Brushing
Up On Good Behavior
Copy
a paint palette pattern per child. Write each child's
name on their own palette.
Palette's are then attached
to the wall/bulletin board within child's reach.
Copy
a paint brush patter per child and attach to their paint
palettes.
Each time a child exhibits good behavior, allow
him or her to color in one
section of the paint
palette. Title it "Brushing Up On Good
Behavior!"
The Bus Song Language
Idea/Bulletin Board
Extend that catchy "Bus Song"
into a language arts activity.
Mount a large bus cutout on a board. Have children color
and cut out illustrations of people or things to be mounted
in or on the bus. Write each youngster's dictation on a
construction-paper speech balloon; then display it near
his/her illustration.
Lively Bulletin
Boards
To make your bulletin
boards come to life, mount real objects on your bulletin board...
to add extra dimension. For example, if your bulletin board has a
laminated
teddy bear cutout on it, add accents such as real ribbon, clothing, wiggly
eyes, or jewelry. This creative display is bound to liven up any
classroom.
Kodak Moments
Take pictures of the children on the first day of school using a polaroid
and then use those pictures monthly on your bulletin
boards.
Some examples are
Sept:
"Welcome
aboard" and put their picture on a bus.
Oct: "You look bootiful" put
their
picture on ghosts.
March: "Our Irish Eyes are Smiling" Their picture would
be
on a shamrock etc...
you get the idea. At the end of the year I use
the picture for their Preschool
Memory Book.
Grab Bags
One thing that I like to do
when we start back to school, is to decorate
a small bulletin board with grab bags. In the grab bags I put things like:
pencils, erasers, scissors, stickers and some kind of candy treat.
The children then each pick a goodie bag off of the board.
Self Portraits
Have them draw pictures of
themselves to put on a wall or bulletin board.
Look Who I've Spotted
In My Class
One of the cutest ones I've
seen is a big dalmation with the words, "LOOK WHO I'VE
SPOTTED IN MY CLASS!" Then you might use the copier to print some little
dalmations
on construction paper with the childrens'names or just put their names on
dog dishes, etc.
Variation: "There's a spot for you in Mrs. _____________'s class" I saw this on
the
teacher.net last year, but I was so excited when I came across little dalmation cut
outs
at the teacher's supply store last year. Also, from the teachers.net, for January you make
numerals of the New Year and have the children use the numerals of the new year to
create
a picture.
We've Rounded Up A
Great Bunch Of Students
We did one that had a cat dressed
up as a cowboy with the words,
"WE'VE ROUNDED UP A GREAT BUNCH OF STUDENTS." The cat had
a lasso with the children's names on shapes of horses on the inside.
Great Batch
We did a baker with a tray of
fancy cookies with the childrens' names
on each with the words, "WE HAVE A GREAT BATCH OF CHILDREN"
Smart Batch of
Cookies
"COOKING UP A SMART BATCH OF
COOKIES" with each child's name
on a choc chip cookie and placed them on a cookie sheet. I was the chef.
Space Bulletin Board
Idea
For a space theme, you could use
the words,
"I'VE BEAMED IN A GREAT BUNCH OF CHILDREN," or
"BLASTING OFF INTO A BRAND NEW YEAR!"
put a Star Trek emblem for the Trekkie fan.
Sail Into September
SAIL INTO SEPTEMBER (add any
month) with each child's name on a sailboat.
Time To Start Growing
Each child was a flower, and I
was the gardener watering them.
New Line Up
A clothesline with paper T shirts
(with names) hanging from a clothespin -
the caption can be: A GREAT NEW LINE-UP IN THE FIRST GRADE.
The kids could take down their shirts, decorate them and put them back.
They could even glue photos of themselves on the shirts or in the neck of the
shirt.
Suits Me To A "T"
I get a regular t-shirt and cut
out letters that say, "My New Class Really Suits Me to a "T"
Then the kids decorate t-shirt cut outs and I put their names across the
bottom. I make
a clothesline out of string and hand the t-shirt on the line. My kids
really get a kick out
of this. This idea is from a Mailbox bulletin board book. One of our
teachers uses the
clothesline all year. She has it across the front of her room. She writes
each child's name
on a clothespin and permanently attached it to a clothesline in ABC order.
