Wallnutz

Wallcandy Chalkboard Wall Decals

It’s that time of year. All the students are gathering their supplies and heading off to school. What a great time to think about their workspace at home. Creating a specific place and time for students to get their homework done, can instill good study habits and help them learn better while enjoying it. The structure will help you, as well. By providing a routine, you reduce the stress involved with getting your children to do their homework. You can also incorporate it into your schedule so that you can be there at some point to go over what they need to do or review what they have done. Depending on your family’s schedule, you can determine when you should have dinner and if school work is done before or after. Setting a time and place is a great way to instill a consistent habit.

Try to choose a place that is quiet and well lit and has enough workspace. Since it can be difficult to have a dedicated space, consider creating a space in your home with a fold-away desk or shelf. This could be in their room or perhaps a home office. To decrease distraction, consider what the child sees while sitting in the space. Reduce or remove clutter and distractions. Can you add a room divider or reposition the desk so that they are not distracted by toys or the television?

When it comes to decorating the space, really involve the student. You want this to be a place that they like so their opinion is key. Consider what colors will create the proper environment for them. Some children need extra stimulation and bright colors may keep them going, but others may find that softer colors are less distracting. Whatever you choose, keep your child in mind, and remember that you can change it as they change.

In addition to color, you can add containers and décor to the space. Make sure that they have all the supplies that they need on hand. Consider what your storage needs are by examining their supplies first. If they only have a few, then you might just need a drawer or a shelf with a pencil cup and paper tray. Have them help you choose the containers, and label or designate where the supplies go so that your child can easily find what they need and put it back in its place. If they need a computer, files, and art supplies, then you need to consider how much space it will take and provide or repurpose furniture to accommodate them. Laptops can be stored when they need extra desk space, or you could put your monitor on a swing arm or system so that it can easily be moved.

Decorating the space will improve the chances that your student will use the space and enjoy being there. If the desk is against a wall, consider hanging their artwork with Sticker Frames or create a Mural with them so that they can have ownership of the space. You can also use Vinyl Decals to decorate their containers, desk, and wall. In addition, if they need a space to brainstorm or for reminders, consider a Chalkboard or Whiteboard to make it easier. For noting due dates and school events, provide them with a Wall Calendar so that they can keep track, and you can help them. You can even incorporate learning tools, check out our Educational Stickers to make it fun.

Create a system for their homework. This could be in and out boxes or a folder designated to homework with new on one side and finished on the other. I had a great 5th grade teacher that made us a homework chart on paper. The chart went into the brads and had date, subject, title, and due date (I think). Every time we got a homework assignment, we had to log it into our chart. Then, you could use the pockets for unfinished and finished work as I stated above. I just loved the organization and checking off my homework.

We also use chart holders (like on the doctor’s office exam room doors) and decorate them with modern stickers and their names to keep track of each child’s paperwork, library books and such in them. It works great to keep folders for each project/after school activities/things that need to be signed by parents and keeps us from losing library books (which had always been a problem.) Also, they are right by the kitchen so everyone stops by and checks their holder on the way out the door. I would lose my mind with paperwork if we did not have these!

It is a balance between design and function when it comes to making a home. You want it to look like a magazine, but you also want to live in it. The desire to have a place that you love to look at can sometimes conflict with your desire to have a place that works. Form follows function. Once you determine what functions you need, you can look at form.

For example, you have a busy lifestyle, and you need everyone to be on the same page. You would benefit from a home base where messages, calendars, and important info can reside. Where should home base be? Where is a shared space that everyone in the family passes or can easily access? Many people find that the kitchen is a good central location. A mudroom or homework area may also be smart. Ask your family what would be easy for them, or chances are you are already collecting a pile of schedules and messages somewhere.

Once you have your location, determine how you need the space to function. Do you need a place to write messages? Do you need a calendar? Should every family member have a tray or folder for their paperwork? Once you determine what the space should do, then you can decide how the space should look.

What home base LOOKS like is the form. You could add a wall calendar to the space so that everyone can coordinate events and appointments, and you can check it everyday. For messages, consider a space to write on the wall so that scraps of paper don’t accumulate or get lost. You could use a chalkboard style or a white writable space.  Our writable talk bubble is a fun accent, and you can use any kind of marker, even Sharpies! They all wipe off the special surface. You could also use the blank decal and cut it into the size or shape that you desire. Make a template out of poster board and trace it onto the back of the decal paper. Cut out the shape, and you have a custom white board!

Storing papers is also something to consider in your home base. Do you have drawers at the location? If so, you can assign them to different family members or different purposes. If not, there are many solutions for paperwork. You could get shelves designed for paper sorting or stackable trays. If you don’t have the counter space, you can use wall hanging trays or even a magnetized board or bulletin board. We even have wall pockets to hold some of your schedules or photos. Just make sure that whatever you choose works for the quantity of paper you process, and keep on top of discarding papers. Having a filing cabinet or box nearby, will prove handy for those papers you want to save long term.

In order to personalize or coordinate your space, you can use decals or contact paper to add designs to trays, boxes and the surrounding wall and furniture. Check out our wall stickers and get creative. Decorate the table, trays, and accessories to match, or choose different styles for each family member. Put the fun into function!

Your kids can help you when it comes to decorating. They can pick colors and themes, and help prep the room and place the décor. Think of how much they will enjoy having a hand in helping and in deciding how their space will look!
Painting
Colors are a huge determining factor when decorating. Turn to your child for help. What colors do they love? What colors do they dislike? Why?
When choosing more than one color, you can choose different hues of the same color, choose complimentary colors that are across from each other on the color wheel for a high contrast look, or choose colors on the same side of the color wheel such as green, blue and purple to create a harmonious color palette.
If they have certain interests, it can point to certain colors. A ballerina might like pink, and a kid that loves being outside could like green. Most children will want to be surrounded by something they like to do. You can check out Shop by Theme to get inspired.
Another paint option is a mural, we have a large selection of children’s Mural Painting Kits that you can paint together using paint-by-number pattern. If you are doing a mural consider that the base paint of the room should work with the colors in the mural and even be the background color.
Home improvement stores now sell paint directed towards children, such as Disney paint. Picking swatches together and testing a few samples on the wall can be lots of fun for your child. Painting on the wall will be fun since it is usually off limits!
Once you’ve chosen a color, they can help you move things out of their room, and lay out the tarp or paper. If they are older, they can also help tape off the windows, baseboards (Great, since they’re closer to the floor!), and door jams. Once everything is covered, give them a small paintbrush and a low area to work on. The little artist will feel helpful and you’ll probably have some great photo opportunities!
Decorating
It will be fun to help you decorate the room, too. Give them a couple of choices to make about new accessories and furniture. You may want to do the research first and then let them pick from a couple that you like. If you have the option for several furniture arrangements, let them weigh in on things like if they would like their bed close to the window or as far away as possible. I would get frightened at night sometimes, so being far from the window was a good thing.
Choosing accessories like curtains, pillows, art, and lighting can be fun to do together, too. Our Wall Stickers are fun to choose and to apply. Your child can help pick the location of your stickers and even help place them. Think about using them in unexpected places such as on furniture, doors, or even in the closet or toy chest. If you want an even bigger impact, check out our Wall Sticker Murals.
Letting your kids in on the fun will surely make the experience more fun for everyone. Remember that they’re only a kid for so long and that the experience of helping will make the space their own.