A nautical classroom theme creates a classic timeless look in your classroom. It’s simple and modern design creates a calm learning environment for your students that reminds them of those warm summer sunshine-filled days. Teachers love this theme because it’s neutral and versatile. They also love it because there are tons of decor items you can pull from little shops along the shore or your local Dollar Store. In that sense, it can fit any budget! This theme works well for both lower and upper elementary classroom decor. Learn more about a nautical classroom theme below and scoop up this nautical classroom theme packet!
Nautical Theme Bulletin Board Ideas
Below are some nautical theme bulletin board ideas for elementary teachers.
Nautical Bulletin Board Backgrounds
There are tons of options for bulletin board backgrounds you can use for this theme. Consider using large sheets of sandpaper to mimic the sandy shores or a loose white fabric background to resemble a sail. You can also use a large nautical map or several smaller ones. If you are interested in using fabric, think navy, aqua, or white.
Nautical Bulletin Board Trim
In addition to traditional border, put these items around the perimeter of your board.
- rope
- toy compasses glued on solid border
- blue and white stripes
- nautical flags
- blue plastic wrap bunched up
Get these nautical classroom decor printables!
Nautical Bulletin Board Title Ideas
- “Don’t Rock the Boat”
- “Welcome Aboard Mr./Mrs. __ Class”
- “Ship Shape Work.”
- “All Hands on Deck”
- When creating your own titles, use words like shore, sea, or captain.
Did you know you can get unlimited access to ALL our decor bundles?
7 Ideas for a Nautical Themed Classroom
- Refer to your guided math teams or reading groups by the names of various oceans.
- Take photos of your students wearing sailor caps.
- Hang netting on the wall or on bulletin boards.
- Set up a display of books that relate to the theme by standing them on a counter or shelf.
- Use anchors, life preservers, life jackets, nautical flags and nets as fun accents.
- Send out welcome letters to the students as a “message in a bottle.”
- Cover a large, empty wall with navy and white stripes
Themes to Pair Your Nautical Theme With
Get access to all of the Clutter-Free Classroom decor themes and color schemes in the Elementary Classroom Decor Collection, including the ones listed below that pair really nicely with a nautical theme.
- tropical classroom theme decor
- beach classroom theme decor
- under the sea classroom theme decor
- our blue, red, black and white color scheme decor bundles
Get Access to All 60+ Classroom Decor Packets |OR| Buy The Nautical Theme Only
Get Access to All 60+ Classroom Decor Packets |OR| Buy The Nautical Theme Only
Get Access to All 60+ Decor Packets |OR| Buy The Nautical Theme Only
Nautical Themed Classroom Pictures
The nautical classroom theme bundle includes BOTH the original version (shown below) and the newly updated version (shown above). In the newer version, we used all new clipart which includes much more diverse characters. Also, we made the entire bundle 100% editable so not only can you customize it with your students’ names and details specific to your classroom, you can now translate EVERYTHING into other languages too. This has long been a request from teachers of ELLs and immersion classrooms. Both versions are available in the Elementary Classroom Decor Collection.
Get Access to All 60+ Classroom Decor Packets |OR| Buy The Nautical Theme Only
Get Access to All 60+ Classroom Decor Packets |OR| Buy The Nautical Theme Only
In closing, we hope you found these nautical classroom theme ideas helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in the free nautical planning organizer below as well as these classroom decorating posts:
- How to Decorate the Classroom of Your Dreams
- 60+ Themes for Classrooms at the Elementary Level
- Colorful Classroom Decor Ideas for Elementary Teachers