Classroom DIY and a Place to Park it...

I always love this time of year for getting in all of those little things that you would never attempt at any other point in the school year because there simply isn't enough time. 

For me, this meant some little crafty type projects to help pull together my room's "pond" theme. 

I had so much fun running around Michael's grabbing little pieces to complete the look. 

Here's what I came up with...

 Welcome sign right outside the classroom door.

  The orange "school of fish" have each kiddo's name on them. 

When the kiddos come in, they will put their fish in "the pond" for their lunch choice.  Then, throughout the day, if they have to leave the room, or "the pond," they will move their fish out to the side under the label explaining where they are. 

The labels on the far right are blank, so that I can write, with dry erase marker, the different teachers or support staff that may be pulling students out. 

There is also a section for "boy" and "girl" so that they can pull their fish out if they go to the restroom. 

I have decided to manage restroom "passes" in this way, so that the students don't have something in their hands to carry and hold when they are in the restrooms, as it inevitably will end up getting... shall we say....germ-y at some point or another.  So to circumvent the whole thing all together, one boy fish and one girl fish at a time may leave the pond to use the restrooms and they will move their fish out and back in when they return...

no germs!

(unless they forget to wash their hands...)

;)

 Cattail bouquets around the reading area.

And here is my intern's place to park it! 

:)

Big people chairs are hard to come by in our building, and unfortunately

(or fortunately, depending on how you look at it....)

all I could rustle up was this incredible gross, has-seen-better-days, masterpiece of a chair.  I had some extra fabric from my bulletin boards, so armed with a staple gun, my hubby reupholstered it to transform it into this beauty! 

Is it bad that I kinda wanted to swap her for it?!?

;)

And finally, this is just plain fun!

I found this idea on Pinterest and knew I wanted to do it right away!!

How cute is that??

I plan on using it throughout the year for random things. 

I am using it as a welcome activity on the first day...

but more about that later!