Classroom Tip #2

You have picked a theme. Now it’s time to think about how this theme can manifest itself in your classroom.

I will be providing color palettes, and/or suggestions for free items, to gather for decoration that apply to many of the themes mentioned in my original post.

• Animal (pick one animal, animals from your region, etc.)
• Amusement Park
  • Ask families and co-workers to donate stuffed animals to display or use in the classroom (think carnival section of an amusement park)
• Black & White
• Comic books/Superheroes
  • Red/White/Blue
  • Go to the library and see if there are any leftover comic books to rip apart for accents on boards
  • Go to the local comic book store and see if they have free comics (mine did!) or old advertisements for classroom decor
• Desserts
  • Pastels
  • Ask people to donate old cookbooks, or get some from the library, and have those pictures be your accents
    • Turn some cookbooks into a creative play center or a writing center
• Disney
• Gardens
• Harry Potter
  • Must be house colors: blue (Ravenclaw), yellow (Hufflepuff), green (Slytherin), scarlet (Gryffindor)
  • I would ask around to see what items people have in their closets, there are plenty of Potterheads that bought a bit too much
• Museum(s)
  • Contact a local museum and see if they have posters or brochures you can line your boards with
• Ocean
• Pixar
• Social Media
• Space
• Sports
  • Color palette of your college/university
  • Color palette to match your favorite team
  • Color palette of a local college/university or professional team
  • Ask around for old jerseys to staple to the walls
• Travel
  • Go to AAA and take every free map possible
  • Ask friends for maps when they travel: city maps, museum maps, national park maps, etc.
• Zoo

Once a theme is picked, the fun begins. However, make sure that fun stays focused (keep to just a few colors) and make sure to spend carefully. A classroom can be beautiful without breaking the bank.

This added follow-up, as well as a few others, is meant to provide guidance and support so that all classrooms can be creative vibrant spaces for learning. Stay tuned for more!