Hi all! My daughter is set to start kindergarten this August, and unsurprisingly, since we’re in a state with increasing numbers, most schools are set to start remotely for at least the first month (and I suspect it’ll go much longer). This obviously isn’t the start to kindergarten or formal education that I envisioned for my 5 year old, but I want to make the best of it and create an area for her in the house for classes and class work that she feels excited about. Since I’ll be working full time, I was thinking of setting something up in our dining room so I can work at the table while she’s in a corner of the room. I already have a kids table I can use, but would love suggestions on how to decorate the corner so it feels fun and functional for her but also isn’t an eyesore in the dining room space. I suck at all things interior design, so happy for any suggestions!
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@castilrm: Great idea! I read to still let our kids get a new backpack, pencils, folders, whatever - and maybe even serve lunch in her lunchbox to make it seem like school. I’m planning on getting a magnetic calendar where my son (4) can put up the day week month mood time and weather each day. Hahaha maybe it will help me too! God speed to all of us moms ... 🤣
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I would keep it visually very clean. Maybe a bulletin board to later add things she's referencing or work she's proud of. A calendar is a great idea. If you want to create a visual barrier of space wrapping paper can be stuck on with coordinating color painters tape.
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@wrkbrk: yeah I was just looking at backpacks! She’s been excited about getting a new one so we definitely will. I think I actually have the magnetic calendar you’re describing so good call about re-using that in her new space. Good luck to us all!
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@MrsSRS: thanks! I like the idea of some kind of easy to remove wallpaper or bulletin board to make it clear that is her space that she can be excited about.
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@castilrm: that's why I like wrapping paper as temporary wall paper. It's cheap and easy to find one appropriate for the kid's preference. You could pair it with bulletin board edging of you want it to look fancier.
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@castilrm: You'll obviously be after something less permanent since you're using your dining room, but I just ordered really nice 4' x 3' grey felt bulletin boards for my 1st & 3rd graders rooms. That way they can display their work and pin up any reference materials (they have specific strategie for solving word problems, "writing process" guidelines, etc. - in Kindergarten that might be some kind of weather/date chart, a word wall, her artwork, etc.) I think that will really help me keep organized. I also went to Target and got a paper tray, supply caddy, and standing file to help keep each kid's materials organized. Target also has really cute teacher things like nametags, a day/weather chart where you move the box/arrow for the month/day/date/weather - that might make it feel more like she's really "doing" circle time or morning meeting.
Does she have headphones she likes (if she'll be doing real-time virtual learning)? Also, if she needs to use a computer on her own, you might want to consider getting her an actual mouse (rather than relying on the touchpad). My kindergartener (last year) did okay without the mouse last year, but we are upgrading her setup for first grade.
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This spring I hung up a whiteboard (I’m guessing it’s 2’ x 3’) with velcro tabs on our dining room wall. Every day we’d write out her work for the day so she had something to reference. We also had a few bigger plastic drawers for her to use to store her iPad, books, etc.
I think I’ll end up getting her a set of drawers to store all her stuff in so it doesn’t take over like it did last school year.
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I just bought one of those 5 pocket filing wall organizers for each kid. Our school has promised more tactile and paper materials this year during remote learning so I'm hoping to have a slot for each day of the week so I can get organized each Sunday and not feel like every night I have to set up for the next day.
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@castilrm: Not too fancy but here are some photos of the setup I created for my 4.5 year old for this year!
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ETA We don’t have space expect for our dining room table so there you have it 🤣🤓
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@wrkbrk: looks great to me! I just bought a similar roller stand to hold all the papers, projects, etc. I like those little letter blocks!
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@wrkbrk: @castilrm: Nice set-up! We are big counting bears fans over here, too. I’m also curious about the spinning abacus-like letter thing (hows that for an eloquent description, haha?!) - what is it called? My neighbor is looking for something like that for her rising kindergartener to practice rhymes/nonsense words and it’s something my girls never had.
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@PinkElephant: @castilrm
Here they are!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07HJ42Y5J?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title -
@wrkbrk: TY - those are great! Much more durable than the cardboard-slider contraptions my kids made in PreK to change beginning/middle sounds.
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