How to Decorate the Classroom With Monkeys

Preparing for a new school year includes getting organized, planning lessons, buying supplies and writing parent letters. It also involves creative tasks, like decorating the classroom with fun themes. Using a monkey theme in the classroom entails putting up bulletin boards, wall decorations and student supplies.

Things You'll Need

• Butcher paper Glue Scissors Laminating machine (optional) Die-cut letters Markers Construction paper Library card Stickers Stuffed Monkeys

Instructions

How to Decorate the Classroom with Monkeys

1. Check out or buy children's books with monkeys, such as "The Five Little Monkeys" by Eileen Christelow or the "Curious George" series by H.A. Rey. Display these books around the classroom.

2. 

   Go to teachersparadise.com/c/monkey-mischief-bulletin-board-sets-p-69415.html to view samples of monkey bulletin-board ideas and products. Put up a piece of butcher paper on the bulletin board. Avoid yellow and green, since some of the cut-outs will be bananas and vines.

3. Print out monkeys and bananas using a clip-art program or website such as Microsoft Office Online. Enlarge the clip art and use it as a stencil on the construction paper to make your own pictures for the walls and bulletin boards. Cut vines out of green butcher paper, and use other colors like brown, yellow, white and black for the monkeys and bananas. Hang the vines around the classroom and the bulletin boards, with monkeys climbing on them.

4. 

   Using construction paper, create student nameplates with monkey stickers on them for the desks. Make each student a folder with a monkey pasted on the front cover, and write their names on them. Cut out shapes that look like monkey hands and feet, and make a path going around the room.

5. Think of a fun title for the theme, and use the die-cut machine or stencils to hang the letters on the wall. Be creative. Examples of themes could be: "Monkeying around in [teacher's name]'s class," "Hanging out in [teacher's name]'s classroom," "Go bananas in [teacher's name]'s class" or "Let's get down to monkey business."

6. 

   Ask around or check out the local thrift shop for cheap deals on stuffed or toy monkeys. Places these on your desk, bookshelves and counters.

7. Look up facts about monkeys and write them on posters around the classroom to use later for trivia questions.

Tips & Warnings

• Laminate your decorations. Then you won't have to buy them again in the future. Have fun with the theme during lessons once in a while. For example, math word problems could include an occasional monkey in them.

References

• Five Little Monkeys

Resources

• Monkey Mischief Bulletin Board Set
• Microsoft Office Online Clipart