This apple bulletin board full of kid-made art is perfect for your next kindergarten or preschool apple theme! You don’t need many supplies to get the fall bulletin board ready to go. In fact, you likely have all the materials in your craft stash right now.
It’s very easy to put up and showcases the students’ artwork in an engaging way. The apple tree bulletin board is so easy to put up that my students actually helped me with it! You can put your own version up in the classroom or out in the hallway like we did.
I don’t tend to go for fancy bulletin boards. I’d much rather put my efforts into child created bulletin boards, interactive boards that let kids play and practice early learning skills, or information displays that supplement the children’s learning.
Apple Bulletin Board
If that’s your preference, too, this apple tree bulletin board is likely right up your alley! Read below for supplies, directions, some tips, and even more bulletin board ideas.
Supplies for the Apple-Themed Display
First, let’s talk materials. As I mentioned earlier, you really don’t need too much to make your own apple bulletin board. We had everything in our classroom supply closet. Here’s what we used (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
- Construction paper (white, red, yellow, and green)
- Washable tempera paint (red, yellow, green, and brown)
- Brown butcher paper
- Blue butcher paper
- Stapler
And that’s really about it! Take a minute to check your supplies, and then let’s jump into the project.
How to Make Apple Handprints for a Fall Tree Bulletin Board
Making the hand prints for the apple bulletin board is pretty easy! Grab some tempera paints and paintbrushes, then call the children over one at a time. Ask each child what color apple they want – red, yellow, or green. If you want a super colorful apple tree, you can allow the kids any color they’d like.
Here’s how you and the kids can work together to turn their hands into apples:
- Paint the palm red, yellow, or green, depending on each child’s choice. This is the main part of the apple.
- Dab a little bit of brown paint on the bottom half of the thumb. This serves as the apple stem.
- Have the child press their hand firmly onto a piece of white paper. Ask to help with this process as needed.
- Let the apple handprints dry.
- Cut the handprints out and back with construction paper.
If you want handprint leaves, have the children paint their entire hand green. Then, keeping their fingers together, help the kids press the green hand firmly on a piece of white paper.
At least once a month, I like to use the preschoolers’ hand prints to make art. Â Hand print art is fun for the kids, parents love receiving it, and I love using that art in the children’s end of the year portfolios. Â These apple hand prints are the September page in the kids’ portfolios.
During centers, I took the children’s dictations about their apple hand prints. Â The dictations will be used in the end of the year portfolios, along with the apple hand prints and a pictures of the children taken that month.
But before creating the memory book page, I really wanted to share the kids’ artwork. The apple hand prints actually inspired this apple bulletin board.
How to Create an Apple Bulletin Board
As I mentioned earlier, I tend to like using the children’s art and writing for bulletin boards. Â I’m not huge on exclusively teacher-made bulletin boards (unless they’re meant to be used by the children) because that takes the focus off the kids.
I decided to make an exception in creating the tree for the bulletin board. Here’s what to do if you’d like to make the same type of tree:
- Cut some brown butcher paper into long strips.
- Crumple the strips. Your students can help with this part if you’d like.
- Staple the crumpled strips on a bulletin board, crafting a trunk and brunches as you see fit.
I think the crumpling gave the paper a bit of texture, kind of like the bark of a tree.  Well, if you squint hard enough!  🙂
Once the tree is up, add the children’s handprint leaves, along with the apples they made. I labeled our apple bulletin board with a simple sign that read, “apples for the teacher”. The children were so excited to see their class apple tree.
More Apple Bulletin Board Ideas
Here are a few more ideas for apple-themed displays:
- Smart Apples Craft Bulletin Board
- Informative Apple Tree Board
- Apple-Themed Welcome Bulletin Board
- Bushels of Fun Art Display Board
- School is a Bushel of Fun Welcome Display
Have you ever made an apple bulletin board? Tell me all about it in the comments below!
Apple Lesson Plans
Save time and get right to the playful learning with our printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes over 30 learning activities, book suggestions, editable weekly plans, detailed daily plans, and related printables. Click on the image below to get your own:
Preschool Teacher 101 has hundreds of early childhood resources to make your teaching life so much easier! That way, you can focus on teaching and connecting with your students . . . and taking back your personal time!
Be sure to check out The Pack, our membership for preschool and kindergarten teachers. Members have access to our materials at a steep discount, along with members-only exclusives. You can also find us on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Originally published September 2013.
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