I want to creat a beach theme for next year. I've read the archives posts and I'm looking for new ideas on how to decorate my room, bulletin board titles, and names for centers that have a beach theme. I would love to hear any ideas.
Thanks!
To decorate your room you could use beach umbrellas, beach balls, beach toys used to make sandcastles (pail, shovel). You could also have seashells to use in decorating. You could create bulletin boards with a blue background and then use brown bulletin board paper to create the sand at the bottom. Then you can place or draw a beach umbrella with a beachball and a pail and shovel. You can have a welcome title on this bulletin board that says "Learning Under the Sun" or "Fun in the Sun" or "Learning is Fun in the Sun" or "Welcome to the Beach of Knowledge" or "Welcome to Knowledge Beach". I don't know...something like that I guess.
Here are some links with Beach Theme ideas to help you out:
I had a beach/island theme this year, and it was a hit with the kids, parents, and other teachers. I found lots of ideas here on Proteacher last summer.
You can go to my website and view pictures of my classroom. www.mrsaprilriley.com (click on Classroom Photos) You can also look at my Newsletter for some "beach-y" sayings/titles.
I added/changed a few things as the year went along.
I did a beach theme this year. In my reading corner of my classroom, I (slightly) scrunched blue plastic wrap and stuck it to the windows. I put cutouts of fish on the blue windows. I also found palm tree lights and hung them in there (I don't ever think I've plugged them in but the kids got a kick out of them). In the opening to the reading corner I took 2 tiki torches (I took the torch part out) but attached a sign between the 2 posts that read "Readers' Beach" in colorful letters. I draped a colorful string of flowers over the sign. I also put 2 plastic beach loungers in there for the kids to sit on while they read. They are great because they are indestructable and easy to clean.
I had various signs/bulletin boards around the room: Sea of Smiles has pictures of all the kids with the name of each child written below (I teach 1st). In every book, there is a treasure. Surf into First Grade (a welcome b.b. in the beginning of the year had a different colored surfboard for each kid with their name on it.) Whale of a Word Wall. Center tubs read: Hooked on Center 1 (graphic of a fish hook), etc...
I am a new teacher and I love your ideas for a Beach class. I was wondering if you had any pictures of your class. I would love to see them. If you don't mind.
Thanks again
In my above post I provided a link to my classroom pictures. Scroll down and click on "Classroom Photos" and then also be sure to click on the classroom door to see the inside of my room. www.mrsaprilriley.com
I'm sure a lot of other posters have great pictures to share also! I'd love to add more ideas for next year!
Scrapbooker...I'm planning on doing a beach theme next year too!! Maybe we can share ideas.
Teach4TX...I love your beach pictures. I may "steal" some of your ideas. I wish I could have someone build me a cool beach porch like yours. I love it! I also like the awning you have over the door. It's a grass skirt, right? How did you make it?
I'd love to swap ideas with you as we both build our beaches!! I teach 3rd grade in Indiana. Contact me at my school email and I'll give you my home email so we can keep in touch throughout the summer.
Sure! The more the merrier! Anyone else interested? Email me at school
ctrapptsc.k12.in.us
I'll compile a list of interested people and then send out email addresses for all interested. We can share our ideas through the summer. Or... we can just keep posting here so everyone can benefit from our brain storming.
I love your room! I am in a room with no windows, and I need to brighten it up. I have been looking at ideas, and your sunset mural at the computers is awesome. I also love your area with the palms and birds. How did you do them?
I would love to swap ideas with you about a beach theme. I did this last year and would love to add to my room. I teach 4th grade on the MS Gulf Coast. My email is ntalleyjaco.k12.ms.us.
"I have been looking at ideas, and your sunset mural at the computers is awesome. I also love your area with the palms and birds. How did you do them?" -- KYTEACH
So simple! I purchased "scene setters" from a couple of area party stores and then stapled them to the wall. The murals are actually plastic cellophane type material w/ the scene printed on it.
They were pretty cheap. I found the sunset mural at Garden Ridge and it came w/ a LOT of feet; like enough to cover an entire wall! (cost about $17-20) I found the mural w/ palms & birds at Party Warehouse, I think. (cost about $8-12) -- 2 panels came in package
You can search the internet for scene setters and find many varieties!
I am hunting around for a great classroom theme for my first year teaching! I was considering a rainforest theme, but after reading all of you guys' great ideas, I am seriously thinking about joining you all on the beach!
Mrs. Riley, your beach porch is fabulous! I don't think I know anyone who is that construction/building-savvy! What a great idea, though!
I would love to join the "beach theme club" this summer and share ideas. My email is
gayla311 AT msn DOT com
If I come across anything great, I will post it here!
Just thought I'd share:
I purchased a beach ball at Walmart the other day. And I had my students from this year sign it. I'm going to hang it somewhere next year to go along with the beach theme.
