After much deliberation we decided to turn our dining room into a homeschool room! The closet we've been using has been working fine, but as very little as the dining room gets used we decided to just go for it and create our own homeschool room. Honestly it was just the best decision for us. Knowing J's personality I knew he would love to have that dedicated space to go to where the distractions of the house were away from us and we could just focus on our school work. The kids were thrilled from the moment we told them we were doing it, to watching the whole process unfold, to finally seeing the end result. The room is in full swing now and being used daily. So here it goes, our big homeschool reveal...
Let me tell you about how I hate trying to photograph a small room. I did the best I could so I hope you enjoy!!
View from one entry into the room.
View from the other entry into the room.
I wanted to keep our dining room table but decided to switch out the chairs for barstools that could slide right underneath. I didn't want to take up any more space in our small room and I really didn't want anything getting spilled on my nice chairs!! :-) I sewed the tablecloth to be fitted so the little ones wouldn't just pull the cloth off the table. I love the United States map as well. We have family in various states so I knew I wanted a really big map that the kids could easily point to and learn all of the different states.
I felt the urge to be "official" and had an extra shelf and picture frame laying around so I created this little set up with our school name. A LOT of things used to decorate the room were things I had laying around the house or in the attic. I often find myself wanting a fresh look for our little home and consider myself a professional clearance shopper (hahaha), so I tend to hang on to all household decorations for a later use such as this.
I knew I definitely wanted cubeicals. I've had one for a while and love it so I knew it would be a good fit. Fortunately one day I was shopping at Home Depot and low and behold there were two of these in the store. I think they were bought online and returned to the store because I couldn't find any more anywhere in this area. I got the third online and we were ready to go. They even came with the 4 fabric bins per cubical. I still have a lot of room to be filled but I don't think that's going to be hard ;)
Had to show you this little gem. Once again this was just repurposing things laying around the house. This little crate was my grandmothers and used to hold a small Christmas tree. When I was "shopping" my attic I took one look at it and knew it would be perfect for the table. So glad to have a little piece of my grandmother in our homeschool room.
Just had to show off a few more of my supplies and toys. A wall pencil sharpener is a MUST. I loathed sharpening pencils all the time and the little sharpener we had kept busting open and getting little pencil shavings everywhere.
This shelf of toys make me happy. They are what the kids play with the most and there is so much learning that can happen from these toys. They can be pricey so I got all of mine second hand, on clearance, and when stores like AC Moore have their good sales or coupons.
Calendar time is something that my kids love. Up until now I've been using one that I created, but I found this one on a good sale (plus I was motivated by the fact that I hated mine) so I got this. I highly recommend this wall calendar. It's really good quality and comes with a ton of cards to be used on various holidays and more throughout the year.
My dedicated space to show off the kids artwork during the week. The amount of art and crafts the kids produce during the week can get overwhelming so this helps reign it in.
Here's the whole wall. I love having a dedicated space for their backpacks that they use for a co-op they're in one day a week. No more searching as we're rushing out the door!
We've been using the workbox system (in our own way) and this is what we use for our system. Normally there are little labels on the front of each drawer but little S wouldn't leave them alone today so they're off! All three kids are huge fans of Pottery Barn Anywhere Chairs. The green one I got second hand for $25!!! The pink one F just got for Christmas. I see another pink or purple in S's future :)
Another freebie project with a frame I wasn't using and scrapbook paper. I always have scrapbook paper on hand in this house!!
I also recommend a stash of supplies just for mom. Keeps my sanity having my own stuff to work with and always knowing where my good stuff is.
I really believe the most important thing about having a school room is keeping the "home" in homeschool. For me, the room should bring the best of both worlds together. The fun and wonder of a school room and the comfort and love of home. I hope you enjoyed the room, we certainly do!