S"mitten" with Winter

Because changing your bulletin boards can be very time consuming, often teachers are looking for fun seasonal boards they can put up and leave up for awhile.  If you're anything like me, you would love to decorate more for the holiday's. Unfortunately, it only gets to stay up a short amount of time; particularly with Christmas break coming so soon.  So, here is a possible alternative that will allow you to be a little festive and get away with leaving this cutie up until at least March!  :)  Here are the products I used...

• PAC57218-12 - Light Blue 48X12 Fadeless Paper
• T92164 - Snow and Ice Trimmer
• T79741 - 4" Black Playful Letters (Used these on top of the mitten accents)
• T10912 - Mittens Cut Out Accents
• T8127 - Super Snowman BBS

Wishing You A Wonderful Winter!  :)

School is Cool

Penguins seem to be all the rage in winter and there are few cuter than the ones sold by Trend Enterprises!  This idea can be used on a board, door, or hallway.  Best of all, you can leave up until at least March!  Here are the products I used...

• PAC56388 - Winter Time 48"X12' Fadeless Paper
• CD1234 - Icicles Border (This item has recently been discontinued by Carson Dellosa, but any other icy looking border would look great.  My recommendation would be T92164 - Snow and Ice Trimmer from Trend.  It's super cute and gives the same effect!)
• PAC5430E - White Poster Board (I cut this out to use behind the words, giving it a snowy effect.)
• T79045 - 4" Snowflake Casual Ready Letters
• T8202 - Playful Penguins BBS

The best thing about these patterned papers from Pacon Corporation is that you don't have to do a bunch of paper layering to get the snow scene effect.  Just unroll the paper and it looks great!   

Farmer's Market Math

This math bulletin board is an interactive way to teach adding money.  In this activity, students pull a worksheet from the big pocket and complete it using the information given on the board.  Here are the products I used...

• PAC57148 - Emerald 48"X12' Fadeless Paper
• TF8290 - Fruits and Veggies Trimmer
• TF8422 - Farmers Market Math BBS
• TNT6450 - Bright Jumbo Pockets

The directions for the activity are found on the front of the yellow pocket.  In case you don't have a magnifying glass, here they are...

1. Remove the worksheet from the pocket.
2. Write your name on your paper.
3. Complete the worksheet using the information found on the market bulletin board.
4. Show your work on the back.
5. Turn into the red basket for a grade.

An example of the kinds of word problems found on the worksheet are...

Jennifer has a pot roast simmering at home.  But she needs some vegetables to finish making dinner.  How much will she owe if she buys 4 carrots, 3 potatoes, and 5 ears of corn?  _____________________________________

Using the names of students in the class or teachers names from your school is one more way to make this fun for your students!  You may also find other ways to use this bulletin board set. It could be used for patterning, subtraction, or fractions!  It's very versatile with a little imagination.  Enjoy!  

Nativity

I love Christmas and I particularly love celebrating the birth of Christ.  For those who don't have room to set out a Nativity Scene in your classroom or church, here is a way to display it on the wall!  Here are the products I used...

• PAC56228 - Night Sky 48"X12' Fadeless Paper
• CD10074 - Sand Big Border
• T92136 - Stained Glass Border
• T79751 - 4" Stained Glass Playful Letters
• T8125 - Nativity BBS
• CD6324 - Names of Jesus Chartlet

I must tell you that this photo doesn't do the artwork on this bulletin board set justice.  It is really beautiful and although it is a cartoon drawing, it is sophisticated enough to look nice in a church foyer.  

The "For Unto Us A Child Is Born..." scripture reference is Isaiah 9:6.  

Merry Christmas!

Peacemakers & Peacebreakers

I was inspired to make this board after I found an anchor chart about Peacemakers and Peacebreakers on Pinterest.  It would look great on a classroom door or a large cabinet door as a gentle reminder to students about what kind of behavior you expect in your classroom.  Here are the products I used...

• PAC57878 - Deep Purple 48"X12' Fadeless Paper
• TCR4668 - Yellow Polka Dot Trimmer
• FST5144 - 4" Green Polka Dot Fun Font Letters
• TCR5147 - Peace Sign Cut Outs
• TNT3512 - Assorted Flash Cards

Peace Out!  :)

Paisley Parts of Speech

This center is a great way to review Parts of Speech with your students in preparation for a test.  Here are the products I used...

• FLP30045LB - Light Blue 3X4 Tri-Fold Board (I cut it in half, that way you get two games out of one!)
• CTP6511 - Paisley on Brown Trimmer
• T1789 - 2" White Stick EZ Letters (I cut apart the blue paisley pockets in the package to create the backing for the title.)
• CTP6921 - Paisley Doodles Library Pockets
• TNT3512 - Assorted Flash Cards (Cut down to fit in the pockets, they come a little long.)
• TNT6450 - Brite Jumbo Library Pockets
• CTP4916 - 2" Dots on Turquoise Letter Stickers (The paper behind the worksheet pocket and the directions is the library pockets cut apart and glued together.)

The directions on the right side are hard to see so I have included them below...

1. Remove all the cards from the pockets.
2. Read the sentences on each card.
3. Determine if the word in bold is a noun, a verb, an adjective, or an adverb.
4. Place the card in the appropriate pocket.
5. Complete the response form and turn it in for a grade.

Here is an example of how the sentences are written on the cards...

