With schools all over the country adopting distance and remote learning for the upcoming school year, your children must have a designated area to serve as their study space. Staying focused at home can be a challenge for younger children, so creating a replica of their classroom to mimic a true learning environment will help them adapt to the changes of the new school year so they don’t risk falling behind.
Utilizing an extra room to serve as a study nook, as well as an art, music, or game room—is a great way to establish a comfortable and creative space for your kids to focus on their schoolwork or enjoy some of their favorite hobbies and passions. You can add art supplies, reading material, and lots of decorations to make the most out of the pint-sized workstation. And if your kiddos just need some time to themselves, it can turn into a cozy room in the house for your little ones to get some peace and quiet.
Here are some resourceful additions that you can easily incorporate into any at-home study nook for kids.
Add a Desk
If this study nook is going to take the place of your child’s classroom, then you better start with a sturdy and comfortable desk. Adding a desk makes it possible for kids to contain all their papers and school assignments and gives them a place to sit and focus on their schoolwork without distractions. You don’t want your kids plopping on the couch and starting the school day in front of the TV—they will become distracted and less motivated to actively participate in school. If you have preteens running rampant at home, creating a study space that they can call their own will help them claim independence and take responsibility for their studies.
And if you already have a designated home office and don’t want to take up space elsewhere, you can also section off a kid’s corner in your office for your children to work on their assignments. This helps to maximize your office space, but it also helps to encourage collaboration and bonding time between parents and children as they work on projects side by side.
Design a Reading Space
Whether it’s the spare bedroom, dining room, or playroom, establish a comfy spot for your kids to curl up with a good book. They’re bound to have plenty of reading assignments in school, but if they have their own inviting reading area, they will be more encouraged to read outside of school for personal enjoyment. No matter if they have an interest in comic books or 19th-century French literature, any interest in reading can propel their curiosity and enhance their knowledge in the classroom.
The ordinary desk might be suitable for coloring or math problems, but incorporating the right furniture for a cozy reading space can also encourage your children to kick their feet up and relax with a story. The furniture can be as simple as a stack of pillows and blankets to a bean bag chair to a padded swivel chair. As long as it’s comfortable, that’s all they’ll need to crack open a book and let their imagination run wild.
Embrace Color and Natural Light
A bright and vibrant study nook is a great addition for children of all ages, and adding a splash of color to the walls, decorations, and furniture can help stimulate young minds so children can retain more information. Colors affect our senses, mood, and comprehension skills. When students see certain colors in the classroom, it can affect alertness, calmness, improve excitement, and reduce feelings of fatigue. If your child’s attention starts to wane, try shades of green to help them focus. If they seem to have writer’s block, red and orange can help stimulate mood and creativity, and if they’re missing recess or playing outside with their friends, blue is known for its calming effects when kids start to get grumpy.
If possible, set up their desk or study nook design near a window to let nature motivate and inspire them. The colors found in nature will certainly shine through, and while a study window is easy on the eyes, it can also aid in maintaining focus and attention span.
Bold Bookshelves
If you’re going to add a reading space, then you’ll need a bookshelf to go alongside. When your little scholars are done with their favorite storybooks, coloring books, or journals, they need a unique space to store their reading material. You can play with different shapes, designs, and sizes to create a functional and attractive bookshelf. They can also be used to house class assignments, supplies, and inspiring décor. If your home has an excess of pencils, markers, erasers, and stacks of your child’s A+ papers or fridge-worthy art projects, a bookshelf is a creative addition to display any school material and maximize the storage space in your study nook.
Comfy Seating
When it comes to kids, comfort is of the utmost importance. Study room furniture needs to be cozy and it needs to be practical. You want something that will fit them nicely, and if you’re opting for more traditional chairs or seating, choose something that has good padding and support so your children can comfortably sit for long periods during the school day. We acknowledge that having a desk or proper workstation is vital to the success of any student, but spending hours on end in a lifeless, wooden desk chair is just asking for kids to fall asleep during the lesson plan.
Active seating is a great way to add a spark of excitement to your child’s study room so no one wakes up in a puddle of drool. Incorporating exercise balls instead of chairs allows your kids to stay active and increase their energy during the day. Getting up and keeping active increases the flow of oxygen to the brain for a natural burst of energy. Any chance students can get to take a step back from their assignments and move around will encourage them to work efficiently so when that at-home bell rings at the end of the day, they can enjoy more playtime.
And with so many of us working out at home, it can also be a smart option if you need to fit your study room into your exercise room.
Desk Organizer
The best way to introduce a successful study nook design is to make storage a top priority and ensure the space will remain organized. A simple storage bin or desktop organizer can help contain and keep colored pencils, markers, glue sticks, rulers, and other supplies tidy. These storage supplies come in an array of colors and styles, or you can choose to design one yourself as a DIY project to assemble with your kids.
A kid’s study nook design doesn’t need to be extravagant or overly flashy—it just needs a little organization and the right furniture or decorations to achieve a creative and stimulating environment. If you need help setting up your own study nook or workstation, give us a call or chat with us today to shop our entire collection of home and office furniture.