I tired, very quickly, of pencils always rolling across the floor whenever my kids went to get a book out of their desk. Pencil boxes soon became a nightmare. They were always breaking or getting kicked across the floor. I solved this problem by attaching cups to the side of my kids desks. Deep plastic cups work the best. I punch a hole in the cup and tie it to the arm on the side of the desk. You must tie it tight or the cup will turn over. They also use the cup as a temporary trash can. Anything that needs to be thrown away is put in the cup and when the kids leave the room for recess, PE, etc. they take the trash with them. They've been a lifesaver!