Anna Brooke laid her head on the soft pillow and immediately fell asleep.

Hope your students have a blast learning about Parts of Speech!

Sophisticated Syllables

Looking for a center that will teach syllables?  This game is for you!  In this game students will choose cards from the "bank" pocket.  After reading the word on the card, they will clap out the syllables and decide how many they heard.  Then they will place it in the appropriate pocket.  Here are the products I used...

• FLP30045PU - Purple 3X4 Tri-fold Board (I cut mine in half, giving me 2 games for the price of one!)
• FST3138 - Black Decor Double-Sided Trimmer
• CTP4193 - 2" Black Dot-to-Dot Uppercase Letter Stickers
• TNT6097 - Big Flowers Black and White Library Pockets
• TNT3512 - Assorted Flash Cards (Used on the front of the pockets and as the cards inside)
• CTP4630 - 1" Black Dot-to-Dot Uppercase Letter Stickers
• TNT6450 - Brite Jumbo Library Pockets (The paper behind the "Work Sheets" Title is the reverse side of the trimmer.)

In case you can't read the instructions on the right side here they are...

1. Remove the cards from the bank.
2. Read the words on each card aloud.
3. Clap out the syllables you hear.
4. Place the card in the appropriate pocket.
5. Complete the response form and turn it in for a grade.

The paper behind the instructions is the library pockets cut apart.  The fonts on the cards and for the instructions were downloaded for free online.

Sassy Sentences

Here is a center idea for identifying parts of a sentence!  The items I used are as follows...

• FLP30045OR - Orange Tri-Fold Board (I cut mine in half, 2 games for the price of one!)
• CTP1108 - Jumbo Dots on Chocolate Trimmer
• CTP4192 - 2" Dots on Chocolate Uppercase Letter Stickers
• CTP6919 - Dots on Chocolate Library Pockets
• TNT3512 - Assorted Flash Cards (I cut them down to size a little, they come a bit too long for the pockets.)
• TNT6450 - Brite Jumbo Library Pockets 
• CTP5930 - Jumbo Chocolate Dots Cutouts

As you can see the big pocket on the left is for the worksheets you will create for your students to complete.  

Here are the directions on the right side that you may not be able to see...

1. Remove the cards from the bank.
2. Read the sentences on each card.
3. Decide if the bold words in the sentence tell who/what, action, or where.
4. Place the card in the appropriate pocket.
5. Complete the response form and turn it in for a grade.

Here is an example of each kind of sentence used on the cards...

The eagle perched on a branch. (Who/What)

The eagle perched on a branch. (Action)

The eagle perched on a branch. (Where)

You could even make up your own simple sentences using the names of students in your classroom.  This makes the game even more fun!

Perfect Punctuation

More and more often it seems that as text messaging becomes more prevalent, punctuation seems to be falling by the way side.  Here is a center to remind your students that good punctuation skills are always important and fun!

Here are the products I used...

• FLP30045OR - Orange Project Board 3X4 (I cut mine in half, so you can get 2 centers out of one!)
• CTP6510 - Dots on Turquoise Paisley Trimmer
• CTP6920 - Dots on Turquoise Library Pockets
• HYG43317 - Pocket Chart Cards - Assorted (Used on the front of the pockets)
• CTP4916 - 2" Dots on Turquoise Letter Stickers
• PAC5178 - Assorted Index Cards (Used these for the sentence cards)

You can also add a jumbo library pocket (TNT6450 - Brite Jumbo Pockets) to the back of your board to hold worksheets.  The worksheet can be completed by the student after playing the game to turn in for a grade.  Another good reminder is to laminate your pockets and cards.  This will ensure that you don't have rips or tears in them as they are used by little hands.  Happy Punctuating!  :)

Statistics Suits

Here is an interactive bulletin board for upper elementary.  I've spent a lot of time lately looking for ways to help teachers of older students.  I really love it because, although students don't actually move the pieces around on the board, it is an activity for them to complete.  This could easily be transferred to a tri-fold board and brought out as a center activity.  It sure beats those boring worksheets!  The inspiration for this board came from an activity I saw on Pinterest (my latest obsession).  There are lots and lots of activities there and plenty of things to get those creative juices inspired!  See my link on the lower right hand side to see my Pinterest boards.  The items I used on this board are...

• PAC57038-12 - Flame Fadeless 48"X12' Paper
• FST3147 - Black Sassy Solids Border (It's 2-Sided!)
• FST5176 - 5" Bling Letters with Pearls (I didn't use the stick on pearls, but there are endless possibilities for using them elsewhere.)
• TNT3492 - Notebook Paper Chartlet-White
• TS4820 - Jumbo Playing Cards
• CD5415 - Red Calendar Cover Ups
• FX39-525VP - Plastic Gold Coins

The students are to fill out their papers the same way the chart on the board is done for each hand of cards.  The key at the bottom gives the values for the Ace, Jack, Queen, and King.  The hand numbers are some solid calendar cover-ups, but you could print some off to use if you don't have any old ones left over.  I mounted them on some of the left over trimmer and cut them apart (I wanted to make sure they stood out against the red paper.)  The plastic coins are lightweight and I just put them up with Mavalus Tape.  Once again, I'm sorry for the grainy cell phone photo.  I would love to hear any feedback about how your students like this activity!   

