12 Bulletin Board Decorations Teachers Loved in the ’70s

Classroom walls in the 1970s were full of personality, puns, and seasonal vibes. Teachers got very creative with paper cutouts, borders, and a heavy dose of Elmer’s glue. These 12 decorations weren’t just displays—they were classroom culture.

1. Giant Seasonal Trees

sohail nachiti on Pexels

Each season meant a total bulletin board makeover. Fall had orange leaves, winter brought cotton-ball snow, spring bloomed with tissue flowers, and summer got ignored (school’s out!). Kids would help make the leaves or write their names on apples. That tree saw more wardrobe changes than a fashion model.

2. Construction Paper Animals

Dean Hochman on Wikimedia Commons

The bulletin board showed turkeys in November, bunnies in April, and bees everywhere in between. Most were made from hand-traced shapes and googly eyes. Teachers claimed it helped with fine motor skills. Mostly, it just made the classroom feel like a friendly zoo.

3. “Reach for the Stars” Themes

Apelcini on Wikimedia Commons

Stars with every student’s name on them stuck across a dark blue sky. The more stars you had, the more spelling tests you’d crushed. It was motivational and mildly competitive. You’d quietly count your friend’s stars and plot your comeback.

4. The Birthday Chart

Cup of Couple on Wikimedia Commons

A giant cupcake or balloon for each month, with students’ names written in marker. Everyone waited to see their name get added when their birthday rolled around. If your name was in July, you got forgotten (sorry, summer babies). However, you still felt special seeing your name on the wall.

5. Groovy Lettering

Lemon Loco Gifts on Wikimedia Commons

Bubble letters, rainbow gradients, and hand-cut stencils were the vibe. Teachers would trace them on cardboard, cut them out, and color them by hand. It looked like something off a psychedelic album cover. Title: “Let’s Learn, Man!”

6. Student of the Week

Marie on Wikimedia Commons

One lucky kid got a whole section with their photo, favorite color, and maybe even a pet picture. You’d feel like a celebrity for seven days. Your classmates had to say nice things about you (and some actually meant it). It was the peak of elementary fame.

7. Felt Boards with Push-Pin Cutouts

Emilian Robert Vicol on Wikimedia Commons

Soft felt backings let you pin and re-pin endless shapes, letters, and math puzzles. Teachers loved the reusable magic of felt, and kids loved pulling everything off when no one was looking. Felt is the original Velcro.

8. “Bookworm of the Month” Displays

Douglas P Perkins on Wikimedia Commons

A giant caterpillar would stretch across the wall, each segment showing a student’s name and a book title. The more you read, the longer your worm grew. It was the weirdest flex, but it worked. Bookworms were the original influencers.

9. Motivational Slogans

Gloriabar on Wikimedia Commons

“Today is a great day to learn!” or “You’re a star!”—usually surrounded by glitter and smiley faces. These sayings were big on hope and short on subtlety, but somehow, they actually made you want to try. Cheesy? Yes. Effective? Also yes.

10. Paper Chains for Good Behavior

bob walker on Wikimedia Commons

Each time the class behaved, a link was added to the chain. When it stretched across the board, it meant party time. We treated that chain like it held the key to our happiness. Don’t be the kid who got a link taken away.

11. Calendar Corners

Pearson on Wikimedia Commons

A hand-made calendar where each day’s square could be flipped or drawn on. You’d count down to birthdays, holidays, and surprise assemblies. Sometimes, the teacher added smiley faces for good weeks. A big X over Friday meant freedom.

12. Weather Wheels

Google on Wikimedia Commons

Spin the dial: sunny, rainy, cloudy, or snow. Usually manned by the “Weather Helper of the Day.” It was less about meteorology and more about power. The weather wheel was basically the morning news.

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• Retro
• Bulletin
• Boards
• 70s
• Decorations