Much respect for all of you dear preschool and Kindergarten teachers out there. As you might know, I left my Kindergarten classroom five years ago to homeschool my own wild ones. I must admit, I cannot fathom having been a teacher over the past two years. Yikes. 

With little ones back (?) in classrooms, I thought it a wonderful time to share some ideas for calming classroom decor. In my mind, calming is almost always nature themed.

A few years ago, one of my little ones attended the most beautiful preschool classrooms run by Michelle and Heather. Together, we took some photos for some inspiration. Combined with a few ideas from my blog, I am pleased to share with you some lovely ideas for your calming, nature-themed preschool classroom.

And since you are here for ideas for nature ideas, you’ll love this FREE Plant & Animal Life Cycle Printable! There are lots of fun ways to use these in a preschool classroom. In fact, I included a bunch of ideas with the printable!. You can grab your copy right here:

Okay, now let’s get back to making that classroom a beautiful, calming, and nature-filled space. 

Make your own wooden building blocks – we made our own building blocks for our outside play space about ten years ago now. While we didn’t bring them with us to our new house, those blocks lasted forever! We popped them in a little storage area to protect them when not using them. They are a fabulous addition to an outdoor classroom or backyard. 

Their unevenness and the variety of sizes and thicknesses make them an ideal building material for budding engineers and architects to explore. 

Wooden Slices with animals and little people – You could take those very same wooden building blocks and bring them inside for imaginative play! Add some stones and rocks, and let those imaginations run wild. This nature themed pretend play invitation is really brought to life with little animals and people added in. 

Wooden Slices, Marbles, and Tweezers – Sometimes these little wooden slices are referred to as wooden cookies – no nature-themed preschool classroom is complete without them! Drill a hole in the middle, add some marbles and tweezers, and watch that learning explode! The options for this one are endless. You could even have the children help you make these, using some sandpaper and beeswax to polish these pretty wood slices to perfection.

Nature-Themed Imagination Station – Add some height to your play area by adding in some little trees with fairy lights. This calming classroom decor idea really adds a pretty touch, sure to draw in those little ones needing a few moments of quiet. Add some moss, rocks, gems, and any other natural elements you can come up with to create a little world for your students or children to get lost in.

Peg People for Quiet Time – When I was in the classroom, I loved having a quiet space for children to find whenever they needed a quiet moment or two. This setup is such an inviting one and full of all the nature-themed goodness! You can use a picture frame or shallow wooden box to place some sensory-filled, calming goodies. Shells, stones, wood slices, peg dolls, anything goes!

Trunks with Screws or Nails – Help your little ones learn all about becoming handy with this simple preschool set up. Grab some big stumps and start some screws. Attach a screwdriver to the stump with some twine (to avoid it vanishing or being used improperly) and teach those little ones how to use it! This activity can also be done with nails and hammers. We have done this one at home as well, and it is such a favorite. 

Branches as Drying Racks – What do you think about this calming classroom decor idea? Simple, pretty, and totally useful as well! This is great for hanging those wet paintings, or fill it with photos of families or students. 

I hope some of these ideas were helpful to you. I always love looking through fellow preschool and kindergarten teachers’ classrooms! Even now, I love to have a peek to see what cool things people are up to so I can bring some of it home to my own little ones. 

So go out there, you amazing educator you, and get your calm, nature-themed preschool classroom all set to shine! If you can teach through the past two years, you can do anything.

xo
Sarah