Hooked On Helping

I'm always looking for fun ways to make class jobs more exciting!  With this fish themed board, you can make a chore seem like a thrilling activity!  I always like to make fun names for my jobs (see the polka dot job chart), so with this one I incorporated the aquatic theme and here is what I came up with.  Here are the items I used...

• FLP30049BL - Dark Blue Foam Project Board
• CD120041 - Fish/Bowl Cutout Buddies 
• T436 - 2" White Casual Letters (I used a blue highlighter to draw waves on the bottom half of the letters, making them look like they go with the theme.)

And for those who are interested, here are the job titles I used...

• Flag Flounder
• Office Octopus
• Calendar Crab
• Table Tuna
• Lights Lanternfish
• Board Barracudas
• Papers Plankton
• Line Lobsters
• Supplies Sharks
• Attendance Angelfish
• Eraser Eel
• Pets Pufferfish
• Lunch Lionfish
• Computer Clam
• Sink Stingray
• Plants Piranha

I hope you enjoy this job chart and your students complete their tasks swimmingly!  :)

Back to School "Fur"-enzy

This year it seems as if Monsters and Furry Friends were all the rage!  There were so many cute items out there and creating a theme around it was a cinch! If you were one of those teachers on top of trends this year and you need an idea for Back to School, check this one out!  Here are the products I used...

• PAC57178 - Brite Blue 48"X12' Fadeless Paper
• T92341 - Pink and Green Wave Striped Trimmer
• T79801 - 4" Furry Friends Combo Letters
• T8312 - Big Furry Friends Characters BBS (I layered them on the right hand side of the board)
• T8313 - Furry Friends Clubhouse BBS
• T8314 - Furry Friends Seasonal Fence BBS

The coolest thing about the Clubhouse and the Fence Bulletin Board Sets is that you can adjust them to fit the size of your board.  I have an unusually large board to fill, so perhaps you only need one set to fill your board. If your board isn't as tall or as long as mine, don't fret, there are several photo layouts shown on the inserts included with these 2 sets showing you the different ways you can assemble them to fit the size board you have!  That is one reason I especially like them!  I hope your year is FURtastic!  :)

Barrel of Monkeys

Who wouldn't love a barrel of monkeys?  Well, maybe stuffed monkeys would be a little less crazy. If you are doing a monkey/jungle theme or if you're looking for a way to decorate a hallway wall or maybe even the outside of your door...then this board is for you!  
I actually made a "barrel" out of a tri-fold board and attached it to the wall.  All it took was a little trimming...I cut about 5" off each side (mostly because I didn't want it to stick out from the wall too far), but if you have room then that isn't even necessary.  Then I covered it with the weathered wood paper, I taped a long flat box (like you would use to store things under a bed) in between the board and the wall.  This adhered it and also made it really sturdy (I covered it in the wood paper too, just in case anyone looked down inside).  You may have a better idea for how to attach this, but I improvised with what was available to me at the time.  :)  In order to make the monkeys sitting on the edge of the barrel sturdy, I attached the top half of a  popsicle stick to the back of the monkey and the other half to the back of the tri-fold.  This made them stand up straighter and kept them from falling.  I also used the banana cutouts as my "trimmer."  This allowed me to cover up those yucky crooked cutting edges on the side of the board.  Here is the full list of what I used...

• PAC56888 - Bamboo 48"X12' Fadeless Paper 
• T16009 - Banana Cutouts
• PAC56518 - Weathered Wood 48"X12' Fadeless Paper
• A Tri-Fold Display Board in any color (White is usually cheapest, you'll be covering it so color is not important.)
• T8201 - Monkey Mischief BBS
• T79743 - 4" Yellow Playful Letters

This board was inspired by a bookmark from Trend Enterprises.  They are also the makers of the cute monkey bulletin board set!

Juicy Geometry

Of all the areas of math that there are to be explored, I must say Geometry is my absolute favorite!  It's the only math I ever got an A in, so when a friend approached me about doing a geometry game to help teach the basics I jumped at the chance!  In this game students are to match 2 cards to each pocket.  One card shows a picture of the word on the pocket, like an angle for example.  The other card has a definition of the word on it.  Students must master the vocabulary and know what the definition looks like drawn out in order to complete this game.  A large pocket could be attached to the back of the board with a worksheet inside, testing the student's mastery of these concepts.  It would be turned in upon completion of the game!  Here are the items I used...

• FLP30045LB - 3X4 Light Blue Project Board (I cut mine in half. Then you get  2 games for the price of one board!)
• CTP2663 - Playful Patterns Trimmer
• CTP4190 - 2" Dots on Black Uppercase Letter Stickers 
• CTP6918 - Poppin' Patterns Library Pockets
• HYG43317 - Pocket Chart Cards-Assorted Colors (Used these on the front of the pockets.)
• TNT3512 - Blank Assorted Flash Cards (I cut these down and used them as the cards that go in the pockets.)
• CTP5933 - Poppin Patterns Mini Dots Cutouts 

I hope this board creates a fun new way to look at Math!  

Birthday's Are "Cool"

Have you been looking for a "cool" way liven up your birthday display?  Why not try Ice Cream Cones?  On this board I used the Cut Out Buddies from Carson Dellosa.  The cones and scoops come separate, which is nice because it doesn't require you to take the extra step of cutting them apart.  I wrote the month names on the cones and the student's names and the day of their birth on the scoops.  It turned out really cute.  Just be careful to plan your placement of the cones ahead before you attach them, because if you have a cone with several scoops, then you will have to adjust everything so it will all fit!  Have fun!  Here are the products I used...

