A big question I get pretty often is, “How do you organize all the stuff?” I don’t think I can say I’m a homeschool minimalist, but I do like to keep things as minimal as possible. We live in a wonderfully small house and party of keeping the walls from feeling like they’re closing in is limiting how much stuff we have and keeping what we do have organized. I took a few pictures of our school supply storage system this weekend and thought it might be helpful if I shared them.
We do the bulk of our learning in this space, but not always at the table. Sometimes we push the table back and spread a table cloth over the floor for sensory play, sometimes we doodle on the chalkboard, or sometimes we pull two chairs together to work on on one on something. We keep primarily all of our materials in the Kallax bookshelf behind the table. It’s from IKEA. You can configure the shelves all different ways- one of the things I loved about it most!
On top of the Kallax I keep a tray with easily accessible art supplies. (crayons in a gallon sized glass jar, dry erase markers and pencils in a mason jar, glue, markers and safety scissors in an old planter pot)
We are BIG picture book fans! Our library lets us check out 60 books at a time and we run pretty close to that number at all times. However, in this section of the book shelf I *try* to keep books on the topic we are studying. This shelf also houses the sterilite bin with all the Learn +PLAY calendar activities for the current month. It’s not the most lovely BUT it’s accessible and I know if it’s not handy- I’m not as quick to grab it.
Speaking of that bin, let’s take a look inside. I print and prep all our calendar activities ahead of time. I know if it’s just a matter of grabbing it and going we will do so many more activities. Inside the bin I keep things organized I couple different ways. Some pieces I clip together (like with the number puzzle in the picture) or I also just use plain sandwich bags to hold small pieces as well. Again, not the most lovely but practical. I LOVE these little crayon storage boxes. They are wonderful for small pieces and things like clothes pins or other manipulative you’ll need through the month. It’s great to have them already together and set aside for play time! (and they’re only around 50 cents right now!- stock up!!)
Over on the other shelf I keep two labeled bins- one for each of the girls. They’re actually ice cube bins from the kitchen section at Target. These bins hold folders, mini whiteboards, clipboards, laminated activities, etc. This is also where we keep the math kit from our math curriculum The Good and The Beautiful.
I absolutely LOVE that the kit comes with such great, colorful manipulatives for the lessons! Everything came in a nice sturdy cardboard box with labeled ziplock bags. It was really nice. However, in our small space I had to organize smaller. I discovered this organization bin from Michael’s and it is the PERFECT size! It holds all the things in a perfectly organized set up. If you’re using the Learn + PLAY calendar this would be a wonderful bin to hold the small pieces. In fact, next time I’m running errands I’m picking one up for just that! Keep an eye on my Instagram– I’ll let you know when they’re on sale!
On each side of the shelf there are two small drawers. They are perfect size to keep the girls’ curriculum books organized. The girls know which drawer is theirs and they know they can get the books they need when they need them. It’s also helpful for clean up time because everything can easily go right back into it’s place. Keeping curriculum books like these in the drawers is also a protective measure. In a small house things can be gotten into easily. Since they are tucked away I’m hopeful they will stay in good condition longer. 🙂
Two of the bottom baskets hold craft supplies and paint supplies. There are two other baskets but those are for my use getting materials organized or set up.
Last but not least, is our chalkboard. This is how I keep us organized on a day to day basis. Each day I write our new date- my big girl is learning to write out the date as a habit. I clip up the preschool activity my littles will do and use the visual cards from StephHathawayDesigns to our pocket chart. I’m a visual person so this helps keep me on track for the day and it seems to help my littles too.
So there you have it, our main homeschool preschool organization area. I have a few other spots where things get stowed away in the house but this is primarily it! Have any questions? Feel free to ask! I’m always happy to help! Happy organizing, friends! Remember, less really is MORE! 🙂
Carla Snipes
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