Homeschooling In Small Spaces

I know a lot of us are not able to dedicate an entire room to our homeschool.  It can be a little tricky to carve out a space but I thought I would share some of the ideas we have come up with to make homeschooling work in a small space.

1. Moveable storage
We like to use plastic storage drawers on wheels to store each child's supplies.  That way, no matter where we are working we can take everything we need with us.  We keep a drawer of basic supplies like pencils, markers, glue, etc. and another drawer of workbooks and such and a third drawer for misc. items.





2. Folding Tables
We use both card tables and folding trays.  The card tables can be folded up and put away if we need more room and the folding trays make great work surfaces when the children choose to sit in the living room or bedrooms.




3. Bookshelves Back to Back
I put our shelves back to back in order to make a work surface but ended up creating a nifty corner reading nook(we keep a beanbag in the corner for a comfy reading spot) and saving space at the same time.


4. Storage Bins
There will inevitably be items you need to store but what I like to do is put them in clear bins and give the bin a number.  Then I make a list of all of the items in that bin.  That way I can refer to my list and know right where to find the items I need. In a pinch, you can even set a board over two (or four if you stack them) bins and make a play or work table.







5. Label Everything! 
I have found that in a smaller space, things look messy so much faster. We are working hard to make it a habit for all of us to return items that we are done using.  I use blue painter's tape and stick it on my shelves and just write what belongs in that space.  Then the children know where to put items that they have taken out.  

6. Mason Jars as Organizational Containers
My 7 yr old actually came up with this one.  A friend had some little buckets that they organized their supplies into and she wanted to come up with something similar.  Again with the painter's tape and a Sharpie.  I throw a label on and keep them all on a small tray that we can carry from place to place.






Do you school in a small space?  What are some of your tips?