Kids love donuts, pizza and tacos! Incorporate food into your classroom decor this year with these fun products! Make a DIY word wall, taco bulletin board and reward station to motivate students. Get all the details you need here!
When you have a foodie teacher friend, and she asks you to help her decorate her classroom, you decorate with a food theme in mind, of course! We started planning Tiffany's classroom by breaking down the room into different sections. She knew she wanted a small group area, a reading nook, a large group area as well as tons of storage. Once we had those areas allocated, it was time for the details. For me, that's where the fun REALLY began! And being the good friend that she is, Tiffany let me use my creativity and go wild!
Word Wall:
There are some things in a classroom that you just can't change. Maybe the walls aren't your favorite color or the flooring isn't in tip top condition. For Tiffany, it was a set of outdated cabinets. While quite useful for storage, these cabinets had seen better days and just did not go with the bright and fun look we were trying to achieve. To give this classroom a totally different look we decided to disguise the existing cabinets and make them into a word wall display!
We covered the cabinets with Gold Glitter Contact Paper and used Confetti Classroom 3D Bulletin Board Borders to create a frame around the cabinets. To be sure that the cabinets could still be opened, we used an X-acto knife to cut out the grooves and openings for the doors. What's awesome about using contact paper is that it's completely removable and will not damage your cabinets! We used the Black & Bright Bulletin Board Letters and printed out the words "Fry's First Words" onto White Cardstock. Tiffany hung up the letters with Glue Dots and used Mavalus Multi-Purpose Adhesive Tape to hang the words.
Reading Nook & Rewards Center:
Tiffany knew she wanted to make a fun and colorful rewards center as well as a designated reading nook in her classroom. We decided to make a HUGE statement in the room with wall decor and colors that were sure to get the kids excited to read. You can learn more about how we created this Rewards Center and Reading Nook here. Tiffany wanted her small group area to go right next to the reading nook and rewards center. We set up a half round table with wobble chairs in different colors to go with our classroom decor. The wobble chairs are a great option for flexible seating in the classroom and allow kids to get all their wiggles out while still learning.
To differentiate the small area from the rest of the room, we hung a bundle of colored paper lanterns, Bright Tissue Hanging Fans, and a Cupcake Piñata from the ceiling. We also hung the Classroom Helpers Chart and Small Group Rotation Pocket Chart on either side of the small group table.
Adding coordinating touches here and there throughout Tiffany's classroom is what really makes this space special. On her small group area bookshelf, I designed word list title cards to match the food theme. Each card is labeled with the corresponding level. To make the word list card bundles, Tiffany wrote the words onto 3x5 cards and organized them into levels. She then downloaded, printed and cut out the word list title cards, punched holes in the cards and put them onto rings. Some adhesive hooks were added to the side of the small group bookshelf, where the cards are displayed and within reach. You, too, can download and print the free Food Themed Word List Title Cards here!
Organization Ideas:
Like any teacher, Tiffany needed organization and lots of it! One of the areas that she needed the most organizational help was the small group area bookshelf. This bookshelf needed to house lots of different items like teaching aids and lesson plans. After incorporating few bins, jars, and baskets this bookshelf is now one of Tiffany's favorite and most useful areas of her classroom. You can learn more about Tiffany's classroom organization here.
Teacher Desk Decor:
Tiffany's teacher desk was another piece in her classroom that had seen better days. One thing we learned with the word wall is that anything can be made new again, so we covered the bottom of her desk with Chalkboard Bulletin Board Paper, hung up a Rainbow Party Fringe Table Skirt and lined the desk with Gold Glitter Scalloped Bulletin Board Borders. Behind Tiffany's teacher desk we hung the Funtastic Food Friends Posters. Adding a sheet of color coordinating poster paper behind the food posters helped them stand out against an otherwise plain wall.
We placed a few Stackable Bin Trays and Confetti Classroom File Folders on her desk to help keep Tiffany organized. Incorporating a small desk lamp, pencil organizer and fun Gold & White Striped Jar Mug created a cozy yet functional atmosphere.
Taco Bulletin Board Idea:
Letting the students add a few touches of their own into this classroom was very important. During the first week of class, Tiffany planned a fun activity to help the kids get to know their classmates. Students crafted paper plate tacos that described their favorite activities and what makes them unique. You can learn how to make the Paper Plate Tacos for the bulletin board here. Incorporating a clock into the 'Taco 'Bout' gold glittered marquee letters was a fun and functional touch. Simply spray a layer of spray adhesive onto marquee letters and cover with a layer of Gold Glitter. Allow time for the glue to dry then hang!
Large Group Area:
One thing Tiffany uses in her classroom every day is her large group area. She uses this space to gather the students for daily announcements, group lessons, etc. In this space, Tiffany wanted to have a special place for the teacher or a chosen student to sit. We crafted a tulle and pom-pom canopy to put over her comfy reading chair. You wouldn't believe how easy this canopy was to make! Simply cut lengths of White Tulle double the length you need to barely hang over the floor.
Fold the tulle in half and pull the ends of the tulle through the loop, looping it around a Ceiling Canopy Frame. Use hot glue to adhere bright colored yarn pom-poms to the tulle.
We also included a small pillow decorated with different colored Yarn Poms and Pom-Pom Trim. Next to the large group area we hung the Funtastic Food Friends Calendar and Food Cutouts which make daily announcements a breeze.
Student Desks:
For the students' desks we used Colorful Masking Tape to section off individual sections. This idea helps set boundaries in group desk settings.
We also labeled chairs with Funtastic Food Friends Desk Plates so that each student can feel that they have something of their very own.
In the middle of the tables we added a Compartment Classroom Storage Caddy filled with all the classroom essentials including: Funtastic food Friends Pencil Cases, Food Friend Pencils, Crayons, scissors, and Free Printable Behavior Bingo Reward Cards. These bingo cards are a great way to reward your students for good behavior. You could also use the blank bingo card to track reading or homework. Learn more about the bingo reward cards and the classroom reward center idea here. Download the Free Printable Behavior Bingo Reward Cards here.
Growth Mindset Classroom Door Decor:
Adding fun classroom door decor is a great way to greet your students and get them ready for the day ahead. We put our door decor on the back of the door, so the students could enjoy "the power of yet" all day long. Learn how to make your own Growth Mindset Classroom Door Decor here.
Tiffany and I hope you enjoyed the tour of her food themed classroom! You can find all of the items we used in the product list on the side of this article. Find more details on the different areas of the food themed classroom at the links below:
Food Themed Reading Nook and Rewards Center Idea
Growth Mindset Classroom Door Decor Idea
Food Themed Classroom Organization Ideas
Taco Themed Bulletin Board Idea
Don't forget to download the free classroom decor printables here:
Free Printable Food Themed Behavior Bingo Cards
