How to Make Your Homework Box

To create your family’s homework box, start with a lidded plastic shoe box or discarded cigar box. (You can purchase cigar boxes
rather cheaply at local cigar stores). I recommend a wooden box over a plastic shoe box, as cigar boxes have attached lids that make them difficult to misplace and they holds up against the heavy use this box will get. A lid is needed to discourage use of the box as a dumping ground for discarded items. The lid creates a finite amount of room to the box. The lid also allows you to pack away the box until the next homework session, protecting it from scavengers- adult and kids who need just one thing and never return the one thing.
Store the homework box in an easy to reach but out of sight location. Explain to your children and household members, that the box is for use for homework only. The benefit of this is it lengthens the life of the materials in the box, ensures that they will be there for the next homework session, but it also underlines the importance of homework. A beautiful container filled with neat and organized tools makes any job a more pleasant experience, be you a carpenter or a elementary school student.
Collect the following supplies:

• Pencils - preferably colorful, with designs, or with smell- it makes using them more exciting
• Pencil Sharpener (small & manual)
• Scissors (small)
• Erasable pens
• Highlighter
• Small Sticky Notes – for edits on papers
• Glue Sticks
• Erasers (large “Pink Pearl”)
• Easy button (yes, the one from Staples) Reward younger kids with an opportunity to hit it as they complete subject material, the older kids love it too!
• Time Timer(small) This visual timer allows kids (and adults) who loose track of time to visual see time pass. Great for time-out and timing music practice, too!
• Colored pencils (10 pack)
• Skinny Magic Markers (8 pack)
• Calculator (small & solar)
• 2 Dice – great for practicing simple addition, subtraction, and times tables for younger kids
• 6 inch ruler
• Compass
• Protractor

Homework Box Supply List.  This is not an exhaustive list of items to include in your homework box. You might include crayons instead of colored pencils, pennies and other coins if working on money math, the list varies with the age of your children.

I encourage you to buy your school supplies in bulk and store extras in a handy place, for easy access through the year. It eliminates the need to make the late night run for items, when a child comes home with the last minute request for pencils, glue, etc.
Other items to consider storing:

Posterboard
Report Covers
Scotch Tape
Index Cards
Sticky Notes
Crayons
Card Stock or Construction Paper/ Loose leaf and Grid Paper

Footnote: This post was originally published in January 2009.  Since 2009, many versions of the homework box have been sent to the site.  Below are a few pictures to inspire you. Create a homework station from supplies you may have hidden away in a pantry, tucked away in a linen closet- the goal in organized, accessible, clean supplies.

 This homework box was created from an unused photo saver box, AKA oversized shoebox.  The only advantage of using this box over a shoebox, was that it was already decorated and had extra lamination to preserve its integrity.  With some magazines, old AAA maps and decoupage (Modge Podge), you could create a similar box from a shoe box- use what is faster and on hand.

The tray homework box was created from old jars, an old plate, random bowl, and a lipped tray to contain the jars. Easy-peasy… and no outlay of cash!  This tray makes me want to do some work, and that’s what we ant for our kids- to be excited to do their work, to find their tools clean, organized, and accessible!

Here’s to getting off to a great new school year!

Candace

Other posts you may find helpful to read for the start of the school year:

Things I wish I’d Done Before the Start of School

Questions to Ask at Back-To-School Night