis 🌷 | What is photosynthesis? | Step-by-step process
Photosynthesis: Crash Course Biology #8
Facts about organizing bookshelves for kids
🎨 Color-coding book spines into a rainbow is a popular styling trick that makes shelves easier and more fun to scan.
🧹 Marie Kondo's KonMari method recommends tidying by category (like books) instead of by location so you can see everything at once.
🔢 The Dewey Decimal Classification groups knowledge into 10 main classes so books on similar subjects stay together.
📚 The Library of Congress holds more than 170 million items, making it the largest library in the world.
🐛 The word "bookworm" originally referred to insects that ate book bindings and pages — not people who love reading.
How do I help my child sort, clean, and organize their bookshelves during #GroomYourRoom Day 2?
What materials do we need to sort and label books for a kids' bookshelf?
What ages is this bookshelf sorting activity appropriate for?
What are the benefits, safety tips, and variations for organizing a kid's bookshelf?
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