If you’re starting
to worry about getting your room decorated for the first day of school have I
got a great idea for you!!!! Wrap yellow
caution tape around your door and post a sign that says “Under
Construction.” Explain to the
parents that you are trying to develop a classroom community and you want your
students to decorate their own learning environment. Invite parents to come back at the end of the week to see
what their children have created!
Here are some
great projects that will help children get to know each other as they make
their classroom reflect them.
Display Pocket
Make a display pocket for each child from a
file folder. Cut a 1 ¼” border
around the top half of the file folder.
Let children decorate it with their name and pictures. Laminate. Fold in half and staple to a bulletin
board or tape to a cubby. Children can display their own work by
slipping drawings, stories, etc. in the pocket.
Hint!
You can also use a clear sheet protector to display children’s work.
Class Quilt
Use group art to
create a visual representation of the “community” in your classroom. Give each child a 9” square and have
them decorate it with pictures of themselves, drawings of their families or
favorite things,
collage materials,
etc. Punch holes in the corner of
each square and tie together with yarn to make a quilt to display in the
classroom or hallway.
Friendship
Chain
Give each child a
strip of construction paper to decorate with their name, symbols of favorite
things, or designs. Staple the
strips together to make
a chain. Remind the children that
your classroom is just like that chain.
Everyone must work together to keep it connected and strong. Drape the chain over the doorway.
Banners,
Pennants, and Name Plates
Use construction
to let children create banners or pennants that reflect them. They might include hobbies, favorite
foods, pets, family members, goals, etc.
Fit Like a
Puzzle
Take a large sheet
of poster board and cut it into puzzle shapes. (You will need one puzzle piece for each child in the
room. Mark the back of the piece
with an “X” so they will know which side to decorate.) After the children have decorated their
piece, challenge them to put their pieces together to make a puzzle. Glue pieces to another sheet of poster
board to create a picture puzzle for your classroom.
