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by Allison Brubaker
Tips for Setting Up School-at-Home Learning Spaces
byBob Engler
5 min to read
When you and your student start thinking about creating a welcoming, inspiring area for their online studies, keep this adage in mind: A place for everything, and everything in its place.
Your student will spend a lot of time there, and how it’s organized will have an impact on their attitude and comfort, both of which support the learning experience. An appealing, student-centric environment stokes kids’ enthusiasm every time they sit down and turn on the computer.
Putting together a space in which there is "a place for everything” begins with a checklist of what you’ll need:
- A desk and chair that fit your student (that is ergonomically correct) and will accommodate a computer and peripherals, a desk organizer for pens and pencils, and a lamp (more on lighting later).
- Bookshelves and storage bins for books, work folders, and school supplies.
- A system for color-coding folders and binders by subject. You’ll also want a scheme for organizing computer files and folders.
- A hang-up shoe organizer for storing flashcards, stickers, pencils, pens, and highlighters, calculators, sticky notes, scissors, rulers, and more.
- A dry-erase board for brainstorming and a wall calendar for planning.
You’ll come with more ideas for the list as you and your student plan it out. This stage is also a good time to remind your student to de-clutter the school at home setup regularly. Keeping “everything in its place” makes it easy to find things instead of rummaging around for them.
What Are Some Ideas for a Homeschool Desk Setup?
- Once you have the desk, chair, electronics, and other desktop items, organize it all and keep it straightened out. Re-organize. When you’re done with a book, put it back where it belongs. Papers? Trash them or put them back in their folders (that goes for files on the computer desktop, too.) Pens and pencils? They go in the organizer.
- De-clutter. Sticky notes everywhere and other clutter can be a distraction.
- Look. Don’t neglect legroom. Kicking cords and cables under your desk when you move your legs is at best a distraction and at worst a showstopper until you plug things back in and restart.
- Clean. When you’re done for the day, tidy up and wipe down your screen, keyboard, and desktop. Sitting down at a clean, dust-free area is a great way to start a new school day.
Workspaces do not organize or clean themselves. But taking a little time to keep everything in its place creates a positive, distraction-free environment so you can concentrate on learning.
Why Is It Important to Create a Distraction-Free Learning Space?
Research has found that people who deal with constant, off-topic distractions often complete their tasks faster, but experience "more stress, higher frustration, time pressure and effort."
What Are Ways to Optimize School-at-Home Setups?
Preparing the space itself, whether a bedroom corner dedicated to schoolwork or a separate room, is every bit as important as deciding what goes in it.
Set Up Adequate Lighting.
Natural light and other sources of blue light increase productivity, improve mood, and support learning, according to research published by an interior-design engineering firm.
Keeping that in mind, position your student’s homeschool desk setup near a sunny window or in a room that gets plenty of natural light. If your home doesn’t have good exposure to the sun, blue-enriched LED lightbulbs are also effective.
Office design professionals recommend using LED lights for a variety of reasons:
- They mimic natural light.
- They are not overly bright and can be adjusted depending on the natural light available.
- They produce light in the spectrum range that improves productivity and learning.
- They are energy efficient, emit less heat, and last longer than fluorescent or incandescent bulbs.
Turn down direct lights or use diffused sources to reduce glare on computer screens and desktops. Supplement room lighting with desktop task lamps to properly illuminate books and papers.
Establish a Quiet Area.
Noise is the great distractor when trying to learn. It interrupts focus, engagement, and overall learning. Children are much more vulnerable to the impact of noise. Studies have demonstrated that the quieter the space, the better optimized it is for learning.
Having said that, certain types of background music can stimulate learning. It can improve memory, focus, and cognitive development while studying, as well as ease anxiety and boost the immune system.
A few tips on choosing the right music for your learning environment: use instrumentals— lyrics are distracting—and a diverse playlist set at a reasonable volume. There is one exception: punctuate the study soundtrack with some funky stuff to lighten the mood during breaks.
Share the Planning.
An important consideration in making a student-centric learning space is to give your student ownership in the design of the space. Letting them personalize the room will motivate them to use and care for it.
Another idea is to let them choose the paint. Color psychology asserts that orange promotes motivation, green is calming, yellow energizes, purple sparks creativity, and blue supports productivity.
If you have room, set up a maker space where your student can build projects that complement their STEM schoolwork. Stock with arts and crafts supplies, Legos, and kid-safe, age-appropriate tools and electronics, and turn them loose. Maker-space activities put students on a path to mastering critical life skills such as innovation, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving.
What Are Some Small Homeschool Setup Ideas?
