Holidays like Thanksgiving are excellent opportunities for a festive bulletin board display in your classroom. Use it to display students’ art, writing, and creativity. Teachers incorporate the bulletin boards in their lesson plans to provide information and for interactive class activities.
We’ve compiled a list of the best thanksgiving bulletin board ideas with images for inspiration. Links to each project provides more information on how the teacher created the bulletin board display, the resources used and some teacher provide printables on their website. We’ve also included some helpful tips on how to get started on your own bulletin board ideas, ways to involve your students in the process, and how taking the time to set up a themed bulletin board will provide your class with educational benefits.
Thanksgiving Bulletin Board Ideas For Preschoolers
Set The Turkeys Free Bulletin Board
Cutesy handprint turkeys! Make a fence from white construction paper or craft sticks and let your preschoolers loose – with imaginative turkey crafts, feathers, and all.
Thankful For… Bulletin Board
A Thanksgiving board that’s meaningful to kids and parents. The thankful board for preschoolers is a great way to display their art and remind them what they are grateful for, for an entire month.
Mayflower Pilgrims Thanksgiving Bulletin Board
Adorable paper plate Pilgrims for Kindergarten classroom Thanksgiving bulletin board ideas. The teacher writes the kids’ names on the paper plate hats, but each child decorates their paper plate face and hat.
Food Theme Thanksgiving Bulletin Boards
What’s Cooking Bulletin Board
My absolute favorite. Hilarious! Display the 3D turkey made from butcher paper, fake ivy leaves, and tin foil as a serving dish. Then surround the turkey with kids’ recipes on how they would cook a turkey.
Corny Corny Corny Thanksgiving Bulletin Board
Kids’ sense of humor is extra hilarious and “corny.” This is one of the best ideas for Thanksgiving. The teacher made an ear of giant corn. The writing prompt was to tell what makes them laugh.
First Grade Is As Sweet As Pie
Combing creative writing and pie, you could get some interesting variations on a pie. Check the charming ruffle bulletin board border.
Turkey Theme Thanksgiving Bulletin Board Ideas
Tie-Rific Turkey Bulletin Board
If dad wondered what happened to his tie…the turkey got it! Who knew ties could make such colorful turkey tail feathers. Students brought ties they pinned to the turkey’s body.
Count The Feathers And Your Blessings Bulletin Board
Decorated feathers surround the turkey body. The students decorated the feathers as a fun homework assignment. Combining kids’ art and counting your blessings is an excellent way for teachers to help the class focus on gratitude.
Happy Thanksgiving Bulletin Board Idea
Check the hat and the feet! Color and more color! The colorful board has rainbows as a border, cool grass for those cute turkey feet, and the letters are made from popsicles.
Turkeys In Disguise
So adorable! Help the turkeys escape – a cute bulletin board idea. With their parents’ help, the Kindergarten students disguised the turkeys to escape the Thanksgiving dinner. More than enough turkeys escaped using creative craft, imagination, problem-solving skills, and the support of family members.
Little Little Little Turkeys
Personalized turkeys! All you need is a classroom of kiddos to create the cutest Thanksgiving bulletin board. Each turkey has a decorated turkey body with a picture of a student’s face.
Reading And Library Thanksgiving Bulletin Board Ideas
Run Turkey Run Turkey Verbs
A fantastic idea – combining physical activity, reading, and learning active verbs. After reading the adorable book Run Turkey Run, the teacher created a turkey body with a circle map of turkey verbs. Students acted out the verbs while shouting the action verb. Then they transformed their turkey legs into actions.
Gobbling Up Colorful Tales
A brilliant idea to inspire students to read. Readers wrote the books they read on a colorful book die-cut; the teacher told them their die-cuts would be used in a display but kept a secret. Eagerly the students worked on their assignment during October. You should’ve seen the classroom dynamics when the students visited the thanksgiving classroom decoration and saw the turkey’s feathers.
Physical Education Information Bulletin Boards
Turkey Activity For K-Third Grade
An amazing Physical Education find for Thanksgiving! Now, this is a “stuffed” turkey! Every part of the turkey body, even its beak, and feathers is covered with science life-cycle, language, research, reading, writing, and drawing activities.
