“Our Class Is a Family” templates are printable activities designed to pair with Shannon Olsen’s popular picture book, helping teachers turn its message of classroom belonging into hands-on crafts, collaborative displays, and promise-making exercises during the first days of school. You can find these templates in formats ranging from schoolhouse-shaped booklets and puzzle-piece posters to promise bracelets and quilt squares, most available as free or low-cost downloads on teacher resource sites.
What These Templates Are For
The book’s core idea is that a classroom can feel like a home away from home, a place where students feel safe, seen, and heard. Templates built around this theme give students a structured way to express that idea physically: coloring a page, writing a class promise, or decorating a piece of a larger group project. The goal is social-emotional learning, specifically building a sense of belonging early in the year so students are more motivated to participate and more willing to work through disagreements, just as family members do.
Teachers typically read the book aloud (or show one of the widely available read-aloud videos), then lead a discussion before handing out the template activity. Common discussion prompts include asking students to brainstorm ways the classroom already feels like a family, comparing home families and classroom families using a Venn diagram for older students, and making promises about how everyone wants to be treated. The template activity then gives students something concrete to create from that conversation.
Common Template Formats
Most “Our Class Is a Family” templates fall into a handful of categories. Knowing which format fits your goal helps you pick the right one without scrolling through hundreds of listings.
- Schoolhouse booklets: Students assemble a small booklet shaped like a schoolhouse. Pages typically include an “about me” section, a spot to draw or paste a class picture, and a page for writing class promises. These work well as a keepsake that goes home to families during the first week.
- Collaborative puzzle posters: Each student decorates one puzzle piece, and the pieces fit together into a large poster that reads “Our Class Is a Family.” A standard version uses around 30 pieces, enough for most class sizes. The finished product makes an instant bulletin board display.
- Quilt squares: Each student completes one or two quilt squares with drawings or written responses. The squares are arranged on a bulletin board to form a class quilt, reinforcing the idea that every individual contributes to the whole.
- Promise bracelets: Students create paper or beaded bracelets representing the class promises they brainstormed together. This format is especially popular with younger grades (pre-K through first) because it’s wearable and tactile.
- Bookmarks and coloring sheets: The simplest option. A bookmark (roughly 7.5 by 3 inches) or a single coloring page with the book’s theme. These require minimal prep and work well as a quick follow-up activity or a take-home reminder.
Where to Find Templates
Teachers Pay Teachers is the largest marketplace for these resources. Searching “Our Class Is a Family craft” returns dozens of listings, many priced between free and a few dollars. Look at the preview images carefully before purchasing, since listings vary widely in quality and included components. Some bundles include multiple formats (a schoolhouse craft plus a poster plus a coloring sheet), while others sell each piece separately.
Free options also exist on educational blogs and sites like Arizona PBS, which pairs the book with downloadable discussion guides and activity outlines. If you only need a basic template, such as a blank puzzle piece or a simple writing prompt frame, you can create one yourself in any word processor or slide program and print on cardstock.
Turning Templates Into a Bulletin Board
The puzzle poster and quilt square formats are designed to become classroom displays. For a bulletin board, start with a solid background color (butcher paper or fabric pinned to the board), then arrange the student pieces in a grid or interlocking pattern. Add a title banner using cut-out letters. You can print letter sets from free bulletin board kits available on teacher resource sites, or hand-cut them from colored cardstock.
A few practical tips for assembly: print templates on cardstock rather than regular paper so pieces hold up through the school year. If you want students to be able to update their work, slide finished templates into dry-erase sleeves before posting. For the quilt display, leaving a small border of uniform color around each square creates the look of actual quilt binding and makes the layout more visually cohesive.
Getting the Most From the Activity
The template itself is just the artifact. The real value comes from the conversation that happens before and during the activity. Spending 10 to 15 minutes on a genuine discussion about what it means to be a classroom family, how disagreements will be handled, and what promises students want to make to each other, gives the craft meaning that lasts beyond the first week.
For younger students (pre-K through second grade), keep writing expectations light. A single sentence or even just a drawing is enough. Pair the template with verbal sharing so every student can participate regardless of writing ability. For upper elementary students, a Venn diagram comparing home families and classroom families adds an analytical layer and can double as an early-year writing sample. Either way, posting the finished work where students see it daily turns the activity into a visual anchor they can return to whenever the class needs a reset on expectations or community norms.