Your classroom design is your chance to express your style and create a classroom your students will love. An inviting space with school furniture and finishing touches that engage and excite young learners will make your room one of their favorite places.
Setting up your classroom for the new year is one of the best parts of being a teacher. You want to create an environment that's homey and inviting, while still being enriching and educational. And, of course, you want to create a classroom that makes you feel just as comfortable as the kids. In this inspirational article, we share tips for creating learning spaces with classroom finishing touches that both you and your students will love.
Take your bulletin board decorations to the next level
Every season, your bulletin boards are a blank canvas waiting to greet your students with vibrant colors, clever decorations, and inspiring images. Your students will eagerly anticipate the new season's bulletin board when you use these tips to level up your bulletin board decorations. And these products are essential classroom finishing touches to consider.
Use a double border. A neutral outer border paired with a themed inner border will make your bulletin board pop. Doubling up your border will also make updating your board easier since you only have to change the easier inner border.
Decorate with your students' names. Autumn leaves or penguin cutouts with your students' names will create excitement as kids look for their names on the board.
Create an interactive bulletin board. Invite your students to have a hand in decorating your bulletin board with a countdown to spring break or a display of what your students are thankful for before Thanksgiving.
Create cozy reading nooks
Children who love to read become lifelong learners. Create a reading nook your students will love with these tips. Then, outfit your reading spaces with these classroom finishing touches and ideas.
Create a theme for your reading nook. Themes create a story that makes any activity fun. Your students can “camp out with a good book” or settle in with their favorite “beach reads.” Use theme-specific decorations like tents or Adirondack chairs to pull your theme together.
Use soft seating. Hard plastic chairs are great for when children need to get to work on classroom materials. But soft, cozy seating provides a place to rest, read, and think.
Include a well-stocked bookshelf. Classroom libraries inspire both literacy and inclusion. One study on the importance of books found that being in the presence of many books has an educational impact on children, similar to having two college-educated parents. Scour garage sales and library-used book sales to find affordable books for your classroom.
Divide your classroom into different activity centers
Activity centers for learning give students an opportunity to practice skills with hands-on engagement. Learning centers are an important way to reinforce math, reading, and science skills. Best of all, hands-on activity centers feel more like play than school. Follow these tips to create fun and effective activity centers.
Use fun and colorful room dividers. Room dividers are a great way to set your activity centers apart from the rest of the classroom. Colorful, see-through room dividers create an inviting space while still allowing you to keep an eye on the kids in the activity center.
Keep materials organized. You'll want to store some materials out of reach of the children. However, it's also important to foster a sense of independence and encourage children to take the lead in activity centers. For that reason, keep appropriate materials within reach in right sized cubbies and cabinets.
Use rugs and creative seating options. Hands-on learning centers are an opportunity for kids to get out of their seats and work together. Consider providing rugs that kids can sit on or other alternative seating arrangements.
Include educational toys in your classroom décor
Playing is the primary way children learn. Through play, children can practice and master new skills while having fun. Your students will be excited to learn when you provide them with educational toys. Make creative toys part of your classroom finishing touches checklist!
Play “Rush Hour” with toy clocks. In Rush Hour, kids compete to move their clocks ahead by an hour using dice. For example, kids start at 12:00, and the first to reach 1:00 wins. If they roll a one, they can move the clock ahead five minutes, and so on. You can write the code for the dice rolls on a whiteboard. Be sure to include rolls that force a student to move backward.
Hunt for treasure with magnets. Give kids hands-on science experience by burying magnetic treasure in a bucket. Fill the jar with nonmagnetic items. Then, bury metal toys, such as toy cars. Give the kids strong magnets so that they can find the buried treasure.
Create a classroom your students will love with School Outfitters
The 2024-25 school year brings new opportunities to get creative in your classroom designs. You can create a welcoming, vibrant learning space that's inviting and engaging with the tips above. With eye-popping bulletin boards, educational activity centers that are cozy and engaging, and toys that dial up the fun, you'll create a classroom with finishing touches your students will love. School Outfitters has all the finishing touches you need to make the 2024-25 school the best yet. Start browsing all the best classroom finishing touches, and get your free quote today!