It goes without saying that 2020 hasn’t been what anyone really expected, and we’re all making choices we didn’t think we would ever make in our lives. For me, that means homeschooling for preschool...and having a newborn at the same time. I’m sure it will be fine. Everything is fine…
Because we are planning to quarantine again when the new baby arrives in October, we made the decision to keep our daughter home from her regular preschool (that she LOVES) and work with her at home so she stays busy and engaged. For as much sass as she gives me on a regular basis, she is most certainly happiest when I take the time to do activities with her, especially crafts, games, dramatic play, and books. She becomes a different kid when we do that together! This is probably a lesson for me to just spend more quality time with her, and that’s my hope for this fall! We are going to do “The Peaceful Preschool” curriculum, which was recommended to me by a friend, and it seems very manageable, simple, and also Christ-centered which is very important to our family. Yes, it will be a lot of prep work on my part, but ultimately I think it will be well worth it to keep us busy and in a routine.
However, to make homeschool preschool happen, I knew we would need a dedicated space that was special and separate from where we eat our meals, sleep, and play. We’ve had this really weird upstairs “middle area” in our house that has had no purpose whatsoever idling for two years...and it’s time has come.
We have been scratching our heads since we moved here as to what this upstairs room could be. And truly, it isn’t ideal for much because of the slanted ceiling where I’m somewhat frequently whacking my head every time I go near the storage area. Buuuut...that problem isn’t getting solved here anytime soon, so I’m going with what I’ve got!
Circle time will be a large part of what we do each day, so we added a circle time calendar board that I made out of an old mirror we were going to throw away. You can read more about that project here. She will be able to change the pictures and numbers out each time since everything is on here with hook and loop circles. I found this super cute calendar printable on Etsy that I printed on cardstock, then laminated and cut by hand. It took a little while to get it all together, and I still have some pieces we’ll use in future years, but I’m really happy with how it turned out!
The wallpaper was surprisingly easier than we expected, and I love the little extra impact it gives! Our daughter told us she loved how it reminded her of the ocean and waves. I hope it sparks some creativity for everyone through this season. It certainly gives me a little joy every time I see it!
Each week, we will be focusing on a new letter of the alphabet, and these little book display shelves are perfect for our daughter to see her books for the week that go along! She added a few of her favorites here, too! So far we have books for A, B, and C!
I also think it’s important to display a preschooler’s artwork as the time goes so we can look back on what she did. I’m not one to put tons of stuff on my refrigerator with magnets, in fact, I really hate stuff on the front of the fridge, so this is a great solution for us. I used a little jute, some mini clothespins, and fairy lights for this!
I might be a little nutty on the organization, but it gives me a sense of peace and reduces my anxiety. Anyone else? I’m keeping a variety of school supplies in these IKEA baskets we’ve had for years, and lots of little trays for paper storage and activity prep. Plus, a little essential oil area to make it smell wonderful and perk us up a bit each morning.
We scored a chalkboard and paint easel from a friend whose children had outgrown it, and we are so thankful! It’s going to be awesome for art projects and paint projects so our daughter can stand up and see to paint. She absolutely loves doing arts and crafts...I can’t say I blame her, I’m the same way!
One of the most important features of all is this supply cart. We have a 21-month-old son who will be toddling around up here while I’m trying to do this with our daughter. I might go insane. But to keep my sanity a bit longer, I boxed, labeled, and stacked tons of supplies on this commercial rolling cart. When we’re using it, I’ll pull it out and get what we need. When we’re not, it’s going to be hiding away in this scary-looking cedar closet connected to the room. I’d love to leave it out, but I also really hate cleaning up tiny objects spread all through my house, dumped into plants, behind the sofa, and in the toilet. So...I’ll just cart it away and save myself the time up front!
I’m so excited to get school started with our daughter. I hope and pray it will be a very special experience of time spent together, time I know I won’t get back. Creating this room for her has been so much fun and hopefully she feels loved knowing that her mommy and daddy made this special place just for her!
Click on the links below to shop this post!
*At no additional cost to you, I do earn a small commission when you purchase through my links. Thank you so much for supporting my blog!
Comments