Homework Station Ideas for Kids

While the importance of having a separate spot for working and doing homework has been researched and documented a long time ago, the situation with the pandemic this past year and a half only made it that much more necessary. All kids deserve to have their own learning corner at home, but if you still don’t know how to make it, our homework station ideas can be an inspiration.

Maybe you want to renovate and upgrade your child’s old homework station? That’s fine, too! In this article, we’ll discuss how to create a homework station for kids at home, including details about where, why, and what would make the ideal homework station for your home. Then, we’ll share some creative and beautiful examples of the homes of other parents who nailed this challenge. Finally, we’ll give you additional DIY homework station ideas and instructions on how to turn them into a reality. 

With the help of a stress-free study zone at your home, kids will have a structure, routine, and an environment that’s inviting them to learn. This is because we all associate certain places with specific functions. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to sleep, eat, work, and relax all in one place, especially for young kids. To avoid confusing and distracting them, here’s how to create the ultimate homework station. 

How to Create the Ultimate Homework Station for Kids

The ideal homework station for kids is a bright, uncluttered surface with stimulating learning materials where kids can write their assignments, study, read, or complete other school-related activities. 

It’s a physically designated space in the house that has only one function. This way, kids will associate the environment with studying and working, which will make it easier for them to slip back into a routine and complete everything on time. 

Fortunately, this can be accomplished in many different ways and with little or no investment – if that’s what you wish or need to do. The ideal homework station doesn’t need to be elaborate or expensive. Here’s a step-by-step guide that will walk you through the process of creating the perfect homework station for your kids. 

Step 1: Choose the location. There’s a lot to be considered when choosing a location, which is why we’ll elaborate on this step in the next paragraph.

Step 2: Think about your child’s needs. What your child needs depends on their grade, their interests, and some other factors. For example, are they homeschooled or go to a public school? Are they in first grade, learning how to read and write, or are they starting with more complex subjects like science and physics? Do they have online teaching or in person? What are their hobbies or extracurricular activities? The answers to these questions will give you an idea of the most important elements that your child’s homework station should contain.

Step 3: Ask for your child’s feedback. Before deciding anything, make sure to ask your child when they need or want. This is especially important for things that directly affect their learning habits. For example, do they think they’ll learn better in front of a window with lots of natural light, or will that be more of a distraction? What’s their favorite color? What’s their favorite subject at school? What do they like about the classroom? 

Step 4: Invest in storage and organization! Decluttering the homework surface area and having everything well-organized is crucial. While it’s important for your child to have everything they need for every subject, displaying it all in front of them does more harm than good. It will distract them and make them feel overwhelmed. A clean surface with a big space area is always a smart idea. 

Step 5: Create a routine. You can achieve this by creating a schedule and sticking to it. It doesn’t really matter when the child will do their homework. It’s much more important to do it at the same time every day. This way, they’ll be disciplined and the habit will make studying time much more efficient. 

Step 6: Increase comfort. Finally, the last thing you should consider is the details that make one homework station a pleasing and inviting environment. Place a blooming flower on their desk, arrange their books on a shelf and add tiny decorations next to them such as their favorite toy, attach a colorful poster with helpful information on the wall, or place pillows on their chair – the choice is yours and your child’s. 

Where to Set Up the Homework Station?

Choosing the perfect spot for a homework station is one of the most important decisions. The details can be easily changed later, but the location largely affects the ability of your child to complete their school assignments efficiently. 

Moreover, the perfect location is a subjective concept. Depending on the parent’s schedule and responsibilities in the house, the house’s layout, and your child’s character, the best homework station ideas would be very different from one to another. 

