s/o your homeschool house wish list

[Momma Aimee]

spining off the discussion "is your home set up for homeschooling"

Soon, we hope, to be moving -- i have a mini-wish list for looking at houses --

wonder what other moms that had been at this longer 9and might have bigger families) have on theri list so i can 'think ahead"

thanks

[Greenmama2]

Well I haven't been at this longer, less in fact but on my wish list for moving is a kitchen that is either open plan with the dining or lounge/dining area or has big windows overlooking the outdoor play area so I can indulge my interest for tf food and still be available. Our kitchen right now doesn't work very well for that. I know the littles will need less supervision as they grow but I still need to be engaged/available.

[CherryBomb]

I would really love to have a room that was *just* for school, right off of the kitchen would be awesome.

[lmonter]

Originally Posted by CherryBomb 

I would really love to have a room that was *just* for school, right off of the kitchen would be awesome.

Yup, this.

Right now, I have a goofy open railing down to a den (soon to be homeschool room) from the dining room (the dining/kitchen are a long rectangle).  So I'll be able to hear the kids, even if I can't totally see them down there.  But most things tend to migrate up to the dining table or living room since that's where we are most of the time.  So a bigger dining room with more (lots more!) storage or living room with lots more storage could also work. 
Having enough room for a big enough table (dining or school, whatever room you end up working with) may also become a big deal.  Our dining room is barely big enough for our 6-person oval table, and I need to get another leaf made for it so elbows survive the next decade intact.  Sigh.

Storage and organization are the biggies for my family - need a place for the construction paper and loads of books and laminated wall maps and dry erase board and notebooks and so on. 

A friend of mine also on and off homeschools her children, and by far, loved the house she was in a while ago that had an extra room she could devote entirely to school.  Her current (smaller) house doesn't have that, so her poor dining table always has something going on which makes meals more of a challenge sometimes.

[kittywitty]

A den or finished basement that is a little secluded for silence and privacy. Two of my kids have sensory issues and our old house has hardwood floors, echoes, and is pretty open-plan meaning there is no such thing as quiet or private. It sucks.

[ocelotmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittywitty 

A den or finished basement that is a little secluded for silence and privacy. Two of my kids have sensory issues and our old house has hardwood floors, echoes, and is pretty open-plan meaning there is no such thing as quiet or private. It sucks.

Same here. I want a library/study area and a noisy/messy play area that are audibly and visually insulated from eachother.

Right now we have a combination living and dining room which is, unfortunately, the primary play space as well. I can't convince the kids that they'd rather play in their room! Schoolwork is generally done at the dining room table, and distraction is often a problem - DS won't work unless it's dead quiet, and DD enjoys being with us and preferably the center of attention.

I'd also love to have a room big enough and with appropriate flooring for a good indoor exercise/large motor play area for those times when we go weeks on end with weather that isn't conducive to outdoor play - a finished basement, garage, or something like that. Preferably big enough that we could host several families for a playtime.

And built-in bookshelves and windowseats or other nice little reading nooks would be quite nice, too.

As far as homeschooling-specific goes, that's pretty much it.

[Callimom]

We're looking at a new (old actually) house and I was doing it with an eye to how our homeschooling might fit into it. 

It's a centre hall plan with a combo kitchen dining room and so there is a space that we can turn into a play/art/homeschooling room across the hall from the kitchen - so close but not too close. (We currently live on top of each other so a dedicated non eating table space would be heavenly.)  The rooms aren't huge, but I like that there are dedicated spaces rather than one big open space as I think it will work better for our family.  

The house has really wide window sills which I love for things like growing plants for science experiments, displaying projects etc.

It's also big enough that all the kids can have a desk as well as a comfy reading chair and some play space in their rooms.

And there are a couple of nooks where I can tuck a reading chair, a piano/music area so that it's got its own space, a space for my sewing/crafty stuff so that I don't have to be in kid space to do my stuff.

The kitchen has a big island with a sink which means that we can all get around it for science experiements etc.There is a kitchen office space with some built in cupboards for keeping household stuff organized apart from homeschooling stuff.  And overall the house is big enough to host a decent sized co-op.

It also has a huge yard which I love so there is lots of outside space/gardens yet it is totally walkable to the library, park/rec centre, tennis courts etc.

What it doesn't have that I wish it did:

big open space finished basement/rec room for more wild play/or a big space to show movies

more built in storage - there is some but not tonnes

Karen

[Momma Aimee]

Karen that sounds great -- really great

[Ravin]

Room for more bookshelves

A more livable backyard

Walking distance to the library would make it perfect.

[Callimom]

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee 

Karen that sounds great -- really great

thanks - we are excited about it.

[frugalmama]

One thing I wish our house had is wider halls & doors - I have lovely rolling double bookcases bought at a school auction, but I'm forced to keep them in the living room as they won't fit down the hall and around the corner into our school room.

We looked at one house that was lovely for home schooling - the 2nd floor was one huge room and had been used for a home church. It would have made a great spot for coop classes!

[treehugginhippie]

subbing :)

[Smokering]

the 2nd floor was one huge room

*drools*

We're a few years away from homeschooling, but I'd love to buy (or, ideally, build) with homeschooling in mind. One thing I want is a big wide corridor lined with bookshelves. We have so many books already, and it's only going to get worse!

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by Smokering 

the 2nd floor was one huge room

*drools*

We're a few years away from homeschooling, but I'd love to buy (or, ideally, build) with homeschooling in mind. One thing I want is a big wide corridor lined with bookshelves. We have so many books already, and it's only going to get worse!

I agree on the open 2nd floor -- and I LOVE the idea of lineing the halls with bookshelves -- that rocks