Color in the Classroom...

Reflection time!  Think back to your elementary school days.  Let us head back in the way back machine and take a gander at our kindergarten class.   What do you remember?  Ok hold that though.  Now grab a mental picture of your 1^st grade classroom, again hold that image.  Do the same for your 2^nd, 3^rd, and so on. 

 

 

Ok imagine these mental images are on InstaGram and let’s compare them.  What do you notice?  What do they have in common?  Sure they all have desks, chalkboards, and teachers, but look deeper, look harder.  See it let?  No, ok I’ll tell you.  THERE IS NO COLOR!

 

 

 

Why is that?  According to the website in an article written by Linda M. Rhinehart Neas on Brighthubeducation.com “Vibrant colors attract the attention of young children, which is why toys for children under six are brightly colored. However, too much color can overstimulate a child. Balancing color in the classrooms is an important consideration when creating a balanced space for young students.”  This statement is important because it sets up parameters.  Classrooms should be vibrant, but not to the point where it becomes a distraction. 

                Greens are calm colors

                Blues can be used to symbolize peace, wisdom, and harmony

                Yellow and Orange are inviting, warm and happy

                Deep Blue is thought to induce creativity

While these colors and help set the mood of a classroom, it is not always easy to incorporate them into you classroom.  I don’t think your principle would appreciate walking into a classroom where the walls are painted bright orange.   However painting the trim around the doors, using colorful picture frames, and using brightly colored bulletin boards, can help incorporate color.  Being creative is in our nature and incorporating color into our classroom can go a long way towards creating a nurturing environment for our students.