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:
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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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THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED
Tab dividers keep me most organized! Thanks for the chance, these are great products.
Pinned an image to my “Getting Organized – Kids” board. Thanks!
http://pinterest.com/jessy0827/boards/
Love the ‘homework station’ concept…my favorite is the jar filled with pencils! You can never have too many pencils with two children in elementary school doing homework and this is the most simple & attractive way to provide several at their disposal!!!
We color-code the folders, pens, pencils, etc for each child. It helps keep things organized on the table during homework time.
I pinned here — http://pinterest.com/pin/72902087691336887/
I like your tip to put everything on a tray so it’s not all over the table.
have your child (or parent) pick out their clothes the night before.
Hmmm, I’m not the most organized person, so I don’t have any tips. But I do have a kitchen counter in my new house that will be the perfect homework space, so I appreciate the tips on organizing it! Especially the “sign it” folder. Those papers are always lost in our house.
What a great idea, I am going to do this for my girls because they seem to constantly need me to find something for them before they can do their homework. I think a calculator would be nice on there too.
My best tip is that as soon as homework is done they have to get their book-bags ready for the next day & by the door and then add shoes once they pick out their outfit at night. Makes mornings so much simpler.
And I pinned your first picture to my great ideas board:)
I need all the organizational help I can get! i like to start the night before for the next day. even if its just a plan, it helps me the next day. my first is in kindergarten this year so im kind of new to all this:)
I love that your homework station can just as easily be out away. I homeschool but would love for papers that need checking to go in the magazine file. 🙂
We have a monthly calendar on our fridge, definitely a necessity! We also have clothes picked out and back packs ready the night before. LOVE the homework station idea!
Oh and I pinned that first image to my For the Boys board:)
We have that same MS weekly calendar on our kitchen magnetic/dry erase board. I LOVE it—every Sunday it makes me take the time to review our week and consolidate our different calendars/schedules. I also use it to plan meals, etc. I also love wiping it all away at the end of the week:)
I’m going to try the homework station. I’d love to hear where you put it when they’re not doing homework. Thanks.
I pinned one of the images!
http://pinterest.com/pin/135389532521265214/
Always make sure your kids have their backpacks ready to go and their clothes sitting out for morning so all the need to do is eat breakfast and off they go.
Pinning this fabulous idea! And LOVE Martha Stewart’s Office collection. Thanks for the ideas!!
My kids are little. I put their name on everything!
And now my favorite tip: get a notebook for each class. Seriously, this works wonders for me!