As the new school year approaches, it’s time to think about creating a welcoming and engaging environment for your students. One way to do this is by incorporating fun and meaningful activities that capture their interest right from the start. This “The Crayons Go Back to School” bulletin board display is the perfect solution for a vibrant, student-centered classroom display that will not only brighten your space but also build connections and encourage creativity.
A Fun and Meaningful Back-to-School Craft
Inspired by a favorite read-aloud book The Crayons Go Back to School by Drew Daywalt, this bulletin board and craft is the perfect activity for the first week of school. The book’s charming characters and relatable themes make it a hit with kids, and the associated craft activity helps you get to know your students better. Each student gets a chance to express their thoughts and feelings about school by writing and drawing on their own crayon cutout.
Encourage Creativity and Expression
This bulletin board activity encourages students to think creatively and express their thoughts and feelings about school. It’s a great way to start conversations and build connections with your new students. By sharing their favorite parts of school and what they are looking forward to, students get to know each other and feel more comfortable in their new environment.
Step-by-Step Setup
Setting up this bulletin board is simple and hassle-free, making it a perfect activity for the beginning of the school year when students are still getting used to classroom routines and procedures.
1. Introduce the Book: Begin by reading The Crayons Go Back to School to your class. Discuss the characters and their experiences, and relate them to the students’ own feelings about starting a new school year.
2. Distribute the Crayon Cutouts: Give each student a crayon cutout with a writing prompt. I have used 2 different writing prompts for this activity: “What I Love About School” and “I’m excited about…”
3. Decorate the Crayons: Encourage students to write and draw their responses on their crayons. This adds a personal touch to the activity.
4. Create the Bulletin Board: Arrange the students’ crayons on the bulletin board along with a title. Displaying student-created work is a powerful way to convey that your students’ contributions are valued. This fosters a sense of pride and community within the classroom. When students see their work displayed, it gives them a sense of ownership and belonging, setting a positive tone for the year ahead.
Starting the school year with a student-created bulletin board is a fantastic way to create a warm and welcoming classroom environment. This engaging activity not only brightens your space but also helps you build strong connections with your students.
Simplify Your Back-to-School Planning
Back-to-school season can be hectic! Save time planning this bulletin board by downloading my Crayons Go Back to School Bulletin Board resource that has everything you need to create this engaging and colorful classroom display. The resource includes:
- Full-color crayons in 8 different colors with writing prompts and space for students to write and draw their responses. Prompts include “What I Love About School” and “I’m excited about…”
- Ink-saving black and white crayons with writing prompts that can be printed onto colored paper.
- Bulletin board title in both color and black and white.
- Optional decorative images (crayon, crayon line, and crayon box).
- Blank full-color and black and white crayons that can be used as an optional welcome display with students’ names.
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