- Hang fairy lights around your whiteboard or across the ceiling for a soft glow. I love these battery operated ones that include a remote.
- Update your bulletin boards to a wintery theme! Include students in the job by making paper snowflakes together.
- Allow students to bring a blanket to school for the last week before break. If your kids can handle it, a blanket across their lap while they work is an easy way to increase the cozy factor!
- Try soft music during work time. This could be a Holiday station, classical music, or my new favorite Pandora station – Coffeehouse Vibes!
- Lamps! Bringing in a few small lamps from home can add a warmth to your room during your read aloud or silent reading time. I’ve also seen many at my local Goodwill, and Target has fun $12 ones!
- I love seeing plants in classrooms. There’s something about bringing some of the outside inside that just makes a space feel homey. And if you don’t have a green thumb, put students in charge of plant-care! (Plan B? Try some of those super realistic-looking fake plants!)
- If it’s within your budget, offering some alternative seating arrangements for worktime can really help to personalize a classroom. I know some amazing teachers who thrived with flexible seating, but it never felt quite right for me. I did, however, enjoy letting kids move about the classroom to find a place where they could work independently. Foldable camping chairs can help save space, and many thrift stores have reasonably priced chairs or beanbags.
- Spend part of an afternoon working on watercolor sunset pieces, or make torn paper owls. A cute seasonal project on the walls instantly cozies up a space.
- Framed seasonal art on the wall makes a big impact! Nowadays, there are free and reasonably priced downloads of darling art prints. I recently bought a set of 8 prints off Etsy for $6! Find dollar store frames and some seasonal prints you love. Changing these up throughout the year will help to set the tone for each season. My students always loved the day they walked in and the prints had been changed.
- And finally, offer students a special treat sometime the week before break. A fruit snack pack waiting on their desk, cup of warm apple cider, or wintery pencil will bring many smiles!
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