Interactive Bulletin Board Ideas for the Whole Year (2024)

Bulletin Board Ideas

Interactive bulletin boards are a fantastic way to utilize vertical classroom wall space while allowing young students to move, cooperate, and learn in a developmentally appropriate way. Are you ready to get started with interactive bulletin boards, but you’re unsure of what they would look like or how the children could learn from them?

Well, you’re in the right place!

Scroll through all of these photos of to get tons of interactive bulletin board ideas. Each one is practical, classroom-tested, and targeted to meet the specific learning objectives of 3 to 6-year-old children.

Peek-A-Boo Bulletin Board

This no-frills board is perfect for the very beginning of the school year when students are just getting to know their classmates and teachers.

To make this board, print a small picture of each child and teacher. Attach to the bulletin board. Then write each person’s name on an index card or piece of colored cardstock. Staple the index card at the top to cover the picture.

To use this board, students choose a name and lift the flap (“Peek-A-Boo!”) to reveal their new friend’s picture.

Learning objectives include: name recognition, letter recognition, forming relationships

Apple Tree Counting Bulletin Board

This is a great beginning of the year board for the fall. The simple setup makes it appealing to new preschoolers!

To make this board, cut out 5 tree tops from green construction paper. Cut out the same number of brown tree trunks. Label the tree trunks with the numbers 1-5. Attach the trees to the bulletin board. Carefully cut a slit in each treetop. (You might also choose to reinforce the edges with some clear packing tape.) Create apple sticks by taping apple shapes to thin craft sticks.

To use this bulletin board, students place the correct number of apples into each tree.

Learning objectives include: number recognition, counting sets to 5, hand-eye coordination

Colors of Fall Bulletin Board

Sorting objects by their attributes (color, size, shape, texture, etc.) is an essential preschool math skill. Try this color sorting activity during Autumn when nature shows a rainbow of colors!

To make this board, cut out tree trunk shapes from brown construction paper. Then, get 5 pieces of thin craft felt in traditional fall colors. Cut the felt into cloud-like tree shapes. Staple the trees to the bulletin board. Label the trees with color words (red, brown, orange, yellow, gree). Either create felt-shaped leaves or purchase a pack of felt leaves. (The ones pictured below were purchased in the fall at the Dollar Tree. They were sold in a pack of 20 for just $1.)

To use this board, students pick a leaf out of the basket and attach it to the matching tree. No velcro or other adhesives are necessary because felt will stick to felt.

Learning objectives include: color identification, sorting, early sight word recognition

Pumpkin Shapes Bulletin Board

Students will visit the interactive pumpkin farm at this bulletin board.

To make this board, cut out tractor shapes (or alternatively, purchase tractor clipart here). Label each tractor car with a different shape. We like to start with the basic 6: rectangle, circle, square, diamond, hexagon, and triangle. Add 4 pieces of velcro to each car. Then, either cut out orange construction paper into corresponding shapes or purchase pumpkin-shaped clipart here. Place the opposite velcro dot on the back of each pumpkin.

To use this bulletin board, students “pick a pumpkin” off of the vine. (These felt vines were sold as a holiday decoration at the craft store. They’re perfect because the scratchy side of the velcro will stick directly to the felt.) The students will identify the shape of the pumpkin and then “pile” it onto the matching wagon.

Learning objectives include: shape identification, sorting, and visual discrimination/matching

Five Senses Bulletin Board

Are you teaching your students about the 5 senses using a Mr. Potato Head? Then this is the perfect bulletin board to compliment the unit of study!

To make this board, cut a large piece of butcher paper into a potato head shape. Add velcro dots to the place where the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and hands belong. Cut out eyes, ears, noses, mouths, and hands from construction paper. (Alternatively, you could purchase and print this cute 5 Senses clipart set.) Attach the opposite velcro dot to each piece.

To use this bulletin board, students choose the potato part and attache them to the potato shape. Some students like to do this completely by-the-book. Others like to make a silly potato head. There is no one correct way to make a potato head! As long as they are talking, thinking about the 5 senses, and exercising their right to make decisions, this activity is a win.

Learning objectives include: identifying the 5 senses, oral language development

Gingerbread Man Bulletin Board

Run, run as fast as you can! You can’t catch him, he’s the gingerbread man!

To make this bulletin board, cut out a gingerbread man shape from a large piece of brown felt. (In this picture below, the students participated in a large group process art project where they sponge-painted large sheets of white butcher paper. Rather than discard the finished paintings, we stapled them to the bulletin board to create a colorful background.) Cut out candy pieces from construction paper or invite students to create candy to decorate the gingerbread man. Attach a small piece of felt to the back of each candy piece.

To use this board, students can decorate the gingerbread man while retelling the famous fairy tale.

Learning objectives include: oral language development, social skills, taking turns, working in cooperation

Mitten Match Bulletin Boards

When it’s too cold to play outside, your youngsters can warm up to this mitten matching center. Below there are pictures of 2 variations. The first one is a letter matching board. The second one is a number matching board.

