Ikea has something for everyone, and teachers are no exception! Does your classroom need a refresh? You can use Ikea items as they were intended or take inspiration from amazing Ikea hacks. Get organized and set up the play area or reading nook of your students’ dreams. Get your hands on an affordable toy kitchen, then use it as-is or transform it into a vet clinic! Create a LEGO table from a few base plates and an affordable side table from Ikea. Use an Ikea storage unit or shelf to display books, then add some cute egg chairs or tiny armchairs for cozy seating. Check out these awesome and affordable items that will make your Ikea classroom come alive!
Versatile and stylish, the Kallax bookshelves are a staple of any Ikea classroom. Place them horizontally or vertically and pair multiple shelves together. Get creative styling the shelves and take inspiration from these pictures from Hilary at Pencils to Pigtails.
Surely there are a dozen uses for this plant stand with its convenient clip-on containers. You can even create an art center like the one shown here from Move Mountains in Kindergarten.
These book stands are perfect for containing books in your Ikea classroom library. They have extra room for toy storage too! Second grade teacher Presley Bryant Clifton from Fine Central School in Star Lake, New York, shows how book displays and other storage items can come together to form a dream classroom library.
With the proliferation of tablets and headphones in the classroom in recent years, these tablet stands will come in mighty handy. And at less than $10 each, there’s probably room in your classroom budget for a whole collection.
Constructed of birch plywood, this mini storage chest (16 ½” x 7″ x 12 5/8″) would be the perfect receptacle for art supplies like paper, markers, glue, and scissors. Jazz it up by painting it in pretty pastels like Emily at Thoroughly Contemporary did.
These sturdy baskets are perfect for your book nook or to organize different book-group materials. Comfy handles make it easy to pull out from shelves and lift and carry.
This affordable little table offers the perfect base to create a do-it-yourself LEGO table for your Ikea classroom. Just glue some LEGO base plates on top as shown by Primary Scouts, and allow your students to get creative with building!
The harsh overhead lighting in classrooms doesn’t make for the coziest mood, so why not add this adorable pencil light to your reading nook? We love how high school math teacher Emily Wilde from San Angelo, Texas, has styled her pencil lamp. For more inspiration, follow her at @geometryandjokes on Instagram.
At less than $10 each, these adorable timers are perfect for centers where students need to time themselves or each other. They have multiple uses as a clock and a thermometer as well.
The perfectly stylish way to keep papers straight. Use them on your desk for important docs or on a classroom bookshelf for turn-in baskets. Put them at student height and fill them with different-colored paper like Vanessa of Pre-K Pages did.
We are loving this utility cart! There are so many amazing ways to use them in the classroom. We especially love the idea of using them to contain all your arts-and-crafts supplies like Nadia at Fun With Mama.
They may have been created with spices in mind, but these magnetic, stainless-steel containers are really versatile. They are perfect for storing paper clips, thumb tacks, or even sparkles.
These bright-colored floor cushions could be used as seat spots to help kids stay in their place at circle time or during small-group reading, like Kelsey at Kindergarten Is Great uses them.
These colorful trays could hold pushpins, paper clips, binder clips, and more on your desk. Or you could get some buttons or pom-poms and have the kids practice sorting in them.
This bag could be used to carry library books or to store LEGO or other building blocks, or you could use it as your teacher bag. Plus it’s washable! Check out our other favorite teacher totes.
These magazine files are not just for magazines or papers. Take inspiration from Alessandra, a K-8 music teacher from Toronto, Canada, and use them to house small string instruments. If you love this idea, follow her on Instagram @teachfromthestage.
Helpful for little ones at the sink, drinking fountain, or pencil sharpener. If you’re feeling creative, you can even attach a chair and make for some unique seating like they have done at Ikea Hackers.
A great stackable container for all kinds of school supplies like tissues, sanitizer, etc. Just add some colorful labels like Kayla from Move Mountains in Kindergarten did.
We love the sturdy rubber construction of this container. You could store guided reading book sets or professional books, or even put potted plants in them.
We love to organize books using these! Each crate could hold a different genre or level. You could even use them to create a cute farm stand like this one from Casey of Little Lifelong Learners.
These pegboards are versatile and affordable. They can hold art and other school supplies as shown in this picture from Kayla at Move Mountains in Kindergarten.
Pencils, pens, crayons, markers, scissors, paper clips, glue sticks, and so on, and so on, and so on! Add a lazy Susan and labels like Beckie on Knock Off Decor did for a complete art station.
Great for your reading corner or as a teacher seat while teaching small groups (for those of us with creaky hips or knees who hate sitting flat on the floor). Maybe use it as fun desk seating like in this picture from Digs Digs.
A nice, clean look with tons of storage, these Trofast storage units can be used for so much more than toys. Keep art supplies or other learning materials at an easily accessible level for little hands. You can place multiple units together for tons of storage.
Looking for a more woodsy feel in your classroom? Choose the pine Trofast storage that is versatile enough to contain anything from toys to art supplies and more. We especially love how Hilary Statum of Pencils to Pigtails has styled her pine Trofast with a grass backdrop and fake plants.
A super-comfortable, just-the-right-size chair for little kids. While you can use it anywhere in your classroom, it will make a reading nook even more inviting.
Classic wooden design for an old-fashioned favorite free-play activity. You can even buy cute decals like this one from Etsy to transform it into a barn, fire station, and more!
Shelving and storage are such necessities in any good Ikea classroom, so why not add some Lack shelves into the mix? We especially love how perfect they are for displaying book covers that you want to highlight that week.
This darling little egg is perfect when one of your students needs a break or wants to have some quiet time. Add it to your Ikea classroom today, like the one shown here by Ray Hemachandra.
This low-to-the-ground Ikea table makes the perfect sensory table in an early childhood classroom. The possibilities are endless as demonstrated by Little Lifelong Learners’ post about why you need one of these tables!
These spice racks are inexpensive and even light enough to attach to a wall using command strips. We especially love that you can display books covers out so little readers can easily make a selection. Put them low on the wall near some flexible seating for an adorable reading nook in your classroom.
This portable circus tent can be used inside or outside. Your kids can use it during free time or quiet reading time. You can even jazz it up to make it extra cozy like they did in this picture from Plaid.
These adorable finger puppets can be used for pretend play or even as desk pets. Set them up in groups by subject or type on shelves so your students can easily find just the right puppet.
There are a lot of classroom uses for an easel like this one. Kids can use chalk or wipe board markers to draw or play school. Teachers, especially preschool teachers, can even use the board as a parent display outside their classroom to keep everyone informed. We also love the option to attach a roll of drawing paper.
We think this rocket ship would be oh-so perfect to pair with a book about space. What’s better than pretend play mixed with a dose of creativity? Kids can spend recess imagining they are traveling to the moon while their friends decorate the outside of their rocket ship.
