Finding creative ideas you can do yourself using every day home products, like trash cans, which come in a variety of sizes, colors and materials makes this an easy project.
Pulling together 7 creative ways to use a trash can in your homeschool space, I hope you’re inspired to think trash can to treasure.
Homeschool Storage Hacks
ONE // Store rolled up maps.
When we have been short on wall space, a small clear trash can sitting on a bookshelf or the floor was the perfect storage container for storing maps.
We could take the trash can to any place in the house, unroll the maps and study them. Also, labeling each clear trash container with a bright colored label helped us to keep the world and state maps separate.
TWO // Create movable storage for preschool toys.
When the boys were preschool age, a small round trash can was the perfect container for holding overflowing toys.
I glued wheels on the bottom of a small trash can so the container could be rolled into our school room. The preschoolers could also help put it back in their closet. The soft edges made it safer in case my then toddler had a fall.
THREE // It’s the perfect miniature size laundry hamper.
When I was teaching my sons how to do chores and put away their dirty clothes, it seemed like all I could find were adult-sized laundry bags, baskets and bins and very expensive kid-sized totes. Small bright colored trash cans, labeled with each of my son’s name was the perfect small size container for putting away preschool size dirty clothes.
Even though my sons weren’t old enough to wash their clothes, the small trash cans were light enough for them to carry it to the laundry room.
FOUR // Forget the backyard garden, use a trash can for a porch garden.
I’m not really good at gardening. However, each year that we studied plants, we tried to grow vegetables in tall trash cans. Not only did my boys enjoy eating the few vegetables we grew, but I made the container height kid friendly for observing.
I filled a tall trash can with rocks and then soil. The plants grew at my boys’ eye level and investigating and exploring plant life was much more hands-on and up close.
Just remember to poke holes at the bottom of the plant trash can to let water drain.
Control Never-Ending Homeschool Supplies – Brilliantly!
FIVE // Build a DIY school table.
When I first started homeschooling, I knew one homeschool dad who made everything his wife used in her school room. The tables he made were so unusual.
He literally would use anything as pedestals, including outdoor galvanized metal trash containers. The kids sat on the floor and the diy school table was the perfect height for learning handwriting, not to mention it was inexpensive, unordinary and useful.
SIX // Store pens, pencils and map colors.
Have you seen those mini trash cans, which are normally used on a bar or table when there is a serve yourself coffee station or on a desk? Not only do some of them come in vibrant colors, but the price can be half the cost of a pencil or cup holder in the office section.
In addition, some of the mini trash cans, which are made for your car are small enough to store chalk, paper clips and small toy pieces.
Did I mention the mini trash cans can add a whimsical touch to your homeschool area?
SEVEN // Maybe not a sports center, but certainly an indoors basketball hoop.
When my active boys couldn’t get outdoors because of rainy weather, they reminded me that a trash can is the perfect indoor basketball hoop. Can we call that PE?
If you want to spend thousands of dollars on homeschool spaces, there is no shortage of storage options. But if you want to keep homeschool affordable, fun and more importantly functional, then try one of these fast and easy fixes.