Before the kids come in each morning, she unhooks the line and strings
it across her front board. As the children come in, they pull out their
homework
and attach it to the clothesline with their clothespin. At a glance, she
can see
who has not turned in homework. After she's checked it, a students takes
down
the work and she unhooks it and pulls it out the next morning. Clever,
isn't it?
Tee-rific" Summer!
For a slight variation title the
board "It Was a "Tee-rific" Summer!"
and have students decorate t-shirt cutouts with some of the things they
did.
Great Bunch
Each year I have a bulletin board
that says "WE MAKE A GREAT BUNCH!"
and I have a bunch of grapes on it. When the kids come in on the first day
they each have a white circle on their desk. They are instructed to draw a
self portrait on it. We then try to guess who each portrait belongs to.
Then we put the portraits on our grapes on the bulletin board.
Variation on this idea is to make their circles purple and the title is
WHAT A "GRAPE" BUNCH OF NEW FACES. It's a hit every year.
Apple Of My Eye
My back to school bulletin board
has several large--about 10" across-apples
(enough for each student). I laminated them and in the center of each one
I put a Polaroid picture of a student with his/her name written in red
sharpie.
The border is apple border available commercially and the saying is
"YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE". I often have the same students from year
to year and after I take it down, I put the pictures in a photo album for
all to enjoy.
(____) Grade Is A Picnic
"THIRD GRADE IS A PICNIC" Use a
tablecloth or checkered fabric
for the background. I used three paper plates to write "Miss/Mrs./Mr.
_____ class."
Baseball Bulletin
Board
"Third Grade will Be Balls of
Fun" Write students names
on baseballs. you can write your name on a pennant.
Chicka Chick Boom
Boom Look Who's In Our Room
I had a large coconut tree. I
made the board to look like the cover of the book.
I used the first letter of each child's name and had it going up the tree
with
a picture of the student attached to the letter. I had the rest of the
alphabet
in a pile beneath the tree. I did have some letters more than once
because,
of course some children's names begin with the same letter. It still
looked cute. It was very
colorful! I saw it in a magazine where the student's names were on
coconuts in the tree.
A related activity - I gave the kids brown paper for trunks and green for
leaves.
Each made a coconut tree (glued to a blue sheet), then looked through
magazines and
flyers to find large individual letters to make their name.
They glues the letters to the trunk
"walking" up the tree.
Blast Off!
Each child's picture is adhered
to a rocketship. Cut-outs of various star sizes,
along with the little star stickers all over the bulletin board. Caption
reads -
BLAST OFF!!! ?th Grade IS OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!
A
Tree for all Seasons
Make a large tree on the
classroom wall. This tree may be made from flat brown paper,
or wide crumpled butcher paper. It may, as the name suggests, be left up
all year
and may be decorated to suit the time of year. For the beginning of school
in
September, cut out large leaves from red, orange and yellow paper,
print a name on each leaf and pin to the tree.
Hats Off To Mrs. Smith's Class
This sign was surrounded by a
variety of hat shapes, each with a child's name.
Welcome to My Bright
Stars!
Print each child's name on a star
Old Woman Who Lived
In A Shoe
For those teachers who have
very large classes, here is a mild but effective protest!
"There was an old woman who lived in a shoe....." Cut out a large boot, and have
the
children's names on girl and boy shapes around it. You could also have the
children
draw themselves in the first week and print their own names to put around
the words and boot picture.
I Am Special
Each child draws and colors
his/her own face on an inverted paper plate.
Add crayoned paper strips or the correct colors of crepe paper for hair.
The children
make a full figure drawing of themselves and cut it out. Each drawing is
mounted
with a drinking straw in the child's hand for a pole, and on
the top of the pole is a banner with the child's name on it.
Too Many Kids In the
Tub
Cut out a large old-fashioned
bathtub and mount on the board. Each
child creates their own face on a paper plate (or just a drawing), adds
yarn or
crepe paper hair, etc. All the heads are mounted above the tub as though
bathing.
