Everything You Need For Your Homeschool Space

If you’re new to homeschooling and wondering what the heck you got yourself into, welcome. I’m two years in and still wonder about it sometimes. Homeschool came to our home out of pandemic necessity and managed to stick around. 

In the beginning, I thought I needed a dedicated room and was overwhelmed and frankly a bit jealous of the Pinterest worthy images I saw of other homeschool family spaces. I don’t currently have an extra room and so I made do with where I could. Prior to moving, I turned my living room into an office/ homeschool space. The lighting was crappy and there was no separation of spaces. Whatever one was doing, we were all a part of it. It was not ideal but we survived. 

When we moved, we still didn’t have a dedicated space but we did have more separation. I turned my formal dining room and built in china hutch into my homeschool space. Organization is so important when schooling from home. I’ve created a list of must haves, and nice to haves for every homeschool parent. A lot of these items you probably already have around the house. Gather them up and take inventory before restocking.

Must Haves

Pencil Sharpener. While a manual sharpener will work just fine, I finally splurged and grabbed this electric pencil sharpener. I’ve added to to my list of necessities for our homeschool space because I can’t imagine life without it now. Sounds dramatic, but its that big of a game changer.

White Printer Paper- a blank canvas for every purpose plus its necessary for the next item on the list.

Printer- The bane of my existence but the most helpful tool I have. Almost daily, I find an activity online to print out for my kids to do. A reliable printer is a homeschool family’s best friend. I’d link one for you but I don’t dare put my name on a printer haha!

Glue Sticks/ Glue– I feel like I overbuy but we really do run through glue pretty fast. Others we lose when the lids glue themselves shut, haha! I recommend starting with a small quantity to determine how quickly you need to replenish. Then grab in bulk if it better meets your needs.

Crayons– With a 5 and 7 year old, we lose crayons regularly. Because we all know, you cant draw with a broken crayon <eyeroll>. I bought individual crayon packs for my kids but they just got mixed up and fought over. Now I just buy a bunch that everyone can use and replenish as I need to.

Markers- I have some thick and some thin markers. Is it necessary? Probably not, but my kids have their preferences and it’s an easy one to meet. The most important part of markers is making sure they are washable for younger kids. More times than not, my kids end up with marker on the outside of their mouths. why? that’s a great question I often wonder that myself.

Colored Pencils– Older kids seem to enjoy working more with colored pencils. They are especially great for labeling maps and other projects that require writing and more detailed drawing.

Supply Organizer– I have tried to organize all the art supplies. Pencil pouches, boxes, caddy’s, you name it. While they all have their pros and cons, I’ve found this amazing lazy Susan table top sorter that keeps everything we need within reach. Since we work at our dining room table and not individual desks, this works so much better for us.

#2 Pencils- No homeschool space is complete without an overly and unnecessarily large collection of # 2 pencils.

Extra Erasers– while any eraser will do, my kids prefer the pencil top erasers to hand held. You can go with traditional pencil tops or keep it fun with animal shapes like the ones linked.

Scissors- both kid friendly and adult friendly scissors are a must. I don’t know why but scissors always seem to get misplaced around here. We have a designated spot but none of us seem to remember that when the time comes to clean up haha.

Tape– my son uses tape for everything. I think he just loves the way it feels but whatever the reason, I am constantly searching for and replenishing our tape.

Stapler/ Extra Staples- I grabbed mine in Red so I could easily find it amidst the chaos of papers, workbooks, and other supplies. It was a good decision.

Whiteboard (personal size)- one for each kid and one for you. We use our whiteboards every single day.

Whiteboard Markers– With care, these can last you a good while. I love having different colors especially as if I want something to stand out.

Teacher Planner– This is an absolute must. Having the day’s lesson plan right at your fingertips keeps the day running smoothly. A quick search and you can find countless options. I linked the one I use. It’s simple and I can customize it to fit what I need it to.

Highlighters– These don’t get as much use with my younger kiddos, but they do come in handy for certain activities. I prefer the thin line vs the thick but that is personal preference.

File Storage – Since we are hybrid schoolers, I need something I can easily transport to teacher meetings. A traditional fie cabinet would work just fine for traditional full time homeschoolers. We use this to store completed work for the unit.

Nice to Haves

Flashcards- math, sight words, anything your child needs some extra help on.

Bulletin Board- dress it up and make your space feel more classroom like with a fun bulletin board.

Cubby or Magazine Sorter- I use magazine holders to separate my kids curriculum from their workbooks so I spend less time digging around.

Dedicated Computer- This is not a necessity for younger children. If you are homeschooling older kids and their work is primarily computer based, then having a computer for each one is important.

Craft Supplies- If you enjoy craft times with your kiddos, by all means grab the pom-poms, paint, glitter glue, etc. They are not a homeschool necessity but I’m sure you kids would appreciate their addition to your supplies.

Supplemental Curriculum – I find great workbooks at Lakeshore Learning and also through the Good and Beautiful. A quick google search and you will find lots of options to choose from.

Paper Slicer- I have one but it doesn’t get as much use as I thought it would. It is convenient for the times I need it.

Honestly, you can shop for hours and still find more things to add to your space. This list is a good starting place. If you haven’t already, check out A Day In The Life Of A Homeschool Mom.

Sincerely,

Amanda

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