How to Prep for School...When Learning Is in Your Living Room
We’ve run the same drill come back-to-school season for generations: Hook up growing students with new shoes and clothes, purchase a few fresh notebooks, buy backpacks in their favorite colors, and send them on their way. But like with many things in 2020, the tradition requires a serious pivot for countless students who will call home their campus this year.
Forget lunchboxes and book bags — students engaged in distance learning will require all the makings of a home office — including computers, desks, chairs, and headphones — along with a few key wardrobe pieces to accommodate Zoom dressing (think cozy joggers paired with fashion-forward tops). Because no matter where students go to class, they’re likely to have gone up a shoe size since spring. Below, find the best ways to prep your family — and environment — for the new school season....when homeroom starts in the living room.
Essential ready-for-school gear for distance learning include computers, headphones, and printers. Ahead, find our highly-portable picks that won’t break the bank to take up valuable table office space.
Max Computing Power, Minimum Space
Carving out space for a classroom in an already-cramped house requires strategic selection when it comes to hardware. This affordable, towerless computer combines the space-saving benefits of a laptop, the touchscreen ease of a tablet, and the firepower and big screen of a desktop (with specs that include a Intel Pentium G5420T processor, 4GB RAM, and a 1TB hard drive), giving your student a bigger window to the classroom without hoarding counter space.
SHOP: Lenovo IdeaCentre A340 21.5" HD All-In-One Touchscreen Desktop Computer, $589, available at Adorama
A Plug-and-Play Printer for Next to Nothing
It may seem like technology has taken us to a paperless world, but in reality, your kid will still have to print stuff for school. This option is ultraportable and easy to set up for wireless printing via a computer or smartphone app. Better yet, it can be snagged for less than your Friday night pizza delivery bill, thanks to a generous instant rebate.
SHOP: Canon PIXMA TS302 Wireless Inkjet Printer, $39.99 (with $30 instant rebate), available at Adorama
Sound Up for Class Without Disturbing the Household
The hottest accessory this fall isn’t a limited-edition sneaker or snapback cap. It’s wireless headphones, which will be worn in ears all day, every school day for nearly every student learning from home. If it’s time to upgrade your family’s headphone stash from the flimsy buds that came bundled with your last-gen phone, look for a pair that maximizes sound and comfort. This one not only boasts the impressive sound Beats by Dr. Dre are known for and noise-canceling ability, it packs nine hours of listening time, can be comfortably worn with blue-light glasses (loop the headphones around the ear and under the glasses frames), and automatically switches to sleep mode as soon as they’re removed from ears. What’s more, the discrete, in-ear design won’t get in the way of a high-schooler’s perfect hair day like over-the-ear designs can.
SHOP: Beats by Dr. Dre - Powerbeats Pro Earphones, $199, available at Best Buy
Hey parents, because your kids won't stop growing, new clothes will likely be a requirement this year, no matter what format schooling may take. If starting class means popping into a makeshift classroom in the den, ready-for-school wardrobes will look a lot like the WFH dressing that professionals have been wearing for months: super comfortable loungewear on bottom and more stylish, expressive clothes up top. Below, find a few picks that are both on trend and ultra comfy.
A Casual Sneaker Built for Play
Even if your household student sails through Zoom classes while barefoot, a pair of sneakers at the ready are essential for P.E. and after-school bike rides. It features a removable insole for added metatarsal, arch, and heel support and shock-absorbent pods to cushion soles no matter what the activity. Get an extra 10% off select orders with code HONEY10.
SHOP: Taos Footwear Plim Soul, Was $90; Now $69.99, available at Taos Footwear
Lounge Pants to Keep Cool
Why bother with binding skirts or uncomfortable shoes (or let’s face it, shoes at all), when logging into class? Like any WFH wardrobe, ready-for-school ‘fits require a healthy dose of athleisure from the waist down. These relaxed-fit joggers are not only rendered in on-trend tie dye, they’re made of lightweight rayon, which is perfect for warm weather months.
SHOP: Hurley Racer Blue Tie Dye Printed Beach Jogger, $50, available at Hurley
Keep It Stylish Up Top
For the fashion-forward student (and professional!), turning out a cute school outfit in 2020 means focusing on tops with accentuated shoulders and necklines. The puffed organza sleeves, sweetheart neckline, and ruched detailing hits all the marks. Add a stack of gold chain and pendant necklaces and you have an instant on-screen outfit that packs a bit of edge.
SHOP: Bebe Poplin Organza Print Sleeve Top, $89, available at Bebe
Camera-Ready Accessories
With dressed-down wardrobes this year, necklaces and earrings emerge as focal points for stepping up a look while logged into school. This limited-edition necklace is made for each zodiac sign and in three finishes (silver, gold and rose gold). Designed in partnership with celebrity astrologer Natalia Benson, the of-the-moment coin pendant boasts a white sapphire stone to help bring focus and positive energy — just what one needs when everyone in class (including the teacher) is distance learning on a curve.
SHOP: Krystle Knight Jewellery KKJ x Natalia Benson Limitless White Sapphire Zodiac Necklace, $135.62, available at Krystle Knight Jewellery
Anyone who’s tried a laptop-on-the-dining-room-table setup during the first few weeks of quarantine knows how unsustainable such a makeshift workspace can be. So if you are calling school home for the foreseeable future, then investing in a few furnishings to create a proper classroom space will go a long way to keeping structure and organization in check. Below, find our picks to help create an abundant space for learning and connection — even if it’s just carved out of a corner of the room.
A Sleek, Roll-Away Desk
First things first: Your student needs a desk. Not a TV tray and a chair, not extra pillows to prop oneself up on the bed, but a proper desk at which to sit and focus. This affordable option comes in two classic colors (black and white) and features roller wheels so the workspace can be pushed away into a corner come the end of sixth period.
SHOP: CB2 Go-Cart Rolling Desk, $149, available at CB2
An Affordable and Ergonomic Chair
We know — it’s tempting to pull a folding chair from the garage and call it classroom ready. But anyone who’s held an office job knows how bothersome an uncomfortable seat can be. There are plenty of ergonomic options for about $100 available. Case in point: This roller chair with adjustable seating that’s made from sustainable hemp fabric and comes in five shades.
SHOP: Joss & Main Roache Task Chair, $92, available at Joss & Main
Simple Storage for School Supplies
In lieu of lockers or classroom cubbies, a cubed storage system goes a long way to keep everything in place. For students juggling six subjects or little ones with lots of educational toys, this set up makes for no-brainer organization: simply fill slots with Fabric Cube Storage Bins ($10) to house loose papers and or use spaces as bookshelves.
SHOP: 6 Cube Storage Organizer with Faux Concrete Surface Top White, $75, available at Target
Create an Air of Calm
Are essential oils vital to building a creative workspace for students? Maybe not. But since maintaining focus and calm prove more challenging than ever, we figure it can’t hurt to add a pleasant and mood-lifting scent to the atmosphere. This mini diffuser delivers two-to-four hours of nonstop misting and comes with essential oil blends geared to help release stress and improve focus.
SHOP: Saje Natural Wellness 101 Relaxation Edition Diffuser, $60, available at Saje