Did you ever want to be that teacher everyone talked about in the teacher’s lounge because their bulletin boards look like Rembrandt stopped and gave her a consultation? Winter bulletin board ideas can sometimes be difficult. Because wintertime can be a dull time for students in school. There is even evidence that the lack of sunshine can cause chemical imbalances such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). What can teachers do to brighten the spirits of their students and get them motivated to learn even in the cold, dreary winter days?
Table of Contents
- What makes a great winter bulletin board?
- 19 Winter Bulletin Board Ideas to Brighten Up the Winter Months
- Winter Bulletin Board Ideas FAQS
- Final Thoughts
What makes a great winter bulletin board?
Some of the factors that seem to come through when we looked at wintertime bulletin boards are:
1) Focusing on the winter weather (the beauty of snow, etc)
2) Focusing on holidays surrounding winter (Christmas, New Years’ Day, etc)
3) Focusing on books with a winter theme (“How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Twas the Night Before Christmas,”)
4) Themes that inspire kids to catch up on their reading during the extra time they have indoors
Feature the Robert Frost poem, “To the Thawing Wind.” Have students give their interpretations of it and share ideas in small groups, then with the larger group.
19 Winter Bulletin Board Ideas to Brighten Up the Winter Months
Why not try to lift the mood with these 19 winter bulletin boards that work to motivate kids to keep learning and to explore the themes that the winter months offer?
Get Your Mitts On A Good Book
This adorable winter bulletin board idea is published on Mrs. Jump’s blog and features many other ideas, as well. This one encourages students to read more while the weather prevents them from getting outdoors as much. It shows a row of mittens on a clothesline with little forest animals inside the mittens. It can be adapted to be whatever you need for your units.
Home For The Holidays
This famous old red truck bearing a beautiful Christmas tree in the back has become a part of American culture lately. Why not use it to create a sentimental bulletin board for your classroom? Dehanna Jump is an elementary teacher who offers tons of ideas on her blog to help teachers get inspired with bulletin boards. Bookmark it for future reference!
To The Thawing Wind
One of the best poems for winter is Robert Frost’s, “To the Thawing Wind.” It speaks about the winter and how it has has forced the poet (Frost) to stay inside. He hates this fact, yet the same fact allowed him to write a great work! The irony in this is a key point to students about how poets are often inspired by something that, at first, seemed a negative thing. By the end of the poem, he is begging the sun to melt the snow so “the poet (can go) out of door.” It is a very clever poem with tons of symbolism so why not magnify this poem and make it the center of your Winter bulletin board complete with snowflakes and snow in the background? Don’t forget the window!
Learning In A Winter Wonderland
Kids may hate the fact that they can’t go outside, but if they start to think of the wintertime as an adventure, they might change their minds. By calling the winter a “wonderland,” you automatically change the narrative of how you look at the winter weather. This bulletin board reminds kids that winter allows us to sit back and reflect. It takes us away from our busy lives and slows everything down so that we can see what is truly important.
Do You Want To Build A Snowman?
For those who saw the movie, “Frozen,” here is a great idea. It reminds you of the conversation and the song between the sisters in the movie when they were not allowed to be together. They asked each other if they wanted to build a snowman together. Olaf is used in this idea also to symbolize the snow and serve as an animated character the students will remember from movies. But you can adapt it to your needs however you choose.
Sliding Into The New Year
This cute winter bulletin board can be done quickly but features two penguins having fun on the ice with the lettering, “sliding into the new year.” This would be a great “come back to school” bulletin board after the Christmas holidays. It could serve as a starter for discussions on new year goals when kids come back or a sharing session about their family holidays.
Let’s Beat The Winter Blues
This bulletin board idea features a black backdrop with the words, “Let’s Beat the Winter Blues” with positive affirmation words written on some blue-colored cards. This is not only a winter bulletin board idea, but a great starter for class discussions about how to get yourself out of a depressed mood by thinking about something creative or constructive!
