Whether you are a first-time teacher or a seasoned pro, every classroom needs a little makeover sometimes. 2nd grade is an age where kids need lots of stimuli to keep themselves engaged and excited about learning. Here are 25 simple DIY and cheap ways to give your classroom a boost!
1. Set Your Year Goals
Goals and objectives are a great way to motivate students of any age. Have a bulletin board hung up with space for students to write one thing they wish to accomplish this year. Maybe they want to learn to ride a bike, do multiplication, or how to juggle. Regardless, this goal board will be a cute reminder for them all year round!
Learn more: sssteaching.com
2. Library Corner
Every 2nd grade class should have the beloved classroom library with awesome reading nooks. This space doesn't need to be big, just a little corner with some cushions and a book box where students can relax and read their favorite book.
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3. Personalized Teacher Table
Your students are constantly engaging with you at your desk. Make it personalized and unique just like you by decorating it with pictures, objects, and trinkets that students can ask questions about and get to know you by.
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4. Classroom Rules
We all know rules are very important in the classroom. They need to be visible and eye-catching so students can read and remember them. Create your own rule poster or find some cute ideas to make rule-following fun here!
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5. Dream Space
2nd graders have big dreams, as they should! So let's give them some inspiration and dedicate a space to learn and pursue their passions. Decorate some floor space with bright paper so that students can draw and express their dreams whenever they are feeling inspired.
Learn more: teacherspayteachers.com
6. Class Routines
Every 2nd grade class has familiar routines students must follow each day. Give them some guidance for morning routines and what to expect next with some steps and times on an adorable wall poster.
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7. Natural Atmosphere
We all need some fresh air and nature in our daily lives. Incorporate nature into your classroom with hanging plants, some pots, and posters showing the plant life cycle and other natural wonders.
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8. Board Games
Kids love to play board games, especially in school. There are plenty of educational games that you can purchase and keep in your classroom for days where students just want to roll some dice and play!
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9. Colorful Ceilings
Decorate your classroom with colorful streamers or fabric to give the entire classroom a rainbow sky.
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10. Telling Time
Your 2nd graders are still learning how to tell time and read clocks. Decorate your classroom with some of these fun clock ideas, or depict events in a story with an image library to teach students chronological order and time progression.
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11. Paint Place
Art! What would school be without artistic expression? Dedicate a corner of your classroom to art and painting. Find a wide variety of paint tools, and colorful paper for your kids to go crazy and let out their inner Picasso.
Learn more: pocketofpreschool.com
12. Solar System Fun
Teach your kids about the wonderful universe we live in with a fun solar system art exhibit. You can make this art project in the classroom with your kids using foam circle shapes for the planets and other clip art images for an out-of-this-world classroom!
Learn more: boredteachers.com
13. "A" is for Alphabet
2nd graders are learning new words and sound combinations every day. Create an alphabet book with new words and images for students to pick up and peruse when there is some downtime in class to increase their fluency in reading and expand their vocabulary.
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14. Furry Friends
Being animals ourselves, we have a tendency to be curious about our animal relatives. Kids love talking, reading, and learning about animals, so make it a theme of your classroom with picture books, stuffed animals, and other animal-related classroom decors.
Learn more: thehappyteacher.co
15. Inspiration Station
As teachers, one of our main jobs is to inspire our students to work hard to be the best versions of themselves. We can make our classroom layout more encouraging with photos and phrases kids can look at and feel motivated by daily.
Learn more: buzzfeed.com
16. Dr. Seuss Classroom
We all know and love Dr. Seuss. His whimsical books have brought children smiles and stories with creative characters for years. Find inspiration in his artwork and incorporate it into your classroom decoration for a fun, rhyming learning experience.
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17. Wonderful Windows
Every classroom should have a few windows. Grab some cute cling-on stickers and decorate your glass surfaces with images of animals, numbers, the alphabet, the options are endless!
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18. Lego Building Wall
Find some legos online and create a lego wall where students can use their sense of touch and sight to create and discover a world of possibility, growth, and development.
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19. Under the Sea
Transform your classroom space into a deep-sea experience with blue drapes, bubble stickers, and cutouts of different underwater life. Your students will feel like they are exploring the ocean when they walk into class.
Learn more: charmingclassroom.blogspot.com
20. Hogwarts School of FUN!
For all the Harry Potter fans in your class, create a whimsical atmosphere sure to inspire magical thoughts and motivated little wizards. Finding ways to relate to your students' culture is a great way to build connections with your students and get them excited about learning.
Learn more: charmingclassroom.blogspot.com
21. Book Chair
Get your 2nd graders excited about storytime with this magical reading chair with bookshelves built-in. Your students will be fighting for turns and reading hour will be their favorite hour!
Learn more: instructables.com
22. Kindness Corner
Creating this corner can be a cute and simple art project to do with the kids at the beginning of the year. Take their pictures and glue their smiling faces on paper cups. Hang these cups on a wall in the classroom and each week the students can pick a name and drop a little gift in the cup of their classmate.
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23. Polka Dot Party
Find some colorful decorative dots online in or your local store. You can use these dots to make paths to different parts of the classroom, section off areas for specific tasks, or make fun design games to get your students moving around!
Learn more: bonniekathryn.com
24. Rainy Weather Alert
Make your classroom ceiling look like the sky with this fun DIY rain cloud art and craft.
Learn more: diys.com
25. Safe Space
Instead of a time-out corner, this is a space where students that are dealing with difficult emotions can spend some time alone to process how they are feeling and not act out in anger or sadness. Create a comfortable environment with cushions, supportive signs, and empathetic books.
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