Transitional kindergarten (TK) classrooms play a critical role in helping young children build the foundational skills they need for success in kindergarten and beyond. Designed to support the unique developmental needs of four-year-olds, TK programs offer a bridge between preschool and traditional kindergarten.
Whether you’re outfitting a single TK classroom or planning for multiple sites across your area, understanding the associated costs is the best way to ensure you’re creating a space that fits your budget and meets the developmental needs of the children in attendance. With decades’ worth of experience spent outfitting classrooms of all shapes and sizes, Kaplan knows how to help customers get the most out of their budget dollars.
In this article, we will break down the cost of everything you need for a typical TK classroom, including storage units, tables, chairs, and learning center materials. At the end of the article, you will be equipped to create a TK classroom that has a variety of educational learning and play opportunities that prepare children for kindergarten.
Before we dive into the various budgeting considerations for your TK classroom, it is important to clarify the numbers we used to calculate our cost estimates. The calculations in this article are based on a class size of 24 four-year-old children.
Furniture is the bedrock of any early childhood classroom—transitional kindergarten or not. Classrooms could not function without lockers where children can put their belongings, storage units where teachers can place the toys and materials that enrich children’s learning, and tables and chairs where children can socialize during mealtime and participate in engaging activities. Your transitional kindergarten classroom will need a variety of furnishings, such as:
Lockers and cubbies are important because they give each child a place to put their personal belongings at the start of the day, which helps foster feelings of security and independence. To provide every child with this sense of stability—and to prevent the spread of germs—you will need 24 individual cubby or locker spaces for a classroom of 24 children, which will cost between $2,300 and $2,800.
Storage units are vital for keeping the classroom organized and inviting children to independently explore their contents. We recommend having storage units all throughout the classroom in both general spaces and specific learning centers such as the block play area, the dramatic play area, and the reading area. Depending on the size, shape, and material of the storage units you buy, this may cost somewhere in the range of $3,200-$4,300.
Carpets make a classroom feel inviting, give learning centers a home-like feel, and provide a cozy space for circle time and other large-group activities. It is important to have at least one big carpet for these activities, but it can also be helpful to have a couple of smaller carpets in other parts of the classroom such as the block play area. Carpets in these areas will make play more comfortable—especially if children play on the floor—and will significantly reduce noise by, for example, deadening the sound of a child dropping a block.
Outfitting a TK classroom with carpets and rugs could cost anywhere from $500-$1,100; the price will vary based on the number of carpets and rugs you buy and their size, shape, and texture.
Tables enrich classroom life in many ways. They provide a place for children to eat, socialize, and build relationships and communication skills as well as engage in individual or group activities.
If you eat meals in your classroom, you will need enough table space for 24 children. Additionally, you may choose to have a couple of smaller tables in learning centers such as dramatic play, art, or STEM. Buying tables to meet these needs would cost around $1,100-$1,500.
Along with tables, children also need chairs and other classroom seating options for mealtimes, group activities, and the occasional need to rest or self-regulate. We recommend purchasing chairs that are approximately 11.5”-14” tall for children in your TK classroom to use while playing or eating at classroom tables. We also suggest including soft seating options such as couches and chairs to give children relaxing places to read or have a quiet moment to themselves. All of this ranges from $3,100-$4,100.
Nap time is a normal part of a transitional kindergarten’s daily routine, so classrooms should provide each child with a place to sleep and rest. For your TK classroom, you can choose between cots and mats, depending on storage space and your preferred rest solution for the children in your program. Purchasing cots and mats for 24 children will cost anywhere from $1,500-$2,000.
Besides storage units, you will need plenty of bins and baskets to keep items organized and help children find materials during free play. The price of small storage bins varies widely depending on their material (typically plastic or rattan). Incorporating baskets throughout your TK classroom will cost between $250 and $1,600.
Altogether, the cost of furniture for your TK classroom will range from $12,500 to $17,500. This figure could go up or down depending on your enrollment, preferences, and classroom needs.
Learning centers provide experiences that will ignite children’s passions and give them skills they will use in school and in life. A robust TK classroom will need a variety of learning centers to give children well-rounded, comprehensive educational experiences. In this section, we will talk about cost ranges for some (or all) of the centers you will likely have in your TK classroom.
The dramatic play area is the part of the classroom where children’s dreams really come to life. It is the place where they can dive into their imaginations and see what it is like to enter into different worlds and roles. Dramatic play also facilitates positive social interactions and enables children to act out real-life scenarios, which will help them develop problem-solving skills.
A full dramatic play center should have plenty of items that foster pretend play including kitchen units, pretend-play food, career-related outfits, and dolls. It should also have a dress-up center where teachers can store outfits and where children can see how they look. Investing in a good variety of all these objects will cost somewhere around $2,500-$3,300.
Block play helps children build a variety of skills including gross motor skills, creative thinking skills, and problem-solving skills. A block play center needs to have a variety of block sets and block play accessories such as people and animals to meet rating standards and to allow multiple children to build at the same time. This will cost approximately $1,700-$1,800.
A versatile STEM center helps children participate in engaging experiences that also foster early scientific skills and understanding. A STEM center should have plenty of materials that children can explore such as loose parts, magnets, reflective surfaces, and light play accessories. Filling a STEM center with these types of items costs roughly $1,800-$2,500.
An art center will help the children in a TK classroom exercise self-expression and develop creative thinking skills as well as fine motor skills. Items such as easels, construction paper, markers, paint, and paintbrushes will encourage this artistic expression. A fully stocked art center in a transitional kindergarten classroom will cost around $900-$1,800. Please keep in mind that a lot of art items are consumables, so make room in your budget for ordering replacements.
Transitional kindergarten classrooms should be rich in literacy, whether that involves a dedicated reading center or books dispersed throughout the classroom. The classroom should have a few dozen books to give children a variety of stories to explore as well as items such as large letters and games that promote storytelling and foster positive social-emotional skills. Filling the classroom with reading and literacy materials will cost somewhere between $900 and $1,100.
As we have shown in this article, determining the cost of a TK classroom requires consideration of all the different things the classroom will include, from tables, storage units, and cots to the items that will fill your various learning centers. All of these aspects are necessary for creating a classroom that provides ample space and enriching learning opportunities for four-year-olds.
How much will it cost to fully furnish a TK classroom? If that classroom has an enrollment of 24 children, you can expect to pay somewhere around $20,500-$28,000. Of course, this price may vary according to the models you choose to buy, the items and centers you choose to include, and many other factors.
You now have what you need to begin budgeting for your transitional kindergarten classroom. If you are ready to start exploring ideas, check out our TK classroom lists. In addition to providing product suggestions for all areas of the classroom, these lists allow you to adjust quantities and modify prices. For more personalized service, contact your local educational sales representative. They will be happy to provide a quote for your project, help you select items that fit within your budget, and create the optimal TK classroom for your space.