With so much that can go into every classroom transformation, it’s difficult to know where to start with purchasing. If you’re wondering how to buy cheap classroom transformation decorations, you’re in luck. In this post, we will go over some common items found in room transformations that you can reuse for years to come. While these ideas aren’t necessary for a fun room transformation, they can do wonders for setting the scene. Here are all the cheap classroom transformation decorations that can keep you on budget and your class loving those special days!
Tablecloths
Simple, cheap, and fun! Tablecloths are the perfect decoration for every transformation. The best places to buy them are Amazon, Dollar Tree, and Walmart. Pro tip: Walmart is the cheapest if you buy them in packs of three. What’s great about tablecloths is that you can reuse them year after year. After you complete a transformation, fold them up and store them until they’re needed again next year. This will save you both time and money on decorating.
Tablecloths come in just about every color. This means they can go with any theme. On Saint Patrick’s Day, Safari Day, or Zoo Day, whip out your green ones. If it’s Ocean Day, Hawaii Day, or Weather Day, you can use your ones in blue. Even just having two or three different colors of tablecloth can make your room transformation that much more special.
Not only can tablecloths go on desks, but they can be hung from the ceiling to set the day’s scene. For example, on Circus Day, you can hang up rainbow-colored tablecloths that bring a pop of color to your classroom. You can also place tablecloths on the ground. Blue tablecloths can transform your classroom into the ocean on Ocean Day, and red cloth can look like lava on The Floor is Lava Day. Of course, you can also place tablecloths across desks. With some black tablecloths, desks become spaceships, and a checkered tablecloth can make your room look like a farm.
When you’re done with your transformation, tablecloths are easy to remove. Have your kids help you round up all your cloth around the room and fold it up until the next transformation. This can be done in just a few minutes.
Crepe Paper or Streamers
Another useful decoration to have on hand is crepe paper. Crepe paper can serve a variety of purposes during a room transformation. By hanging up some on the door in place of streamers, your room will look that much more detailed. Kids loved to walk through it in the morning, making them feel like they’ve entered another world instead of the place they go to every day. With a little tape, crepe paper will stay up all day. Kids can go through it every time they exit and enter the classroom.
Crepe paper is also very easy to take down at the end of the day. Since you only have to use tape to hang it up, it’s easy to peel off and discard. You can even have your students help you remove it at the end of the transformation. They’ll be excited to be a part of the fun.
While crepe paper isn’t exactly reusable like tablecloths, you can buy one roll of it and use that roll for years to come. It will save you time shopping in the future and always be ready for use if needed. You can find it cheap at the Dollar Tree. Like the tablecloths, it comes in multiple colors that match whatever theme you’re doing. You can use pink and purple crepe paper for Donut Day, rainbow colors for Artist Day, and on. Overall, this paper is a great addition to a transformation. It’s perfect as a cheap classroom transformation decoration!
Paper Plates and Cups
A recurring item needed in classroom transformation would be plates and cups for food. Food is often a reward at the end of a transformation, whether it be a cup of ice cream at the end of Ice Cream Shop Day or a cup of hot chocolate after Coffee Shop Day. Kids love food rewards, and by buying cheap disposable plates and cups, you can have an easy way to serve treats after the transformation ends.
Plates are a great way for students to have a place to collect their rewards as they work. For example, on Haunted House Day, kids get a piece of candy after each challenge. With a plate ready on their desk, they can easily deposit their treats without having to worry about where to put it. Additionally, this allows students to save food for later instead of eating it immediately and leading to a sugar high.
Referring back to Coffee Shop Day, students get a cup of hot chocolate after they finish the transformation. Having that disposable cup on their desk throughout the day is a visual reminder of the treat they are working for, motivating them to finish their work. Plates can also serve this role, while simultaneously helping to keep your classroom clean. On transformation days with messy food prizes, plates can be a life-saver. The popcorn given out on Circus Day can get everywhere without somewhere to put it all.
Not only are plates and cups used with food, but also with the activities included in some transformations. On Artist Day, students may be painting. The paint could go into cups, and kids could pour some of it onto their plates as they work to complete their masterpiece. All in all, having some disposable cups and plates handy can be more useful than you’d imagine.
Hats
Although not strictly essential to a room transformation, themed hats can make the day truly amazing for your students. You can buy special hats on Amazon for cheap, or you can purchase a room transformation of mine on TPT. Printable hats are included in each of my classroom transformations.
With every transformation, your students learn about a new environment or career. Getting to wear a hat that fits the theme truly immerses them into the experience. For a transformation like Donut Day, you can buy donut hats for cheap on Amazon or print out the provided ones in the TPT product. Construction hats can be as low as $6 on Amazon so they’re very affordable.
Looking to save money? Reach out to parents. If a parent works in a certain specialized industry, they may be able to score you some free hats for your kids to wear that fit the transformation theme. Construction workers might have construction helmets to borrow, and doctors could give you surgical gowns and masks. Keep in mind that some places give away hats for free in the first place. The fire station always gives fire hats to kids, as well as Krispy Kreme with donut hats.
You can also easily add a name tag onto hats. In my room transformations, I include free name tags. These can be edited to personalize your students’ names on them and used in your classroom. Kids can color their nametags and configure their hats in place of morning work, keeping them on task while giving them something fun to do.
Pencils
The final cheap classroom transformation decorations I would recommend having on hand for room transformation is new pencils. Pencils are cheap and fun to implement as prizes in the room transformation. You can hand out star pencils to students on Space Day, donut pencils on Donut Day, ice cream pencils on Ice Cream Day, and so on. Pencils can be used long after the transformation ends but are a fun reminder of the day.
The same goes for mini erasers. Erasers are cheap in bulk, come in many different designs, and are adored by students. Animal erasers are perfect for transformations like Veterinarian Day, Farm Day, and Dinosaur Day. There are plenty of other eraser ideas for other classroom transformations.
In summary, some helpful items to include in each room transformation would be colorful tablecloths, decorative crepe paper, disposable cups and plates, themed hats, and new pencils or erasers. These items can be varied to fit the needs of your classroom, but are a great starting point in a transformation. I hope you feel more prepared after reading about cheap classroom transformation decorations and that your future transformations go successfully!
Are you new to this idea and ready to try a classroom transformation? I’m here to help! Be sure to check out my additional posts with classroom transformation tips and follow me on Instagram where I share even more resources and tips for teachers.
Want to add some fun decorations to your next room transformation? I’ve got you covered right here with my Classroom Transformation Decoration Lists!
Looking to try out a room transformation but not sure where to start? Come join us in the Classroom Transformations with the Lifetime Learner Facebook Group to grab a free video game-themed room transformation for K-5!
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