A poem to go with it:
There's too many kids in the tub,
There's too many elbows to scrub,
I've lost my knee, oh, where can it be,
There's too many kids in the tub.
(May be sung to "Popeye, the Sailor Man")
Spiders
Each child was given the spider
shape to decorate and which included
their name. It was titled "VERY BUSY WORKERS IN ? CLASS.
Frogs, Frogs, Frogs
MRS. JONES' CLASS IS LEAPING
AHEAD
The bulletin board is covered in frogs.
Hoot Owls
WE GIVE A HOOT
The board is covered in owls.
Our Class Comes In
___ Flavors
Do a mini
ice-cream theme the first few days. Each child can make a large
cone shape out of brown construction paper with a different colored scoop
on top. They put their picture on the ice-cream scoop and their name on
the
cone. The title can read "Our Class Comes In (number of children)
Flavors!"
School of Fish
The children create different
fantasy fish with crayon on a pre-cut shape,
leaving a large circle area in the middle for their picture and name. All
must be colored facing the same direction (preferably noses to the right
so the
fish are traveling from left to right). They are then fastened to the bulletin
board in a triangular fashion, so that you start with one fish on the right hand
side,
two fish behind him, the third row with 3 or 4 fish and so on.
The title of the
board reads "School's In!"
Magic School Bus
Create a large yellow school bus,
with the children's heads (photos, photocopies or drawings)
in the windows. The side of the bus could read "Mrs. Smith's Magic School
Bus".
The Art
Express
Have each child try one of the following art experiences
below on a 9" x 12" sheet of art
paper. When the projects are dry, add paper wheels and a hitch to
each one. Then
display the art related cargo behind a train engine cutout labeled "The
Art Express."
Each time children try a new art technique, add the cargo to to train or
use it
to replace the cargo that's currently on display.
Plastic Wrap: Randomly drip colorful tempera paint onto art paper.
Cover the art paper
with plastic wrap. Touching only the plastic, smooth, smear, and swirl the
paint colors.
Cardboard Tubes: Dip one end of a cardboard tube into a shallow
container of paint and
then randomly stamp the painted end onto art paper.
Repeat as many times as desired.
Toy Vehicles: Roll a toy vehicle through a shallow container of
paint and then onto art paper. Repeat as many times as desired.
Parachute Fun
Have the children draw themselves
and attach a parachute. Title: "Flying into Grade ___".
Bear-y Wonderful Class
Print each student's name on a
picture of a bear or teddy bear.
Title: Welcome to Our Bear-y Wonderful Class".
We Fit Together
Perfectly
Create giant puzzle pieces in
bright colors. Mount these on a black background
and separate each piece slightly so the background shows. Each piece can
have
a child's picture and the name on it. The title can be: "We Fit Together
Perfectly".
I Shine
Make the title "I SHINE" out of
aluminum foil. Cut squares of aluminum
foil-one for each class member. They draw their self portrait in the foil
with
markers. I think I'll back them with colorful paper. Got this idea from a
workshop.
Look Who's Popping
Into _ Grade!
I made a large paper popcorn box
and popcorn out of paper or sheets of styrofoam
(they have them in the hobby section of most stores) and put the
kids names on them it is turning out really nice!
(Grade)
- A Great Place To Grow
Last year our school began the
year with the theme "All About Me." We focused on health, self-esteem,
biographies, life skills, etc. My welcome bulletin board had the heading "Second
Grade--A Great Place to
Grow." I wrote each child's name on the center of a
flower pattern which decorated the board. Students
added to the bulletin board
by writing traits about themselves on new flower petals which we placed over
their
original flowers. Students wrote personal goals for the year on stems and
added these to the bulletin board.
Here We Are
I have a large bulletin board at
the back of my room. I put a bright colored
paper on it and the letters to spell "HERE WE ARE" (Above the board,
on the wall it says my class name.) I fasten a piece of colored
construction paper 18 x 24, for each child to it. I print the names
of each child on lines on a paper 3 inches wide and about 12 long.
