Prepare your kids for an educational journey without leaving home
Now that summer is winding down, it’s about time for your kids to start school again. If you’re going to be homeschooling them, trying to make the best use of your space can be difficult. Luckily, there are many homeschool room ideas that will get you ready to impart lots of exciting knowledge.
Whether you’re an experienced homeschool teacher or you’re teaching your first class, there are plenty of ways to get your home ready for the school year.
One of the most important things to remember when you’re a teacher is that organization is key. If you need help organizing your classroom to be as inspiring as possible, there are professional organizers in your area who can help.
It’s easy to take the color of a wall for granted but research from the University of British Columbia shows that blue can help boost creativity while red can help you pay closer attention to details. Giving your homeschool classroom a quick coat of paint could help keep your students from getting distracted and help them concentrate on their work.
There are lots of benefits of homeschooling your kids, including how you get to share the space with them. Instead of sticking your kids in individual desks, gather around a large table. Sharing space invites discussion and encourages curiosity, even if your children are of different ages and are working on different assignments.
Farm tables with long benches or chairs make good school tables. If you can find a crafting table with storage built right in, you can save yourself a lot of money on other shelving and storage options. Plus, both of these tabletops are tough enough to handle everything from pencil marks to spilled paint.
Shared tables are awesome, but so are individual desks. Giving your kids their own desks can help the classroom stay more organized and limit distractions.
Traditional school desks with a combined chair and tabletop are sturdy, and you can usually find them with built-in storage. There are desk sets available at almost any homeware store.
You can get creative with desks, too. Set a butcher block on top of two filing cabinets for an easy, affordable, and functional desk. There are plenty of other DIY desk ideas that give you a chance to be creative.
In smaller rooms, building wood shelves that go higher up helps make better use of the space. High shelves let you keep certain items out of reach of younger children, too. Plus, there are few things that look better in a classroom than tall shelves full of books and other learning materials! A professional contractor in your area can help you make the most of the space by building custom shelves that are beautiful and useful.
Do you have a small room you’re converting to use as your homeschool classroom? If so, optimize the space by keeping as much of the center of the room clear as possible. Moving desks and tables close to the wall means that you’ll have more room for activities.
Trying to keep lessons and assignments organized can be tough. Keep surfaces cleaner and stay better organized by using a corkboard. This DIY homeschool room idea can be as simple as tacking things to it, or you can use tape to divide the board by day or subject.
Lots of great storage options are usually reserved for workshops and garages can be used in a homeschool classroom. A pegboard is a perfect example—they’re affordable, available in many different sizes, and versatile when used to organize things.
With different kinds of hooks to hang up things from scissors to special pegboard bins, there’s always a way to get an item off a desk and up on the board.
A chalkboard wall is less costly than a large chalkboard and a lot more fun. Fair warning: If you have younger kids, encouraging them to write on a wall might be an invitation to let them write on any wall.
Homeschool room organization doesn’t have to be painful or even all that time-consuming. Making use of different containers can make things easier to find and improve the way your classroom looks.
Plastic containers/tubs: They make sizes for everything, and since you can see through them, you don’t have to label them.
Jars: Great for markers and other art supplies. Keep floors protected by using jars with lids.
Boxes and baskets: Whether you have a closet full of boxes or you’ve lined a bookshelf with baskets, these are affordable and easy to find.
If your homeschool classroom is part of a shared space like a living room, you'll need things that work in both settings. The right desks, tables, and shelving can solve more than one problem:
Beanbag chairs are good for reading areas and you can move them to play areas after class.
Storage ottomans can be used as extra storage and give you a comfy place to kick your feet up after a long day of teaching.
There are many great storage and furniture options from trusted brands that will make your life a lot easier. Check out some of the following stores to find dozens and dozens of great ideas:
Craft stores
Home improvement stores
Big-box stores
Upcycling centers
Even after your kids graduate, nice shelves in a room are a great feature to have. Built-in shelves function well as a focal point in the room, and you can use them to showcase all of the things your kids have learned. There are plenty of book storage ideas that look beautiful and functional, including adding plants to your shelves or painting your shelves to create a fun statement piece.
One of the best parts of being a parent is getting to see all of the things your children create. Displaying their artwork for family and friends lets them learn to take pride in the work they do and can help them develop self-confidence. A “gallery” wall is a wonderful form of homeschool room decor that lets your kids showcase their work while they grow as artists.
Here’s a great homeschool room idea for a small space: Add a corner hutch. They are great for storage, and some of them even have built-in desks, which can be perfect if you’re trying to make the most of a small room.
If you are using a spare bedroom as a homeschool classroom, take the closet doors off to maximize your usable square footage. The closet can be used to store larger items, shelves, or even another desk.
We know how it is: You go into a store (especially around back-to-school time) and see tons of classroom items available in bulk and on sale. It makes sense to stock up on certain items, but it can be easy to get carried away.
Pencils, paper, markers, and folders are always needed. Buying in bulk keeps your spending down.
Things that you’ll use less frequently (scissors, paints, specialty art supplies) should be purchased as needed.
Comfortable, colorful, and affordable—there’s almost nothing beanbag chairs can’t do. Use them in a quiet area of your homeroom class or the reading nook to make reading time even more special.
A rolling cart makes organizing your supplies for the day simple. It saves you time and provides a rotating storage space. That gives you more flexible options when you are in a small room without lots of other storage options.
Here’s a great timeless yet modern homeschool room idea: Hang educational posters on the walls. Some good examples are alphabets and number banners, as well as color wheels and maps. It’s also smart to have a clock and a calendar, too.
Inspirational posters with quotes and masterpiece paintings give your kids plenty to look at that will fuel their brains.
The more lighting options you have in your classroom, the better. Choose good ambient lighting for most schoolwork and activities. Have task lighting (lamps, under-cabinet lighting, etc.) ready for areas where they'll need different kinds of light.
As the teacher, it’s important to have a desk or table that’s yours. Giving yourself a desk will provide you with space to get things prepped and a spot for yourself when the kids are working quietly. Remember to think of homeschool space ideas that will help you help your students.
The outside world doesn’t have to be limited to recess. Put the main table near the window or bring homegrown flowers into the classroom each morning. Not only will that make you and your kids feel more connected to the world, but it can also provide you with ways to make lessons more tangible.
Even if you’re only going to homeschool your kids for a few years, buy items that will last. You will be surprised how quickly things fall apart when you and your kids use them every day. Binders, shelving, and furniture are things you shouldn’t skimp on. If you do, you might find yourself replacing them more than once.
Keeping arts and crafts in one section of the room will make it easier to clean and organize. Separating that space from the rest of the classroom will also let your kids feel more creative, too.
For a reading nook, make the area well-lit and comfortable. A space to read can help inspire a lifelong love of reading that will help your child now and in the future, so consider your reading nook options.
A variety of healthy snacks can help kids make it to mealtime and give them the brainpower boost they need to make the most of the day’s lessons. Fresh fruits, granola, and protein-packed snacks help improve focus and put everyone in a better mood.
Creating a homeschool classroom is a lot like organizing any other part of your home. There are tons of innovative ways to make use of every space, no matter how big or small. Imagine what kind of homeschool classroom ideas you would like if you were a student and then bring them to life for your classroom.
Check out some of our other articles for home organization advice to inspire your homeschool room setup ideas. If you have a space that could benefit from some changes, get in touch with a home remodeling contractor near you to find out how much it would cost to remodel or build a better classroom.