• FLP30045PK - 3x4 Project Board (I used Pink, but any other color would work too.)
• CTP6472 - Blue Sprinkles Border
• CTP6577 - 4" Sprinkles Letters
• CD120045 - Ice Cream/Cones Cut Out Buddies

That's all you need!

My Camera Went to Heaven

It is very, very sad for me to report that my camera went to live with Jesus.  :(  I have lots and lots of new boards and ideas to share with you, but have had no way to do so!  My camera died in the gift shop bathroom at the Jordan River Baptismal Site in Israel.  I was changing clothes and dropped him.  I guess that would be the best place for a camera to die right?  But not so great for me and not so great for you, who have been so kind to follow my little blog!  I missed out on plenty of photo ops in Israel, but thankfully many of the group with me shared theirs!  
I have waited and waited hoping to save enough money to buy a new camera, but I have waited long enough and really need to update before I forget about these ideas.  That said, I am going to post new entries...but the photos are from my smart phone camera.  Some of them are grainy and a little shotty.  I'm sorry for that.  Hopefully, I can get better shots soon...anyone have a camera they wanna loan me?  Haha.  At any rate, I post all this to say that more ideas are coming and I'm sorry for the quality of the photos!  I hope you like all that I have been doing!  Blessings to you friends!

Jesus Loves "Ewe"

Of all the boards I have designed, this has to be my favorite Inspirational Bulletin Board. It's just so sweet and has such a simple message, but it is the source of everything the Christian Faith teaches. In the end it all comes back to the love of Jesus. Here are the items I used to create this board...

• PAC56398 - Landscape 48"X12' Paper
• T79744 - 4" Blue Playful Letters (The green are no longer available)
• CD3302 - Jesus Loves Me Border
• CD3416 - The Good Shepherd BBS

The fence, hills, and flowers seen here are all on the landscape paper when you unroll it. It's one of the best things about all the mural papers that are coming out now. Awhile back if you wanted a scene like this, you would have to buy individual pieces and create it. Not so anymore! This makes the entire process cheaper and easier! I don't know about you, but I LOVE cheap and easy! The green gingham letters I used on this board are no longer available. However, the number I have listed above is for a pretty solid blue playful letter that will look stunning and really pop on that light blue background. I am in love with this board and I hope it is a hit for you this Spring!

Wanted By God

I created this board for Vacation Bible School in 2010. Although it was originally meant for VBS, it could still be used effectively in a church foyer or children's hall. Here are the products I used...

• PAC56468 - Clouds 48"X12' Fadeless Paper
• CD110072 - Grass Big Border (2 Pkgs)
• CD1256 - Red Bandanna Border
• CDDJ608001 - Wooden Frame Trimmer (2 Pkgs)
• TF3075 - Western Round Up BBS
• FST5122 - 4" Red Bandanna Letters

The fence here does not come in a bulletin board set. I made it using a wood frame border that is manufactured by DJ Inkers from Carson Dellosa. It seemed to work well and the beauty of it as opposed to a split rail fence BBS is that you can make this as long as you like! I ended up using 2 packages of the big grass border, but if you don't need 2 rows of grass, one will work fine, just tuck the fence post behind the border.

Out of this World

Anyone out there remember the Jetson's? I do! It was a great futuristic cartoon and most kids I knew loved it. If you're looking for something that incorporates both nostalgia and some Sci-Fi, this board is for you! What a great way to say "Welcome to the Future!" Here are the items I used...

• PAC56228 - Night Sky 48"X12' Fadeless Paper
• T92142 - Super Space Trimmer
• TF8017 - Space School Welcome BBS
• TF8020 - Space Station Job Assignment BBS
• T1613 - 4" Silver Sparkle Casual Letters

The night sky paper used here gives the finishing touch to this board. It really makes you feel as though it is set in Space! The centerpiece is the Job Assignment BBS and jobs may be written in the blank signs. The set comes with "space cars" that student names can be put on. I didn't use them all on this display, but you can tailor it to how many students you have in your classroom!

Monster Manners

These furry friends are sure to be a hit in your classroom! This set is made for birthdays, but I wanted to change it up a bit. I used the characters to teach on manners and it was really simple to modify! Here are the products I used...

• T8311 - Furry Friends Birthday Fun BBS
• TA67325 - What You Do Shows Who You Are Poster
• TCR4757 - Polka Dot Card Cutouts
• PAC53821E - Orange Premium Poster Board
• T79755 - 4" Alpha Bead Punch Out Letters

When you get the package, you will notice that the blue monster is movable and comes with a separate sign that says Happy Birthday. Because the sign is not attached to him, it makes it very easy to make your own and have it read whatever your theme happens to be! I used an orange piece of poster board and traced the outline of the birthday sign. I doubled it's size though, because my sign needed to be 2 lines instead of one. I cut it out and attached my letters then put up the rest of the set, omitting the pieces with birthday hats and gifts. The little yellow guy's mouth is perforated and will open so that you can put anything you like in his mouth. I really liked the message of this argus poster, so I had him holding it to tie them together. On the polka dot cards, I put student's suggestions for good manners and peppered in a few of my own!

