Let students know what is expected of them as well as what they'll be learning about this spring by creating a learning tree like this one designed by Mrs. H, homeschool mom and creator of the blog, Glory in the Ordinary. While her original bulletin board featured a fall theme, it wouldn't take much to alter the board to fit any season! For spring {the time of year when the Earth 'comes alive'}, consider colorful flower blossoms, fruits, and/or vibrant green leaves.

{Spring} Learning Tree Bulletin Board

• Background:Mrs. H did not use any background paper, but to lighten it up for spring, you might consider using light blue or yellow bulletin board paper.
• Title: "Our Learning Tree".
• Border: Complimentary solid color trimmer, colorful patterned border, or spring themed bulletin board border.
• Decoration: 1) The Tree. From brown background paper, trace and cut the shape of a tree trunk, using brown or black markers to add 'bark-like' detailing. Cut generalized/non-specific bunches of leaves from construction paper or card stock in various shades of green {the bunches can look like cloud cutouts, misshapen circles, etc.}. Using a green marker, draw or trace actual leaf shapes haphazardly on the green foliage cutouts. Place the trunk in the middle of the board and arrange the 'leaves' around the top. 2) The Blossoms/Fruit. Many fruit trees blossom in the spring, ripen during the summer months, and are harvested in the fall. For your spring/summer board, consider adding a mixture of blossoms and maturing fruits so your students make the life cycle connection. For example, to create an apple tree; cut 5-inch squares of white art tissue paper {adding some iridescent white glitter detailing if desired}, gathering and twisting the middle to create apple blossoms, then cut 4-inch circles of red construction paper, adding one or two green leaf cutouts to each to create maturing apples. On the paper apples, script or use word processing software to label them with the various topics, character traits, and concepts to be explored in the spring unit {i.e. perseverance, plant life cycle, etc.}. Arrange both the blossoms and fruit cutouts on the tree. [NOTE: You could do the same thing for oranges, pears, plums, cherries, etc. or even use a combination.]

This board offers a fantastic way to keep your students in the loop while also adding relevant seasonal decoration to the classroom! We'd love to hear how you keep your students informed, so be sure to leave a comment below!