6 Ways to Make Learning Portable: Portable Homeschooling

6 Ways to Make Learning Portable: Portable Homeschooling is a post from Becky of This Reading Mama:

While we are very blessed to have a beautiful schoolroom in our house, my kids will tell you that the most meaningful learning experiences for them have not happened at their school desk. Even as a former classroom teacher, the best memories I have are those spent on a field trip or sprawled out on the carpet all around the room during Writer’s Workshop.

Learning takes space…and lots of it! That’s the beauty of making learning portable. And here are six ways you can make learning portable: portable homeschooling, if you please.

Six Ways to Practice Portable Homeschooling

Re-Use Plastic Jars

I prefer peanut butter and mayonnaise jars because they are large and see-through and have lids that screw on.

If you need to transport school supplies from one room to another or to a homeschool event, this is my favorite way to do it. Nothing falls out and nothing crushed in the bottom of your bag. It’s a win-win!

Lap desks or Clipboards

Clipboards are a great way to make learning portable. You can even take them outside to observe nature.

My kids all have collapsible lap desks. We take them on car trips, field trips, outside, and all around the house. I love that they have built-in storage, are sturdy, and easily store after they are folded up.

Bins

Maybe, just maybe, I have a bin fetish. We have a TON. They are such a great way to do some portable homeschooling!

My favorite place to find bins are at the dollar store and the $1 section at Target. Cheap and colorful…and useful!

If you have tons of manipulatives, toys, or school supplies, the TROFAST bin system from IKEA is amazing. We’ve had ours for 3 years now and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I love that the bins can removed for learning, taken to the learning location, and brought back when finished.

Cookie Trays

Found at the dollar store, cookie trays are a great portable item for learning.

I use them with my youngest learners. Cookie trays are magnetic (great for magnetic letters or magnetic learning toys), have a lip around the edge to keep things like rice or oatmeal more contained, and can give kids a defined space to play in.

Folders/Notebooks

Manila folders are a cheap way to display information that can be transported all over the place. We use folders for our word wall, a place to store sight words we’ve studied. 1+1+1=1 just posted about hers (and has a freebie, too).

My oldest son also uses a Writer’s Notebook that contains writing helps for drafting, revising, and editing that he can carry and use wherever he pleases.

Science Boards

While we do not personally use science boards (at this point) to make learning portable, I saw a homeschool mom years ago that had a science board specific for each child. Each board had things posted, similar to Homeschool Creation’s clever idea, on their science board. The child carried the board to the kitchen or the floor and had a make-shift learning area.

Science boards are so versatile, too. I love how Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers uses hers for a portable wall map. Genius! {photo used with permission}

Portable Homeschooling Learning Spaces:

• pocket chart
• the floor
• another room (such as cooking in the kitchen)
• the bathtub
• your yard
• a field trip
• when planning an activity, think about the location that would best teach your child and use it!

What are some ways that you make learning portable? I’d love to hear them!