How to Organize a Homework Station

A shift has happened in our house. The kids are growing and their interests are changing. For many years, we got by with a simple toddler table with lots of arts and craft supplies nearby.

Organization is an ever-evolving beast. What works for months or years, suddenly doesn’t anymore; for no particular reason and sometimes for very practical ones. With back to school on the horizon, and three kids who suddenly were too big for the craft table, I needed an inexpensive and practical solution for anticipated homework and a family command centre that worked for everyone (and made better use of the limited real estate in our shared space with the kids).

How to Organize a Homework Station

With this in mind, I found an inexpensive desk and attractive organizers for the desktop.  Here are my top tips for getting your homework station organized:

• Purchase a set of desktop horizontal drawers where envelopes, labels, stamps and other office necessities can be easy stored while hidden away.
• Buy a desk unit with a filing cabinet drawer. School files are kept tidy and easily accessible in the desk file. I also purchased a file box to keep in the garage with files that were not needed on a regular basis.
• Purchase desk drawer organizers for school supplies in the drawers, or make your own by cutting the tops off of various sized paper gift bags.
• Incoming mail, bills and various “to do” items are stored in open shelves for a visual reminder of what needs to be done.
• I’m a fan of using clear glass jars as attractive and practical storage solutions for frequently used art supplies, like pencil crayons and markers.
• Pick up a power bar that allows for multiple electronics to be stored and  charged at the desk.
• If you have a computer, orient the desk to allow for easy supervision of any online activities with a glance.

Related: How to Organize all That School Paper!

Our Family Calendar is My New Favourite Thing

Our family calendar is colour coded by child so it is easy to see who needs to be where and at what time. An adhesive wall calendar is definitely one of my new favourite things because I can have two months at a glance on the wall and everyone can see what is up and coming without needing an online calendar. If you are unfamiliar with visual schedules, and think they might help you get organized, read my related post on how to use a visual schedule (and why you need one!) here.

I finished the area with framed artwork my children made. The artwork is easily changed as new pieces come home for display.

If you need more inspiration for organizing your family life, come follow me on Pinterest: