With the start of a new school year just around the corner, I wanted to share our virtual learning space and all of the things I’ve purchased to kick off the school year. I know that so many of us were faced with making the decision on whether to send our kids to school in-person or keep them home for virtual learning. And it was a TOUGH decision. Whatever decision you made, you should be proud you made it and be at peace with it. There’s no right answer here and we all had to do what was best for us and our families.
But when we made our decision, I knew I needed to create a designated virtual learning space instead of just using the kitchen table. I know that some people have no other option and there’s nothing wrong with the kitchen table! But my kids did personally not do well with our setup last year and I really wanted to kick off this year on a positive note. So we cleared out a corner in our sunroom and decided this would be our virtual learning space for the time being.
The first thing I did was order this double desk. While we had two similar desks we could have used, I was really sold on the storage of this one. To keep the rest of our room clean and clutter free, this seemed like the best option! It was easy to put together and I figure when we’re done using it, we can sell it or give it to someone who needs it.
I picked up all of the storage bins at the Dollar Tree and got a variety of sizes and shapes so I can fit their games, counting pieces, documents, books, etc. I looked on Amazon and other places but these were obviously the best deal for only $1 a piece!
I ordered school supplies based on the list the district sent out because from what I hear, they will need the same supplies (and if not, we can always use more crayons and paper!). But I also ordered a few extras like sight word flash cards, a sight word game, etc. I also found these giant dice at the Dollar Tree and since we did a lot of math with these last year, thought they’d be a good addition!
To avoid boredom and sitting for long periods of time in their seats, I bought these balls for alternate seating. They will be able to switch out to these if they’re starting to get a little antsy! My son’s teacher said he always preferred the alternate seating in her classroom so I wanted to emulate that at home too.
I got this calendar so we can start each day with days, months, seasons, etc. And I almost cried when I opened it because my kids were SO excited and said it was the same one they had in their school. I know school is going to look a lot different this year, for everyone, and if I could offer them a small piece of familiarity, I’m happy to do it.
I also picked up these sheets and then learned I can use a dry erase marker on them, so not only are they fun decor but they’re functional! But I placed them on the windows to make it feel more like a classroom but also to distract them from staring out the windows haha
We actually already had this rug but I love how it kind of ties it all together and makes it feel a little more cozy. I also chose this specific spot in the house 1) because it’s where we had the most space/could move things around and 2) because of the natural lighting. We tried to do work at our kitchen table/living room last time and the lighting was not very good. I hope this helps keep them alert and focused!
I know this is going to be a learning curve for all of us. And while virtual learning didn’t go so well for any of us last year, I’m hopeful and staying positive that this year will be different. By creating a designated learning area, virtual learning classroom if you will, I hope it separates learning from regular life and we can all get through it together. Best of luck to everyone out there! We’ve got this!
Feel free to leave me any questions below! xo
