Whether you’re new to homeschooling or someone who has been doing it for a while, creating a dedicated space just for your homeschool supplies will, without a doubt, make your school day much more successful. It’s also a MUST for that space to function well, no matter the size or location. Below, I’ll share with you my favorite 7 tips for making your homeschool functional in ANY space. And because these tips are so versatile, you can utilize them when trying to organize any room or space in your home.
MY INSPIRATION-
We once had a family member stay at our house for a prolonged period of time. This required us to pack up and move our homeschool supplies out of the way. Thankfully it was during our summer break. Well, when it came time for me to get our classroom organized for the upcoming school year, it became very apparent, no, it pretty much slapped me in the face that most of our school supplies were still packed away inside storage totes in the living room. Being the person I am, said totes had started to double as an end table for the couch.
Hello, functional!
Anywho, our start date was quickly approaching so I had to move with haste… like real haste; the haste that existed back when people used that word regularly.I know you understand what I’m talking about.
The thought of getting in and out of storage totes multiple times a day for curriculum and math manipulatives and workbooks was downright exhausting just to think about. So, being the master organizer that I am, I decided that an area of the living room would be our new homeschool space. This space was much smaller and very different than we were used to, but I was determined to make it work.
But how to do it?
And how to make that shit functional?
I put my organizing skills to work and pumped it out! Below are 7 simple steps that will not only help you get your homeschool organized but will make it super functional.
LET’S GET DOWN TO IT!
1. COLLECT
The first tip to making your homeschool functional in any space is to collect; collect all the items that must fit into the area and lay them out to get a clearer idea of what all needs a permanent place. If the items are packed away nicely inside a storage tote or two (I’m so guilty of this one) or stored inside desk drawers or hidden in closets, or even still in shopping bags, take them out so you can clearly see what all is there. Your space will feel cluttered, but this is necessary, so allow for this for a few moments. Trust me on this one.
Breathe in and breathe out! It won’t be like that forever; you’ve got a plan in place, remember.
2. VISUALIZE AND PLAN
The next tip to making your homeschool functional in any space is to visualize and plan. Now that you have all the necessary items collected and laid out, take a good, long look around. Whether the space is larger, smaller, or even the same size as you’re used to, stand in the room and try to visualize where each item may go. Look from different angles planning what could go in that corner (or is that nook or cranny), below that window, or behind that doorway.
Could a storage bench be put over there?
How about a shelving unit here?
ALWAYS consider your vertical space- the walls. We often underutilize wall space, but this is an excellent way to make even a smaller space feel larger!
3. PURGE
In this next tip to making your homeschool functional in any space, which is one of my faves, you’ll surely start to make good progress!
While you’re visualizing the permanent home for each item, take a moment to determine what items can be purged. I find this one comes pretty easily after some practice unless I self-sabotage. There are always those occasions when I wonder, “Could we possibly use this in the future?” So I find a spot for it, only to realize at the end of the school year, it still hasn’t been touched. Um yes, I’m talking about those pre-k/kindergarten workbooks that we only used one page out of.
Take a brief moment to decide what you are capable of purging that just isn’t useful or functional anymore. Trust yourself in that decision and quickly move on to the next item. When you’ve purged all the items you’re comfortable with letting go of you’re ready to move on to the next step in the process: the research phase.
4. RESEARCH
Once you have a really good grasp of what all is floating around without a home and purged what isn’t useful anymore, grab your trusty laptop or cell phone, or whatever you use when mindlessly scrolling through random videos on Tik Tok 🙃 and put your fingers to work and do some research. Research to find new items that will make your homeschool much more functional.
I’m not going to tell you to spend a fortune on organizing your homeschool. Who even wants to think about doing all that?
Not this girl!
That’s why I will tell you to use the research phase to find what you want for the price you’re willing to pay. There are a number of retailers out there to choose from, and lots of places you can find digital coupons and rebates to make the cost of items more acceptable. You can even check Facebook Marketplace. I have found some useful items on there from parents who were in a different stage with their kids and no longer needed what I was looking for.
