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8 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

Tam Milledge·Classroom·12 minute read

Brighten up your classroom this school year with these colourful classroom themes! You'll find all the classroom decorations you'll need, from pale pastels to neon to rainbows!

Although you absolutely do not have to decorate your classroom, there is something so inviting about a well-designed, intentionally decorated classroom!

These colourful classroom themes are a fantastic way to add custom decorations to your room with just a colour printer and a paper cutter! You'll find letters, charts, number lines, clock numbers, and more to set up your dream classroom this year!

Whilst I hope that this post provides some rainbow inspiration for you, before you go any further, I recommend reading my article: To Decorate or Not to Decorate. I sum up all the lessons I've learnt over the years in regards to setting up a classroom (Spoiler Alert: I haven't always gotten it right!) and tackle the debate surrounding classroom decorating! You can read the blog post here.

Why you'll love these colourful classroom themes

  • So cheerful: The designs below are so uplifting and cheerful! Your students will love the cosy, inviting space you've created, and you'll feel happier in a beautiful classroom too!
  • Versatile: Each of the designs below has tons of supporting materials you can print out to decorate your classroom in style. There are even editable files to make your own pennants and decorations!
  • Tons of ideas: There are so many lovely themes to explore! You'll find plenty of fun ideas to implement before the first day of school.

8 Best Colourful Classroom Themes

There are so many different themes to choose from, but these are the best colourful classroom themes that you'll find at Mrs Learning Bee! They're so colourful that they will turn even the dreariest classroom into a fun place, and your students will love your new fun classroom theme!

1. Rainbow Classroom

The rainbow colour scheme is timeless. It's such an excellent fit for the elementary school crowd and is such a simple colour scheme. This colourful theme has lots of bright colours without being too bright, so it won't overwhelm your kids. Plus, this theme comes stocked with all the essentials you'll need to fully decorate your learning environment, like these:

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

The reading strategies would make this an ideal classroom theme for upper elementary, too!

See all of the items you need for a rainbow themed classroom here! And you can sample this theme with a range of rainbow freebies, including these free days of the week/months of the year posters - available in a generic font plus all Australian State fonts!

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

To balance the look, I'd choose a neutral background of white or black to help the rainbow colours pop without being too distracting. You can always use a white background, then add pops of black and the colours of the rainbow in your bins and accessories. It's essential to make sure your colourful theme isn't too distracting or visually overwhelming, so be generous with white space!

For more DIY rainbow classroom ideas, head to this post.

2. The Kutopia Collection by Kasey Rainbow

Are you looking for colourful classroom decor that's intentionally designed to engage your students and create a classroom learning environment that your students will love? The Kutopia Collection, inspired by the world of Kutopia and brought to life by Australian artist Kasey Rainbow, features a soft watercolour rainbow palette and a cast of critters, each with their own unique personality and charm.

Here are some of my favourite resources from this gorgeous collection!

All of our artist collaborations also include a variety of exclusive backgrounds and images which are exclusively available in The Hive. Hive members have access to a range of additional digital resources to complement our printable classroom decor resources.

3. Beeyond the Rainbow by Kasey Rainbow

This super bright and colourful theme incorporates more amazing designs from Australian artist Kasey Rainbow! Similar to my Rainbow Classroom theme, you'll notice a range of colours.

However, the Beeyond the Rainbow theme is even brighter and includes colourful patterns and adorable graphics (including super cute bumble bees).

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

You can download this FREE bee display with classroom expectations and values here. You will also enjoy the free Welcome Acronym display in the same theme!

The Beeyond the Rainbow collection has many of the decorations & tools from the theme above, as well as some additional options too. Here are just a few examples of what you'll find!

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
  • It's so nice when all your containers match! These editable labels will make your classroom look so organised and tidy. They come in a variety of designs and sizes.
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

This "Bee-Days" birthday display is a favourite with the colourful hives!

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

You can find the full Beeyond the Rainbow Collection by Kasey Rainbow here.

And don't forget that Hive members can unlock more exclusive backgrounds and resources in The Hive!

4. Pastel Classroom

Although a pastel theme is still colourful, it has calm colours that can mellow everyone out. It's a fun theme for a kindergarten classroom, and those pale tones always make me think of fairy tales! Here's a pastel fairytale classroom that I put together a few years ago...

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

I used soft pastel pom poms to brighten up dirty, peeling walls, and created my own bulletin borders using glitter foam sheets. I bought large sheets from a local discount store, but you could also use these slightly smaller sheets from Amazon.

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

Like the other theme sets above, I have created many great printable tools to help with classroom organisation and to turn your classroom into a welcoming place.

These pastel pastel number posters are a simple way to support your students' number sense with those ten frames!

Display these pastel alphabet letters on your wall to help teach your students their ABCs...

... and use the pastel clock display to help your children learn to tell the time.

