Classroom Wall Paint Ideas
Students spend most of their time in a classroom and the classroom environment can have a large impact on their performance. Creating a comfortable and inviting space is important, especially for students in elementary and preschool classrooms. What you do with your classroom walls is up to you and your school administration, and there are plenty of unique ideas to go around.
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Color Basics
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If you are not planning to use a mural or some other sort of complex wall idea, choosing the right colors can be helpful in keeping your kids calm and focused. Light, cool tones can help calm students and keep them focused, while painting the front or speaking wall a slightly lighter color will help draw attention to the front of the classroom. You can take this a step further by assigning each area of your class a color to match its primary activity. Young students may react well to bright colors, according to educational planner Kathie Engelbrecht.
Fantasy Mural
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Some classrooms are without large windows and can feel stuffy and claustrophobic. You can remedy this problem a bit by working with your students to draft a large fantasy scene. Ask students to draw simple ideas on paper for what sorts of things they would like to see when they look out the window. Help students sketch these ideas onto the wall, and then use group work to paint a fantasy mural.
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Handprints
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If you teach in elementary school, collecting student handprints is an interesting way to mark the passage of time. Students in each new class can dip their hands into safe, acrylic paint, and then place their hands on a designated area of your wall. Students can then sign their names to the appropriate prints. After a few classes, you will have a wall full of handprints from many students, who can come back from time to time to see if their hands still fit.
Theme Murals
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If you have time to paint and a touch of artistic talent, adding a shifting mural to your classroom is a unique method for keeping students engaged. Every few months, paint a new mural on the wall that signifies the next area of study. For instance, if you are going to learn about space, paint a space mural complete with planets, comets, and stars. When the time comes to do an underwater unit, change the mural to reflect some of the life found under the sea. Recruit your students for help if desired.
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