The Core of Learning

So many teachers find themselves stumped at the beginning of the school year, wondering what to put on their door to welcome students to class. Here is an idea that will also tie into the apple themes that always kick off the semester! Here are the products I used...

• PAC56518 - Weathered Wood 48"X12' Fadeless Paper
• CD108004 - Pop Apart Apple & Black Check Trimmer
• FST5257 - 5" Lowercase Fancy Font Punch Out Letters
• T10834 - Discovery Apple Mini Accents
• TF8001 - Big Apple Puzzle BBS

The trimmer I used is actually a pop apart trimmer by Carson Dellosa. It is actually 2 trimmers in one, so you get a lot of product for your bucks! Here I only used one side of it, but the other side is adorable as well! I used the small apple cutouts as accents for the letters. The large apple is actually a puzzle! If you've checked out any of my other posts, you might have seen it used in a different way. This set is versatile and you will find many ways to use it in your classroom too!

Friendship - Kids Around The World

This is probably one of my most popular boards. I think the reasoning behind it is because it speaks to so many people and teaching diversity has become such an important principle to instill in children. This board is popular with schools and churches alike. Most churches are drawn to it because it can be used to teach about missions and the importance of reaching out to people who might be different from you. Here are the products I used...

• PDS352 - Small Multicultural Hands Cutouts
• CDDJ610041 - Kids Around the World BBS
• T433 - 2" Black Casual Punch Out Letters

It doesn't require many products at all to create this board. I do realize that I have it up on a circular bulletin board, however, since most people only have the standard rectangle it will still work well. Because there is not a circular trimmer on the market, I had to improvise and use the hands as my trimmer. If you have a rectangular board, there are plenty of really cute multicultural trimmers out there. Find one you like best and use the hands as accents on your board! It will look great and fill up the extra space you may have!

Panda-monium

This year one of the Vacation Bible School Themes is Pandas. So, since we are gearing up for the start of Summer and an exciting season of VBS I wanted to share this Panda themed board. This one in particular is designed for the classroom, but it could easily be changed for VBS by revising the title. Perhaps something like, "God is Wild About You" or "We're Wild About Jesus!" Titles similar to these would make it go along with the Pandamania theme nicely. Here are the products I used...

• PAC56058 - Sage Green 48"X12' Fadeless Paper
• TF8044 - Pandamania BBS
• TF8210 - Panda Welcome 2-Sided Decoration
• TF8274 - Bamboo Trimmer
• T79741 - 4" Black Playful Punch Out Letters

This board is very versatile and can be used to draw attention to anything you want to feature in the classroom. Because most of it is black and white, it works great with most color schemes!

Polka Dot Classroom Centers

Looking for a new way to track your student's migration from center to center? Here is a fun and colorful way to display it for the class to see. Best of all it hangs on a pocket chart stand so it doesn't take up all your precious wall space! It can be rolled out of the way easily or covered up as needed. Here are the products I used...

• PAC54651E - Dark Blue Poster Board (I used to pieces that I laminated together end to end. Black Poster Board also works well.)
• CTP3804 - Poppin' Patterns Centers Signs Mini BBS.
• CTP1194 - 4" Poppin' Patterns Punch Out Letters
• CK368301 - Clothes Pins 24/Bag
• CTP5933 - Poppin' Patterns Mini Dots Cutouts

For the place holders, down the side, I used a clothespin with a student's name written on the side. Then using a glue gun I adhered the mini dot cutouts to the end of the pin. For stability, you might consider laminating the dots before gluing since they will be handled a lot. I also laminated the poster boards after I had attached the center signs.

Polka Dot Word Wall

If you are looking for a fresh take on your Word Wall, here is a new idea. I really like this one because it incorporates with many other themes. Obviously, the polka dot theme or the "poppin' patterns" theme matches exactly. But because it is so colorful, it will work well in almost any classroom! Here are the products I used...

• PAC57348 - Magenta 48"X12' Fadeless Paper
• CTP1932 - Dots on Black Border
• CTP1196 - 4" Dots on Black Punch Out Letters
• CTP3869 - Poppin' Patterns Dots Cut Outs
• T79001 - 3" Black Casual Letters
• CTP4505 - Dots on Black Nametags
• CTP5882 - Poppin' Patterns Hearts Cut Outs

On each Dot cutout, I put a 3" black letter as the header for the list of words. On the nametags I wrote in black sharpie the words that would be used in the classroom. The exact hearts shown in this picture have been discontinued by Creative Teaching Press, but the heart cutouts I have listed above are the replacement and are much cuter anyway!

Mad Libs Parts Of Speech

When I was a kid, the way I got tricked into learning my parts of speech was to play mad libs! Many teachers today use mad libs in their classroom to help students write silly stories and learn grammar. On this board, the class wrote a mad lib together and the teacher posted it on the wall along with the definitions of each part of speech! Great idea!

• PAC57128 - Nile Green 48"x12' Fadeless Paper
• CTP6474 - Dots On Yellow Border
• T1095 - Notebook Paper Wipe-Off Chart
• CD110126 - Parts Of Speech BBS
• T79755 - 4" Alpha Beads Ready Letters

I copied the story from a mad lib book, but if you are super creative, you could write a story about your class and post it instead. Chart paper also works well for the story, particularly if you are planning to change it every year! After showing the class how to do one together, print off some extra stories (different ones this time) and allow the students to pair up and write their own. Post nearby for all to see and giggle at too!

