Old Project/New Place

Need Some Winter Bulletin Board Inspiration?

It is that time of year when we start thinking of ideas for new winter themed bulletin board ideas. Here are many of my past boards (I'm currently working on this year's with my students!).  This is a great time to do a school wide collaborative project!  Every year I have my students create a different component for a large collaborative mural.  If I have any left over parts...I usually hang up smaller displays in other parts of the school.  The students are always so excited to try to find the part they created!  The project range from watercolor, collage, marker, colored pencil, crayon...and everything in between!!  You can make this work based on the supplies and space you have available to you at your school!

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My Favorite Collaborative Winter Bulletin Board

 During a "normal" year I always do a huge collaborative bulletin board with all my students. Each class/grade level takes on a "piece" of the picture. One class did the sky, one grade level did the buildings..etc. Then they all come together into a huge display that is at the front of the school as you enter our building .

This one popped up in my Facebook memories.

One of my favorites. I do not "do" holidays in my classroom because of a deep desire to be inclusive of all my students. I had done so many BRIGHT & COLORFUL boards in the past, I really wanted to show the students that "black & white" could be beautiful. This winter board will forever hold a special place in my heart!

Collaborative Winter Board 2016: Winter in the Smokies

Every year I do a collaborative board with K-4.  Each student makes a part of the board.  I've posted them since 2008 when I began my blog.  It is amazing how much they've changed over the years.  This year I picked the theme Winter in the Smokies.  This was before all the wild fires took place....so I feel it is now a nice reminder to keep that community in our thoughts!!  

Here is a close up of the main board!

Because of the number of classes I see.....the board is not big enough for all the students work.  So we have a display outside my room & in another hall way!  I really does give a great winter feel to the whole school. It has become something the staff & parents really look forward to seeing each year!

Winter Bulletin Board 2016: BEGINNING

I've been posting my winter collaborative boards for as long as I've been blogging.  Each year I try to tweek/improve/change things.  This year I was thinking about Tennessee (I teach in Nashville)....so we're going to make Winter in the Smokies!   Each class makes different parts of the bulliten board..and then we assemble it.  It will be up from the end of Nov. till mid Feb.  The kids understand they won't get the pieces back, and are totally ok with it!! (You just have to prepare them for that from the beginning!!)  

Here is a link to my past winter bulletin boards!!

http://www.artwithmre.com/search/label/Winter%20Bulletin%20Boards

Winter Board 2015

This year's winter board was inspired by the book The Little White Owl by Tracey Corderoy & Jane Chapman.  It doesn't look as wintery as boards of years past....but I love it.  All the color makes me happy...and I know will help with the long gray days of winter!!!  Instead of doing Christmas lights...I had my 4th graders create colorful feathers(Remember my ATC's for Mini Matisse's trade?  The kids really mastered this skill!! Beautiful!!). 2nd graders had been weaving, so with them I did a quick mini weaving using two colors of blue for the sky.  1st grade created the pine trees that line the bottom. Kindergarten created the amazing patterned owls!  LOVE THE OWLS!!!!   I know I gush a lot about my students' work, but I really am their biggest fan!!! I hope this post & the last one inspired you to do a collaborative board in your school!!!  If you create one inspired by the ones from ART WITH MR. E....I'd love to see them!! Facebook me or e-mail the images!!!

Winter Boards 2008-2014

Every year I've done a collaborative winter board in the main hall of our school.  Unfortunately, before blogging....I wasn't very good at taking pictures of what was happening in the art room.  

All of the boards represent multiple grade levels.  Some years I had every class in the school participate...while other years around half of the school participated.  For example, this year 3rd grade did not contribute because they were busy working on their circle weavings...and because of time I really needed them to focus on that project. 

It is kind of amazing to see the change in the boards over the years.  I think the first few years I didn't have a real "plan".  Now I'm dreaming of what could be for the following year as I'm putting up the current years!!  Stay tuned...this year's board will be posted in the next day or so!!!

2008 

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

The "Other" Collaborative Winter Project: K - 2nd

My large cityscape winter board turned out AWESOME!!  However..something I did not count on was our class sizes this year.  We have an average of 20-25 students per class.  This is larger than years past...which means more pieces were created per class.  Soooooo...I ran out of room!!!  I realized this by day 3 classes...so I came up with a different plan for day 5 students.  2nd grade created the sky and snowy land.  Kindergarten created the pine trees.  1st grade created the houses!  This is on the runner bars outside my classroom.  I'm really happy with how they turned out...and it was good to work on cutting/gluing more with K/1!!!!  

Winter Board 2014: K-2nd

         

It is finished!!  It turned out better than I imagined!!  I usually do very colorful boards...so this felt risky.  One teacher said they thought it looked like pollution/smog when I first started putting it up. That didn't help my insecurity!?! Haha!!  The kids love it...and are super proud of the part they played in it!!  

Winter Board '13 - '14: K-4th Grade

As I posted earlier, these odd 2 days before Thanksgiving break....I have all my classes make parts to the winter bulletin board that will be up in our main hall till mid/end of January.  Here is the completed offering for this year!  I was picturing something very bright & fun....AND I GOT IT!!! The kids are so proud.  

The Beginning of Winter Board '13-'14: K-4th

Every year on these two odd days before Thanksgiving...I step out of the curriculum to have each class I see (10 out of the 26 classes I see in a weeks time) to create a part of the large bulletin board in the main hallway.  They are always winter...always fun!  I can't wait till we get this one completed!!  As much as I plan...they always seem to take on a life of their own!  

Winter Mural 2012: K - 4th Grade

Here the mural is completed!  

Winter Mural Parts Day 2: K-4th Grade

Kindergarten created more pine trees.  I am really amazed how much the struggled.  We may need to do more collage work to see if we can sharpen their skills a bit more!

1st Grade created collage snowmen!  I'm really happy with how they turned out...though I did have one student put the face on the butt side??!?!?!  

(2nd Grade created more winter paper weavings w/ construction paper crayons)

3rd grade made collage pine branches using markers & construction paper crayons to add more details to the needle portion.

4th grade created collage pine cones.  I'm not sure if you can see all the work in these, but they are really amazing in person.they cut out the "scales" and layered them onto the pine cone shape.  

CAN YOU PICTURE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE YET?  

STAY TUNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Winter Mural Parts :K-4th

Every year... on these two odd days before Thanksgiving Break...I do a winter mural with my students. I don't want two days worth of students to be a week ahead of everyone else...so this is a fun solution to that issue.  Each grade level creates the "parts" that go into the finished mural. 

• Kindergarten created the collage pine trees..and used construction paper crayons to add "snow".
• 1st grade created the collage cardinals and used red & black Sharpies to add the details. 

• 2nd grade did fabric weaving last week...so I had them create paper weaving & add snow flakes using construction paper crayons.
• 3rd grade attempted shading winter branches with tempera paint (SOME did really well!) 

• 4th grade created winter trees in collage..and then shaded using tempera paint (once again..SOME did really well) 

CAN YOU PICTURE WHAT THE MURAL IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE?!?!?  

Stay tuned!!!!