December offers up a whole host of holiday theme bulletin board ideas, but many schools prohibit them. So, what is a teacher to do when the gift giving season is staring her in the face and her bulletin boards are blank? Think outside of the box! Try some of the fun bulletin board ideas below to get your students’ creative juices flowing.
December Bulletin Boards That Pop
Present Story Starters
Inside each wrapped present is a mystery. What will your students find in the present in your classroom? On a blank board, hang large pictures of items from magazines or books. Then cover over the bulletin board with wrapping paper – holiday, birthday, or foil. Use ribbon or a large pre-made bow to decorate the center. Place the title, “What’s Inside?” at the top of the board and clues about the contents around the edges. Students then make guesses about what is under the present on the wall and write about what they think is inside. Use this as a creative writing prompt, poetry starter or an exercise in making educated guesses.
Tangrams
Students love using Tangrams! Create a bulletin board using over-sized Tangram shapes to reinforce the concept of spatial relations. Begin by covering the board in a solid color fabric or paper. Have a set of shapes, created from Tangrams, on index cards that have been threaded through a ring. Students pick a card that they would like to make and use the over-sized Tangrams to create the object. Coordinate the colors of the shapes on the cards to the colors available for the over-sized Tangrams, if possible. Use this as a math center or a free-time center depending on your scheduling needs.
H.A.M. It Up!
Reinforce the idea of animal adaptations during the cold winter months by creating a fun and interactive bulletin board. Divide the board into three sections and label them “Hibernate,” “Adapt,” and “Migrate.” Have a file folder attached to the bulletin board that contains different animals. Students then use sticky tack or tape to hang the animals under the correct column. When they are finished, they can either self-check using an answer key, or you can check their work for them. Make the activity as easy or as challenging as need be.
What are some of your favorite bulletin board ideas for December? Do you use holiday theme boards or are they prohibited in your school? Leave a comment and let us know!
Becky says
I love the idea of using the oversized tangrams for the bulletin boards. It would work well at a variety of grade levels and I can’t wait to try it in my classroom! Thanks so much!
Lisa says
I truly enjoy reading the different bulletin board ideas. It is nice to have a place to come to that has great ideas that can be implemented quickly.