In Our Class You Fit In

Puzzle pieces are all the rage right now and with these colorful cutouts you can't go wrong! This is a great board to encourage diversity, a sense of welcome, and teamwork. Here is what I used...

• PAC57308 - Black 48"x12' Fadeless Paper
• T92144 - Jigsaw Trimmer
• T10906 - Puzzle Pieces Accent Variety Pack
• T79306 - 4" White Splash Letters

This board is pretty large, it's about 12 feet in length. Because it's so big, I used three packages of puzzle piece cut outs. Obviously, if you have a smaller board that much is not necessary. Perhaps it will help you determine how many packs you need for your board. I chose white for the lettering, because it shows up better considering everything else is so colorful! The symbol for Autism Awareness is also a puzzle piece, this would be a great board for a special needs classroom as well!

Flower Power Rhymes

A very pretty board for Spring, and interactive too! Great for a door, or it could be translated well onto a horizontal bulletin board. It would leave a lot more room for those big beautiful flowers at the bottom! Here's what you need...

• PAC57300 - Black 24"x12' Fadeless Paper
• CTP1041 - Poppin' Patterns Spring Flowers Border
• CTP1194 - 4" Poppin' Patterns Letters
• CTP5886 - Jumbo Spring Flowers Cut Outs
• PAC53841 - Premium Dark Green Posterboard
• CTP5883 - Spring Flowers Cut Outs

The black paper as a background gives this board a bit more of a funky feel because the colors on the flowers really shine on it. On the smaller flowers at the top I cut them in half down the middle. Then I used foam mounting squares to attach words from a rhyming pair on each half. This gave it a more 3D look. The words I typed on the computer using a font I downloaded online for free and just cut them out. Finally, I made the stems and leaves for the larger flowers by cutting strips of poster board apart for the stem and cutting an almond shape out of it for the leaves. It doesn't have to be perfect, most leaves are not truly identical anyway. Attach them at the bottom and you can add extra flowers at the top to fill in. Don't worry about not having enough stems to match the number of flowers, they would be hiding in the shadows anyway! Happy Spring!

Arrrg You Ready For School?

Ever since Pirates of the Caribbean came out it seems that Pirates are all the rage. Here is a great way to incorporate them into your classroom and welcome students at the same time!

• PAC57210 - Light Blue 24"x12' Fadeless Paper
• CD1240 - Ocean Waves Big Border
• CD110133 - Pirates BBS
• T79401 - 2" Black Casual Ready Letters

I happened to have a circular bulletin board to use here and it gives the look a port hole or spy glass feel, but if you don't have a circular board it still works great on a small rectangular board. There aren't a whole lot of pieces to this set, so it accommodates a smaller space much better. When used on a larger board sometimes the pieces can get lost and it looks too plain.

Have A Heart (Go Green)

It seems, as of late, that everyone is "going green" and school is no exception. We should all be doing our part to help the environment and schools are really getting in on the campaign! If you are stumped about how to promote this worthy cause in your room, here is the answer you've been looking for!

• PAC57200 - Royal Blue 24"x12' Fadeless Paper
• EP3219 - Go Green Border
• T79741 - 4" Black Playful Combo Ready Letters
• TF8401 - Big Earth Puzzle BBS
• CTP4703 - Go Green at School Mini BBS

The big Earth puzzle comes apart and can be put back together by students. It's a lot of fun, but beware it can be challenging to solve once separated. I chose to laminate mine and just leave out a couple pieces so it's easy to tell that it's a puzzle. There are a lot of options for using this Earth puzzle. For instance, it would be great to give each student a piece and have them write on it ways that they can help save the planet!

Read Across America

This is probably my favorite Dr. Seuss board of all! I think I like this one best because it can be put on a door and features all the children in your class, so everyone is in on the fun! Here's what you need...

• PAC57038 - Red 48"x12' Fadeless Paper
• EU847639 - Giant Cat In The Hat BBS
• EU841300 - The Cat's Hat Cut Outs
• PAC53871E - Light Blue Premium Posterboard
• EU847215 - Dr. Seuss Upper and Lowercase Punch Out Letters

For the background:

I used the back side of some old straight border to create the white stripes. Any kind will do as long as it's the same width. The cheapest thing to do is save those random single pieces that always end up in the garbage and recycle them instead! I tacked up a piece of trimmer in between each line that I removed at the end, just to make sure that my lines stayed straight and the spacing was even.

For the kids:

I cutout the pictures of the children and then cut a slit in the bottom of the hat using an exacto knife. Then I slipped them onto the child's head and taped the back side. After that I mounted them all on black construction paper and cut them out leaving a small edge, this allows them to show up better on such a busy background. I then wrote the children's names on the hats in sharpie.

Finally, I put the letters on the posterboard so they would show up as well. Read Across America is a great program and I hope to continue to create more displays to promote it in the future!

Un-frog-ettable Test Taking Tips

As we near the end of the school year, it comes time to start preparing students to take standardized tests. Many times this process can seem tiresome and boring. So why not add a little color and maybe a dash of fun to this time of year with an easy bulletin board! Here's how you achieve this look...