This Is Your Year To…
How about a winter bulletin board that inspires kids to dream? This is your year to do what? What better time than around the New Year celebration? This inspirational idea lets kids tell what they plan to do in the new year. Research shows that people tend to stick with something more if it is said as a positive statement or goal rather than a New Year’s resolution.
Let It Snow!
Why not focus on the beauty of snow and the idea that you can enjoy being inside to look out at the beautiful white stuff. In this video, this teacher focuses on the creation process and shows how much fund it can be to create a snow-themed bulletin board. Let it Snow!
What Makes You Different?
This winter bulletin board kit can be purchased on Etsy. We try to show you mostly ideas that you can do for free, but you still have to spend some money on materials, so we thought some of you might like this kit that you can purchase. For transparency, we receive absolutely no money from recommending any paid service or bulletin board kit. This kit includes everything you need to create this nice bulletin board that stresses individuality in students and to proud of who you are.
Cup Of Hot Cocoa
This cute “cup of hot chocolate” bulletin board idea will warm you up when the winter wind blows. Featuring a huge cup of hot chocolate and papers made to resemble the shape of large marshmallows, students will delight in helping create this bulletin board. Tell them to write a story about something that reminds them of winter or some other fun experience and then tell them to add it to the board around and inside the hot cocoa cup.
Dive Into Winter
This adorable board idea didn’t have a title, so we gave it one, “Dive into Winter,” featuring penguins diving into the ice to go after fish. The idea is to enjoy the experience and brush off the doldrums while diving for something exciting like a good book.
Cocoa Cup Bulletin Board Of Experiences
Here is another hot cocoa cup idea. But this one is different because it allows kids to create their very own cocoa cup to add to the board complete with their own unique colors and decorations. Then attach a small piece of paper where they can write what they like most about winter.
Solve A Snowflake
This lovely play on words includes a Math component so you can have students solve problems on the various snowflakes on this winter bulletin board. Using the “Peanuts” theme, it features Snoopy and Woodstock atop the “WW1 Flying Ace.”
Snow Books
A teacher named Kelly contributed this cool snow-themed books idea on her blog for fellow teachers who wanted to focus on the Reading and literacy theme. It’s great for winter bulletin board ideas, it’s simple, and it gets the point across. Kelly gives you step-by-step directions on several winter bulletin board ideas.
Don’t Be A Grinch
Teacher, Heather also shares a regular blog that gives fellow teachers ideas on how to celebrate the winter season in your classrooms. This first one says, “Don’t be a Grinch,” an allusion to the Dr. Seuss book, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and uses large cut-outs to emphasize how it’s always best to be kind.
Hip, Hip, Hooray For The Holidays
Here is another grinchy idea for your wintertime bulletin boards from Heather that gets kids excited about the holiday season approaching.
Light Up Gingerbread Village
Here is an awesome 3D idea (also by Heather at Teacher Vision) that features a bunch of 3D gingerbread houses the students made all strung together on the bulletin board with real Christmas lights. What a treat!
November Bulletin Boards
Still need a few ideas for November? Try this one from Teach Simple teachers, featuring a ton of great Thanksgiving and holiday themes. Remember, bulletin boards are supposed to be fun, so make them fun!
Winter Bulletin Board Ideas FAQS
Anything that brings out the creative spirit of your students, encourages them to keep learning during the winter months, or moves them forward in their goals is a great idea! Be creative!
There are plenty of winter-themed books out there, but if you are compiling a list, try this one by Mary Hannah Wilson.
Try taking a quick picture and storing it on your class computer for later reference. Better yet, make a portfolio of your best ones to show to parents, especially the ones their kids were involved in.
Remember, you don’t have to be a great artist to create a great bulletin board. Just be creative and have fun. Use concepts kids can relate to and that will interest them. Before you know it, everyone will be talking about your bulletin boards, too! 🙂
Final Thoughts
Want to excite kids about learning even in the late Fall or winter months? Try out any of our winter bulletin board ideas. And let us know how we can help! At Teach Simple, we understand how hard it can be to find the time to create the perfect classroom. But we stand ready to support you, the teacher, in reaching all of your goals for kids this year…and every year.
