At barely 16 months, Little Lion is nowhere near ready for actual “lessons”, but I love the idea of having a place for his materials that have been chosen specifically to work on certain skills. This “classroom” is not really a room, but rather is a corner of our living room. Having a separate room for this is not possible in our home, so if having a designated spot is important to me it has to go somewhere. If I have to choose between my living room being a playroom or a classroom, I choose classroom any day.
Just as it is important for adults to have an office for their work and for school aged children to have a quiet place to do their homework, I feel it is important for young children to have an orderly place where they can focus without other distractions. For us, this space serves this purpose.
So, what’s in our classroom right now?
- A small bookshelf
- A low table that is the perfect height for LL to stand at
- A child sized rocking chair
- Specifically created/chosen materials that help LL work on developmentally appropriate skills
- An artificial plant, because it has been in my living room for years and I don’t have another home for it right now. Ideally this plant would be living so that LL and I could watch it grow and care for it together, but we haven’t quite gotten to that yet.
Our classroom has only been set up for about a week, but I love the focus it brings to our work time. Recently I have started designating about 20 minutes per day to work time, and I think having all of the materials located in such a central area really helps. It is much easier for me to get LL started and back away to give him space to experiment when he is in closer proximity to the rest of the house and not in his bedroom. I also love that his other favorite toys are out of sight, so he isn’t constantly distracted by the bins of trucks and cars that he adores. The materials on the shelves will change and adapt as Little Lion grows and/or becomes bored with the materials available, and I am finding it so fun to choose and create materials that will hold his attention and help him practice important skills!
Do you have a distraction-free zone in your home?
coconut / 8079 posts
I love this idea!! And as a teacher now SAHM I just love all your posts about teaching & learning. LO is only 2 months old but I look forward to all the fun learning we can do as he grows. Thanks for sharing!!
blogger / pomegranate / 3491 posts
This is interesting. I have embraced the idea that C learns through play so we have books and developmentally appropriate toys throughout the house. Curious as to what sort of lessons happen in this space. Looking forward to future posts about it
pea / 14 posts
Love this – we have a similar set up with a table at my son’s height in our kitchen.
What type of toys/projects do you have in the learning area? I’m struggling to find things that he is interested in that aren’t too far ahead of him (he is “over” nesting bowls for example, but not yet able to put puzzles together).
blogger / grapefruit / 4836 posts
@vinomama: i am working on a post about this
rigt now he is really into stacking and putting objects on holes, so i made materials that give him practice with those skills. I will try to finish that post today so that it can go up soon 
pea / 14 posts
@Mrs. Lion: Oh good, I’ll stay tuned- thanks!
blogger / clementine / 998 posts
I wish I had a place to do homework as a child instead of at the coffee table in front of the tv!
pomelo / 5866 posts
We have a kid sized table and chair in the corner of our kitchen. She usually comes to sit next to us for dinner but that’s her own work space. It used to be closer to the supplies but I didn’t like the playdough falling on the rug. All of her toys are in adjoining rooms but easily accessible. Your little space is so inviting!
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
We have a little table in the play area of our living room. I just moved all the toys to his room so now in the play space he’s much more focused on drawing, playing with the few things I take our , et .
blogger / persimmon / 1220 posts
We also have a little table and chairs in our play room that’s off to the side.
blogger / pear / 1563 posts
We’re a lot like Mrs. Confetti. We just have lots of toys and books throughout the house.
blogger / nectarine / 2687 posts
i love this! love that low, uncluttered bookshelf!
blogger / nectarine / 2600 posts
Im with Mrs Confetti and Mrs Pinata we have toys everywhere
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
We don’t have the space for a little table, but have been wanting one! Very nice!
blogger / clementine / 750 posts
We have a separate room (kinda) that would be perfect for this. We’ve been talking about getting her a little table and a pint-sized chair, so this is just the push I need to start looking for one.