Spring Clean Your Homeschool + a Free Checklist

If your homeschool space is feeling a little tired but the idea of a deep clean makes you want to close the tab, keep reading! Small tasks, big payoff FTW. And there’s a free checklist!

I have a habit of putting tasks off because they’re too overwhelming. When I see spring-cleaning checklists online that include ‘clean out your closet’ as one single task, I laugh. That’s a million little tasks & decisions, if you ask me.

This list isn’t those lists.

Instead, it’s full of ideas that will leave your homeschool area refreshed without leaving you exhausted. Most of the list can be checked off in a couple of hours, especially if you pull in the kiddos. Tasks are broken down into small chunks that can fit into your homeschool day, rather than trying to tackle them all at once.

Whether you have teens or younger kids, bringing them alongside is a great time to teach them life skills like spring cleaning and an understanding that sometimes a refresh is good enough.

With warmer weather on the horizon & the end of the school year coming into sight, now is the perfect time of year to do a refresh.

I’ve kept this list flexible. We’ve had homes with a dedicated homeschool room or space. And we’ve lived in homes where school happened in the living room or dining room.

The bookshelf

And then your curriculum shelves. Are you really going to use that homeschool curriculum you’ve been holding onto for the last three years? I know the hope of someday, but spring cleaning is a good time to be realistic.

Straighten those shelves. Pull the books to the edge, and organize them a bit. If you see specific things you plan to use next year, gather those items together on a shelf. In another spot, gather any books/resources you might want to use still this school year.

You don’t need to spend a long time on this task; an easy way to make a big difference is to spend even 10 minutes here. It’ll be easier to find what you need & actually use what you’re keeping. Anything you are ready to pass on, box them up to deal with later.

Easy tasks for kiddos:

• Pull book spines to the edge
• Photograph books or curriculum you plan to sell
• Look for library books that were accidentally shelved

Tackle the supplies.

We all know the frustration of not being able to find a marker that works, a pencil that is sharpened, or discovering that the printer is out of ink…again.

Straighten your storage, empty the glitter at the bottom of your art supplies. Don’t forget your puzzles & games.

Easy tasks for kiddos:

• Test and throw out dried markers
• Sharpen pencils
• Look for “too short” pencils and crayons

Here’s the important part. Make a note of any supplies that you need to replenish this school year or before the next one begins. If you want to keep this moving, set a 15-minute timer. Again, this is all about improvement.

Your future self will thank you when you don’t have to throw out 3 markers just to find one that works.

Banish the dust.

This can be a quick task, too. Our aim with spring cleaning isn’t a perfect homeschool space, just one that feels better.

Dust the blinds or wash the curtains. Kids can wipe baseboards & surfaces while you wipe down light fixtures. While you’re at it, check the walls. One of my boys always rests his feet on the wall under his desk. I’ll let you imagine what it looks like between cleanings!

Easy tasks for kiddos:

• Wipe baseboards
• Wipe light switches
• Wipe wall decorations

Clear off flat surfaces.

Flat surfaces are such a magnet — papers you’ll deal with later, books that need to be shelved, registration forms you keep meaning to fill out. The goal isn’t completely empty surfaces; it’s simply dealing with items that don’t actually live there.

When my kiddos were old enough to know where (most) things went, I would fill a small box with those stray items & send them on their way.

Those drawings you aren’t sure what to do with? Snap a photo & toss the drawing. Activity/sports schedules? Snap a photo for now & set a reminder to add them to your calendar later.

Easy tasks for kiddos:

• Take stray items to other rooms
• Put away random game or puzzle pieces
• Shelve books
• Take out trash & recycling

Look around.

Now that your space is refreshed, is there anything you can do or want to buy to give it a freshening up? If your walls could use something new, there are great free printable options, like national park posters, ‘travel’ posters for books, etc.

This is also a good time to notice what has worked (and what hasn’t) in your homeschool space this year. Will you need different storage next year? Are kids outgrowing their desks? Jot down a few notes to look at again over the summer.

tl;dr

• Just one easy task? Straighten your bookshelves.
• Even 10-15 minutes per task (or even altogether) can be enough.
• Let go of the “someday” curriculum.
• What are the biggest annoyances in your space? Focus on those.
• A better (not perfect) homeschool space is the goal.