Get ready for a dynamic St. Patrick's Day with this inspirational bulletin board from Ms. Rose, toddler teacher at McKinley Early Childhood Center. Not only do the traditional elements {rainbows and gold} make the display a perfect fit for the holiday, the child-made hand print rainbow attests to the true message of the decor, in life and in the classroom (i.e. sometimes we get so caught up "chasing the pot of gold" - lesson planning, making sure each child keeps up, getting through the day, etc. - that we forget that our children and students are "beautiful treasures" meant to be cherished and nurtured).

Hand Print Rainbow

Set out several shallow bowls of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple craft paint, along with a paint brush for each. Place a large (previously cut) rainbow shape on the classroom craft table, or even on the floor, making sure that the project area has been properly protected by newspapers or drop cloths. Invite your students to form a line and, one at a time, paint their hands with red, having them make a print on the rainbow cutout while making sure they follow the proper line and place their prints relatively close together. Continue with red until the top of the rainbow has been filled with prints, then start with orange (and so on and so on). Be sure to have several cleaning stations set up if you don't have a classroom sink so that students can wash up between colors.

St. Patrick's Day Bulletin Board

• Background: Green bulletin board paper.
• Title: "Don't Miss the Beauty of the Rainbow - Searching For a Pot of Gold" - Ms. Rose creates the title from traditional trace and cut lettering, but makes "Rainbow" stand out by using assorted colors of construction paper, as well as "Gold" by using yellow construction paper.
• Border: St. Patrick's Day trimmer.
• Decoration: 1) The Rainbow. Use your child-made hand print rainbow. 2) The Pot of Gold. Create a large 'cauldron' shape from black bulletin board or construction paper, placing it at one end of the rainbow. Trace and cut 'gold coins' from yellow construction paper, arranging them in the pot, as well as around it.

The sweet message, fun craft, and great colors make this bulletin board a must for the early childhood classroom this St. Patrick's Day! What are your plans for St. Patrick's Day? Be sure to let us know in the comment section below!