Table of Contents
- How Do I Create A Learning Space At Home?
- 8 Best At Home Learning Space Ideas
- What Makes A Good Space For Learning?
- Need More Ideas?
After a couple years of this new need for home learning spaces, my kids’ school now uses e-learning days if it snows! So, we are still having to deal with remote learning and all the distractions built into our home! Yay!
Sitting at the dining room table doesn’t work; I’ve already learned the hard way that that is not good for your neck, wrists, back, or the table. Ha! I’d rather them be in the actual classroom, but we’re making the best of the school year!
So it’s going to be desks, good seating and supplies. Because I work from home so I can’t be getting up every five minutes to help find a pen. Or a calculator. Or a red crayon. Or glue. My child’s education is very important to me; but, please don’t bother me!
So I’ve turned to my old friend Pinterest and a couple of experienced Homeschooling moms to see if there are any tricks to creating an effective learning space that’s going to work for the kids AND me AND keep everyone sane.
How Do I Create A Learning Space At Home?
My friend Jen from Practical By Default helps working mothers homeschool their kids. She has some great tips to share on expectations for Remote Learning in general and how to tackle the remote learning space.
Distance learning and homeschool are different from each other, but as a working mom who homeschools, there are a few things you can do that work in both situations. Here are my top three things parents can do to help their kids (and themselves) make the most of this unique situation.
- Try not to stress over everything. Remember: if mom is stressed, kids are stressed. Understand change is hard for you and them, and therefore you need to lower your expectations for everything. Things are not going to go perfectly every day.
- Have a planner and work with your kids. Chances are your distance learning has a schedule. The day before, try to make sure they have everything they need, and they know where it is. Set aside specific times for schoolwork, chores, and other important matters. You can adjust your schedule as needed.
- Create a learning space designated for distance learning. Unlike homeschooling kids, where kids tend to learn anywhere and everywhere, distance learning includes a lot of online work. When creating your “learning area,” make sure they have a desk or table with enough room for the things they need, such as a computer, headset, binders/worksheets, etc. Make sure the chair is at the right level for your child. You may need to purchase an adjustable chair or use a booster seat and stool to make sure they are comfortable.
What’s great about Jen’s advice is that you know what you need after reading it, but you also know what you do not need. There are a lot of great homeschool set ups that look amazing on Pinterest, but you don’t necessarily need all of that for remote learning.
8 Best At Home Learning Space Ideas
Pegboards
This homework area is great because it’s taken a lot of stuff off the surface of the desk and moved it up on to the wall space with that cool pegboard. I’ve seen people even use spice racks as shelves.
If you’ve got limited desk surface area for your little learner to work on, then consider going vertical for storing their learning and creativity supplies. A bulletin board would work as well. I’ve used that myself!
That way there’s plenty of room if they do need to pull out some pencil and paper and do some math or writing. My daughter requested her artwork to be displayed and a holder for a couple fidget toys too! Great idea!
Storage Underneath A Desk
If vertical space isn’t going to work for storage, then this genius DIY desk is great. I actually love the fact that the storage here is underneath the desk.
It looks a lot much nicer, especially if your kids are going to be in family spaces while they are learning. So keeping their school supplies and art supplies neatly tucked away under the desk means that room will look a lot neater.
Trifold Poster Board
I love this DIY and portable learning space (especially if you have no choice but to use the kitchen or a loud room to do schoolwork). A trifold presentation board will keep out most distractions. Get some noise-cancelling headphones and you’re all set!
Quiet Zone
With more kids learning at home now, it’s extremely important to try your hardest to give your child a quiet zone to work in. Try to keep the at home learning space as far away from any chaos as possible (barking dog, loud tv’s, annoying siblings). It’s obviously a very important factor when finding a good workspace spot.
Calendars
Whether you like to have an old-school calendar hanging on the wall (those cute pics double as decorations!) or just use your phone, they are key for keeping making sure we turn things in on time or don’t miss our zoom conference calls. I really like both a giant desk paper calendar or hanging a whiteboard calendar on the wall. For kids, if they have an agenda book from school, keep it as part of the at home learning space setup and encourage them to use it as their calendar and to-do list!
Desk Lighting
One lesson I’ve learned as a work at home woman is that lighting is just as important in your home office area as it is in the regular office. Same goes for kids. Even though they are in school during daylight hours, if it rains or the sunlight goes behind a cloud, it can get very dark and dismal very quickly.
Plus, let’s be honest, the kids are going to be on Zoom calls and you know you want them to have good lighting for that.
I like this slim desk lamp from Amazon because it takes up very little room and it is very functional. You can use it as a phone and tablet charger and the light itself moves so it’s great as a task light.
If you’re really pressed for desk space, a clip on lamp is a good idea too. I like this ring lamp because it can be adjusted for task lighting or it will provide decent lighting for those Zoom calls, too.
A Comfortable Chair
Since we are all expected to sit for long periods of time, a good chair is crucial. And, using your laptop on the couch or bean bag is fine, but it’s not great to make a habit of it.
For fidgety kids, wobble stools or stools for active sitting or even exercise balls are great. If you want a traditional chair I would definitely go for some type of adjustable chair and have something for them to put their feet on.
I have what is a technically a gaming chair as my office chair and I love it (I got that idea from my Aunt who said it was the best thing ever). It’s great back support, there’s a footrest and you can recline. And my video gamer son was excited about it too.
Reading Nook
At my daughter’s school, they have these spots called “calming corners” or I’ve heard “calming cave” too. It’s a spot where the kids can go if they start to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or just want a quieter spot to read. So, my daughter created one in her room by herself. She had a loft bed so she made a cute little spot under it with books, pillows, a blanket and anything else she may need for reading time. This spot doesn’t need a writing surface or space for supplies; it’s just about comfort and their wellbeing. I need one as I am very introverted and regain my energy by being alone, comfy, and in a quiet spot!
What Makes A Good Space For Learning?
My best advice is try to have as much natural light in your at-home learning environment as possible. And routines are really important too (even for adults). I’m even guilty for getting off schedule because of my new work at home life. Also, I’m a very visual person so when I organize my desk or the kids’ learning space at home, I have to use clear bins so I know where everything is. That has been very helpful too. Because for me, if something is out of sight it is out of mind.
I asked my other homeschooling friend, Dachelle from Hide The Chocolate what she thought.
I have a tongue-in-cheek post (because we have no real desk area). You might could include it at the bottom of your article about how not to get discouraged if your kid ignores all the amazingness of your school area and chooses to sit in the dog’s bed with a pillow pet and box of Cheetos. (Yes, these are examples from my life).
Just make sure to show your kids (and yourself) some grace! Nothing is going to be perfect…and that is okay!