5 Clever Homeschool Organization Ideas
No matter the space in your home, you’ll need to get organized if you want to make this an easy peasy homeschool year. With a little organization and creativity, any space in your home can become a functional learning space.
Is there a room in the house that you’ve been thinking of turning into a learning space? Do you have a small corner you want to turn into a cute learning nook? If you want to make this a successful homeschool year, you’ll need to get organized! A huge space isn’t needed. Instead, what’s most important is to create a functional space where your kids will feel comfortable and motivated to learn.
How to Set Up a Homeschool Learning Space
Any space in your home can be turned into a functional learning space. I’ve seen people successfully turn tiny closets into well organized homeschool spaces. Start thinking of what space makes most sense for you. What space are you willing to give up? Is there a room or corner of the house that you rarely use?
Once you’ve pinpointed the exact spot, it’s time to get organized and start thinking about the things you’ll need to add into this space to make it functional for homeschooling.
1. Use Your Wall Space
Depending on where you decide to set up your homeschool space, you might have lots of available wall space or very little. Whatever the case may be, I suggest taking full advantage of any wall space you may have available. Use chalkboard paint and turn any wall into a giant blackboard that your kids can write and draw on to their heart’s content.
To take full advantage of your walls, add wall shelves to create extra storage space for books and other school supplies you will need to have on hand. Add a few book bins or a pair of bookends and easily turn any wall shelf into a homeschool library.
2. Storage
To keep learning materials handy and well organized, you’ll need a designated storage area for books, school supplies and any other materials needed for learning at home. The good news is that you don’t have to go crazy buying or even building expensive cabinets or cubbies to use as storage. There are many easy storage solutions that don’t take up lots of space or cost a lot of money.
Repurpose old shelves by giving them a fresh coat of paint. Choose stackable storage drawers or plastic storage bins that can be stacked on top of each other so they don’t take up too much space. Add a seat sack to the back of a chair to add extra space for storing notebooks and other small supplies you’ll need to easily access. Get creative!
Check out the Zulily’s Organization Shop for simple storage solutions and inspiration that can help you contain all the clutter and keep all learning materials well-organized.
3. Eliminate Clutter & Distractions
Eliminating visual clutter from your learning space can be quite calming and help eliminate distractions. You don’t want to overstimulate your kids by having all materials, learning toys, and other supplies always visible. Try to store most of your materials away and rotate items such as small learning toys and other supplies based on your current unit of study. Rotating items for play eliminates having everything out at once and can free up your space for other creative uses. And some materials will only have to be brought out for a few weeks at a time and then put away again, like seasonal books. Items that are used year round (for example, blocks) can be neatly stored away and placed on a shelf at the end of each learning day.
4. Set Up A Dedicated Work Space
Don’t run out and spend a small fortune on expensive desks or chairs for your homeschool room. It’s easy to repurpose any old table, pull an old desk from a different room, or even borrow some extra furniture from friends or neighbors. You may also want to check out Zulily’s Kids’ Furniture selections for great finds on pieces that can fit right into your homeschool space.
5. Other Homeschool Essentials to Consider
When setting up a functional learning space at home, you might also want to consider setting up your child’s workspace next to a window for natural light or add a lamp to ensure there’s enough light for reading and writing. Also, consider placing a power safety strip near your child’s work area. Especially if you’ll be using devices for learning, such as laptops or tablets, as these will have to be recharged often.
Homeschool essentials to consider can also include simple things like pencil holders or small storage bins that can help keep pencils and crayons organized. Hang a laundry line across one side of your homeschool room and you’ll have somewhere to neatly hang and display artwork or special projects. You might even consider adding some personal touches, as this can make your homeschool space feel extra special for your children. Add a classroom plant, some decorative pillows, and even a few framed family photos to make your new learning space feel extra cozy and inviting.
Above all, don’t let yourself get overwhelmed when first setting up your homeschool space. Keep things simple! Especially at the beginning of the school year. As the year goes on, you can always add more to your home learning space later.
