Looking for May bulletin board ideas? Let’s face it – it’s the end of the year, and ideas (and if we’re honest, sometimes our patience) can be in short demand. That’s why we have gathered the best tips and resources for creating amazing spring bulletin boards, along with examples of some of our favourite designs.
Table of Contents
- What makes a good May bulletin board?
- Most bulletin boards fall into one or more of three broad categories:
- 21 Bulletin board design ideas for May
What makes a good May bulletin board?
If making attractive bulletin boards for the classroom is an art, deciding what to put on them and planning them out might just be a science. The truth is that there is no one thing that makes a particular bulletin board “good.” The choice of how to decorate boards or doors is largely dependent upon teaching style and the needs and interests of students.
The best bulletin boards are those that are planned out to serve a specific purpose – whether that is simply creating a warm and welcoming classroom environment, disseminating information or displaying student work.
While classroom decor is terrific, and a large part of making a learning environment feel more like home, bulletin boards have the power to do much more! Think of all that blank wall space as an extension of your teaching, and an opportunity to share things – in a very visual medium – with students.
Before setting up a May bulletin board, consider what the objective of the board will be, and what budget or resources will be needed to put it together. It’s important to be realistic when thinking about what kind of time, resources and budget you can allot to the project. Also consider whether you want to find a way to engage students in creating the board itself; designing and creating bulletin boards can be a terrific student project.
Most bulletin boards fall into one or more of three broad categories:
Display/decor boards. These boards are primarily aesthetic and can be changed out seasonally or for special occasions. Other decor boards display student work for the class or larger school community.
Interactive boards.
Interactive boards offer activities which students can work on independently. These types of boards should be placed in a central location where students can easily access the materials.
Information boards.
These are just what they sound like – boards that present information. There is an endless array of possibilities; boards can provide information on events, school or classroom rules, learning objectives, curriculum content, and much more.
Once we have decided on a budget and objective, we like to look for design ideas. We’ve provided links to some of our favourite May bulletin boards, but remember – these can be a jumping off point for creating your own designs.
While it’s easy for us, as teachers, to get caught up in making the perfect, social media-worthy bulletin board designs, the most important part of any bulletin board is how students interact with it. If you’ve never considered yourself to be the crafty type of teacher – join the club! The good news is that with the incredible array of resources now at our fingertips, it’s possible to find templates, kits, and tutorials to make just about any craft or design we can dream up.
If you’re looking to spark your creativity, check out our roundup of the top 21 bulletin board ideas for May.
21 Bulletin board design ideas for May
Oh The Places You’ll Go Board By Buggie And Jellybean
The end of the school year is a ton of fun (for students and teachers alike!) but there’s no denying that transitions to new classrooms and summer breaks can be scary. We love this cute Dr. Seuss-inspired board that celebrates moving up and taking on life’s next challenges.
Up Up And Away Board By Kindergarten Chaos
Here’s another end-of-year board to celebrate your students’ graduation to a new grade! The Up theme is simple but sweet, and kids will love popping the countdown balloons as the school year draws to a close.
When We Learn, We Grow Board By Supply Me
Nothing says spring like flowers, and we love these easy-to-execute 3D designs. Each flower has a subject at its center. This board design could easily be adapted to include learning objectives, a calendar, or a countdown to the end of school.
Floral Fence Spring Board By Danisha
Here’s another batch of flowers. This design turns an entire wall into a field of blooming flowers, growing around a white picket fence and would be perfect for a large classroom that could use some brightening. We’d love to see this design in a reading corner – so cozy!
Spring Bulletin Board Ideas By Easy Peasy And Fun
This blog has a host of fantastic bulletin board ideas for spring – everything from Hungry Hungry Caterillar-inspired boards to 3D spring balloon trees and interactive boards for all ages. Many of the projects include links to resources or tutorials.
Coffee Filter Flower Craft By Crafting In The Rain
We couldn’t resist including this simple craft – it’s just too perfect to use with students! This blog includes directions for making coffee filter flowers in a rainbow of colors. The flowers can be made by students, and can be used in any number of ways – from creating floral wreaths to bulletin board gardens. The possibilities are endless!
