A goal that I have always had for our bus-home has been to create an area specifically for the children - a dedicated, multifunctional place where they can play freely and work on school projects - but with limited space I was not sure if it would be possible. Since we left Miami all our toys have been tucked away in a chest and we have been so chaotic and tense adjusting to our new lifestyle that playing serenely inside was more stressful than relaxing. The first step toward groundedness was to create a clear, orderly environment. A place where everything has a place. Where the kids know where to expect to find their things and importly where to put them back! A place which would remain friendly, familair and firmly theirs despite our ever-changing backdrop.
The 'playroom' began to take shape when we built a book and toy shelf at the end of the couch. This served many functions: housing the kid's things, dividing the space and freeing up floor space. Beyond the bookshelf we installed a fold down table for eating and projects. A piece of dowel keeps it up when it is not stowed.
The bean bag seemed to be fun seating solution for the table. Easy and light-weight, I made these bean bags from a some felted fabric that Tom found on the side of the road and used some pea-foam donated from a friend's art studio.
The kid's kitchen - which has never had a permenant place - is now in full swing. Together with the help of Talula and Simon (new friends of Mateo's) we've made some felted foods - egg, asparagus, mushroom - to add to our wooden ones, increasing cooking possiblities exponentially.
Beneath the bookshelf, two shelves are dedicated to a range of toys suitable for both Mateo and Harper. Having simplified their toy collection and eliminated the cluttered toy chest (now a laundry bin) I can now display a selection of toys that I plan to rotate. Books, games and Mateo's older kids toys now all have their own spot elsewhere.
The best part is the open space created when the table is folded down.Who would have thought that a bus could be roomy?
When life is in a constant state of flux (improvement and discovery) it is crucial to offer children, among daily adventure, a consistent base they can rely on. With 1st grade approaching I am so glad that the basics are now in order. Where as before I might have worried about having them set up, I now feel eager to embrace their education and focus on their curriculum. In becoming Transit Antenna we have a responsibility to maintain and develop the project, but whatever you do, if you have kids, they should always be your first priority. As parents we naturally wonder if we are doing the right thing by them, for them, or just dragging them along for the ride, but we are always reassured by home improvements like these and thankfully by the kids themselves who day-by-day seem more empowered, balanced and thirsty for knowledge, positively flourishing within a lifestyle that others find questionable.
This blog is just for our homeschooling projects, for more about our bus life visit us on our main site...
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