Back-to-school bulletin board ideas can be whimsical, fun, and inspiring. After all, it is the backdrop to the room your students will be learning in at the beginning of the year. All it takes are some decorations and creativity to turn your classroom into a fun and motivating space for young learners. It may seem small, but the impact that a welcoming classroom has on a young mind is immeasurable! We all want to see our kids succeed, and providing them with a comfortable place to learn and develop new skills can help inspire their studies even more.
Whether your students are kindergarteners, high schoolers, or anywhere in-between, these back-to-school bulletin board ideas feature themes that will make your classroom welcoming, colorful, and fun. All of these ideas also fit the bill on budget, featuring print-out illustrations and affordable classroom decor that doesn’t skimp on design. From outer space-themed bulletin boards to underwater ocean ideas, world travel themes, and even groovy 80s-themed bulletin boards, each one has a style all its own. (Psst: For extra style points, you could even decorate the whole room with the same theme!) Classroom bulletin boards don’t need much to become something incredible. So take one of these ideas and run with it—and good luck on the upcoming school year!
1. Under the Sea Adventures
For science teachers or just teachers who want their students to dive into learning this year, an underwater-themed bulletin board is perfect. DIY a cute octopus like the one seen here with eight pink paper chains and a big smiley face in a matching color, and hang it on the wall or the classroom door.
2. Planting Seeds for Young Learners
Our young learners aren’t just growing taller—they’re also planting new seeds in education! There are plenty of milestone moments from childhood to teenage years that should be celebrated. Decorate a bulletin board with a garden theme like this one, and add a leaf to the trellis every time your class passes a certain unit this year. By the end of the school year, your garden will be overflowing with their new learning experiences that your students can look back on and be proud of.
3. Learning Is a Journey
Encourage young readers and jetsetters by turning a bulletin board into a travel-themed center for learning. Make use of a small map and cutout pictures of the book covers you’ll be reading throughout the school year. When the time comes for your students to start a new book, take a cutout paper plane and stick it onto the book. It’s a fun and interesting way to combine reading with travel and history.
4. Go Retro With a Groovy 80s Theme
Ready to break out your old pair of bell-bottom jeans and daisy flower sunglasses? Don’t worry, you don’t have to go that far—unless you want to, of course! A colorful and cute retro 80s themed bulletin board can brighten up your classroom and bring some much-needed energy into the space. (Not to mention, add something a little bit fun and unexpected to your learning zone!) Come correct with groovy bubble letters, Volkswagen van stickers, and retro vinyl name tags.
5. All Are Welcome Here
Every teacher wants all of their students to feel welcome and celebrated in their classroom. A simple way to do that? By making the room reflect those sentiments. Hanging up posters and decorations that incorporate ASL signs, kids of all different ethnicities, and kind words is a small but powerful way to make your students feel safe and at ease. School can be scary for some little ones, so greeting them with a friendly welcome can truly make all the difference. Plus, leading with kindness will teach children to do the same.
6. An Out-Of-This-World School Year
Blast off into an out-of-this-world school year! A space-themed bulletin board will surely be a hit among your future astronauts and astronomers. Alien friends, constellation bulletin board paper, and plenty of planets and rocket ships will set the perfect backdrop to a year filled with solar system learning or planetary science. You can even hang some paper stars from the ceiling for added effect.
7. Get Wild About Learning
Get your students feeling wild about learning with a jungle-themed bulletin board, complete with safari animals, lush forest plants, and plenty of leopard print. It’s a unique theme that can translate well into any classroom—and you can even incorporate some real plants into the room, too. Add faux grass or paper tropical leaves around the board and you’ve got yourself the coolest class in school. (This theme works especially well if your school mascot is the Lions, Wildcats, or Tigers!)
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