This thanksgiving bulletin board is completely child-made! There are so many fun art projects for kids out there. But I, personally, think that the best ones are full of original, 100% child-made art. And this thankful display certainly fits the bill.
With Thanksgiving this month, it’s a great time to talk with the preschoolers about being thankful. After we discussed thankfulness, I had the children work together on a simple Thanksgiving bulletin board. This way, much of what they’re thankful for could be on display for the entire month! I must admit I love using kids’ words and artwork to create bulletin boards. Even if the boards are incredibly basic, as this one is, they’re still very meaningful for the children.
Related: Thanksgiving Activities for Preschoolers
We talked about being thankful and read a variety of books related to Thanksgiving and thankfulness. Here are a few children’s books that touch on being grateful and thankful:
- Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks
- The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks
- The Thankful Book
- Just So Thankful
Reading and talking together led to brainstorming about what we could be thankful for. The idea for the Thanksgiving bulletin board sprang from this brainstorming session. So, once the kiddos were in centers, we got to work!
For the artwork, I had the children use black crayons to draw the outlines of what they’re thankful for. Once that was done, they used watercolors inside the black crayon. I know I’m biased, but I love how all of their paintings came out! Some of the kiddos had so much fun they made multiple paintings.
I loved hearing what the children were thankful for, even if some of their ideas were a little out there! They were thankful for food, doughnuts, family, friends, pets, teachers . . . along with two-headed giraffes and aliens! Yes, a few of their paintings were a little on the goofy side. Despite this, I know they understood the concept of being thankful. As we were drawing and painting, I was able to have smaller conversations with the children about being appreciative for people and things in our lives.
Once the paintings were dry, I cut them out and stapled them on our bulletin board in the hallway. Again, I kept it incredibly simple! The words “thankful for . . .” were painted with brown tempera paint, cut out, and stapled to the bulletin board. Even though it’s super simple, the kids and I love it!
What about you? Have you and your children/students created artwork about being thankful? If so, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
Bulletin Board Materials
Sometimes, I like creating bulletin boards on my own that the kids will “ooh” and “ahh” over. Other times, I think student art makes the perfect finishing touch to the display. Either way, I love getting creative with our classroom bulletin boards.
Here are some materials that will keep the logistics of putting bulletin boards together simple so that your creativity can flow (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
- Bulletin board paper
- Scalloped bulletin board borders
- Staple gun
- Rubber tack bulletin board
- Bulletin board cutouts
Done-for-You Preschool Resources
Planning meaningful lessons for students week after week while balancing other teaching responsibilities and a personal life can be a daunting task. That’s where Preschool Teacher 101 comes in to save you time!
Preschool Teacher 101 has created some amazing lesson plans, activity packs, and other resources made especially for preschool teachers. Click on the image below to learn more about our comprehensive Thanksgiving lesson plans!
Join The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101 today for exclusive access to our amazing products. And we even have three different membership options to suit your needs! Click on the images below to find out more about some of our other products that are always a hit in the month of November.
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