Preschoolers love to celebrate their birthdays and those of their classmates as well. Create a permanent birthday-themed bulletin board that will brighten the room and create anticipation all year long. You might create a giant birthday cake on the bulletin board, then let each child color or create his birthday candle for the cake out of construction paper. Write the child's name and birth date on the candle. Alternately, give each child a printout of a present to color. Write the child's name and birth date on the present, and then hang it on the bulletin board with the title, "Happy Birthday Everyone!" (see Resources).
Decorate your bulletin board as a way to welcome the seasons. For example, between the "Welcome back" bulletin board in September and the Thanksgiving bulletin board in November, decorate your October bulletin board with a tree full of fall leaves. Create a tree trunk out of crumpled brown construction paper. Then take your class leaf-hunting. Have each child pick up a fallen leaf. Return to the classroom and create leaf rubbings using fall-colored crayons, the leaves and white construction paper. Cut out the leaf rubbings and hang them on the tree. Place a few construction paper pumpkins under the tree for added fall flavor. In the winter, decorate your bulletin board with cotton-ball snowmen, and in the spring, create flowers out of hand prints.
Save at least one bulletin board in your classroom to decorate according to the theme you are learning about in class. For example, if you are learning about farm animals, decorate your bulletin board with farm animals. Be sure to label each animal with its name, so the children can practice reading the names. You can make your own animals, print some out for the children to color (see Resources) or purchase a set at any school supply store. Do the same with any other preschool theme you are teaching, such as weather, plants or safety.