Hello School

Hello School.

We have that “bonus” room, the one collecting overflow items, unpacked boxes from our move eighteen months ago, and enough fisher price toys to supply a few small daycares.  ::eye roll:: 

When we realized school would not look like years past, we had a decision, like all parents, to make.  We had to make a choice between virtual schooling (or hybrid), or homeschooling.  Either way, my husband and I knew our four children would be learning from home.  We needed a space for them to set up shop.  While the nine-foot kitchen table would do just fine, we wanted a space to get them excited about school; this year has not exactly been full of excitement.  We especially wanted a fun space for our rising kindergartener.  This would be his first classroom, his first everything, we wanted to make it special.  What better place than the oversized storage closet, also known as the bonus room? 

THE BEFORE.  

I already had a couple desks in the room for my home office.  They were big and bulky, and didn’t really match much in the room.  We had some IKEA billy bookcases housing my healthy book collection.  There were toy boxes, unpacked cardboard boxes, a random rug, and some big unsightly 80’s style filing cabinets in desperate need of a clean out.  As for the walls, nothing.  Not a single picture or decoration had been hung.  The room had no rhyme or reason.  It was simply a catch all.  

THE PLAN.  

Like many other moms, Pinterest is a favorite pastime, especially when my television has been eclipsed by Blippi or Paw Patrol.  I started looking at homeschool rooms.  I noticed some moms were making small desk areas for each child, versus the one big kitchen table idea.  This was the idea I would incorporate in our classroom.  The room is long and rectangular, awkwardly long even, so I started with a sketch.  Four small desks on one wall, a shelf of some sort for office, school, and art supplies.  I still needed my desk area for working.  And, of course, the books aren’t going anywhere.  As far as budget-wise, I decided to go with IKEA.  They are budget-friendly,  sturdy items, and (bonus points) all the white furniture matches! 

THE SHOPPING LIST. 

Granted it took several trips, at almost an hour away, to get all the items due to lack of stock and high demand, thanks covid and college move-in day, but we managed.

Here is a list of the items from IKEA:

Micke Desks (4)

Trofast with storage tubs (already had)

Linnmon/Adils desks (3)

Alex cabinets (2)

Billy bookcases (purchased 2 more)

Kallax 5x5 (1)

Vaggis corkboard (4)

Adde chairs (4)

Kolon Floor protector (1)

Kvissle Magazine Rack (2)

The rest came from Amazon or Walmart, I’ll include links:

Stools: https://www.walmart.com/ip/EdgeMod-Trattoria-18-in-Stool-Set-of-4/156790098

Anchor charts/posters, variety

School clock: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Universal-Indoor-Outdoor-Clock-13-1-2-Black/27675548

Educational games:

1. Mindware, Brainbox Spot the Difference

2. Mindware, Brainbox Art

3. Edupress Classwords Game

4. Edupress Mathological Liar

5. Skillmatics Guess in 10, Animals, States & Cities

Math Manipulatives:

1. Bear Counting

2. Tangrams

3. Wooden Geo Board

4. 3D Foam Shapes

5. Math Linking Cubes

Melissa and Doug Floor Puzzles

Cube storage: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WNHNRK6 

White board easel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K67RRXF? 

Lamps: http://www.walmart.com/ip/61-5-Bronze-Resin-Floor-Lamp-with-Barclay-Gold-Highlights/39856415 

Office Chair: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074KTH15J/ 

THE EXECUTION.

We moved all the old out and gave the room a good cleaning.  It took several days to acquire, and put the furniture together.  My husband worked tirelessly building and constructing.  Side note: If you’ve EVER put IKEA furniture together, you understand the memes hinting at IKEA divorces, but I think our marriage is safe, haha. 

A lot of our time was spent waiting on packages to arrive.  As soon as something would arrive, it was immediately set-up! We really wasted no time when there was something to do. 

If you look closely, you can see the room is split into two sections, upper and lower grades.  On the upper grades side, you have Jack (7th) and Sarah (5th) with age appropriate posters and the cursive alphabet.  On the kindergarten/preschool side, we have the printed alphabet and a morning calendar for Oscar and Harry.  Each wall section is divided into courses, science corner, grammar wall, social studies, and math.  We also put a table in the center of the room with stools for group projects.  

My work station is long so I can use one side for work, and one side for crafting.  You’ll notice my Cricut on the crafting side and the computer on the work side.  I finally, FINALLY hung up my college degrees.  They’ve been in a closet for way too long.

The name plaques were unfinished wooden rounds from Lowe’s.  I stained them in pickled oak.  I used painters tape to make my lines, and painted them white.  I used very little stain or paint for all four, so sample sizes did the trick.  After painting, I brushed it with mod podge because I was going to use vinyl letters for the names.  Vinyl *can* be difficult with wood, especially the unpainted parts.  After not being able to find the font I saw in my head, I decided to use some black acrylic paint and hand paint their names (Video of painting Sarah is on my page). I waited for them to dry, and then sealed them with more mod podge.  I had some hanging brackets in a random container where I throw leftover hardware from various projects.  I nailed them to the back, and voila, perfect(ish) plaques for each of them! 

I had a Melissa and Doug easel that was creeping slowly towards the dump.  I decided to harvest the butcher paper roll from it and find a home for it in the classroom.  Once again, I pulled out my random hardware container and found some old brackets.  I bent them with the pliers and screwed it to the group table in the middle of the room.  Now, the children and I have a built-in art station.  I could sense my husband’s frustrations on this smaller project, and our need for another trip to Lowe’s for bolts, so we called it a day! 

We added some last minute touches with a globe, and some curriculum.  I added a pencil holder to each desk, and some personalized items in their drawers.  I pulled out some Harry Potter pillow covers I’ve had for years and decided to finally display them.  I also cleaned up our art buggy and restocked the materials for it.  

THE RESULT.

I’M IN LOVE. I am so unbelievably proud of this project.  It took two weeks, careful planning, and hard work to make it happen.   I can’t decide if the best part was Oscar’s “wow” face as he saw it complete for the first time, or Jack saying “this room makes me ready to start school”.  

This was the excitement we needed.  Bring on the 2020-2021 school year!  We are ready!

*I do not own the rights to this music*