Homework Station. Keeping it together for back to school.
Back to school will be here before you know it, and so will the homework! Homework is one of the most argued about things in our home, and rushing out the door in my pajamas to hand them a piece of homework they forgot has become a specialty. Homework stress is just a burden for your entire family. A homework station can be one step in your plan to prevent that from happening.
Our kids are a mix of homeschoolers and public schoolers, but even my homeschoolers have classes and homework. We consider getting assignments done part of building study skills. To help keep your home organized and make sure your kids don’t forget their homework (or schoolwork in general), I highly recommend building a homework station. Here are my 5 homework station ideas to have everything ready for schoolwork and save your sanity at the same time!
Decide on a space
You can dedicate a room or just a small space for schoolwork. Depending on how young your children are and how involved you need to be in homework time, you may need this to be a communal area. The goal is to have a place for them to work, and that they can spread out if needed.
The trick is that they need to be able to pick it all up quickly or have a place where it can be stored until they’re ready to come back to it.
Many people assign the dining room as a homework space. I think any place can work where you are accessible (if need be) and distractions can be limited.
We converted an old microwave cart into a homework station in our dining room.
Get organized
Now that you have a space dedicated, it’s time to get organized! You want to have all the supplies they may need to complete their homework within reach! My personal favorite way to keep things organized is by using bins and containers to store materials.
Keep everything separated by category so it can stay organized, and include an area for completed homework. When they’re done using the space, have them relocate the homework to their backpack so it never gets left behind again!
If you are the final recipient of the work (homeschool teachers), create a space for kids to turn in their work. We have a dedicated file space that works as an in and outbox.
Fill the space
You have all these bins and a great space, but what do you keep here? I’ve put together a list of some of my recommended items to keep in a homework station! You can use these same ideas to make a creation station. That way when your little artist is inspired they have everything they need to get to work.
- Paper
- Planner
- Pens or Pencils
- Ruler
- Folders
- Highlighters
- Markers/Colored Pencils
- Erasers
- Post-it Notes
- Glue and Glue Sticks
- Tape
- Stapler
- Notebooks
- Calculator or other math manipulatives
Depending on what grade your children are in, you may need to adjust this list or add to it depending on their needs!
Design your space to be motivating for homework
You want to make sure that if you add decor to this space, it’s not distracting. White walls are great but probably won’t inspire any creativity. Add whiteboards or cork boards to the area where kids can display their work or problem-solve if you don’t want that in your space – my hubs said no- handheld options are also good. These are great functional and motivational pieces that will help them get their homework done.
If your kiddo uses the computer, make sure that they have access to technology. We added one of our favorite characters from space to spruce up the place.
Keep the space clutter-free so there are no homework excuses.
Not only is clutter distracting, but it’s easy to get sidetracked when clutter is present. Make sure that you keep this space minimal and neat if possible. Having carts or containers can easily hide distracting materials, but bins all over their workspace will slowly turn into clutter! If you have space, make sure the desk is clear and that everything else can be put away when it’s not in use.
Regardless of what age your kids are, you can’t go wrong with a homework station! I hope these tips have helped you put together an awesome homework station just in time for back to school season. Let’s continue the conversation on Facebook.
