Flexible seating classroom options are very beneficial, but can sometimes come with a hefty price tag. Finding flexible seating on a budget can seem like a challenge, but I’m here to tell you that it’s very doable.
What is Flexible Seating?
Flexible seating, sometimes called alternative seating, offers different seating options for students and usually allows them to choose which option they would like among a variety in your classroom.
These alternative seating options can be anything from pillows to mats to nontraditional classroom chairs.
Advantages of Flexible Seating
While research on flexible seating is limited, it’s clear that learning environments can have a direct impact on student achievement. Giving students opportunities to move around has quite a few benefits.
Some of the advantages of flexible seating are:
- Choice: Students feel empowered by having some degree of choice and control over their environment.
- Comfort: Sitting in a plastic classroom chair for hours a day can be very uncomfortable. Allowing students to move and find a more comfortable seat or area will allow them to be more attentive throughout the day.
- Change: A change in how a student sits or where they sit can help stimulate their minds.
Flexible Seating on a Budget
Now that we’ve discussed what it is and the benefits, let’s talk about how we can grab some thrifty items for your classroom.
1. Create a Classroom Wishlist
You can create a wishlist for your classroom. Back in the day, teachers would use their outdoor bulletin board at the start of the school year as a “Giving Tree” board. Apple sticky notes were placed on the tree with supplies being requested. Parents would pull a sticky note down and buy the supply.
Create a wishlist on Amazon. Share your list on social media. Share your list with your students’ parents and your school’s PTA.
2. Apply for Donations
Head on over to websites like Donorschoose.org to apply for grants and donations.
3. Clearance Sections
Places like Target, Big Lots, and Walmart sometimes have great options available in their clearance sections.
4. Check Online Marketplaces
A few years back, I was trying to grow our classroom library on a budget, so I searched on a local Facebook marketplace. I was able to add so many great books to our library for under $50. Best of all, when most people found out I was using it for my students, they either reduced the price for me or added more titles to my purchase at no additional cost.
I feel like this is a great way to add flexible seating into your classroom as well.
Flexible Seating Classroom Options
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Below you will find some options you can use to create a great classroom environment with flexible seating on a budget. This list will work with almost any age group, but has been curated with upper elementary students in mind.
Versatile Options
Let’s start with some options that aren’t necessarily seating options, but make it possible for students to move from their desks and use another writing surface.
1. Clipboards
Having a bin of clipboards available for students is one of the easiest ways to make it easy for students to move away from their desks and find another spot to sit at. They can sit on the floor, stand up, or even take their work outside.
I have used a variety of clipboards in my class and have found the plastic clipboards to be my favorite. While the wood ones work well, they usually do not last as long as the plastic ones. Students tend to write on them. The plastic ones are much easier cleaned while the wood ones usually show evidence of being written on.
2. Lap Trays
Just like clipboards, lap trays make it easy for students to work almost anywhere comfortably. However, they have much more room for students to work on. They work well for students when they are working on a workbook because of their bigger area.
3. Foldable Table Trays
Foldable table trays are easy to store and easy to use. Many teachers choose to purchase the plastic lap trays for kids, but I have found that upper elementary students do not sit comfortable with those. These foldable table trays work well for pair work as they have a big surface like a lap tray has, but the height and legs allow two students to sit around it at once.
Options for Sitting on the Floor
Sitting on the floor is one of the easiest and budget-friendly options you can offer students. If you have a rug in your classroom, students can sit there with their clipboards. If you are looking for other options as well, here are a few alternatives.
4. Yoga Mats
Yoga mats are very economical. A couple of students can sit on one if they are working in pairs. Thin yoga mats can also be cut to make smaller individual mats or left at their size for one student to lay on. My students absolutely loved the ones we had in our class and would run to them to get first dibs.
5. Chair Pads
Chair pads are extremely versatile. They can be used with regular school chairs to make the chair more comfortable, and they also make a comfortable option for sitting on the floor. They are also pretty easy to store in a crate or closet since they are all the same size and shape.
6. Garden Kneel Pads
Garden kneel pads are made to make kneeling and sitting more comfortable. These make them a great option for flexible seating in the classroom. An added bonus is that they come in a variety of pretty colors and are budget friendly. They are perfect as a flexible seating on a budget option.
7. Hiking Seat Pads
Just like garden kneel pads, hiking seat pads come in a variety of pretty colors. They are usually thinner making them easy to store. Many also come with little bags to put them in. They make a great option not only for flexible seating in the classroom, but also for taking work outside. They keep pants from getting wet or dirty and are easily wiped down.
8. Wobble Cushions
Wobble cushions, just like chair pads, are very versatile. They can be used on a pretty much any chair as well as on the floor. An added advantage is that they are textured to help students who easily become overstimulated. They also have movement to them, so they are perfect for students who usually have a difficult time sitting still.
A disadvantage is that they need to be filled with air. That means a little more maintenance. It also means that you should explicitly discuss with students how to care for them. That includes not poking them with sharp objects. All that being said, they make thrifty options for a flexible seating classroom.
Chair Options
While sitting on the floor is a great option that does not require items that take up a lot of space, it can be beneficial to have alternative chairs in the classroom. Here are some budget friendly options.
9. Office Chairs
Let’s be honest. Most of us sit in a comfortable office chair to work with our students. When we have to sit in a plastic chair at staff meetings, we become antsy after about an hour there. The same can be true for our students. Giving them an option of being able to sit in an ergodynamic chair can make a huge difference.
Although office chairs can be costly, there are a few economical ones available now-a-days that would be perfect for the classroom. They tuck in well on higher tables such as computer tables or desks that have been lifted up a few notches.
10. Bean Bag Chairs
Bean bag chairs are definitely a comfortable option. They can be easily moved around the classroom and provide great comfort for students of all ages. There are some really great options available including some with handles and zippers.
11. Ball Seats
Ball seats are a popular alternative seating option especially in class that are all if not mostly flexible seating classrooms. They help build muscle strength and helps lessen back pain. The best benefit in a classroom is that they release excess energy similar to bouncy bands that you can slip onto chairs.
Just as with wobble cushions, these are filled with air, so a lesson on how to best care for them can be extremely beneficial.
12. Bucket Stools
Bucket stools have been a staple in many classroom for many years. That’s because they are great storage options that can also double as seats. They also fit neatly under most tables. Many teachers add round stool cushions to make them more comfortable for students. You can find them at home improvement stores such as Home Depot, but on Amazon, I found some buckets with lovely colors and great reviews.
13. Shoe Bench
A shoe bench is a great option for alternative seating because it is sturdy and provides storage which we know we can never have too much of in a classroom.
Options for Standing
Flexible seating options do not just have to only be “seating” options. As a matter of fact, having students stand whenever possible can be very beneficial. It helps them stretch and gets the blood flowing through the body (and brain). Here are a couple of standing options available.
14. Standing Desks
A complex standing desk can be costly, but there are some simple models out there that are cost effective. This standing desk option that I found is a nice size for an individual or for pair work. I also love that it has wheels that make it easy to move around the classroom.
15. Bookshelves
Do you have bookshelves that are about 2 feet high? Keep some space cleared off at the top of them. They make GREAT standing desk options. They worked great with my students and were no additional cost since I was already using them as my classroom library.
16. Laptop Cart
Okay, I do NOT recommend that you purchase a laptop cart. That would be crazy…but if you have one in your classroom like I did for 9 years, the top makes a great standing desk option.
In other words, look around your classroom and find areas that are not conventional used as seating or writing surfaces and take advantage of them. They truly are the best flexible seating classroom options on a budget.