To make these board, attach yarn as a “clothesline” across the width of the bulletin board. Attach clothespins. Either label the clothespins with a letter (like the ones in the first picture) or label the space underneath with a matching mitten (like the ones in the second picture). Cut out mitten shapes or purchase a pack of pre-cut mittens. Label them to match the board.

To play, students choose a mitten and hang it on the line with the corresponding clothespin.

Learning objectives include: letter (or number) recognition, visual discrimination/matching, increased hand strength

Print this bulletin board, as well as the matching “recording sheets” for older students here:

Valentine Bulletin Board

Special Delivery just for your loving preschool students. This bulletin board idea is perfect for February, for any time that you have a post office theme, or whenever your students need a little extra love.

To make this bulletin board, create large colorful envelopes with construction paper. (The ones pictured below were purchased at the Target Dollar Spot in February.) Label each envelope with a number.

Cut out a number of large hearts from construction paper or purchase pre-cut cardboard heart shapes. Label each heart with a different representation of the numbers (finger counting, dice, dominoes, unit blocks, etc.). You can draw these pictures or print the cards from this bulletin board set.

To play, students choose a heart and count or identify the number that is represented on it. Then they place the heart into the corresponding envelope.

Learning objectives include: number recognition, subitizing, counting sets to 6

Print this bulletin board, as well as the matching “recording sheets” for older students here:

Exercise Gross Motor Bulletin Board

Active kids need active centers to keep their minds and bodies working. This “exercise station” bulletin board will help them work off some extra energy while also developing pre-reading and pre-math skills. It’s a win-win.

To make this board, print pictures of 6 different types of exercise. The pictures below are available in this Nutrition Circle Time and Centers Unit resource. Label each exercise with a number 1-6. Add a large die (like this foam version).

To play, students work together and take turns rolling the die. When it lands, they identify the number and find the corresponding exercise on the board. Then they do that exercise 10 times (or whatever your class decides is a good rep!). The next student takes a turn rolling the dice until everyone has a full body workout.

Learning objectives include: counting and subitizing to 6, print concepts (recognizing that print has meaning), gross motor development (including balance, strength, and stamina)

When you Grow Up Bulletin Board

What do you want to be (or What do you want todo?) when you grow up is a fun question to pose to preschool students.

To make this board, print pictures of different community helpers. Attach them to the bulletin board and also attach a library pocket. Print small pictures of each child in your class and attach them to a craft stick.

To use, students choose their photo stick and place it in the pocket that corresponds to their answer. Students can talk with each other about their choices and explain their reasoning.

Learning objectives include: making a decision, oral language development, print concepts (print has meaning)

Ocean Stories Bulletin Board

Sometimes an open-ended center is exactly the springboard that young students need to think creatively and practice story-telling.

To make this board, cover the bottom half of the board with blue felt to resemble the ocean. Cut out fish and other ocean shapes from felt. (Or, if possible, order some of the amazing felt storytelling sets from ArtFelt.net. That’s what is pictured below.)

After reading a number of ocean books aloud to your students, invite them to retell the stories on the felt board. Encourage them to make new stories and work together.

Learning objectives include:oral language development, storytelling, reading comprehension

All of our favorite puppet and felt board sets are from Judy at ArtFelt.net. We love, love, love everything they make and know that you will too. The quality is amazing and the pieces are so versatile for story-telling, math, retelling, and interactive bulletin boards!

Crayon Color Sorting Bulletin Board

Rainbow make us swoon and this rainbow-colored board will brighten up your classroom in the spring!

To make this board, print the crayon pictures and colorful items HERE. Staple the crayons to the board. Add 3 pushpins below each crayon. Use a hole punch to make a hole in the top of each picture. Add a paper clip.

To use, students choose a picture card and identify the color of the object. Then they hang the picture onto the pushpin of the matching crayon. Continue until all pictures are identified and sorted.

Learning objectives include:sorting, matching, color identification, beginning sight words, fine motor

Rhyming Bulletin Board

“A Tisket – A Tasket, Which egg goes in the Basket?” This bulletin board idea is a great way to offer independent practice with rhyming!

Click HERE to read more about how to make and use this bulletin board.

Learning objectives include: rhyme identification, sorting, phonological awareness

Click below to print the baskets and eggs, as well as recording sheets for older students.

Nursery Rhyme Bulletin Board

“Hickory Dickory Dock. The mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck one. The mouse ran down. Hickory Dickory Dock!”

Get creative and make this board out of construction paper! The clock pictured below is pieces of brown construction paper stapled together to make a big grandfather clock. Cut out small mouse shapes or print mouse pictures. Label them with the numbers 1-12.

To use, students choose a mouse from the mouse box. They identify the number on the mouse and ring the bell to match that number. Then they attach the mouse to the corresponding hour on the clock. Continue until all of the mice have been counted.

Learning objectives include: number recognition, counting to 12, introduction to telling time/measurement, rhyming practice, oral language development

Shape Train Bulletin Board

Click HERE to read more (and see more pictures!) of how to make and use this board with your students.

Learning objectives include: shape identification, sorting, language development

Have you created an amazing interactive bulletin board to use with your preschool students?! We would love to see it! Please post a picture on our Facebook Page.