Back to School Tips: How to Create a Homework Station
Today I’m excited to share with you one of my favorite Back to School Tips, How to create a homework station! If you like this post then you may also enjoy this FREE Printable Back To School Shopping List!
DIY Homework Station and Back to School Tips:
Let me first say that me and organized don’t usually belong in the same sentence, but for 3 school years now this system has totally worked for me, so that’s gotta say something. If it works for me I’m guessing it will work for you too. I’m not one of those “super organized” moms who always seems to know what’s going on. I’m more a “doing my best” mom who occasionally forgets things but tries really really hard!
I have 3 kids, one that is off to college and twin middle schoolers. Over the years we’ve evolved how we handle homework in our house. We have discovered that what works best for us is to have everyone working at the kitchen table together. Then mom and dad are close by if they need help and there are fewer distractions.
This however created a problem in the kitchen. It seemed I always had pens, pencils and paper all over the table even after they were done. When it was time for dinner it would drive me crazy since there was nowhere to eat!
A couple of years ago, I got the idea to create a Homework Station on my kitchen table. Everything they need to be contained in one place and it’s easily moved out of the way when needed. This homework station takes the place of our kitchen table centerpiece, but I’m totally ok with it! I actually find myself using items from it quite a bit.
This year to help with the back to school organization, Martha Stewart Home Office, with Avery sent me a box of supplies! I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them as soon as I got them. Pretty up that homework station!
How to Create a Homework Station:
Items Needed:
(this post contains affiliate links)
ONE: Magazine File:
The first thing I did was add a file box to the station this year. I used a Magazine file and my VERY FAVORITE product the chalkboard labels to create a “Things for Mom to sign” box on the table.
You see we frequently lose important papers like field trip permission slips, school directories etc.
This way all those items get put in the file, one folder of things to sign and one folder of things I’ve already signed. I also plan on putting some of our math help sheets in there too so they are close at hand.
TWO: Miscellaneous Items
- Pencils in Mason Jar
- Sticky Notes
- Paper Clips
- Mason Jar with Pens
- Scissors
- Erasers
- Post It Flags
- Ruler
The rest of the station has a variety of items, including pencils, pens, highlighters, erasers, and sticky notes. Also in the pile are the Color Coding tabs which are perfect to use to mark places in books, textbooks and binders. My kids love to use them as they study to mark where they left off or things they need to come back to.
THREE:
Actually #3 is a tip. Leave this out on your table for it to be the most effective. I ended up putting all of our supplies into cute containers and got a nice tray from IKEA to hold them all. It will look nice on your table (who doesn’t love bouquets of sharpened pencils?) and it will be easy for your kids to get what they need.
Okay, now help me out a bit. What are some of your favorite Back to School Organization Tips? Just leave them for me in the comments section!
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Thank you very much for sharing such useful articles!
Thanks for sharing! This is so cute and functional!
What a great ideas, I really enjoy it. Where do you take these wonderful ideas? What you have just shown is really convenient for parents who have a lot of children, because success in school depends largely on organization. If everything stand in its place, then the child can do his homework faster and be able to do something useful for self-development. I heard that there is statistics, which indicates that when the right organization of the workplace, children do their homework faster for 20%.
Thank you very much for sharing such useful articles!
I love this idea! Where did you get that cute tray? Thanks again.
Lol … PS: I’m capable of clicking on the highlighted links in the article, you so graciously provided to us for the file folder, etc but it seems others were struggling, so that’s why I just included all of their questions, along with mine about the pepper shaker so you could maybe do a one & done answer. Thought it might help you out. ??
Thanks again. ?
Also… thanks so much for this great tip, as well as those in the comments section! Very helpful! 🙂
*** Is there any possibility you could answer the four asked questions (to which I could not find an answer from you in the comments section): 1) where did the magazine holder come from, 2) where did you get the tray? 3) someone also asked where did you get your containers (idk if she meant the ones I’m including or others? 4) & the question I wanted to know along with others, what do you use the wooden pepper shaker for? Or is it just for looks?
I’m personally guessing the magazine holder/file holder is from Martha Stewart. 😉
Savvy article ! BTW , if your company has been searching for a IRS W-9 , my colleagues came across a fillable form here
https://goo.gl/F8NhLc.My colleagues required IRS W-9 a few weeks ago and discovered an excellent service that hosts a searchable database . If others are looking for IRS W-9 too , here’s
https://goo.gl/ChE4aX.I keep a tote with the same items under my sons bed. He simply slides it out gets what he needs and slides it back under. We organize it before school starts each year and when my kids outgrew some of the items (crayons, book covers, pencils) we donated them to the closest elementary school for less fortunate kids to use.
Thank you! My back to school tip is to get advice like this from experienced moms! Thanks. I’ve pinned this to my organization board!