Teacher’s Brain

5 Bulletin Board Ideas for Your Elementary Classroom

Looking for bulletin board ideas for your next classroom masterpiece? 

I have always loved decorating a new bulletin board for my students. It’s the best way to showcase student work, share what we are focusing on, and display the hard work of the students. It’s so motivating and fun! 

bulletin board ideas

If you are looking for creative bulletin board ideas, simple bulletin board ideas, or unique bulletin board ideas for school, you’re in the right place! 

I’m sharing some of my favorite resources to make your bulletin board look spectacular! 

How do I make my bulletin board look nice? Here are my best tips: 

  • Choose a Theme: Pick a theme related to your classroom or the season.
  • Color Coordination: Use a coordinated color scheme for a visually appealing look.
  • Bold Title: Feature a clear and bold title to set the tone.
  • Visual Appeal: Add engaging visuals like student work or decorations.
  • Organization: Keep content neat and well-organized.
  • Interactive Elements: If possible, make it interactive with pockets or goal-setting sections.
  • Seasonal Touches: Include seasonal decorations for a fresh look.
  • Consistency: Maintain a consistent design for a cohesive appearance.
  • Creativity: Be creative with personal touches and different materials.
  • Regular Updates: Change content periodically to keep it interesting.

Looking for the perfect bulletin board ideas for elementary? Check out my favorite bulletin board resources! 

SPRING Bulletin Board | Growth Mindset

bulletin board ideas growth mindset bulletin board resource

Need a bulletin board that fosters a Growth Mindset and encourages your students to set goals? Look no further! This resource will help you create a beautiful bulletin board that will not only brighten up your classroom but also empower your students to embrace challenges and strive for success.

Rainbow of Possibilities Bulletin Board Set

bulletin board ideas

Explore a fun bulletin board that sparks imagination and prompts students to ponder future possibilities. With an exciting PRINT AND GO writing activity and an eye-catching bulletin board title, displaying your student’s work will be a breeze!

POETRY Bulletin Board Ideas | SPRING | National Poetry Month

poetry bulletin board ideas

 Celebrate National Poetry Month with a bulletin board that inspires creativity and showcases your students’ poetic talents. This resource includes a PRINT AND GO writing activity coupled with a captivating bulletin board title to beautifully display their poetic masterpieces.

Editable Birthday Chart Display | Bulletin Board | Classroom Decor

birthday bulletin board set

Ensure everyone knows when to celebrate by using an editable PowerPoint to display your students’ birthdays. Choose from black and white templates or add a burst of color to your classroom. Perfect for doors, bulletin boards, or chalkboards!

Movie Theater Biography | Superhero Biography for Bulletin Boards

superhero bulletin board ideas

Turn your classroom into a theater where every student is a star! Download a free Star Bio template for a Movie Themed Unit, complete with a Superhero BIO option for a Superhero Theater Day. Let the creativity shine as your students become the stars of their own biographies!

Bulletin Board – Kindness – Free

bulletin board ideas

Spread kindness like confetti with a bulletin board that captures and celebrates acts of kindness in your class. Discover the letters and setup used to create an inspiring board that reads, “Our Class loves to Throw KINDNESS Around Like Confetti.” Watch as your students’ kind deeds transform your classroom into a positive and uplifting space!
I hope you love these bulletin board resources as much as I do! For more bulletin board fun, check out this friendship resource!

Why You Should Keep A Large Visual Schedule in Your Classroom

With the new school year starting, many teachers are looking for ways to improve their classroom routines and procedures for a smoother year. Things like classroom management systems and classroom job charts are great for helping students understand what to expect, behavior guidelines, and how they are expected to contribute to the classroom community during the year. 

Classroom visual schedules are also great for helping students understand what to expect which leads to a smoother transition. When I was in the classroom, a large visual schedule was a must. 

visual schedule

What does a visual schedule do? 

Visual schedules are schedules of your day that are created with a visual element to help communicate to students the sequence of events for the day. This is especially beneficial to students who struggle to read. They will be able to find out for themselves where and when they will be doing activities. 

Why are visual schedules helpful? 

As teachers, we have likely all experienced situations where students struggled with transitions. Having a schedule so that students can see for themselves what the plan is for the day is empowering. It allows them to understand what is coming up next so they can manage and predict their own day independently because it helps them understand time. 

This means they don’t feel the need to repeatedly ask what they’re doing next. It also helps keep you on track when things get a little hectic. If a student is still struggling, you can allow them to hold the card while transitioning to ease their stress. 

How do I make a visual schedule? 

Teachers are busy people. They don’t all have time to create custom visual schedules for their classrooms, and that’s okay! You can easily find a great visual schedule template or visual schedule printables that you can easily edit and use in your classroom. There are tons of options online if you simply search around. 

If you’re looking for the perfect visual schedule template for your elementary classroom, make sure to check out this Boho Visual Classroom Schedule Resource! 

boho visual schedule preview

This editable Boho style Powerpoint is easy to use and perfect for a boho-themed classroom. Use these cards on a pocket chart, wall, or magnetic board to easily edit and move your schedule around. 

visual schedule

What is in this download?

