Spring is a wonderful time of the year. Everyone is relieved to have the cold dissipate, the snow and ice begins to melt, and little green buds start to poke out of the ground. You know that cabin fever is nearly over and everyone can soon go outside to play again.
With the warmer weather, your students will be excited to explore and decorate the classroom to illustrate all of the goodness of the season. The classic classroom bulletin board is the perfect place to engage your student in celebrating the season of Spring.
You could just decorate the bulletin board yourself, surprising your students with the bright colors and fun themes. But you might also want to incorporate it into lessons and seasons-based games. By encouraging student interaction, you allow them to invest in the learning process as well as the decorating of their classroom.
Here are a few ideas to spark your spring classroom decorating plans:
Science
Springtime is the perfect time of the year to focus on science projects. Plan a few hands-on projects for students that help them to understand what part of the life cycle is happening outside. Planting seeds, watching them grow into tiny plants, and then large, strong plants is a great science lesson for children of many ages. Incorporate this lesson into a science section of the bulletin board. Young plants and awakening buds can be drawn or photographed and pinned to the board to remind everyone of what is coming ahead.
You can also be a host classroom for a batch of fertilized eggs. This is a really fun project for younger children, as they check the eggs regularly awaiting the arrival of baby chicks. Correlate this project with drawings and other activities on the board to help students better understand how chicks develop in the egg. After all, what represents spring better than a fluffy baby chick?
Art
You can plan a number of springtime art projects for students that are specifically for decorating the bulletin board. There are plenty of two-dimensional projects to be undertaken, such as the standard drawing or painting. But you can also have children make three-dimensional art projects such as flowers made from tissue paper and pipe cleaners, then stapled to the bulletin board. With art, the sky’s the limit for student creativity. Involve your students in planning art projects by taking a vote on interests and the things about spring that they are most excited about.
English
Your students can painlessly stretch their English and writing skills with a few fun projects. One idea is to have students call out as many adjectives they can think of that remind them of spring. You could have them practice artistic writing skills through carefully drawing these words with markers on brightly colored paper. Or capture the words digitally, creating a fun word cloud that can be stapled to the bulletin board.
Social Studies
How do children all over the world celebrate spring? Share pictures and international fun with the students through interactive games. Have them try a new spring food that children in Sweden or Japan look forward to every year. Capture the activities and post them on the board to remind them to celebrate cultural diversity.
Music
There are so many fun springtime songs and many that include movements and dances. Have the children learn one or two songs and have them pair it with an artistic endeavor that can be put on the board. They say that singing and movement creates deeper memories. This will be one spring your students won’t forget!
Religious
If you work in a religious school or are decorating your bulletin board for a church’s Sunday school, many of the activities above will work with minor adjustments to include religious elements. Incorporate Jesus or other religious figures, emphasizing the importance of springtime and the beauty of renewal and new life.
Just for Fun
Play games to go with your classroom decorating, bringing together physical activity, songs, artistic projects, and the excitement of changing seasons. While sometimes projects can be stressful, especially if not every student finds the activity engaging, games are enjoyed by every student. Making your bulletin board about fun, learning, and engagement is a sure way to capture everyone’s attention.
Children love the changing seasons, as the changes breathe new life and energy into the mundane. You can celebrate the cycle of the year with an awesome bulletin board that uses the creative energy of your classroom and teaches many life lessons at the same time. Whether you are a religious classroom or a secular one, there are so many great ways to celebrate spring!
