5 Creative Homeschool Organization Ideas for Small Spaces
Have you ever heard of “Mid-Project Regret Syndrome” (MPRS)? By reading this post first, you can avoid this feeling with my homeschool organization ideas for small spaces!
Homeschool Organization Ideas for Small Spaces: Why I Started
As a teacher, I had to pack and unpack my teaching supplies and personal belongings almost every year for over ten years.
From working in a big, beautiful classroom to working in a portable trailer, to even having to move classrooms three times in one year, I had to come up with the best organization ideas for small spaces.
Today I’ll share my 5 easy secrets for small space organization, with my favorite products to help you along the way.
Homeschool Organization Ideas for Small Spaces Secret #1: Be Picky
I know, being picky with what you need to include in your homeschool space is easier said than done.
Let’s rip the Bandaid off with this part, so we can hurry up and get to the good part where everything is organized!
- Take time to pick and choose what you really need to keep in your space.
- Start by taking everything out and sorting your stuff into three piles: keep, donate, and trash.
Sort as You Go!
In a perfect world, organizing your homeschool materials into your three keep, donate, and trash piles would mean you’d take everything out of the space and clear out your whole homeschool area.
But, as most things go when you have kids, taking time to move everything out without your kids getting into it and making a bigger mess than when you started might be an impossible task.
At a minimum, try to work methodically to look inside any existing bins, shelves, and cabinets where you store your homeschool supplies.
Sort each item as you go, and try your best to be ruthless when you decide what you really need to keep.
This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. See my disclaimer and privacy policy for more info.
Homeschool Organization Ideas for Small Spaces Secret #2: Use Every Space
One of the best things about homeschool is that each little nook and cranny of your home can become a learning space, a favorite reading spot, and more!
Try tucking items in a few rooms and spaces around your house, rather than having a specific space that’s only for homeschool.
This is a game changer that optimizes small spaces, and makes the whole home a part of the learning environment!
Homeschool Organization Ideas for Small Spaces Secret #3: Get Rid of the Gifts
To save space in the future, help your kids make a wish list of gifts they can play with and learn from during homeschooling, like these.
From this point on, be mindful of what you ask for and the space it will take up!
Experiences, Not More Stuff
My number one suggestion for gift requests when you have limited space is to ask for experiences, not things, for your children’s gifts.
Your relatives may raise their eyebrows at this, but asking for experiences will greatly reduce the amount of stuff you have in your home.
As a bonus, experience gifts will create some new core memories for your kids!
You could even suggest that the gift-giver buys an experience that they can do with your kids, such as the grandparents buying tickets to the zoo and then choosing a day to take the kids there.
Homeschool Organization Ideas for Small Spaces Secret #4: Ditch the Bulk
After you’ve organized your supplies into the bare necessities and made some room from reorganizing, take a look at any larger items that are stored in bulky boxes, like board games, and spend some time removing the items from their original box.
As you remove the bulky boxes, choose a new container for them to go in.
I like containers that are typically used for scrapbook paper, because they are already designed to be sturdy, go on a shelf, to snap shut, and they are clear so you can remember what’s inside.
My Favorite Clear Containers! ♥
- 12″ x 12″ thick plastic container
- 12″ x 12″ thin plastic container
- Rectangular plastic container
- 6′ x 6′ plastic container
How Do I Keep Things Organized?
Be sure and label the outside of each container so it’s easy to grab your supplies each day.
The labels also help you and your family keep things put things in their rightful home every time.
I suggest using a label maker, or making labels for the outside if you think it will benefit your littlest ones.
Labels are Game-Changers!
- The best label maker!
- I have had this label maker for over ten years!
- I’ve tried to switch to label makers that are USB rechargeable, but none of them hold a candle to this one.
- Label maker refills
- Get these if you like color coding your labels
- Ideas for labeling with pictures
- Optional + free labels
- A sharpie or wet erase marker also work just fine!
Homeschool Organization Ideas for Small Spaces Secret #5: Flexible Storage
Use storage options that can roll with you, literally. 😜
Some of my favorite and most-used items that I recommend for homeschool organization ideas for small spaces are teaching are carts, bins, and storage options that are on wheels.
Consider buying colorful storage, so that sorting the items inside each bin is easy for the whole family.
Rolling Carts
Organizing your homeschool space with a homeschool cart that you can roll around is SO EASY and 100% worth the setup time!
Here’s 8 of my favs:
- The cutest rolling storage cart: 10 drawers
- Rolling carts 2 pack: 6 drawers each
- Rolling cart: 10 drawers
- Rolling cart: Wide with 3 drawers
- Rolling cart with 10 rainbow drawers
- Rolling cart with 4 deep colorful drawers
- Rolling cart: 4 tiered and foldable
- Rolling cart: 4 tiered with lots of space and hanging cups on side
Shelves With Wheels
Another of the homeschool organization ideas for small spaces is shelving that can be moved around, like these shelves with wheels.
- Rolling, thin bookshelf with wheels: 5 tiered
- Metal shelf with wheels: 3 tiered and foldable
- Mobile bookshelf: 6 tiered with wheels and top storage
- Slim storage cart: metal 4 tiered with wheels
- Rolling file cart with 7 shelves: metal
Space Saving Ideas
The last of my homeschool organization ideas for small spaces that I know you’ll love are these space savers!
- Rainbow zipper pouches with labels
- You can store games and manipulatives here to save some space.
- Large plastic totes: 2-pack with handles and zipper
- These totes are great for homeschool supplies, beach days, and more!
- “Homeschool is”: Cute canvas bag
- Give a home to those pesky library books or supplies that you need to use at home and on the go.
- Magnetic storage bins
- You can stick them to a metal rolling cart or even on the fridge!
- Clipboard with storage
- Keep all your teaching materials handy, with as easy option to tuck them out of the way
- Magnetic photo frames
- Make some room my sticking your favorite family photos in a magnetic frame instead.
- You can even stick them to your rolling carts!
- Changeable art frame
- Use these art frames to keep your children’s masterpieces in a safe place that saves tons of space
Wrapping Up the Best Homeschool Organization Ideas for Small Spaces
Ready to organize your space with these homeschool organization ideas for small spaces?
Whether it’s functional storage options, updated shelving, or using each nook and cranny, your homeschool journey will be organized and stress-free with these organization tips.
Which space-saving idea will help with you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
For everything homeschool, we can PlanIt! ♥
Keep, Donate, or Trash! Three piles to sort. I need to go through my classroom of 19 years to rearrange and update it. Thank you , your advice is much needed. I look forward to your next post!
Thanks, Kristine! It’s tough but it’s so worth it in the end. I have a few sentimental items that I took pictures of to help make a little room without totally getting rid of the memories. ♥
Some great ideas for homeschooling at home.
Thank you! Glad you found it helpful. 😊
So many great ideas, not only for homeschooling but for anyone who has limited space and needs some advice on how to get better organized! Thanks for sharing!
That’s a great point, these tips could be used for any small space. Thank you for noticing and letting me know you liked the article!
Great ideas!!
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it!
These are great ideas to get organized! And I’ll have to try that label maker, my girls love to label EVERYTHING!
Thank you! Your girls will love the label maker.
I really like your tips! My sons are 3 and 6yo, and our living room is a mess every day. I`ll try to follow your instructions to organize a clean space.
Hi Olga,
Thanks for reading! I definitely feel your pain with that one. My goal is to try and keep things organized each day so that when we have company, I’m not running around cleaning up big messes every day. Creating systems that the whole family can use helps a lot.