(I print the names since I find Grade One children are not yet able to
print in
a consistent fashion. In grades other than one the child could print
his/her
own name of course.) Each child follows the outline of their name with
glitter,
sequins or even with crayon or neon paint, if I don't have glitter.
This strip is glued at the top of the construction paper. I have
each child bring a picture of themselves - I take a polaroid of anyone
who doesn't bring one. We fasten it with rolled masking tape
(so it can be removed) onto a 4 1/2 x 6 white paper that has a frame on it
- child could
make frame on paper. This paper is glued to construction paper
background.
I decide how much space there is and decide how many 4 1/2 x 6 sections
would fit on the background. On one section I have the child write about
or
draw their family, on another paper they list or draw things they like to
do,
and on another write, list or draw favorite food , pets, etc.. All these
papers are glued to
construction paper to make a poster. Sometimes children
decorate the poster background
either before gluing anything on or around the
messages . (This year I am going to have
them put their finger painted handprints on the background before gluing
anything on.)
These are done over a week or two and make a great display for Meet the Teacher
Night
etc. They can stay up "forever", and when taken home are often kept.
I'm So Hoppy You Are Here
Place student names on lily pads
and add a large frog to a board titled "I'm
So 'Hoppy'
You Are Here!" This is one of my favorite ideas from Mailbox magazine.
Handy Dandy Class
"Handy Dandy Class" bulletin
board on butcher paper. Place a class list in the center.
Then have each student place his/her hand, palm down, in poster paint and
press
on the paper to create a handprint. Signatures can be added underneath the
print.
Rock and Roll Into (____)
Grade.
One year I bought a cardboard
jukebox, plastic record albums, and various
"music-related" items at Paper Warehouse. They were very inexpensive.
Then I had music notes with the kids names written on them all over the
board.
I titled the board "Rock and Roll Into _______ Grade." It turned out very
cute!
Mrs. Jone's Colorful Class
Use a bunch of color crayons that
have the kids' names.
Once school starts, I plan to hang their self-portraits under their
crayons.
Mrs. ___'s Bunch
Have a clown (the teacher )
holding a bunch of balloons.
Mrs. _____'s New Crop
Apples on a tree or another
harvest fruit or vegetable
Look Who's Back in School
With fish (they are easy to make)
with each child's name on a watery
background. It's extra cute if you can mount a mirror on the bulletin
board.
Up, Up, and Away
With hot air balloons--they are
easy to make.
Then have each child color their own unique design on the balloon.
Using Pencils
"Pencil us in for a great year!"
or "Welcoming a sharp bunch of students".
Worm Your Way Into (______)
Last year I made Wiggle
worms from 4 same size circles. I added antennas and each
child's name. Each worm was a different color and the title was "Worm Your
Way into
Mrs. Kerns Class". I usually use the same theme for the entire
classroom.
More Bulletin Board Ideas
"Kindergarten Busy Bees" (or
Beavers)
"One of a Kind Class" -
handprints
"Moo-ving into Kindergarten" -
cows
"Stepping into Kindergarten" -
shoes
"A Great Bunch" with either
grapes or bananas
"Beary Glad YOU Are Here" or "A
Beary Good Group" with bears
Using award ribbons:
"Award-winning Students"
Using stars: "Reach for the Stars
in 2nd Grade", "2G Starring . . .", "Mrs. Gallipoli's All-Stars"
Using feet or shoes: "We're
starting off on the right foot" or "Step into 2nd Grade"
Using T-Shirts on a clothesline:
"2nd grade suits us to a tee" or Mrs. Gallipoli's line-up"
Using apples: "Bushels of fun in
2nd grade" or "The apples of my eye"
Using frogs: "Leap into 2nd
grade" or "Toad-ally awesome students"
Using monkeys & bananas: "Bananas
about 2nd grade"
Using dinosaurs: "Welcome to a
dino-mite year"
Using jeans: "2nd grade jean-iuses"
Using fish: "Welcome to our
school" or "Oceans of fun in 2nd grade"
Using backpacks: "Welcome to our
pack!"
Using footballs: "Kicking off a
great year!"
Find More
Back To School Bulletin Board Ideas
at
Perpetual Preschool