It’s hard to believe but Halloween is already here again! It’s that time of year to begin thinking about bright orange and black colors, pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, fun costumes and how you are going to decorate your classroom.
If you are just beginning to think about what to do for Halloween in your classroom then you are in luck because there are some neat ideas below to help get you started. Even if you already have everything all planned out you can still get some new, fresh ideas!
Gigantic Spider in It’s Web
A great decoration for a big wall in the classroom is to make a good sized spider web. The web is easily created using yarn of any color that will show up well on the wall. Pick six points on the wall for attachment. Some good reference points are the hour hands on clock of twelve, ten, eight, six, four, and two. Cut three lengths of yarn the entire length of the web you wish to create. Connect the yarn straight across the wall at the six points to create an asterisk. Next, working in a spiral from the outside to the inside, attatch the yarn at each of the six points with tape or adhesive until you have at least 3 spirals. You may have a lot more spirals depending on how large your wall is.
After you are done with the web, it’s time to create the spider. Even though spiders come in a wide variety of different colors black typically works the best since it seems to go with the whole Halloween theme. Creating the spider is really simple. All you have to do is cut two circles or ovals out of black construction paper making sure one is smaller for the head and the other a little bigger for the body. Pipe cleaners seem to work really well for the legs, but you can also just use construction paper for those as well if you would like. You can even fold the construction paper like an accordion to add some dimension to them. After the spider is finished you can put it on the web.
This can also turn into a great project for your students. Give them pipe cleaners and show them how to twist the pieces together to make miniature spiders that will help turn the big web into a scary masterpiece. You can take the project another step further with black or brightly colored miniature pom-poms that can be used as the body of the mini-spiders.
Not So Scary Halloween Scenes
One classroom door decoration idea is to create scenes of Halloween out of colored felt or construction paper and attach them to the door. The scenes don’t have to be scary, but warm and inviting, drawing the children inside. A cat with a pumpkin, friendly ghosts, skeletons with top hats, or a large moon with a fence silhouette are just a few ideas to get the ball rolling. Use simple shapes and contrasting colors to create a delightful variety of mini-scenes for decorating your classroom door. Make sure to keep your students involved by asking them to cut out some of the shapes for you or glue some of the pieces together.
Surrounded by Skeletons
A border of cut out skeletons can wrap around the upper wall of your classroom. You can create the skeletons in a paper doll style, with multiple layers of white construction paper cut out all at once so they are attached when you unfold the paper.
Another idea is to have your students cut out the bones of small skeletons, attach the bones together with brass fasteners and then put them around the perimeter of the classroom. Children can be creative by putting the arms and legs of their skeletons in different positions or even hanging them upside down!
Motivating classroom decorations are an important part of making an environment where students are motivated to learn. If you want to involve your students in classroom decorating, many lessons can be incorporated into easy classroom decorating ideas like the human body, art, math and science.