• PAC57170 - Bright Blue 24"X12' Fadeless Paper
• T92341 - Pink/Green Wave Trimmer
• T8716 - Frog-tastic! Mini BBS
• HYG87848 - Brite Tagboard 9x12 Sheets 48ct.
• T79003 - 3" Yellow Casual Ready Letters

For this board I typed out the test taking tips my friend uses in her classroom and printed them. I used a font that I downloaded for free online. Then I cut the 9X12 Tagboard in half and used them behind the white paper to make them pop. This is a board you could put on a door too and if you don't like changing your boards all the time, these are great tips for taking tests year round!

Obey The Rules With Dr. Seuss

The manufacturer for all the fun Dr. Seuss products, Eureeka, has come out with a really cute set for the rules of the classroom. Here are the products I used to create this board...

• PAC57178 - Bright Blue 48"X12' Fadeless Paper
• EU845018 - Cat In The Hat Trimmer
• EU847131 - Dr. Seuss Rules BBS
• EU487125 - Dr. Seuss Upper and Lowercase Punch Out Letters
• EU842660 - Dr. Seuss Welcome Go-Arounds BBS

The "Go-Arounds" BBS are the characters you see on the outside of the board around the frame. It comes with a welcome sign and looks great around a classroom door as well! The title says, "Don't Be A Silly Goose, Obey The Rules With Dr. Seuss!"

Take A Look, We've Read Some Books

This is my latest Dr. Seuss Bulletin Board undertaking. I was challenged to create a Dr. Seuss board that tracked the number of books a classroom or school read. Obviously, you can change the numbers based on how many students are participating. I did this one based on the number of books a class would have read. The idea here is that for every 5 books a class reads, they would move the hat to track their progress. You could even put a picture of the prize the class wins at the end of the road to help them keep their goals in mind. I will warn you, this board is a bit more challenging to create than one might think. You might be sure and put this one somewhere that you can leave up all year, maybe even in the hallway outside your door! Here are the items I used and how I achieved this look...

• PAC57338 - Violet 48"X12' Fadeless Paper
• EU847041 - Favorite Books Mini BBS
• EU847215 - Dr. Seuss Upper & Lowercase Punch Out Letters
• PAC53821E - Orange Premium Posterboard
• PAC53861E - Dark Blue Premium Posterboard
• PAC53841E - Dark Green Premium Posterboard
• PAC53801E - Red Premium Posterboard
• CTP6579 - 4" Black Designer Punch Out Numbers
• EU841300 - The Cat's Hat Cut Outs

In order to create the road, I cut the poster board into 4 sections and laid them out the length of the board overlapping them just a bit. Then I drew out my road on top of it and cut it out. I outlined the seams in black marker. Once I started tacking it up, it was easier to see if I needed to trim a piece down. I used the black numbers on each piece and accented with the book covers and characters in the Mini BBS. The hat cut out is what I used as the progress marker.

**If you have questions about this, as I am sure you will, feel free to leave a comment and I'll do my best to explain any of this that seems unclear.**

On The Loose With Dr. Seuss

So I know I am a bit late, but Dr. Seuss' Birthday is being celebrated this month and I thought it would be cool to show you the Read Across America Boards I have done! This was the first one I ever did. Enjoy!

• PAC57038 - Red Fadeless 48"X12' Paper
• EU845017 - Cat In The Hat Trimmer
• EU847637 - Cat In The Hat Large Characters BBS
• EU847639 - Giant Cat In The Hat BBS
• T459 - 4" Blue Casual Ready Letters

The background is what really makes this board special and creating it is a cinch! I used the back side of some old straight border to create the white stripes. Any kind will do as long as it's the same width. The cheapest thing to do is save those random single pieces that always end up in the garbage and recycle them instead! I tacked up a piece of trimmer in between each line that I removed at the end, just to make sure that my lines stayed straight and the spacing was even. It looks like I have a good eye, but really I cheated! The thought bubble I created using a white piece of poster board. I just cut it out into a wavy looking bubble and attached the letters to it. Without the bubble the letters would have gotten lost on the busy background. Finally, the giant Cat in the Hat character is about 4 feet tall, so I simply cut him off and covered the cut with the blue trimmer.

Floral Facts

This center tests a students knowledge of basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.

Here are the products I used...

• FLP30015 - Assorted Mini Project Board (Purple)
• TNT6045 - Flowers Library Pockets
• TNT3512 - Blank Assorted Flash Cards
• T46405 - Colorful Sparkle Stars Stickers (for self checking)

I cut up the left over library pockets to use for the paper behind the title and cut out the flowers for the background. The font was downloaded for free online. The blank flash cards I cut down to size (they fit perfectly in the pocket, but were a bit too long). The piece I cut off the end of the flash cards I used as titles for the front of each pocket. The star stickers I used for self-checking purposes. I put a star on the front of each pocket and used the corresponding color on the cards that went in that pocket.

Another great idea when using this as a center...

Place the hot pink big pocket (looks like an over-sized library pocket) from TNT6454 - Real Big Pockets Brite on the back of the board and place a worksheet covering this skill in it. Then after students play with the center, have them complete the worksheet and turn it in. This will allow the teacher to determine whether the skill has been mastered.

Funky Fractions

Comparing fractions seems to be a skill that many students struggle to understand. This mini tri-fold will give students the practice they need to become fraction masters!

Here are the products I used...

