Popping Names

   

I made this board once at the beginning of the year and the next year I made it to showcase the children’s name writing                                                                               skills.

All you need to do is make popcorn shapes; you will need one for each child and a bunch of other pieces to fill the bucket. Make a big popcorn bucket from white butcher paper and  paint red stripes on it. I think that blue is a great color for the background.

If you do this board for the beginning of the year, type and print out the children’s names and paste each name on a popcorn shape. But if you do it during the year, then have the children write their own names on the popcorn pieces.

And now put the board together!

The Brightest Crayons in the Box

I got the idea for this board from the internet but added a little twist to it. Before putting up the board, it is best to prepare the crayon box, crayons, and title.

1. I made a 3D crayon box by using small box lids ( empty tissue boxes should work too). Place the boxes in the shape of a crayon box then tape them together. Cover it with yellow butcher paper and draw the details to resemble a box of crayons. The top part is made of butcher paper and it is taped to the box. I also add a thin piece of paper along the bottom of the box which is stapled to the board.
2. Make a crayon for each child and remember to use various vibrant colors. Type and print out the children’s names to paste to the crayons. Don’t forget to laminate them!
3. Use the die cut machine to cut out the title. I used yellow for the title because it looks great against the black. Paste the words on black paper and laminate them.                                                                                                                                                     Now it is time to put the board together. The best color to use for the background is black. After putting up the black butcher paper, staple the top and bottom of the crayon box to one side of the board and the title on the other side. Scatter the children’s crayons around the title. Don’t forget the boarder!

Welcome!

This is an easy door display for the beginning of the year. All I did was put up blue butcher paper on the door and added a red border. Then I made a sun for the center of the door and a cloud for each child which I scattered around the sun.

Under the Sea

This is one of my favorite displays, and I usually do this at the end of the year. Save the best for last!

As part of our ocean theme we transform our hallway into an ocean. The children are always amazed and excited when they see their sea creatures swimming in their ocean for the first time.

It takes about a week to put together but it is worth it!

What to prep:

After introducing the theme and looking at the different sea creatures that live in the ocean, I show the children various pictures of sea creatures and ask them to choose their favorite. After the children leave, I cut out two sides to each creature they chose from white butcher paper. You can make them as big as you want but for me the bigger the better.

Tips:

1. Cut the two sides of each sea creature together so that they are as identical as possible. I free draw them first.

2. Clip the two sides together and write the child’s name on the inside of each piece. This way you can guarantee the children are painting the right sides.

3. I can not cut straight lines so I cut wavy lines instead. Cant go wrong with wavy lines, trust me!

4. Make sure you have a large surface to dry them on. I usually put the wet papers outside to dry and place a small rock on each one so that they do not fly away.

5. When they are dry, make sure you keep each child’s two sides together. This will make it easier when stapling them together.

6. Aprons are a must for the next activity. I also prefer to cover the tables with recycled paper because it is a messy activity.

It’s the children’s turn:

Have each child paint the two sides of their sea creature ( I prefer each creature to be one color but multi colors will work too ). Once they are dry staple the sides together leaving an areas open for the other parts and a larger area open for the children to stuff with recycled paper. As the children finish stuffing their creatures staple them shut.

While some children are stuffing their creatures, have another center where the children can cut out the extra parts to add to their creatures such as legs, fins, tails, and heads. They also add the eyes and mouth with black paint. Please note the following pictures were taken in my old classroom which was small and was easy to transform into an ocean.

It’s your turn: ( you will need help)

I always chose the day before the weekend and after the children leave to put up the ocean. I start by covering the walls with blue butcher paper. You need heavy duty tape which is applied to the back of each piece of paper. After the paper is up, we hang up the sea creatures by tying a paper clip to each end of a strand of yarn. One end of the yarn is attached to the ceiling and the other is attached to the sea creature. ( I keep these strand of yarn up all year and just change what is hung on them, make sure you have one for each child. )

Adding details:

Throughout the month of the ocean theme, the children make various crafts. I like to add some crafts to the ocean as the children make them.