11 Kids’ Study Space Ideas
Creating a calm, motivating study space for your home is a great way to get your younger and older children more engaged with their homework. Here are some ideas for creating a kids’ study area in your home.
Whether you have an adolescent or a primary-school-aged child at home, encouraging them to retreat to designated study space is a great way to set good homework habits. The good news is that kids’ study space ideas don’t have to be extravagant, and they certainly don’t need to be expensive. By choosing the right furniture, focusing on organisation, and decorating stimulatingly, you can create a study space that your kids will enjoy using. To help you get your study space just right, check out these 11 kids’ study space ideas.
1) Put a desk in your child’s bedroom
A great idea for older kids and teens is to put a table or desk in their room, as long as they know it’s not just another surface to throw dirty socks on! In a busy household with small children, installing a desk in their bedroom is also a nice way to give your teens privacy and quiet to get their work done.
Short on space? If you have high ceilings, a great solution to the study space problem is to build a loft bed! With your child’s bed suspended, you’ll have plenty of floor space left to build an entire study space, complete with all the shelving, storage, and desk space they could dream of. Our Handyman can help you with all the carpentry services you need.
2) Build a study nook
Hire a local handyperson to build a study nook in your kitchen, living room, or hallway – the options are endless! By building a study nook in a common area of the house, you can easily monitor homework practices and screen time. You could even think about repurposing unused closets and understairs spaces.
Another option for homes that have short on space is to consider installing a fold-down desk to create a hidden study nook. This will enable you to fold the desk away when it isn’t being used to allow the space it occupies to be a multipurpose area.
3) Share your office
If you already have an office room in your home, why not section off an area for your kids to use? Not only will you maximise your office space, but the kids will likely look forward to ‘going to work’ when you do. Of course, strict rules would need to be put into place about noise and mess, but this is an excellent way for you to set an example for diligent work.
4) Combine room functions
If your house has a home theatre room, it’s not likely that room sees much traffic throughout the day. Instead, combine your theatre room with a study area for your kids (making sure you hide all the remotes first!). Likewise, if you have a rumpus room, consider converting one corner into a study nook area.
5) Embrace Colour
Younger kids need stimulation to keep them motivated and on track. Bright colours stimulate the brain and can help children retain information. Try painting your kids’ study area in green to help with focus or orange to boost their mood. To stimulate creativity, try a bright, happy shade of yellow, or for a more calming space, try a lovely pastel blue. Which colours would help your children in their studies?
6) Install bright lighting
A study space lacking light is no way to motivate kids to learn. Your children’s study area must have bright light to avoid eye strain and keep them focused. Either build your study area in a space near a large window for natural lighting or else call in an electrician to install downlights directed at the desk. Even better – choose downlights with a gimble so that they are rotatable, allowing you to find the best angle away from screens.
7) Get creative with storage
Mess and clutter can become an issue in study areas, particularly if your children are not the neatest by nature. Your best chance of a tidy study area is having enough room to house everything from paper and notebooks to pens, pencils, and paints. Get creative with your storage by:
- Installing floating shelving;
- Placing a large bookshelf nearby;
- Bringing in a filing cabinet;
- Providing baskets for loose paper; and
- Keeping a small rubbish bin close by.
8) Choose comfortable chairs
Kids’ study space furniture needs to be functional and comfortable above fashionable, with a particular focus on back support. While it might not be the prettiest thing to have a desk chair in your kitchen or hallway, it is vital to your kids’ posture and focus that the chair they are using keeps them comfy every time they are at their desk. Make sure you buy size appropriate furniture.
9) Fun factor
Yes, chairs should be functional. However, if you are dealing with a kid or teenager who baulks at the idea of recreating a school environment at home, don’t push the issue – they’ll never commit to hard work if you have to push them every time. Instead, introduce some fun aspects to the home study space and involve your child in the design. Let them choose a fun novelty lamp or an inspirational poster that you can frame for the wall.
10) Upcycle
A kids’ study space desk doesn’t actually need to be a traditional desk, so keep an eye out for anything you could fashion into a desk. Think dining tables or old buffets sideboards you could remake into a creative study desk.
11) Make it moveable
Not all homes have space for a permanent study space for their kids. If you can’t find a nook or wall to build a study space, make it moveable. This may be by installing a fold-down desk, but another option is to put a small table on rollers. Then, pack your children’s study needs into boxes or crates you can easily stack on top, or use a wheeled filing cabinet. Simple! Your study space can roll from one room to the next depending on your lifestyle and give your kids the space to get their work done.
Keeping older kids and teens invested in their studies is hard work for parents, especially when your child is less than studious. Setting up good habits now will help them in the long run when it comes to taking exams and getting into good career practices. By building a functional study space where they can focus on homework, you give them their best chance. When creating your kids’ study space, call Jim’s Group on 13 15 46 if you are in Australia or 0800 454 654 if you are in New Zealand to arrange a free consultation and quote on your handyman needs.
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