Nothing makes a classroom look more friendly than a profusion of children’s art on the walls. Instead of decorating the classroom alone, leave some space for children to add decorations that are functional, instructive, and beautiful.
Materials for Classroom Wall Decorations
Classroom wall decorations do not need to be fancy or require expensive materials. Collect poster board, rolls of paper, pencils, markers, stickers and crayons. Collect magazines and old posters with interesting photos. Find some scissors. This will give the children more than enough materials to decorate the classroom walls.
Create a Handprint Tree Decoration for Elementary and Preschool Classes
At the beginning of the year, children like to feel like they have a place in the classroom. Have them work in partners to trace their handprints on a piece of paper. Then each child can write his name on the handprint. Make a topiary tree out of paper and attach the handprints to the top of the tree.
Make a Birthday Cake for the Classroom
Children love to celebrate their birthdays. Make a big birthday cake. Have each child write his or her name and birthday on a candle and place it on the cake. Put the dates in order so that the children know whose birthday comes next.
Make a Giant Calendar for the Elementary Classroom
Create a big calendar on one wall of the classroom. Print out large numbers on card stock and have each child decorate a number. Put Velcro on the back of each date. Create a calendar on a large piece of white paper or several pieces of poster board put together. Alternatively, use a large calendar wall decal. Add the other side of the Velcro to each box for the date. The children can add their dates to the calendar and move them for each month. Create a star to show the date today.
Build a Jungle or Water Scene for the Preschool or Elementary Classroom Wall
Using old nature posters or magazines like National Geographic, create a large nature scene on one wall of the classroom. Begin by having the children paint a piece of paper for the background. They might sponge paint it blue or green. Use wall decals to add large features like trees or a whale. Then have them find their favorite animals that go in the environment that the class has chosen to create, whether that is a lake, underwater scene, jungle, or a forest. Find places for all of the animals and give the classroom a wild look.
Decorating a classroom wall can be a fun experience to share with the students, and it can be a learning experience as well. Integrate classroom decorating into art lessons, reading and writing practice, math and calendar. Soon, the classroom walls will be overflowing with children’s art.
Tricia Edgar - Tricia Edgar is a gardener, environmental educator, and science writer from the Pacific Northwest.
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