We have been remodeling around here, and part of the transformation was to get a new desk in the dining room space. Now that I’m all set with a space for my kids, I can pass along ideas about how to organize a homework station. I was able to find this cool tanker desk on Craigslist, and it has worked perfectly for our work area. Putting together a positive, organized space for your kids to engage in school work is one of the ways you can set your children up for success. You also might be interested in these 15 back to school organization ideas as well as these helpful ways to improve study skills. I also have a FABULOUS GIVEAWAY to offer today! Before I show you the area I created for my kids, I want to get to the giveaway because I know you will love these bulletin board and dry erase options available for you, and I want to get you excited for personalizing your own homework or office space.
Glass Dry Erase Board and Diamond Mesh Fabric Board Giveaway
Every great homework station needs a bulletin board or dry erase board. I hope you are inspired to create your own great work center, and I have just the giveaway to help you get started. We will be giving away a gorgeous glass dry erase board (comes in a variety of amazing colors) and a great diamond mesh fabric bulletin board. These are valued at almost $400 together. The design of the glass dry erase board will transform any work area into a beautiful, organized space of inspiration. The unique design of the fabric bulletin board provides a self-healing surface to keep unsightly pinholes at bay. This giveaway is available to United States residents age 18+ or older. The giveaway prize package will be fulfilled by Mono Machines I have teamed up with some more great bloggers for this giveaway so you have even more chances of winning. You’ll have the opportunity to follow Simple Acres Blog , Meaningful Mama, Beauty through Imperfection and What’s Up Fagans? in our Rafflecopter giveaway.
How to Organize a Homework Station for Kids
* Affiliate links provided for your convenience. Anything you purchase through these links helps to support Meaningful Mama and the free resources I provide. Thank you for choosing to support us. One of the big goals of a homework center is to set up your kids with the right supplies. You want everything organized clearly in one place. To limit distractions by having all the supplies easily accessible is one of the goals. Here are some of the items we have in the mason jars right in front of them on the desk: scissors, rulers, highlighters, colored pencils (the ones I linked to are more expensive, but they are the higher quality that I love to use), makers, twistable crayons, pens, and pencils. How else do we keep this space organized? The drawers and top of the desk. Let me take a moment to tell you about the components included. On Top of the Desk:
- Desk Lamp
- Electric Pencil Sharpener
- Noise Canceling Earmuffs – As we are finding my daughter has some sensory needs, we have found that noise canceling earmuffs are helpful to cut distractions. These could help any child focus.
- Stapler
- Jambox – Jambox is a speaker that can remotely connect to my phone. To also help my daughter stay focused during homework time, we have found that putting on some headphones and playing some classical piano music from Pandora has really helped. This was a suggestion from a friend, and I’m so grateful for this guidance. It’s made a huge difference.
What is in the Drawers? First of all, the drawers on the right side of the desk are full of my children’s papers. They each have a drawer assigned to them. Here they can keep their homework packets, flashcards, books or any other helpful tools that are specifically intended for their homework experience. Keeping this space organized is part of the challenge. Pocket folders can help with this. What is in the center, skinny drawer?
Craft Closet with More Materials Needed for Homework My craft closet if filled with more materials that kids might need for homework or projects. I love having these closets because I don’t have to run out to the craft store if the kids want to do a craft or have a project due. My secret for organizing is bins, bins, bins. I also love my label maker. Here are some of the supplies I like to have in my craft closet:
- Stock and Construction Paper Organized by Color on a Paper Storage System
- Scrapbook Paper
- Lined Paper
- Scratch Paper
- Envelopes
- Pom Poms
- Feathers
- Foam
- Foam Stickers
- Yarn
- More Markers, Crayons, and Colored Pencils
- Sharpies
- Tape
- Ribbon
- Popsicle Sticks
- Pipe Cleaners
- Glue
- Cutters
- Google Eyes
- Glitter
- Letter Stickers
- Buttons
Dry Erase Board
This giveaway and post really highlights the befits of having a large dry erase board or bulletin board for organizing. Are you in love with the glass ones being given away today? Absolutely gorgeous! Before I saw those as an option, I had the idea to do a DIY metal board to match some of our house aesthetic, which has a lot of raw steel and reclaimed wood. I found a metal store where I was able to buy steel cut to size, and my husband made the frame out of fence board he ripped and cut to size. Our steel dry erase board houses our weekly schedule, some homemade artwork, our daily routine checklists and some encouraging praises my kids received from school. More things you could add to your board include: inspiring quotes or scriptures, spelling words, calendars, school newsletter with important information, and reminders. Are you inspired to make a special, organized homework station for you kids? I hope so. It really makes a big difference as they try and organize their thoughts and keep them focused during work time.
i would love one of the paper shredders
the bulletin board looks great
I would love an electronic whiteboard.
I absolutely LOVE this, and I think having an organized, separate space for homework could really motivate kids to actually want to get it done(: Thanks so much for this post, it could really come in handy in a few years when my kiddo is ready for school!
Thanks so much. It’s really been helpful for us too. The individual kid drawers are a little out of control right now, so we need to do a clean out, but otherwise the organization and clean space as really helped. Thanks for commenting.
It takes me time to organize my kid homework station, thanks for the post. I follow the blog for a long time and good to see your new post every day
I hope this helps. It does take a while to figure out what works. Right now, my girls’ drawers have gotten a little out of control, so I think that will need to be a job for them soon. Thanks for commenting.
I love the magnetic dry erase board and office supply organizer you have on top of the desk. Where did you get them?
Hello. 🙂 The metal dry erase board my husband made. We found a place that would cut and sell us a piece of metal. Then, my husband made the wooden frame to go around it. The office supply organizer I found at Hobby Lobby, I believe. I just added the mason jars. In retrospect, I should have done a tutorial about how to make the dry erase board. Maybe I will need to go back and do that. Thanks for the sweet compliments.