You and your kids will both benefit from these helpful, space-saving hacks.
Teaching your kids — let alone trying to keep them happy, healthy, and entertained during a health crisis — is hard enough. Trying to teach them in the same space your family uses to play, work, gather, and unwind may feel next to impossible. But due to the ongoing health crisis, many families across the country are trying to make it work: Some are forming homeschooling pods, others are going solo, and many are still undecided about which route they should take. Since home schooling for the next academic year (or at least, part of it) is the new reality, make it more manageable for you and your kids with these homeschool organization ideas. Take it from parents who've done it themselves to find the best ways to create class schedules, keep your kid's workspace clutter-free, and organize assignments.
Creating a healthy learning environment for your kids doesn't mean that you'll have to live with books, supplies, and papers scattered all over your house for the next year, though. Avoid the clutter (and chaos) by putting these space-saving hacks to work before the school year starts.
1
Paint a Chalkboard Wall
Make the most out of an empty wall by coating it with chalkboard paint. Use it to teach lessons, encourage kid's creativity, or keep track of assignments, tests, and holidays.
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2
Create a Command Center
Clear a bookshelf that you already have to make room for workbooks, textbooks, art supplies, and bins. Let kids tuck their papers and other materials in the bins, so it doesn't take away from the overall display.
3
Assemble a Morning Basket
Stuff baskets with the cornerstones of a successful school day — books, worksheets, art materials, and extracurricular activities — and set it down at the breakfast table each morning. This gives kids a sneak peek at what's to come, so they can get excited about the day ahead.
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4
Use Up Free Wall Space
Keep all of their supplies within arm's reach with this DIY work station. Customize it to fit your student: Add a cork board, peg board, or shelves loaded with their most-used pens, pencils, and more. That way, they have plenty of desk space to get their work done.
5
DIY Your Own Planner
If planning is your love language, then break out your pens and colorful markers to make a homeschool planner. Inside, organize the month's curriculum, outline each student's daily assignments, and brainstorm makeshift field trip ideas.
6
Establish a Work Station
Make a bulletin board of your own that lays out the day's class schedule, homework assignments, and reading materials. In the attached folders, your students can turn in completed assignments, so they don't get lost in the shuffle.
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7
Give Each Subject a Color
For the time being, turn your craft or toy closet into a homeschool catch-all. Designate a color for each school subject, and then fill colored bins with the appropriate papers, books, and supplies.
8
Organize Assignments by Week
Keep record of all your kid's handiwork by storing essays, tests, and artwork in color-coded folders. Get your kids involved by asking them to clear out their desks or notebooks each week and fill the corresponding folder.
9
Keep It All on a Cart
A wheeled caddy, like these sleek metal ones, let you easily move all of your supplies from room to room. Plus, as soon as the weekend hits, you can hide them away in a closet until school's in session.
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10
Give Kids Their Own Bin
Since your kids may not have their own desks to store their supplies, give 'em a plastic bin to hold their pens, pencils, calculators, and other must-haves. Label it with their name, so they don't mix it up with their other siblings.
Amanda Garrity
Amanda Garrity is a lifestyle writer and editor with over seven years of experience, including five years on staff at Good Housekeeping, where she covered all things home and holiday, including the latest interior design trends, inspiring DIY ideas and gift guides for any (and every) occasion. She also has a soft spot for feel-good TV, so you can catch her writing about popular shows like Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias, Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart and more.
