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Swinging on a Star Bulletin Board

So, summer is winding down - WAAAA!!!!! I have to admit that I am always kind of torn at this time of year. I LOVE summer and the flexibility it allows me with my children. There are days we don't eat dinner until 9p.m. and that's ok because.....it's summer!!

I love not knowing what day or time it is! One of the reasons I think I love not paying attention to time is because so much of our lives as teachers revolve around the time (down to the minute)..... It's such a sharp contrast to the school year..... It's simply refreshing!

However, as any good teacher.....I also love the newness that each August carries.... One of my favorite things to do is create a new bulletin board.

The very first thing I usually do when I get back into my class each year is the hallway bulletin board (I know most people leave that for the end, but to me that signal that they new year has begun so I do it first).......



Here is my bulletin board from last year. Our school theme was Space and Stars. In Texas, our students started taking a new high stakes test called STAAR and so the theme was in support of this FABULOUS new test (can you detect the sarcasm there?). Anyways, I wasn't really excited about the space theme so I played up on stars and came up with "Swinging on a Star".....you know......"Would you like to swing on a star? Carry moonbeams home in a jar?" You're right - I can't sing! But you get my drift, right?!

I loved the bulletin board and spent a long time making the swings. They were meant to frame the students' writing (since we are limited in what we can post in the hallway (long story).....

So, fast forward to May at Kindergarten graduation........oh it's so hectic!!! Parents were told they could take all their child's work......


Well, as I was still in the classroom taking pictures with kids and talking to parents - other parents began leaving.... Before I knew it - I had swings missing......you know kinder parents......they want as much as they can get to remember their child's kindergarten year......They took the swings :0( Oh no! I spent so much time making those swings........

Oh well!! I'm over that now (2 months later:0) But, my wonderful school has decided to continue the Space/Stars theme......uggghh!! I still don't like that theme so I want to continue on with my "Swinging on a Star" theme for my bulletin board --it still fits what we are doing, yet can be more geared to beginning kinders.......

Last year, I cut a meter stick in half - glued the 2 pieces together, painted it, and stapled a rope around to create the swing......It cost me a pretty penny. I am not willing to spend a ton this year......but I love the idea.....

So, my question for you creative teachers out there --

How can I create my swings this year?

Please help me! :0)

12 comments:

  1. What if you get paint sticks from a home improvement store or Walmart?

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  2. Hi,
    Love this idea! What about using craft sticks? They won't be as thick as what you had, but I think they'd be just as cute once painted brown.
    Diane
    schoolhousetreasures

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  3. Go get paint sticks from the Lowe's paint department they give them away for free. I have found Lowe's to be the most generous, they will give me a whole hand full when I tell them it is for a school project. Wal-mart will only give me about 6 and Home Depot depends on who is there, some will only give me one or two and others will let me have about 10.

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  4. I would definitely use paint sticks as they are FREE...a teachers favorite word...then I would use twine for the swing rope:) We had a star theme one year and I used my star Christmas lights in my classroom and my kinder's loved it. They really enjoyed it when I turned off the lights and just plugged in the stars:)

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  5. How about shelf paper that looks like wood over top of thick card stock? Just saw some of the paper at a dollar store.

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  6. Have you thought of collecting cardboard from toilet paper rolls or papertowels, cutting the tube in half longways and then painting it brown? You could cut little notches for the rope to fit and hold it securely.

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  7. I like the paintstick idea too. Most of the home improvement stores will give them to you for free since you are a teacher. Then you can cut it & shape it as you need to. Good luck! I look forward to seeing what you come up with. :)
    Lisa
    Learning Is Something to Treasure

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  8. I would find scrapbook paper from Archiver's that resembles wood, attach it to appropriate-sized pieces of cardboard (cereal boxes?), and add the rope.
    Everyone's ideas sound good!!
    ReadWriteSing

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  9. I immediately thought of the large 3 gallon paint stir sticks. They're free! Any Lowes and Home Depot has them. I got some last week; had my hubby cut off the handles; glue and nail all four corners together to make a frame. Then I used my lovely cricuit machine and made the words "My 1st day of Kindergarten" so that I can take a picture of each child on their first day of Kindergarten. Gotta get those pixs for their eoy memory books. I'll try to post on my blog the finished piece soon.

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  10. How about using duck tape (you can find some pretty colors) double it over, then punch a hole at each end, thread your rope through and tie a knot at the end.

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