Here are a few guidelines that will help you choose the best location for your homework station: 

• Noise – the first and one of the most essential factors to consider is noise. The homework station needs to be in a quiet place, away from the kitchen, TV, or other distractions. 
• Light – the second most important factor when deciding where to install a homework station is the natural light of the room. The rule of thumb is to choose a bright area near a window, but this is not always the best idea. For example, children with autism are typically more sensitive to sensory stimuli and too bright areas near a window may be harmful. Also, children with ADHD might get easily distracted if they see constant movement outside of the window. You know your child best, so choose wisely, but, if the station is in a completely isolated area, invest in high-quality artificial light. 
• Surrounding – make sure the surroundings complements the function of the homework station. For instance, some parents think the best homework station idea is to create it in their home office and for the whole family to work together. Others like to give children more privacy and install homework stations in a separate corner of the house. That being said, placing a homework station in the living room or in the kitchen is definitely not a good idea.
• Space – finally, think about the space. While there are some unique and wonderfully executed homework station ideas in a limited space area (when there’s no other option), it’s better to place the homework station in an open area.

Homework Station Essentials

Once you have the structure figured out, you need to add the functional essential that will turn that area into an efficient learning space. What does a child need to be able to effortlessly complete their homework and other school activities on the homework station? 

First, think about the need for a computer. If they have their classes online, having a computer or a laptop is essential, obviously. But, what if they don’t have online classes – is it a good idea to incorporate a computer in the homework station? This mostly depends on the child’s grade level. For elementary school students, a computer is probably not important, but as they grow, they’ll need to do research online, create presentations, or even send their homework through email. Talk to your child and their teacher to get a better idea of how much they need a computer.

Second, let’s talk about essential homework station supplies. Here’s what you need: 

• Books;
• Notebooks;
• Pens and pencils; 
• Markers; 
• Drawing paper; 
• Watercolors or other paints;
• Brushes;
• Rulers; 
• A drawing compass;
• Calculator; 
• Highlighters; 
• Index cards;
• Glue;
• Scissors; 

These are some of the essentials, although, with time, you’ll gradually increase the supplies according to your child’s needs. 

Homework Station Ideas

One picture is worth a thousand words. We realize that some people have a hard time imagining the homework station without actually seeing what it looks like, which is why we picked four unique and creative homework station ideas to showcase. 

Mom 4 Real’s Back to School Homework Station Idea

The first idea comes from Jessica from Mom4Real. When the summer break was over and her children were back at school, she decided to take matters into her own hands and design a creative homework space. 

We love Jessica’s idea because it’s very easy to implement and looks amazing. She turned a regular table and a corner of her house into a creative homework area. She did so much with so little. Thanks to a desktop carousel, Jessica organized most of the supplies in the middle of the table. On the walls, there’s an encouraging banner and a blackboard for writing the children’s progress or future assignments such as a “to-do” list. 

Kelly Elko’s Sunroom Homework Station Idea

Kelly Elko designed a sunroom with three separate zones, one of which is a bright and minimalistic homework station. 

They placed the homework station right against the main windows, so the children can do their homework and learn in natural light. 

When it comes to the desks, their advice is to use cheap dining tables from IKEA, instead of overpriced desks. Apparently, they work better than regular desks as they’re just the right height and come with a larger work surface. 

When it comes to the supplies and elements, they also kept everything clean and minimalist. They have a table lamp, a jar with pencils and markers, and a globe. That’s it.

Upcycled Kids’ Art Station by Tauni Everett

This homework station idea by Tauni Everett is a great solution for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of space and needs everything to be maximally optimized. 

Tauni bought an end table and two child-friendly chairs. She placed them in a corner and hung a large pegboard above the table on the front wall. On the pegboard, she placed a wooden rack for paints, brushes, and glue, scissors, jars for craft decorations or other miniature supplies, stickers, cans for markers and pencils, rulers, and a few other things. 

With everything hanging on the wall, the small end table is all free, so the child can have more space to work on. 

Closet Turned Into Homework Station Center by Rebecca Propes

Finally, we have an unconventional, yet elaborate homework station idea by Rebecca Propes. She recently moved into a new home and decided to turn the space under the stairs into an educational center. 

The space itself is not big, but from the images, you can see that everything is well organized and it seems clean and functional. They used a small self desk to save up space and added additional shelves above the desk for the supplies. 