  • 50 Editable PowerPoint Slides (*Make sure you have PowerPoint)
  • BOHO Rainbow with Clocks (moveable hands and text boxes provided) Also, without clocks.
  • Cursive and Print for Intermediate or Primary Classrooms
  • Blank Cards
  • 2 Editable Individual Daily Schedule Cards
  • Directions with Suggested Fonts
  • Pictures Cards include ( A+, apple, backpack, chalkboard, books, bell, lunch, milk, glue, globe, clock, crayons, owl, grad hat, paint pallet, paintbrush, bookworm, bus, pencil, pen, check, bell, stars, scissors, beaker, music, paper airplane, protractor, data journal, music, magnets, locker, glasses, light bulb, ruler, flask, heart, sun, tent, music notes, tie, flashlight, plant, tie, test tube)
visual schedule

For even more visual schedule options, check out my post from last week here! 

What are your favorite ways to help students transition? Let me know in the comments! 

How To Catch The Easter Bunny: A Fun and Engaging Easter Activity!

Easter is right around the corner and that means it’s time to whip out all of the fun pastel and egg-shaped decor and stock up on Easter candy to hand out to your students. It’s also time to start brainstorming Easter activities to do in the classroom to celebrate. 

There is always the traditional Easter egg hunt or coloring eggs, but when I was in the classroom I tried to think outside the box so I could get my students truly engaged and give them a unique Easter classroom experience.

I came up with an Easter activity that would give students the opportunity to create an Easter Bunny trap!

I created a digital resource that would make this activity a simple, no-prep, no-mess option! 

easter activity

The interactive and editable Google Slides allow students to copy and paste movable parts to design their own Easter Bunny trap. This gets students thinking creatively and critically to come up with their own unique trap.  

Then, they will write a narrative, persuasive, or opinion paper about how they plan to catch the bunny. This activity is perfect for engaging students in creative thinking and planning. 

Easter activity

Make it even more fun by adding all the student’s work to a new slide show with the music provided while in present mode to have a bunny trap design contest. You can also print and display them in your room or make a slideshow with the student’s finished products to view virtually. Music is provided! 

Included with this Easter activity you’ll get: 

  • 12 background slides for students to choose from to begin designing
  • 4 slides with movable parts for students to use to design their own bunny trap (You can edit some images, remove or add images)
  • 6 slides for students to brainstorm, organize thoughts, and write a story about their trap
  • Black and white slides for students to digitally or handwrite stories. (narrative, persuasive, or opinion writing included)
  • A Google Form to have a Favorite Trap Design Contest

Easter activity

If you love this activity but can’t do it virtually with your students, you can also print it out and complete it that way! This resource can easily be adapted to do in person, digitally, or sent home to complete with the child’s parents. 

Check out the video tutorial! 

Looking for more spring and Easter activities for the classroom? Check out my post here!

How will you be celebrating Easter with your students? Let me know in the comments?

 

Easter activity pin image


 

Valentine’s Day Escape Room Students Will Love

One of the latest trends making waves in the education world (and in the outside world too), is escape rooms. If you don’t already know, escape rooms are a game where people (or in our case students) work together to solve clues, puzzles, or complete designated tasks in order to “escape the room” in a set amount of time. Sounds fun, right?!

These games are so exciting because they are very immersive. The interactive aspect really makes you feel like you are living the story of the escape room! 

In the classroom, escape rooms can include puzzles or tasks related to the skills you are working on in your lessons. This makes it an educational activity for students that feels like fun, not work! 

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I wanted an escape room that had a fun and festive Valentine’s Day theme while still being an engaging way to work on skills in the classroom. 

So, I created this Valentine’s Day Escape Room! 

Valentine's Day escape room activity

This Valentine’s Day mystery requires little prep and includes detailed directions, 3 clues to solve, a video hook, and set-up photos to help you put it all together. The set-up checklist will help you ensure that everything runs smoothly for the activity. 

To start, students will watch the video hook or introduction to learn about their mission. Then they will be tasked with solving 3 clues using comprehension skills. If you find that any of the activities are too easy for your students, there are additional activities included to differentiate. Students will practice teamwork skills while solving clues to help learn about holiday vocabulary and number patterns. 

Valentine's Day escape room activity

The clues will help them unlock the box and claim their prize. For prizes, you can use candy, homework passes, or bookmarks. Whatever you choose! 

The supplies needed are simple. You’ll need a box , some surprises to put inside the box (homework passes and bookmarks are provided), pencils, 6 large file folders (or regular folders), candy hearts (paper ones are provided if you don’t want to use real candy) and magnifying glasses (2 or more). 

Valentine's Day escape room

This activity is so engaging! It’s so fun to see how excited students get to put their detective skills to work so they can solve the clues. 

What are your favorite Valentine’s Day activities for elementary? Let me know in the comments!

Valentine's Day escape room