classroom decor

  • Decor Inspiration

    Yesterday I promised to share the classroom photos that I’ve been drooling over.  I’ve gathered these from all kinds of different places and I’ve tried my best to find the original sources for all of them, so please click the links to check out other amazing, inspiring decor ideas! I love the use of color and the awesome alphabet on that beautiful green wall! KLA Schools North Bay These bare walls feel anything but institutional – and I have that exact teal cart in my home, but that’s not the point… Kids Collective Preschool This room feels so homey and comfortable! Charlestown Nursery School This is 100% my dream classroom,…

  • Classroom Decor

    I have honestly gone back and forth on whether or not to publish this post, because I know teachers who feel very strongly about both sides of the issue, but I decided to go for it.  My thoughts on the classroom decor debate shouldn’t be a surprise to those of you who have followed Preschool Ponderings for a while. It’s no secret that I am a huge advocate for the Reggio Emilia approach, and my own personal opinions about classroom decor are closely aligned with Reggio teachings about the environment. But as you read this please remember that my opinions are just that – my own personal opinions.  This is…

  • Creative ways to display work

    Preschoolers are prolific – they create a ton of work and every single piece is the most important! This is great for making sure that there is always enough work to display in the classroom, but when you don’t have a ton of wall space it can make life really difficult.  So what do you do with all of that work that you want to display and just can’t find room for? It’s time to get creative. Some of my favorite solutions include hanging work from the ceiling, using it to create suncatchers in the windows, and stands made from unexpected items.  Here are some inspiring photos that I’ve collected…

  • Reggio Classroom Decor

    My favorite thing about back to school is drooling over all of the amazing classroom decor that I see in all of the best teacher blogs.  This fun stuff doesn’t really fit in my Reggio-inspired room, which is probably a good thing because I would spend way too much money on all of it! But that doesn’t mean that a Reggio classroom has to be boring – far from it in fact.   I have a ton of great tips for decorating a Reggio-inspired classroom;  1, Have the children help you create artwork for the room.  These masterpieces can be incredibly artistic and meaningful at the same time.  The act…

  • Felt Tassel Decoration

    I’m all for decorations that can be used more than once.  I made this cute felt tassel garland in colors to match my preschool graduation set, and it’s durable enough that I can put it away with my decorations and pull it out again next year.  This will be adorable on the refreshment table! It was incredibly easy to make, and super cheap too, so of course I had to share how I did it! It only took felt, cord, and a hot glue gun.  The amount of felt you need will depend on how long you want your garland to be.  Mine ended up being approximately 3 feet long…

  • Printable Decorations for Thanksgiving

    Whether you’re still pulling together your annual classroom celebration, or your preparing for you own family’s feast, I’ve got one more Thanksgiving treat for you! These Thanksgiving decorations are 100% printable, making them your last minute lifesaver for any Thanksgiving celebration that needs a little sprucing up.  The set includes a festive bunting, name tags, treat bag toppers, a door decoration, and cupcake picks (or they could also be stickers. I have these decorations available for every holiday because they have changed the way I celebrate.  Everything can be printed when I need more, and if there is something that I want to save for next year, like the bunting,…

  • Explaining Classroom Centers

    As preschool teachers we spend a lot of time defending the importance of play.  We know exactly how much learning is taking place in our activity centers during “free play” because we designed them specifically to encourage learning, social interaction, and inquiry.  Parents and family members don’t always understand that. I designed these labels to identify the different types of learning that takes place in each center.  Display them in a photo frame or attach them right to your shelf and parents can rad the brief description while waiting for their children to finish up their work. I wanted to share them with you, so I designed them in two…

  • Halloween Decorations for the Classroom

    I’m re-posting this from last year because these decorations have saved me so much time and energy, I hope you love them as much as I do! I love to change up my decorations at home to go with the seasons, but I’ve never really done it at school, mostly because I can’t afford to buy decorations for home and school – and because I don’t have a place to store those decorations.  BUT that’s all about to change. I really wanted to do something cute for Halloween, so I created a super cute set of matching classroom decorations – bunting for the wall, cupcake toppers (or stickers), treat bag toppers, name tags,…

  • DIY Classroom Decorations for Fall

    If you’re anything like me, your classroom probably feels like home, you certainly spend enough time there! There a few ways that I make my classroom my own, and one of those strategies is decorating the classroom for each season – just like I do at home.  I’ve come up with some easy ways to keep this seasonal decor within my budget. Instead of decorating for each holiday throughout the year, I stick to the four seasons, this means I need fewer decorations, and less space to store my decorations because they stay out longer.  I also try to use any natural decor that I can – for autumn pumpkins…

  • Friday Freebie – Classroom Labels

    Happy Friday! When I looked at the calendar at the beginning of the week, I was in shock. The middle of February already?! I’m itching for spring, and it’s coming quickly (thank goodness).  If you’re anything like me, you’re ready to freshen things up a bit, so I’ve got the perfect freebie for you. I recently revamped my classroom label freebie. It was one of the first sets that I ever added to my Teachers Pay Teachers Store, and it needed an upgrade.  I’m planning on re-labeling my whole classroom (there’s just something about new labels that gets me excited, and I know I’m not the only one!), so go…