Interactive Thanksgiving Bulletin Board Idea for Writing Projects
Are you looking for pumpkin pie or stuffing in a spelling classroom? The cute turkey comes with a free template for teachers who need creative inspiration. You’ll find the Thanksgiving word wall mini cards stuck to the feathers. Attached with Velcro, students can easily remove the word they need to spell.
Gobble Up Nutrition This Season
Oh dear, all those calories! The bright feathers will draw any elementary school kid to the board. On closer inspection, you notice the bulletin board display gives the calories of the students’ favorite Thanksgiving dishes.
Thanksgiving Door Decorations
Turkey Door Display
Cute! A colorful thanksgiving themed door decoration for teachers who don’t have much time to decorate their door. All you need is a collection of bright construction paper for the feathers; don’t forget the eyes.
A Minion Reasons To Be Thankful
For minion fans, here is an excellent way to combine minions and to be thankful. The minions are dressed for the occasion!
Our Little Hands Classroom Door Display
Cute! The classroom door is covered with pre-kindergarten kids’ handprints transformed into little turkeys. Kids took home the cutest Kindergarten Keepsake card for parents with the child’s turkey handprint and a rhyme.
Thanksgiving Is First Thanks Then Giving
Stop. Think—one of the best door display ideas for Thanksgiving. A parent made the display for the class; you’ll find the resources she used on the website.
More Thanksgiving Bulletin Board Ideas
Happy Thanksminion Holiday Bulletin Boards
Happy Thanksminion! Now, that’s taking minions to another level. Check the cute minion Pilgrims and Native Americans standing under the tree with its bright leaves.
Be Thankful For Good Friends
Snoopy and little Snoopy pilgrims! Yes, Snoopy is taking refreshments to friends. Where is Charlie Brown? Mmm, perhaps on his way with the turkey.
Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Bulletin Board
Charlie Brown and Snoopy cooked a turkey. Favorite characters are great ideas for thanksgiving bulletin boards.
If I Had A Pet Turkey Bulletin Board
If I had a pet turkey…A brilliant writing prompt idea for the Thanksgiving holiday. What would you do with your pet turkey on Thanksgiving?
Creating and Setting Up a Bulletin Board
When creating a Thanksgiving bulletin board, the initial step is to decide on a theme that resonates with the spirit of the holiday. Hopefully you have found some inspirations for our list of favorite ideas above. Themes could range from the history of Thanksgiving to expressions of gratitude. After selecting a theme, gather materials such as construction paper, markers, glue, and any relevant images or decorations. Consider using a mix of textures and materials to add depth to the display. For instance, real fall leaves or fabric can bring a tactile element to the board.
To set up the bulletin board, start by covering it with a neutral or thematic backdrop. A fall-colored paper or fabric can serve as a base. Outline the borders with ribbons or patterned borders to define the space. Next, lay out the elements on the floor to visualize the design before pinning them onto the board. Use different levels of elevation to create a 3D effect, making important elements stand out. Ensure that the content is readable from a distance, with clear headings and legible fonts.
Involving Students in the Process
Involving students in creating the bulletin board can be a valuable collaborative project. Start by brainstorming ideas with the class and encourage them to contribute their thoughts on what Thanksgiving means to them. Assign roles based on interests and strengths, such as drawing, writing, or organizing. Students can create individual elements like leaves with written notes of what they’re thankful for, which can then be assembled into a tree of gratitude.
This activity not only makes the bulletin board creation process more inclusive but also gives students a sense of ownership and pride in their classroom environment. Incorporating student-created content can foster creativity and collaboration, while also developing their fine motor skills and aesthetic sense. The bulletin board can become a collective artwork that showcases the diversity of thought and talent within the classroom.
Educational Benefits of Using Bulletin Boards
Bulletin boards are not just decorative; they serve as educational tools that can enhance learning. A well-designed board can be a visual aid that reinforces the lessons taught in class. For Thanksgiving, it can highlight key historical figures, vocabulary, or concepts associated with the holiday. Interactive elements, such as question flaps or matching games, can make the board a hands-on learning center.
Moreover, bulletin boards can be used to display student work, celebrate achievements, and provide information about upcoming events. They can also be a dynamic tool for cross-curricular education—tying in lessons from history, language arts, and art. For example, a Thanksgiving board might include a timeline of the holiday’s history, poems or essays written by students, and artwork depicting the first Thanksgiving.