A few years ago we were all creating homeschool spaces on the fly, fighting against desk shortages and space constrictions.
Now school situations are back to normal for the most part, but plenty of parents are still opting for virtual and hybrid schooling options. This means kids need a place to do schoolwork at home. We’ve got ideas!
Last spring when in-person school quickly shifted to crisis learning from home, we just rolled with the punches. My daughter is good student and independent learner so I let her lead the way on where she wanted complete her assignments. Most of this took place sitting on her bed in her bedroom. It was fine for a temporary homeschool situation but the downside was the disorganization, the small space and the distraction of her comfortable bedroom.
How Do I Create a Learning Space At Home?
Creating a classroom at home can be challenging but not impossible. The first thing for a successful home school is a dedicated workspace. This could be a kitchen or dining room table, a folding table, two milk crates and a plywood board, or a DIY wall-mounted desk. I’ve also seen friends create multi-seat desks with IKEA kitchen cabinets and countertops due to the lack of desks available for purchase.
Don’t sleep on Facebook Marketplace. You can find desks, folding tables, chairs and materials to make a DIY desk of your own. Also check out online discount retailers like Overstock and Zulily and School Outlet for classroom desks and activity tables kids are familiar with.
Small Homeschool Space, Big Ideas
Homeschooling without a room can be challenging. Even the most spacious of homes can be limited when creating a homeschool room.
Think outside of the box when creating a small classroom space. Your home might have a small corner you can clear and convert into a dedicated homeschool space for your kids.
Other study spaces around your home might be a:
- Playroom or guest bedroom
- Covered porch
- Unused living room
- Dining room table
- Garage space
- Converted shed in your backyard
Are you homeschooling preschool kids or kindergarten kids? Create a fun homeschool space out of an outdoor playhouse!
There is no perfect homeschool space. If your child’s bedroom or bed is the only home study space option, make it work for your family.
Organizing Your Homeschool Needs and Materials
When my daughter was done with school for the day last spring, everything got shoved into her backpack and tossed in the corner of her bedroom. It wasn’t ideal because when she went for the tools or materials she needed the next school day, it turned into massive hunt and chaos ensued.
Related: See our list of distance learning supplies your kids might need this year.
Keeping your homeschool materials organized can be as simple as using a basket or small tote bin as a catch-all for folders, notebooks and textbooks. I added low shelving to a unused coat closet as a space to store everything she needs for the school day.
I also really love these mobile carts that can keep all of your homeschool materials neat and organized. Add a few cups to fill with pencils and markers, and stash paper and textbooks, notebooks and a Chromebook in the bottom two bins. These are great for kids in preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school and high-schoolers.
Let Your Kids Own Their Homeschool Space
It can be super fun to decorate a new homeschool space for your kids especially if they are younger school-aged children. There are tons of fun and educational classroom decorations available in the Target dollar section if you want to create a similar space your students might be familiar with.
Or you can let your kids have their say when designing their homeschool areas.
So much of regular life feels out of control right now. And unfortunately, many things remain unknown. School, sports, extracurriculars, social gatherings are all on hold until further notice. Give your kids creative control by letting them decorate their new homeschool classrooms.
Homeschool Must-Have Needs
Visit our Homeschool Must Haves Amazon storefront filled with all your homeschool needs including alternative chairs, tools, supplies, notebooks, read-aloud books about homeschool, fun area rugs, agenda and planners and so much more!
Are You A Mom of a Middle Schooler? These posts are for you!
- Talking to your kids! 20 great questions to ask your middle-schooler.
- Lunch box notes that aren’t too cringe-worthy for your tweens.
- Feeding hangry tweens and teens. Go-to list of after school snacks.
We’re Your New Best Friends
Hi, we’re Megan and Wendy your midlife besties! Join us on Patreon every Monday where we’re talking everyday life, pop culture, and more!
You can also find us on “Girls Gone Hallmark” on Tuesdays and Thursdays where we review new and fan-favorite Hallmark movies and ask the question: Did you see that?