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

This brownie points chart is fantastic for classroom management! Focus on one skill at a time, and when the tray is full, it's time for a class reward!

Here are a few other examples from our pastel classroom decor range:

Calendar and Weather Display

Skip Counting Posters

Pastel Birthdays Display

3D Object Posters

Fractions Posters

Add each student's name to their desks with these customisable name tags.

Keen on pastels? Check out all my pastel classroom decor resources here. Plus, if you're looking for more DIY pastel classroom ideas, you'll find a whole collection of photos here!

5. Brentos Collection

Brentos' art hums with colourful pastels and cheeky wildlife characters- but behind the pastels there's a deeper purpose that aims to celebrate the beauty and importance of Australia's natural world in a non-threatening and joyful way that aims to inspire and educate. Featuring a soft pastel rainbow palette, the Brentos x Mrs Learning Bee Collection strikes an ideal balance between colourful and fun, but also clear and calm!

Here are a few of my favourite resources from the collection:

Welcome Acronym Display

Class Calendar

Alphabet Affirmation Posters

Student Desk Tags

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

Birthdays Display

Classroom Labels

As always, Hive members can unlock more with exclusive Brentos backgrounds and images of the animals and birds which can be used in your daily slides and teaching activities!

6. Wonderland Collection by Deb McNaughton

If you prefer a more subdued colour scheme, you'll love Wonderland with a blue, pink, purple, and turquoise colour palette with exclusive designs from Deb Naughton! These calm colours are instantly soothing, which is essential for any learning space. And you'll love the unique designs - they are unlike any other classroom decor!

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

You'll love the full suite of classroom decorations, especially these unique birthday plaques!

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

The alphabet posters come in a range of designs and font choices (a generic font plus all Australian State fonts).

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

You'll also love the clock display...

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

... and the super unique days of the week/months of the year displays.

The editable labels would be such an easy way to reinforce your lessons on grammar! Just pop them on a big bulletin board and add to them as you go!

And as always - unlock more exclusive backgrounds and images in The Hive!

7. Neon Tropical Classroom

If you love everything bright, you'll absolutely love this super colourful option! With neon pink and green with black accents, this neon tropical classroom theme really pops! Layer in some pink flamingoes and pineapples for a tropical look.

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

This "welcome to the flock" sign sets the tone perfectly! You could add this to your classroom doors to welcome your students on the first day of school.

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

Adorn your doors and bulletin boards with brightly coloured bulletin board paper, and add black bulletin board borders for contrast! Save at least one huge bulletin board to show off student learning and create learning walls together.

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

Mix and match pillows to mellow out the bright colours with some natural tones.

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

You can also create a flamingo using a paper lantern!

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

A "one in a melon" bulletin board can be very cute and summery! I created these pineapple and watermelon accents using fluorescent paper.

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas
6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

Other party supplies such as paper pineapples and fly nets can add a colourful pop of texture! You can also make your own tissue paper pom poms to cover up problem areas in your classroom (e.g peeling paint etc).

6 Bright & Colourful Elementary Classroom Theme Ideas

Watch how to make tissue paper hanging pom poms here:

See all the photos for this tropical classroom theme here.

8. Jagun Theme Classroom by Holly Sanders

This is such a special classroom theme that would look fantastic in any room! The Jagun Collection includes designs from Holly Sanders, a First Nations artist. She incorporated traditional colours and designs to reflect and honour Jagun - Country.

With hues of pink, peach, and orange with natural, organic shapes, this is a fantastic design that can help you reflect your students' cultures, pay homage to the land you're on, and foster a more inclusive space.

These are timeless designs that can be used in all grade levels! I especially love how they pop against a white background. You could balance the look with white polka dots and paper lanterns for a subtle yet colourful classroom theme.

The number lines highlight four of the distinct designs included with this theme.

These colourful buntings and accents can be used in so many different ways! Create your own welcome sign or use them to decorate your bulletin boards.

These gorgeous desk plates will add artwork to each student's desk! You can mix the designs or choose just one to focus on.

The birthday plaques come in several different designs to create a special space honouring your students' birthdays.

Check out the full Jagun Collection here.

Not only can you unlock more gorgeous Holly Sanders artworks in The Hive, but we also have a range of Acknowledgement of Country resources, created in collaboration with Holly.

More Classroom Themes

If you love these classroom collections, don't miss these options too!

The superhero classroom theme is a classic for a reason! Kids love becoming their own superheroes.

This eucalyptus classroom theme is so calming. It would look lovely even in the upper grades and into middle school!

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Tam Milledge
@mrslearningbee
Tam holding a resource she created.
Tam is passionate about creating purposeful, research-based resources that help students build strong foundations for success.

After online tools to streamline your classroom? Resources to inspire your students?The Hive frees up your time, reduces overwhelm and helps you focus on what you do best — teaching.
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