Just like the example from above, Rebecca used the wall to hang supplies that would otherwise take up a lot of space. At the entrance, they used the large wall space to place a blackboard and a mailbox for their child’s finished work. Very creative, don’t you think?

More Cool Homework Station Ideas

As we’ve seen from the above-mentioned examples, you can create a homework station from pretty much anything. Whether it’s a dining table or a shelf table under the stairs, when executed right, you can get a functional work area that’s aesthetically pleasing and stimulating. 

But, of course, that’s not all you can do. In addition, we’ll share other homework station ideas to inspire you further and make you think of a unique solution for your whole family. 

1. Homework Station for the Whole Family

The first idea is a creative solution for the whole family, and it’s especially beneficial for parents who work from home. 

The idea of a homework station for the whole family is actually a plan for merging your home office with the homework space for children. For example, you can turn one room into an office and have your desk on one side of the room and your children’s desks on the other. 

Since doing homework is mostly a silent activity, kids won’t be in the way of your work responsibilities, although there are some downsides that need to be considered.

On one hand, the benefits of merging your office with the children’s study area include being able to easily monitor and help your kids while working, saving space, and promoting discipline.

On the other hand, the downsides of merging your office with the children’s study area concern the possibility of interference. If you have a lot of meetings or your work requires you to speak most of the time, then you might distract them and stand in the way of their progress. The interference can also happen in the other direction. If your children are impulsive and have a temperament, they might make noise or interact with you, making your work harder. 

2. Tech Savvy Homework Station Idea

The tech-savvy homework station idea is a great solution for kids with online classes as well as older students whose assignments demand working on a computer. 

To make a tech-savvy homework station, you need a desk with a large working area. Buying IKEA’s dining tables might be a smart alternative. This is because the area needs to accommodate the laptop or the monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and still have space for the child to write. 

Taking it up a notch, you can also place a small printer, camera, speakers, or other gadgets that will make the student’s work easier. For instance, buying a digital microscope that links to their computer is a great addition for kids who love science. 

3. Built-In Homework Station Ideas

The built-in homework station ideas are perfect for houses with unused space, like storage, closet, or under-stairs space. Rebecca Propes’s homework station (described above) was a good example of this type of station. 

Other examples include creating a homework station as part of a built-in cabinet, closet space, empty hallway space, or another unused area.  

4. Shelf Homework Station Ideas for Small Spaces

The self-desk homework station ideas are a really smart solution for families with limited space. They attach to a wall and if you invest in a high-quality desk, they can be really sturdy and lasting. 

Self desks work great in combination with other wall attachments. For instance, adding a pinboard to hang most of the materials is a great way to save space and keep the self desk empty, enlarging the work surface. 

5. Dedicated Multi-Functional Homework Center

A dedicated homework center is actually a large space or a separate room that’s specifically dedicated to studying. Not everyone can afford such a space, but if you have the conditions and space to implement such a room, then, by all means, do. 

If you create it aesthetically pleasing, colorful, with a lot of supplies, and interesting learning tools, your child might even perceive that room as their entertainment center. 

They can have their own mini-library, a reading spot, a desk for writing homework, an artistic corner with art supplies, a science corner with a small digital microscope, telescope, globe, and maps on the walls for geography and history. 

Before You Leave

As we’ve seen by now, the best way to engage your child in doing their school assignments on time, as well as motivating them to be efficient and fully concentrated, is to create a functional study area in combination with an optimized schedule. Consistency in time and space will lead to success. 

In this article, we’ve given our best to guide you through the process of creating a homework station in your home. Hopefully, our homework station ideas were inspiring and you’ve already started planning how to execute your favorite solution. 

Once you create an educational space for your child, come back to our website and browse through our worksheet library. We can help you further by providing educational materials that your child can use on their new homework station.
Finally, let us remind you that our blog is a valuable resource for you! Whether you’re a teacher or a homeschooling parent, we regularly share insightful content with specific tips, tricks, and other pieces of advice in various aspects of education.