Fun and Inviting Preschool Bulletin Boards Ideas for the Whole Year
Creative and vibrant bulletin boards are a staple found in most classrooms. This is because they offer a way to showcase student-created projects, display information and foster learning. Designing your own bulletin board can be time-consuming, and even the most creative of teachers will benefit from this compilation of classroom displays. Here, you will find a year-round collection of the best preschool bulletin board ideas that Bright Hub Education has to offer.
Beginning of the Year
The excitement of back-to-school time often evokes images of smiling faces. For young children, however, going off to school can be an intimidating endeavor. For this reason, it is important that classroom teachers work to quickly establish a connection with their new students. Welcoming the children with colorful and enticing displays can help to peak their interest and make even the most hesitant child feel a part of their new classroom. Here are a few examples of bulletin boards which can be created ahead of time, or used as a cooperative activity on the first day of school:
- Welcome Back to School
- Back to School Bulletin Board and Door Decoration
- A Delicious Way to Say Welcome
- All About Me
- Activities and Bulletin Board Ideas for the First Day
- Making Good Choices Throughout the Year
Notice how the examples offered incorporate each child’s name into the display. This not only helps identify to the child that they are in the correct classroom, it presents a perfect opportunity for the students to learn the names of their classmates. For younger children, adding a photo next to the name will help non-readers begin to make those connections.
Bulletin Board Ideas for Seasons and the Holidays
Decorating your classroom for the seasons, or for specific holidays, takes on special meaning when combined with lessons about traditions. Consider the multi-cultural make-up of your class and their families. Also, do not be hesitant to offer the unfamiliar. Bulletin board displays should be thought of as eye-candy for the classroom - inspiring the children to want to learn more!
Keep in mind, however, that you are not limited to just using bulletin boards! Classroom doors, cubbie areas and even wall space in a hall can all be converted for use. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
- What are the Four Seasons?
- Seasonal Bulletin Boards for Preschool
- A Tree Through the Seasons
- Halloween Bulletin Board
- Winter Ideas for Your Bulletin Boards
- Celebrating Spring
- Creating a Bulletin Board Celebrating Dads
- Summer Board Ideas
- Fun Holiday Door Decorations to Compliment Your Bulletin Boards
Bulletin Boards to Compliment Your Thematic Studies
Thematic teaching in preschool means immersing your students in the topic. Your classroom decor should be no exception. Bulletin boards can be used to offer games, interactive experiences, mini-lessons, extension activities or even simply curriculum support. Here are bulletin board ideas for popular preschool themes:
- Down on the Farm Theme
- Healthy Foods
- A Construction Themed Bulletin Board
- Up, Up and Away: Kites
- Creating a Zoo Mural
- Sports Theme and Bulletin Board Ideas
- Birthday Theme and Bulletin Board
- Fun With Frogs
- Learning About Our Pets
- Our Solar System!
Displays to Reinforce Basic Skills
While most bulletin boards offer rotating displays based on classroom themes, they can also be used to reinforce basic academic skills for students at the preschool level. One way to accomplish this is to have space dedicated to certain subject areas, like reading, math, writing, or science. This will help your students connect what they are learning with the broader topics they will study throughout their school years:
- Promoting Literacy
- Word Walls in the Early Childhood Classroom
- Colors and Shapes
- A Rainbow of Colors
- Practicing Counting Skills
- Teaching Mathematical Concepts with a Board Devoted to Graphing
- Practicing Math : An Ocean Theme
- Preschool Science Bulletin Board Activities
Other Bulletin Board Ideas
Likewise, you may wish to have specific bulletin board space set aside for recognizing classroom birthdays, a Student-of-the-Week celebration, tracking lost teeth, or even developing a classroom job chart. Here are a few examples of ways to incorporate bulletin boards in the daily functions of your preschool classroom:
- Student of the Week Bulletin Board Ideas
- Fun Door Decoration Ideas
- Cute Quotes for Preschool Bulletin Boards
- Miscellaneous Ideas for the Preschool Classroom
- Creating a Classroom Birthday Bulletin Board
- Making Bulletin Boards Interactive
Suggestions for Your End of the Year Bulletin Boards
When it’s time for the year to come to a close, refrain from packing up the room too soon. Instead, use your bulletin board space to honor the children’s accomplishments, or inspire continued learning over vacation time!
When creating your bulletin boards, try laminating the pieces, or covering them with clear contact paper. This will make your display sturdy and re-useable in the years ahead. Also, remember that bulletin board projects are a great way to get your classroom parents involved - through design, implementation or even just management!
Do you have bulletin board ideas you would like to share, or suggestions for bulletin board topics that you would like to see included in this guide? If so, be sure to let us know by visiting the comments section below.
References
- The advice offered in this guide is based on the author’s extensive experience as a classroom teacher. Having created many bulletin boards in her day, Ms. Wistrom found that one of the best ways to stay organized was to create a file of bulletin board ideas and topics similar to the guide offered above.