• FLP30015 - Assorted Mini Project Board (Orange)
• TNT6043 - Glo Brite Library Pockets
• TNT3512 - Blank Assorted Flash Cards
• T46405 - Colorful Sparkle Stars Stickers (for self checking)

I cut up the left over library pockets to use for the paper behind the directions and behind the title. The font was downloaded for free online. The blank flash cards I cut down to size (they fit perfectly in the pocket, but were a bit too long). The piece I cut off the end of the flash cards I used as titles for the front of each pocket. The star stickers I used for self-checking purposes. I put a star on the front of each pocket and used the corresponding color on the cards that went in that pocket. I also used them to decorate the background on the board.

The directions read...

1. Choose a card from the bank
2. Determine if the fraction on the left is greater than, less than, or equal to the fraction on the right.
3. Place the card in the pocket with the correct answer.
4. Once all the cards have been placed, turn the cards over to check your work.

Another great idea when using this as a center...

Place the blue big pocket (looks like an over-sized library pocket) from TNT6450 - Real Big Pockets Primary on the back of the board and place a worksheet covering this skill in it. Then after students play with the center, have them complete the worksheet and turn it in. This will allow the teacher to determine whether the skill has been mastered.

Wild Transformations

Who doesn't love the wackiness of the 80's? This board is inspired by the eccentric fashions of that crazy era! This mini tri-fold board is teaching a geometry skill that most 3rd-5th grade students need to understand for standardized testing.

Here are the items I used...

• FLP30015 - Assorted Mini Project Board (Black)
• TNT6378 - Zebra/Pink Library Pockets (Peel & Stick)
• TNT3512 - Blank Assorted Flash Cards
• T46405 - Colorful Sparkle Stars Stickers (for self checking)

I cut up the left over library pockets to use for the paper behind the definitions and behind the title. The font was downloaded for free online. The blank flash cards I cut down to size (they fit perfectly in the pocket, but were a bit too long). The piece I cut off the end of the flash cards I used as titles for the front of each pocket. The star stickers I used for self-checking purposes. I put a star on the front of each pocket and used the corresponding color on the cards that went in that pocket.

Another great idea when using this as a center...

Place the hot pink big pocket (looks like an over-sized library pocket) from TNT6454 - Real Big Pockets Brite on the back of the board and place a worksheet covering this skill in it. Then after students play with the center, have them complete the worksheet and turn it in. This will allow the teacher to determine whether the skill has been mastered.

Lepre-Coins

Here is another game using the holidays as a theme when creating your centers. On many standardized tests, students are asked to write several different ways a particular sum might be counted out in change. This game teaches just that skill!

Here are the products used...

• FLP30015 - Assorted Mini Project Boards (I chose a festive Green, in honor of St. Patrick's Day).
• TNT420 - Solar Yellow Library Pockets
• PDS307 - Small Green Shamrock Cutouts
• TNT3512 - Blank Assorted Flash Cards (Cut these down to the appropriate size. They fit into the pockets, but are a bit long.)
• CD5261 - US Coins Shapes Stickers
• CD4127 - Shamrock 2-Sided Decoration (I cut out the Leprechaun to use near the title.

I created the title using a free font I downloaded online. May the luck o' the Irish be with you as you play this game!

Heart Breaker Rhyming Game

Do you ever find yourself wishing you could decorate for the special holidays throughout the season, but find that it's a lot of trouble for only a few weeks and that you're short on space? Here is the solution! Make a tri-fold center that teaches a skill your class will be working on during the season and use the holiday as your inspiration! Here I have incorporated rhyming as the skill and Valentine's Day as my inspiration! The original concept for this game is not my own and can be found on the blog listed below. I simply took the concept and translated it onto a tri-fold board, adding instructions and a few ideas of my own.

http://tommiestools.blogspot.com/2010/09/embellishments-of-heart.html

This is a blog created by Creative Teaching Press (makers of the cute hearts). You will find many wonderful ideas here that might just inspire you too!

Here are the item numbers for the board you see pictured.

• FLP30045R - Red Project Board (Cut in half using an X-acto Knife)
• CTP5885 - Poppin' Patterns Jumbo Hearts Cutouts
• T2703 - 4" Black Italic Upper & Lowercase Ready Letters
• CTP5882 - Poppin' Patterns Hearts Cutouts (Medium Sized, used a black marker to outline the break in the heart to make it pop)
• CTP6366 - Rhyming/Word Families Matching Game Books Grade K.
• CTP5879 - Poppin' Patterns Mini Hearts Cutouts
• ABC61-46 - File Folder Press on Bag (used on the back to hold the halves not affixed to the front of the board, not shown in photo)
• TNT6454 - Real Big Pockets Primary (not pictured)

Here are the instructions I posted at the bottom...

1. Remove the hearts from the bag on the back of the board.
2. Look at the pictures on each half.
3. Search for the picture on the board that rhymes with the half in your hand.
4. Place the matching pieces on the board until they are gone.
5. Remove one of the worksheets from the back of the board.
6. Complete the worksheet on rhyming and turn it in.

For the photo above, I showed the game board completed. You will wanna permanently attach one side of the heart to the board and the other half you could attach a piece of velcro or post-it type glue that will allow you to stick and re-stick. For storage, the velcro sided pieces can be kept in a zip-loc type bag on the back. Also on the back of the board I attached a red jumbo library pocket (see the last item listed). Inside the pocket I put a worksheet on rhyming for the students to complete. This will be what the student turns in and will help the teacher determine whether the concept was mastered.