A common question I hear in all the social media groups is “Show me your homeschool space.” You can get on Pinterest and type in “homeschool room” and find a million perfectly styled homeschool rooms with well-behaved children (and well dressed for that matter), coloring in their nature journals. However, the truth is, you don’t need a perfectly curated room to homeschool. Homeschooling can take place anywhere and everywhere. When you first start your homeschool journey, the logistics of setting up your space can seem overwhelming. Good news: you don’t need to get bogged down with feeling pressure to make a Pinterest-worthy homeschool space. 

I have found that one of the many benefits of homeschooling is having the freedom to open a book anywhere and call it homeschool. Look around your house and you’ll likely find that you have everything you need to create a warm homeschooling space. Clear off the kitchen counter or your kitchen table, and beneath all the mail, laptop, books, crayons, and snacks (just me?) you have a surface for all the writing and coloring that your child could ever do. If the table doesn’t work, move to the floor. We have done many hours of school on the floor together. We’ve also done a lot of schooling outside on the porch and driveway. There are few things I like to have in order for a somewhat organized homeschool space. 

1. At the start of each homeschool year or once a year, go through all your supplies. I like to get all the art supplies into one group and then break down that group into smaller subcategories. Find storage for your art supplies whether it’s a few glasses from the cupboard to hold all the pens and pencils or an organizational rolling cart (my favorite). A rolling cart is a great way to house all the art supplies and even some curriculum books. You can roll it from room to room which makes it super convenient. Here’s the one I use, but something like this could also work.
2. I also recommend getting a few baskets that sit at the entryway, on a homeschool desk, or on a nightstand. I like to have the literature books we’re using for the week in a handy basket. Baskets are also a great home for your child’s history journal, math books, and a few pencils. You could also use your rolling cart to hold these things if you desire, but personally, I like baskets best for organizing relevant books and keeping them handy, and always keep an empty one on hand for when it’s time to run to the library. The last thing I want to do before heading out the door is a mad scramble around the house, looking under the couch or through a pile of laundry to find the library books. 
3. While I’m on the topic of library books, I will mention that I always tell parents that the one thing you can’t live without when homeschooling is a library card. If you don’t have one, head over to your local library today! You’ll be amazed at how many resources (activity kits, videos, classes) they have in addition to all the books you could ever want or need.
4. Lastly, we’re always thinking about supplies. And I want to assure you that you probably already have everything you need. I’m always amazed at how many crayons, markers, and glue sticks the kids have. This is also why I like to clean everything out once a year to take stock. If you want more suggestions, we have put together more extensive supply lists for things you might need while using our Little Wonders and Young Scholars curriculum.