Art is a major component of early childhood classrooms, but typically a small percentage of children's artwork actually stays in the classroom. Most of the art children create at school is sent home for parents to keep and display, but utilizing children's artwork in classroom spaces can give classrooms the extra appeal they need. "Even with beautiful layouts and room designs, classrooms can lack children's personalities," explain the authors of Inspiring Spaces for Young Children. "There are many ways to visually reflect the lives of the children throughout the room, such as encouraging them to give their creations as gifts to the classroom."
Displaying artwork in attractive ways and putting the focus of the space on children's work are two essential elements of incorporating children's artwork into the classroom space. Framing students' artwork with larger pieces of construction paper or fabric sheets is a great way to display artwork and draw attention to the work. Creating a gallery of children's art in your classroom is also an option. Whether the art gallery is in a corner of the room or on a special bulletin board, displaying children's artwork lets them know their work is valued and helps them feel more comfortable in the classroom.
The authors of Real Classroom Makeovers suggest painting classroom walls neutral colors to draw attention to children's artwork. "Painting is one of the quickest and least expensive ways to change your classroom environment. By painting the walls a neutral color, the focus of the space is on the children's work rather than the color of the walls." Try using repurposed clip boards, cute clips, or clothespins to hang children's artwork on walls, cabinets, etc. This will add even more visual appeal to the space and put the spotlight on children's artwork.
Would you like more tips and resources for designing classroom spaces? Check out the Classroom Setup category of our Insights and Inspirations section.
