Classroom Organization Ideas and Tips

A Guide to Classroom Organization Ideas:  Step Into My Kindergarten!

Brightening Your Classroom

One of my first classroom organization ideas is to brighten up the space with decor and storage pieces. A few years back, I decided to switch from primary colors to a neon theme.  One of my first purchases were these FLUFFY HANGING NEON POM POMS.  They are budget-friendly and instantly added a pop of color to the room.  Even on dreary winter days, my room still looks bright and cherry!

Last year, I had five tables and color coordinated the table color with the NEON CADDY and matching pom pom above.  See the picture below.  The pink table has a pink caddy in the middle and a pink pom pom overhead.  

Just by adding these simple pieces, the room is instantly brighter and more inviting!

I love how the pom poms accentuate the neon theme of my classroom!

My Favorite Organizational Pieces

Classroom Organization Storage Bins

Next, I wanted to find the perfect storage containers.  Almost every teacher-friend of mine has a slight obsession with plastic containers, and I am no exception!  I love this set of NEON STACKABLE BINS.  These are more of an investment, but they are totally worth it!  I started ordering one set and added to my collection over time.  I use these bins to organize center materials on the shelves along my windows.  Each color stores materials for a center as follows:

Pink bins – fine motor activities
Yellow bins – math centers
Green bins – reading & writing centers
Blue bins – art center materials

Storage Cubes

I purchased CLOSETMAID CUBES to store community supplies (extra glue sticks, crayons, etc.) along my front wall as you can see in the photo.  The neon bins fit perfectly on these shelves!

Neon Storage Baskets

I also invested in these NEON STORAGE PAPER BASKETS by Really Good Stuff.  Later in the year, I use these for extension activities for early finishers (as seen in the bottom photo.  I have an additional set in which I store white boards and dry-erase markers for each colored table.  Again, I match the basket color to the table color.

Magazine File and Folder Holders

To add to my growing neon collection, I purchased this SET of MAGAZINE FILE and FOLDER HOLDERS. I have these behind my teacher workstation.  I use the labels to write the days of the week and place my materials for each day in the different colored bins.  This keeps all of my materials for the week organized, and it is great for subs.

Headphone Organization

Headphone organization is something I struggled with for YEARS!  Headphones were always getting mixed up or lost.  Last year, I found the perfect solution – a CLOSETMAID SHOE ORGANIZER !  I found a set of numbers in the Target Dollar Spot and used clear contact to place them onto the divided sections.  So far, this system has been working out great!

Keep Your Students Organized!

If the tables in your classroom lack storage like mine do, these CHAIR POCKETS are the perfect solution.  I have had these covers for four years, and they are still in great shape.  I was fortunate to have our PTA donate these to our kindergarten classroom.  They have really helped the kids stay organized!

My Green Screen Wall

My Green Screen Wall is my new favorite spot in my room.  Last summer, I had asked my principal if we could paint a small corner in my room with Green Screen Paint.  It turned out better than I imagined.  My kinders really enjoy performing in our “Green Screen Productions”, and they are fascinated with how the backgrounds turn out in the finished products.  Stay tuned as I will be blogging more about Green Screen videos you can do with your students using an ipad!  To create a space like this, you can use any green paint or this Peel and Stick Green Paint for something that is not permanent.

If you are not able to paint or decal a wall, you can purchase a Green Screen Kit.

Creating with Your Green Screen

The possibilities are endless when it comes to the things you can create with a Green Screen!  Instead of sending a newsletter home, I have had my students star in E-news broadcasts where they report what is happening in the classroom. We have also used the pages in books, like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, as backdrops and had each student read and act out a page.  It’s also fun to create videos with a Patriotic Song of the month and have each student sing a line.  I highly recommend creating a wall or investing in a kit.  It’s also helpful to have an iPad Stand to stabilize your device.  

Creating a Green Screen Wall has been a wonderful addition to my classroom!

Colorful Classroom Furniture

I have two bright classroom rugs.  I keep this SUNNY DAYS OVAL RUG in the back of my room by my classroom library.  The kids enjoy reading and working on this space!

  

The rug in the front of my room is a bit dated.  I have this FUN WITH PHONICS CLASSROOM RUG on my wish list,  I love how there is a space for each student!

My favorite piece of all is my teacher rocking chair.  This was a present painted for me by my very first class.  I also had a small rocking chair painted to match, which we use as an author’s chair.  The kids love these chairs so much that I use “Rocking Chair Passes” as an incentive for excellent behavior.

Printable Neon Classroom Decor

I searched for neon number posters and other classroom decor.  Since I couldn’t find exactly what I had in mind, I created my own!   Click HERE to visit the NEON Category in my TPT Store!  There, you will find calendar packages, number posters, shape posters, accents and labels, word wall letters, number circles, as well as bundles with ALL THINGS NEON!  See below for some of these colorful items guaranteed to brighten up your room.

I love looking at all of your classrooms on Instagram.  It is my hope that this glimpse into my colorful kindergarten inspires you to try some of these classroom organization ideas for yourself!