Don’t spend your entire free time after the kids go to bed in the evening searching every item on every website for a better price, but give it a good go. If you find a pricey item but can’t find the same or similar item at another retailer for cheaper, then don’t hesitate to buy what is going to make your school day more functional!
After you’re satisfied with your research and choices, it’s time to hop on down to the next tip for making your homeschool functional in any space: purchasing what you need.
5. PURCHASE
Now that you’ve done some amazing research (you rockstar!), get your happy feet, or fingers moving and purchase those items you need. I don’t know about you, but most of the time, I need to see an item in the space to be completely sure of its worthiness, so when you are picking up your item, take a quick look around and see if something else piques your interest. If so, grab both and bring ‘em on home for a test drive. If you prefer to order online, then that works too.
This is all about making the process and your homeschool functional for YOU, so go ahead and order that shit, rápido. You know it’s going to take a few days to receive it. 😉
After all the items have been purchased, it’s time to move on to the next tip for making your homeschool functional in any space, which is organizing everything.
PRO TIP:
One of the best tips I can give you when trying to organize your homeschool is not to self-sabotage.
What I mean is- don’t convince yourself to hang onto any given item simply because it hasn’t been used.We (as in most humans) are so good at holding onto items that just aren’t needed, or functional. Doing this will only make the space necessary for your homeschool unnecessarily large or more cluttered.
Don’t self-sabotage.
Also, don’t talk yourself out of getting what you need- for whatever reason: that beautiful bookshelf or rolling cart (like this one at Michael’s!) or those canvas cubes for your cubbies.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked myself out of buying what I needed for our schoolroom simply because of the price. I’d often try to convince myself to make it work with something cheaper or maybe even decide to make it myself. Sometimes making it myself was feasible, and other times it was just another task to add to my already long list of things to complete. Meanwhile, I worked daily, overtly frustrated with a setup that was NOT functional.
I would self-sabotage.
Save yourself the mental stress and just do what will make your life easier.
6. ORGANIZE
The next tip for making your homeschool functional in any space is where the fun begins. The part where you get to undo the mess you made by putting those purchased items to good use to help organize everything. I always tell my kids:
“If everything has a home, it’s easier to find when you need it, and to put it away”
With that said, put those carts, bookshelves, or whatever you bought together, and let’s get this rolling (pun intended). Create a place for every item. Whether it is pencils and crayons and markers or writing notepads and construction papers, or file folders full of activities, designate a place for everything.
Every. single. item.
This part will likely take the longest, and you may even find yourself taking breaks and revisiting it over several days. You may even find yourself reorganizing as you go simply because you’ve now decided to go in a different direction.
Once you have gotten it all organized to your liking, you are ready to test it. Test it for functionality. No homeschool setup needs to be frustrating, so take some time to make that shit work for you from the start.
7. TEST
The last tip to making your homeschool functional in any space is to test everything. Each time you fill up those wonderful cubbies or neatly utilize the drawers of that rolling cart or even the shelves of one of these over-the-door wire racks (love these things!), test for functionality. Test, and test, and test again.
Bring in the kids and have them test it too. It took me a couple of years and many, many reorganizing sessions to realize that I needed to have my kiddos test our setup before it was complete. I felt like I was reorganizing all the time.
I mean all the time.
This is where it comes in handy-dandy to have a couple of different options to try. If one setup is difficult for you or your kids to work with, try the second or third options. I prefer to test as I go along, which can become super annoying to the kids (they get over it), but if you’d rather get it all done and then test, go right ahead and do what works for you.
This list is all about making your homeschool work for YOU and be functional in any space!
Once you’re completely satisfied, take a big sigh of relief and slap yourself on that beautiful peach of yours. You did fantastically! And don’t forget to contact me with your finished products and photos!
Your photos may even be featured on our site!
If you enjoyed these 7 tips for making your homeschool functional in ANY space, please share this post with others, and check out our other blog posts that I’m sure you’ll find just as helpful.
