this is my first year being a lead teacher and decorating a room. i was thinking about dacorating it as a scene of the beach with volcano in the distance. what are some cheap ways i could do this. thanks!
Don't go way overboard with preschoolers -- it's too distracting and doesn't really mean that much to the kids. If you want the beach/volcano maybe you could do it like a window looking out? I taught four-year-olds last week, and my decorations consisted of 2ft. waves made from bulletin board paper across the floor boards, with surfboard signs for my centers. I did have a bodyboard (but had to take it away due to distraction) and misc. beach towels and "stuff" in a large basket that we used for centers and games... (And of course the Bible pictures, etc. from the curriculum.) Many of my co-teachers when way out, spending so much time and money on decorations that those younger children just don't need. Spend your time and efforts on the lessons and the center times and the kids will have a more meaningful week!
One thing that was cute for the little guys was fish, beachballs, etc. suspended from the ceiling with fishing line (maybe with blue streamers for water), but that depends on your fire code.
We ordered the plastic background from oriental trading and used it in several rooms. and we also used grass table skirts, saved from a Luau fall kick off event, around the tops for a grass roof effect. Fish nets and Lanterns, saved from rickshaw rally were hung around everywhere. as well as all types of inflatable. SSKids brought 2 beach towels from home and teachers used them as floor mats we had enough for visitors. We also invested in ficus trees a few years ago and we use them for everything. One of our members grows bamboo. So we cut some of that to use as a base for our paper mache volcano with a fogger near the top for smoke and a flashing red light for heat and waterfall. It was very light weight and looked good. Out of cardboard we cut out ukele shapes so the kids could use them in the wiki wiki song. We try to keep most of our stuff from year to year in storage tubs we find quite often we use it again sometime for vbs sometimes for plays and skits.
You could get some of the balls that look like sea urchins and hang them from the ceiling and when you are done give them as gifts. You could use beach towels in the room to do lots of things too.
For my preschoolers, I am hanging inflatable fish from the ceiling, with some blue transparent plastic to make it look like they're underwater. I wanted to make sure that any decorations I used were too high for them to reach.
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