I had a fleeting thought that I wanted to have a "themed" room next year . . .and began perusing the web to get ideas. I haven't even had time to look at the incredible pictures I've read the descriptions of - but I know I'm going to do a beach theme next year! I teach in an "open" school so I don't have 4 walls, but I'll be anxious to use as many ideas as possible. I'm glad to collect shells for anyone needing them for their room . . . a definite "perk" of living near the beaches of Clearwater, FL . . .
I am a new teacher. I will start teaching 2nd grade in August and also want to do a beach themed classroom. I was on Oriental Trading last night and got great ideas. I also got great ideas through your thread and would love to be included in your beach brainstorming group.
I just went to Target and they have the most adorable, colorful surfboard carpets at 75% - costing under $7. They are a nice size for maybe a reading center area.
I'm so excited about my lucky shopping today! I found many neat ocean/beach items at Michael's, Jo Anne's, and Kohl's...everything was on sale, too! You might want to check it out!
I'm planning on a relaxing beach theme...not too many bright colorful things. I like to do seasonal decorating, so I need to keep my beach neutral.
I found palm trees today and unfinished aidonack (sp??) chairs. I plan to paint them a soft yellow or soft sage green.
Target's outdoor section has great chairs and such. I found these adorable bright striped kid's beach chairs with little bug faces on the backs, beach balls for $1, beach buckets for storage, etc. I love that store...
Hello everyone.. I am so glad I found this post. I too am going to be doing a nautical beach theme. I love your ideas. I am a new teacher in a school that uses a lot of skipper type themes and sailboats. So that is the base for my choice. I will post all of my ideas here too
Behavior Bay is a classroom management board that visually shows the students how their behavior is through out the day. I have 4 colors=
Green - Great Day
Blue - Warning
Yellow - Loss of recess or lunch detention
Red - Phone call home
There are warnings/suggestions for improvement between each color... just a way for me to communicate "how their day was" to the students and their parents. It is a building wide system for my school.
You can tell which students are "behavior challenges"... their pockets are falling off from turning their cards so many times!
I found the adirondack chairs at JoAnn's craft store. They were 1/2 price!...around $25.
I also found a cute patio set with table, umbrella and 4 chairs on clearance at Wal-Mart for $50!! I'm planning to make it look like a thatch umbrella by adding grass skirts (also from Joann's) to the umbrella.
I'm definitely a bargain hunter!
If your town has more than 1 Wal-Mart, check all of them for the best price. My town has 3 stores and only 1 had the patio furniture marked down that low.
Sorry for the delay in responding about the surf board rugs. I found them in the bedding department - not carpet/rug section. Also, Target has a Tropical bedding line that is marked down. I bought a grass bed skirt I plan to use on my windows. I bought a full size and I will just cut out the center of the bed skirt and velcro onto my windows. I also bought a cute clear shower curtain with a Tiki Hut/palm trees at half off. Today I found the bed sheets with a cute monkey surfing/palm trees also half off. I may use to drape tables. I can't wait to put it all together in my room!!
Im not a teacher but a parent . I love your theme. The children must love to come to your class ..... keep up the good work. It turned out WONDERFUL!!!!
I am teaching Kindergarten for the first time this year. I love a lot of the ideas I have been reading. I am also doing the beach theme. Here are some of the ideas I am using.
Whale of a Job -I have whales with names of students on them. The water spout has the name of a job. A velcro dot allows me to rotate the jobs.
I used my Printmaster and made sandcastle nametags for my students tables.
For a word wall, I have made an ocean floor scene with schools of fish, various sea life, a mermaid, and a wrecked ship. The bubbles from the fish etc, are where you will find the words. Haven't figured out a title yet. Any ideas?
I made a large beach umbrella. Each stripe on the umbrella is used to display a class rule.
Behavior chart - I used sticky pockets and placed a cartoon animal character by each one. Each pocket has 3 brightly colored surf boards with the individual child's name per pocket. All are laminated. Children loose a surf board with a bad choice or gain it back with a good choice.
I have been dabbling with a I Can Clam idea It could be used to reward a child for good behaviors ( catch being good) or to reward learning new things like being able to tye shoes etc. What do you think?
I love clearance areas in stores! Toys R Us had large sand pails for 99 cents. Great for storage. They had chairs on sale. I bought two wicker chairs for around $30.
Thanks for sharing with me. I love the hanging schools of fish idea.
I used my printmaster to create a pattern. The surf boards are approx. 5 1/2 inches long and 3inches wide. I think you could probably find some in a clip art program.
Hope that helps.
05-03-2007, 07:40 AM
I also like the awning you have over the door. It's a grass skirt, right? How did you make it?
tsc.k12.in.us
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