10 DIY Classroom Themes You Can Create With Ease

August is quickly approaching and it’s time to start planning classroom themes. These ten whimsical classroom themes will add fun and excitement to your learning space. What child wouldn’t love to sit back and read a book while sitting by the ocean or in a cozy nook at Hogwarts? Students will look forward to working under their favorite truffula tree or practicing writing in the galley of a pirate ship. Whichever theme you choose, your classroom will be a colorful and exciting place for your little learners. If you’re looking for some creative ways to jazz up a your learning environment, we’ve got you covered. These themes help to engage your student and inspire creativity.

Classroom decorations are easy to DIY and make yourself so you can afford to transform your classroom on a budget with these ideas. The best and cheapest way to transform your Classroom is to pick a theme and work with it. Pick a theme that is popular for the season so supplies will be affordable. Ask parents to bring something in to add to the theme, for example, old party decorations that fit your theme, parents would only be too glad to get rid of their supplies. Remember if you don’t ask the parents for help there is zero chance of them contributing. Use your parents as a resource for free stuff.

Pick a theme that is easily interchangeable if you plan to purchase items. I love using chalkboards for my party supplies as it enables me to theme a room very quickly with text and sayings.

Remember 90% of the creativity and inspiration in your classroom comes from YOU the teacher! We also found some amazing classroom cuts out such as these

Life-Size Book Character Cutout

Palm tree cutout

Dr Seuss Decorations

Luau Classroom Theme – Schoolgirl Style

Superhero Classroom Theme – Schoolgirl Style

Ocean Classroom Theme – Pixie Chicks

Nautical Classroom Theme – Sailing Through 1st Grade

Harry Potter Classroom Theme – Chamber of Magic

Dr Seuss Classroom Theme – Tangled with Teaching

Buckaroo Classroom Theme – The Creative Classroom

Pirate Theme Classroom – Clutter-Free Classroom

Bee Classroom Decor – Flapjack Educational Resources

Jungle Classroom Theme – Trendy Teacher

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Play Like a Pirate with These Fun Pirate Activities for Kids

The celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is important throughout Mexico and other parts of the world. Her feast day is Dec. 12, and the celebrations honoring her appearance to Juan Diego in 1531 begin a few days before that.

Whether you celebrate yourself or just want to share about the celebration at home or in your classroom, Las Mañanitas: The Beautiful Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a good place to start. The book, by Ernesto Joel Vega Rosales and Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratne, with illustrations by Dana Sanmar, tells the story of a family’s celebration of the feast day in both English and Spanish.

They prepare with a novena, which is nine days of prayers and preparations. The children, Lucia and Pablo, are given special outfits made by their grandmother that look like what Juan Diego might have worn when he saw Our Lady. The book describes the prayers that are made each day, such as a prayer for respect for life, for families and for the indigenous people of the Americas, to name a few.

As told in the book, Juan Diego was a native Mexican born near modern day Mexico City. His given name was Cuaauhtlatoatzin, which means “He who speaks like an eagle.” When he converted to Christianity his name was changed to Juan Diego, and as he walked to church he passed a hill called Tepeyac. One day he heard the birds singing especially beautifully and a voice called him to go to the top of the hill.

There he saw Our Lady of Guadalupe, who asked him to tell the bishop she wanted a chapel built in her name at the foot of the hill. The bishop asked for a sign that Juan Diego really saw her, and later she had him collect flowers that she blessed and take them to the bishop. When Juan Diego dropped the flowers, an image of Our Lady could be seen on his cloak, which is still on display in her basilica to this day.

The feast day is celebrated as mañanitas, which includes singing, indigenous music and dancing, and children presenting flowers to Our Lady. Juan Diego is remembered today as being humble, brave and faithful, and was the first indigenous American made a saint.

The book is colorful and tells the story in a clear way, and it’s fun to have it both in English and Spanish if you teach Spanish or speak Spanish at home or in the classroom. It’s a great way to learn the basics of the celebration and the story of Juan Diego and why he is still remembered today.

About the book: 40 pages, paperback, published 2024 by Loyola Press. Suggested retail price $14.99.

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