DIY Homework Station

August 26, 2016

DIY Homework Station. It’s that time again. The kids are headed back to school, and you want to be sure to get the year off to a good start.

To take a little of the anxiety and stress out of doing homework (for them and for you!) consider providing a dedicated space for your kids to get it done.

Maybe you, like me, are tired of watching your kids do their homework while sprawled across their beds, or at a kitchen table that still has mashed potatoes from dinner smeared across it. This will take care of that problem, and it doesn’t have to be elaborate or particularly expensive.

Here are some DIY homework station ideas:

Grab a corner. Really, all you need is one strategically placed corner of your home. Especially if your kids are on the younger side. Teenagers will most likely just want to do homework in their rooms. But you will want to be accessible to younger kids while they work.

So pick an area where you can keep an eye on them and provide assistance if they need it, such as a corner of the living room, or even a small desk at the end of a kitchen island. Or if you happen to have a home office or den, it might be convenient to set up a small kids’ homework area in there.
Make sure to provide easy access to school supplies. Using bright colors will keep their minds engaged. Have a desk organizer at the ready with pencils, crayons, glue, tape, and scissors. Hang a calendar on the wall so they can keep track of when their homework is due. If you have room for one, consider a whiteboard for taking notes or just doodling. A cork board can hold sticky notes, pictures, and important notices from school.

Motivation Tip: On days of the week when you don’t have to bug them to complete their homework, mark the calendar with a sticky star or other sticker. Then reward them when they get a certain number of stickers, i.e. “7 stars = extra video game time”, or something else that is age-appropriate.

Provide a desk and chair. Some ideas to do it cheaply include buying one from a yard sale or thrift store, or getting one from a “buy-nothing” club in your neighborhood.

Or you can just DIY the desk! Consider making our easy-to-assemble “Incredible Almost-Free Laptop Desk” if you happen to have an old table lying around. An adjustable chair or stool will ensure that kids are working at a comfortable height.

A dedicated homework station is one of those “little effort, big reward” projects that you can easily do now, and reap the benefits the whole school year!