Cut out an easy to hold shape from thick paper or cardboard. Rectangles, stars or cylinders make excellent shapes. Be sure the pass is too big to fit in a student's pocket and too large to forget on the bathroom sink.
Write the destination on the pass. "Restroom pass," "library," "nurse" or "office pass" are good, concise options. For younger students, visual aids are also useful. Colorful images of a bathroom door, books or a desk will encourage students to take the correct pass. Additionally, mark the boys and girls bathroom passes with separate colors. Laminate the passes to keep them in good condition.
Cut two holes in the top and slide a piece of string through them, tying a knot. Hang the passes on a nail or tack on the wall near the door. Decorate a large sign that says "passes" and hang it above the tacks. Students will be less likely to forget to take the pass and more likely to return it.
Be creative with hall passes. It is not necessary to use just construction paper. Large, funny objects work just as well and for older students can be more effective. For example, an extra large eraser, a wooden spoon or a model car can all be fun hall passes. Just be sure to write the destination on the pass.
Teach students how to ask to use the passes. While some teachers prefer a student to raise her hand and ask, others allow the student to quietly take the pass and leave. Still others encourage students to use a special "hall pass" signal, such as raising three fingers, so the teacher does not have to interrupt her teaching. Regardless, ask students not to interrupt teaching when asking to use the pass.