Theme - Cooking & Food Theme

Here is what I have so far.....
1. large chef poster holding tray where the lunch menu will go
2. the classroom library will be "The Reading Cafe" with a sign, comfy chair, ect. also a bulletin board behind "Be a smart cookie, pick a just right book" with large cookies that have picking a just right book idea.
3. Reading charts that have a cup of latte in the background. When a student fills up their chart they get to drink a cup of latte (hot chocolate) in the reading cafe during DEAR time.
4. On the outside door pictures of the students with a chef hat with classroom theme "Cooking up a great year"
5. Classroom rule on a large recipe card
6. hamburger pocket chart for writing process

I had a really good stuff book the other day and it had some chef stuff in it. Also, I did a cute bulletin board one year. It had a big chef on it and each child made a piece of pizza. The toppings had to be about their interest(ie pepperoni slices could look like soccer balls.) The title was I'm a "pizza" the _____grade. This came from an old mailbox magazine if I find it, I will post a picture.

Behavior board

"Keep yourself out of a pickle" and post your rules!
Or "Behavior we Relish"
"We relish Great Work" and post a pic of pickle relish with the good work papers!
"OLIVE great work!" and use olives! I don't know just some ideas.

I am doing a cooking theme in my classroom this year. I went to my local scrapbook store and bought some paper that had chocolate chip cookies on it. I ran copies on our colored copier. I then used the paper to di cut letters for my title.

I bought more bb items from creative press.

At the end of last year I also saw the Really Good Stuff catalog with the white board magnets of Ketchup, mustard, ect, and eat had a saying that went along with it. I decided to make some, so I got clip art of a ketchup and mustard bottle, and a mayo jar and then changed the lables to say "catch up", "must-do", and "may-do". I lamenated then and stuck magnets on the back. Next to each one on the white board I would write things to catch up on, assignments that we didn't finish go under must-do and extra things like writing projects that can be done after all other work is done went under may-do. The kids really liked it and it was a good way for them to keep track of their work.

I really liked the "I'm a "pizza" the 3rd grade" idea! Keep the ideas coming! Only about four weeks left to go before I get this room started! :)

I love the idea of the smart cookie bulletin board. I plan on making a large cookie sheet by covering a poster board with foil and putting cookies on there with the kids names printed on them. I was thinking of putting "A New Batch of Smart Cookies" or something like that but would love anyone's creative help!! I was also thinking about getting two oven mitts from the dollar store and putting them next to the "cookie sheet". I saw on a site that someone had made a recipe to go with their cookie sheet with ingredients like 1 cup of participation, 1 tablespoon of teamwork, etc. If anyone can think of ANYTHING (different titles, a recipe, "props" to add, etc.) to add to this I would love to hear your ideas. Thanks in advance!

Someone else asked about this same theme a few days ago. Here are a few ideas I came up with then. I was thinking off the top of my head, but it's a start...

Recipe For Success (rules on a big recipe card)
Stirring up Good Work (with a big black pot)
What's Cookin' (for your information board...calendar, newsletter, etc)
Serving up Sweet Success in __ grade (on door)
aprons and chef's hats with kids' names as desk tags
You could have a Sous Chef or Kitchen Aid (as a teacher's assistant)

Other sayings...

"_________ graders are a real treat."

"Look what we're cooking up."

"Our work 'takes the cake'" (this one may be a little far fetched)

"Delicious work"

For a reading center you could make a patio umbrella look like the top of a cupcake and they can read under it.

Carson Dellosa has a cute bulletin board set for birthday's but it has tons of cute cupcakes with it.


You could also let them decorate their own paper cupcake and use it to put on a bulletin board or on your door with the title "Miss ____________ Sweet Bunch"


I think it is a great theme...although it might make my mouth water all year. Cupcakes are my weakness!:p Good luck!

I blew up a chef and put him on a ruler so he could stand up and at Back to School Night I covered my reading table with a red and white checkered tablecloth, then I stood my chef on it and I put a sign that said "Recipe for a Smart Cookie". With it was a recipe for a smart student ie. 1 c. concentration, etc. and there was a bowl with cookies for the parents to enjoy. On one of my boards I put a chef I made and had put a paper chef hat on and I put "Recipes for Success". The kids wrote recipes for succeeding in class. I wrote my curriculum in the form of a menu ie. Scrumptious Spelling with an explanation of it, etc. and typed it in the format of a menu.

Maybe for your schedule...Daily Menu
Waiting for a turn on the computer or other area...Reservations
Main lesson for the day...Entree
Warm-ups...Appetizers
Centers or extra activities...Side Dishes
Earned free time or special projects...Desserts
Behavior Monitoring...Check, Please!
Displaying work...Rave Reviews from the Critics

The background was a red/white, checkered background, plastic tablecloth.

I made a place setting for each paper plate with a paper napkin, plasticware, and a paper cup cut in half so that it is 3-dimensional. I also found some paper watermelon paper plates (in a party supply store) that I cut in half to make it look like each setting has a slice of watermelon. I use straight pins to put up the 3-D items.

In the middle of each plate was the name of a subject in large letters (Reading, Math, Social Studies, etc.) along with such words as Critical Thinking, Ideas, Good Choices, etc. I think I had about 8-10 'settings' in all.

Across the middle of the 'table' is a banner that says: "Fourth Grade is Food for Your Brain".