Marvellous Multiplication Board By Step Into Second Grade
Adorable pastel mushrooms welcome students to review their multiplication facts on this spring-themed design. The board activity invites students to place dots on colourful mushroom caps to illustrate and solve basic multiplication problems.
Rainbow Door Design By Stickers And Stars
How about a giant rainbow to welcome students into your classroom? We love this teacher’s creativity and use of colour and shape in creating this rainbow, cloud, and rain design. This idea could easily be adapted to a bulletin board or wall.
What Plants Need board By Dragonflies In First
Check out this spring STEM board, which combines a sunflower-themed craftivity with counting skills and facts about plants. Get students involved in creating the sunflowers and posting their own plant facts.
Our Little Rays Of Sunshine Board By McKinley Early Childhood Center
This design uses simple cardstock shapes to form a smiling sun. Add the names of the children on its rays, and you’ve got a sweet way to round out the school year. A perfect design for the youngest students.
One Word Reflections Board By Stephanie’s History Store
This end-of-the-year board invites students to reflect on the school year and post their own one-word reactions. What a great way for students to look back at what they have accomplished.
Butterfly Writing Craftivity By Literacy With The Littles
The youngest students will love colouring in this butterfly and writing what they have learned about these fascinating insects. Use the finished crafts as the centrepiece of a spring bulletin board or door decoration.
Spring Writing Center Board By Lil Hands Big Dreams
This free kit includes multiple spring words with visuals for emerging readers. We love the simplicity and the easy-to-read font. Use the word wall ingredients to create your own interactive board or centre for independent work.
Bucket List Board By Working 4 The Classroom
Students of all ages will get a kick out of writing out their summer “bucket lists” and using them to decorate this end-of-year board. Student responses to this writing prompt can be displayed on sand buckets or pails. This teacher used colorful card stock, but we’ve also seen it done in 3D with real dollar-store sand supplies.
Pete The Cat Library Reminder Board By The Teacher Librarian
As teachers and librarians, we all know the pain of missing and un-returned books. This adorable, and easy to make Pete the Cat-inspired bulletin board reminds students to return their books before the end of the school year – or as Pete says, “We need them back MEOW.”
Oh But What If You Fly Decor By Bee In The Bookends
This project is a bit more involved, and definitely requires more wall space than the average bulletin board, but we think that you’ll agree that the end result is absolutely stunning! Students write down their wishes and dreams on feather-shaped paper and then help to assemble those feathers into giant wings.
Boho Rainbow Flowers Decorations By Ashley McKenzie
For fans of more relaxing and subtle colors, these rainbow flower designs might be just the thing to serve as inspiration for a spring bulletin board refresh.
Seedsational Year Board By Supply Me
Lime green and hot pink watermelons just scream SUMMER! This design was created using students’ writing prompt responses about their memories of the school year, surrounded by bright, juicy watermelons. This design could be easily adapted to include maths activities (counting seeds, anyone?) or plant facts.
- Neutral Watercolor Classroom Decor By Teach Simple
We can’t resist these lovely muted watercolour bulletin board borders. They’re perfect for a more subdued spring look and would also pair well with “boho” style decorations. An easy way to punch up a simple board design.
April Showers Spring Board By Suellen Riggs Stanley
This super-cool 3d rain and flowers-themed board cleverly uses real objects to turn a blank wall or board into a rainy spring day. Just grab an old umbrella and some cheap plastic flowers to recreate this look.
Motivational Spring Birds Board By Mrs. Picassos Art Room
Who can resist these adorable little song birds? Round birds cut from patterned paper sit on the branch of a large brown paper tree. Turn this into an activity by having students create their own bird and use it as a basis for research or an end-of-year writing prompt.
May bulletin board ideas can be based on so many different themes – from bright spring colours to the end of the year, rainy days, and the coming summer. Keeping students engaged can get even more challenging as we count down the days to the final moments of the school year. Keep spirits high and students interested in learning with colourful May bulletin boards.