If you’re thinking that your student’s learning space should be spacious and solely dedicated to online studies, think again.
You may not need as much space as you think to organize a cozy, inspiring home classroom.
Think about setting up a couple of dedicated study spots. For instance, put the computer in one area and dedicate another to the work desk. In fact, they don’t even have to be “rooms.” A spot under a lofted bed or a closet big enough to accommodate a desk.
Be creative when looking for ways to organize a classroom in a limited space.
Your School-at-Home Setup Is Ready to Go!
Once you’ve finished your child’s homeschool setup, it’s time to review what’s on your back-to-school shopping list in preparation for the first day of virtual school.
Check out more ideas for helping kids start their online learning adventures successfully by visiting the Connections Academy’s resources page.
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12 Outdoor PE Activities for Kids
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Outdoor physical activities are beneficial for elementary school kids’ physical and mental health, giving them an opportunity to expend their energy and get some fresh air and sunshine.
Physical education (PE) for kids is an important part of learning at home. While outdoor exercise happens more naturally during the summer, how can families ensure that a child has fun exercising throughout the year?
Below are 12 ideas for PE exercises for kids that you may want to add to your list!
PE Games for Kindergarten through Fifth Grade:
1. Timed firefly (aka lightning bug) hunt.
Encourage children to catch as many lightning bugs or other harmless insects in a jar as they can, and see who can capture the most before you call time. Make sure to set the bugs free again! Lessons can also be incorporated into this fun PE activity by having kids learn fun facts about the bugs!
2. Sponge race.
Each participant in this race needs a sponge and two buckets, one bucket filled with water and the other empty. Starting at the empty bucket, players run across the yard to the full bucket, filling the sponge and returning to the empty bucket to squeeze the water into it. The first person to fill the empty bucket to the designated line wins.
3. Timed scavenger hunt.
Set a time limit for kids to find all the objects on a list of items found in nature. Whoever has the most items when the clock runs out wins. Older children can even coordinate the scavenger hunt.
4. Balloon relay race.
To make this race safe from germs, an adult should inflate balloons using a pump instead of blowing them up by mouth. Set up a laundry basket full of balloons and a hard chair for each relay team. Participants run to the basket, pick up a balloon, then run to the chair, sit on the balloon to pop it, then run back.
5. Sack race.
For this old-fashioned but socially distant favorite, each child will need their own sack or pillowcase. Players stand in their sacks and jump their way to the finish line.
6. Outdoor yard sports and games.
Outdoor physical education activities like sports require equipment, but you can easily set up and play them in a yard or nearby park.
Fun PE games for kids like soccer, kickball, or basketball can be played with just a ball at a nearby park. Games like “H-O-R-S-E" or "around the world” can be played with just two or more players on a basketball court. Net sports like tennis, volleyball, and badminton are great PE games for kids. Many public parks have tennis courts you can use, but you can also set up outdoor volleyball or badminton in the grass. Volleyball is always fun at the beach, but you might also find sand volleyball courts at a public swimming pool in your area.
Once you have a net, you’ll just need racquets and birdies or a volleyball. Two to four people can play each sport.
7. Solitary exercise.
Other traditional gym activities for kids include jumping rope or hula-hooping, both of which are excellent forms of exercise. Either of these activities can be done indoors on rainy days, too.
8. Group games.
Try some variations on classic PE activities for elementary school students: flashlight tag, “Simon Says” with balls or other items, and water-bottle bowling in the yard.
9. Outdoor pool activities.
As long as they aren’t crowded, pools can still be a safe option for some outdoor exercise. Swimming or jogging laps is great for cardio exercise and muscle toning. Elementary school children who want to become better swimmers and stronger athletes can do laps regularly and track their progress.
10. Diving games.
Diving for objects like diving rings and diving gems at the bottom of the pool helps swimmers practice holding their breath longer. It’s also a lot of fun for kids to play diving games, such as racing to find as many coins as possible within a time limit or within one breath.
11. Water aerobics.
Instead of signing up for a water aerobics class, create your own exercise routine to do in the backyard or neighborhood public pool. Kids of all ages and their parents can get involved. Watch water aerobics videos online to learn some moves and consider using a pair of water weights.
12. Water wars.
There are plenty of ways for children to have fun with water fights. Challenge them to stay on their rafts while practicing their splashing techniques on each other or shooting water guns.
If thunderstorms keep you inside, you can always try this list of indoor PE activities for online elementary students.
There are plenty of fun PE activities for kids to try that fit into their online school schedule. For more tips on keeping kids learning at home, visit Connections Academy’s resources page for families who are new to distance learning or online school.
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