10 Essentials for a productive home study space

Make it easy for kids to remember the important stuff (essay due Friday) and to jot down reminders and to-do lists with a magnetic bamboo board (westelm.com, $26) that can be mounted on the wall near their study space.

An organized workspace is a productive one, so ensure your kids avoid an avalanche of desktop clutter. We like this simple clear organizer (containerstore.com, $25) with three compartments for pens, pencils, highlighters and anything else your child needs close at hand.

Keep kids focused at their desks with the right lighting. Choose something compact to save space but with a bright beam like these boldly hued task lamps (potterybarnkids.com, $52) that add a pop of colour to any study area.

You can’t have a study space without a desk, and we like this clever desk ensemble (ikea.com, $140) that includes storage for books. The neutral colour allows for easy accessorizing, and the compact size makes it easy to fit into smaller work areas.

This set of four colourful highlighters (cb2.com, $16) in the shape of a rainbow help make studying or research more fun, not to mention they make a vibrant addition any desktop.

It’s important to choose a chair that’s comfortable as well as colourful. We love these Ikea swivel chairs (available in store, $20) that come in several bold hues, including pink, green and yellow.

If desktop space is sparse, you can provide stylish organization in the form of a wall-mounted storage system (landofnod.com, $49), which saves space and offers slots for many items. Choose from four colours.

Sometimes the easiest way to stay on track is to see exactly what you need to do and when — at all times. Make sticking to deadlines a breeze with this handy wall decal dry-erase calendar (pbteen.com, $32).