12 replies to this topic

[paddywack]

Hi , Iam taking over a new class in september and cant wait to pull down a display of birthday balloons which has been on a wall for so long!!!! Does anyone have any fab ideas - the class is 3-4 year olds I was thinking of doing a tree with the months on leaves but it doesnt seem quite exciting enough when starting afresh HELP!!!

[jambo]

I have done the 3 and 4 cakes. The childrens names are attached to the 3 cake and as their birthday happens they get to move their name to the 4 cake.
I use this alongside a birthday train, 12 carriages for the months of the year, and a photo of each child in the appropriate child. I have previously done 12 hanging space rockets, photos of children in windows, with papier mache moons hanging in between. What about 12 papier mache birds, month on their chest, all painted and feathered in primary, secondary colours, black and white and so on. Reinforces colour as well as the order of months. Each bird could have a "worm" or "bug" with the child's name on hanging from its beak!!

All tried and tested, hope this helps.

[paddywack]

Thanks Jambo this has certainaly helped,I am quite nervous about taking over a classroom which has had the same person in charge for the last 9-10 years also I have always been someones second hand person,I really want to make a good impression on the parents and want the children to have fun and leard!! :)

[Mazlittle]

We have a large poster showing a table with the four seasons, each season with a column for each month in that season. The poster is in one of those big frames from Ikea.

Each month column has a series of cakes - one for each child/adult with a birthday in that month. Each cake has the person's name, and the day of the month.

This gives us a visual display of when everyone's birthday is, we can do some number work by counting how many birthdays in each month, etc.

New children can decorate their own cake shape when they join.

Maz

[Posy]

Hi Paddywack,
For the last couple of year I've sent planted sunflower seeds home with the children and asked their parents to take a picture of their child with the (hopefully) resulting sunflower. We then display the pictures with a speech bubble for each child and a comment such as 'Hi, I'm Charlie and I'll be 4 on 1st April' and date of birth below.
We've also used an idea from Nursery World where we ask the parents to tell us why they chose their child's name, meaning of name and so on and display this info and date of birth alongside child's photo. Good for introducing the idea that families can be different and to introduce cultural awareness
Barb

[michaelle]

We have done 'Elmers Parade' 12 colourful patterned Elephants placed along top of walls with birthday months on.
Children do own portraits with name and I add date and place on appropriate Elmer. I could take a pic of it and send it you if you like. It is very effective and always gets lots of comments. Good visual reminder of whose birthday it is too.

Another colleague has done crayons which look good. I have also seen a birthday train - each carraige has month of year. Children paint portraits and are in appropriate carraige. Again really effective.
:)
Let me know if you need any help.

[annette]

I have a birthday train in my classroom, at the beginning of the year I take a photo of each child, all of which go in the engine, then as each child has their birthday they move it in to the correct carriage as we sing happy birthday to them. They love it and are always asking who will be next on the train! :D

[Oli]

I made my birthday wall into an aqarium. Their are 12 large bubbles with the months of the year on them and the childrens names and date of births. In between the bubbles were fish and smaller bubbles. It looks really effective.

[leedwa]

Would love to see photos of some of these great ideas, please. One of our rooms has birthday balloons and one has birthday cakes. Love the train idea and the birds in the tree, sounds amazing and very creative.

[leedwa]

Forgot to mention the fish in aquarium, (Sorry, Oli). Sounds great.
Do these birthday displays stay up for whole year (and children's names/dob get added) or change termly, depending on theme.

[paddywack]

Paddywack here, excellant ideas everyone I can really get my teeth stuck into these , oli I love the fish aquariam idea and michaelle I would love to see a picture of your Elma birthdays!!It is really great to get ideas from other people I am quite nervous about my new rloe so I may be back for some more ideas. Thanks everyone!! xxx :) :D

[Nichola]

In my room there is one display board that is so high up (there is a mezzanine level above my class that is a storage space). That display wall is used as a birthday display. Last year we had a birthday train (well the previous teacher did it) and each carriage was a month and the kids painted their faces and they were stuck onto the correct month, so they were in the carriage for their month. This year when my new class came to visit me I got them to colour in a birthday cake (I have it saved on here somewhere, I'll have a look later). I then stuck their name to the bottom of the cake and then made a label for each month. Their cakes go around their birth month. It looks really good and it meant that I could have some of their work up when they started in September.

[Mazlittle]

Nichola: I love that idea of having some of the children's work on the wall when they first arrive: a lovely way to welcome them!

I envy those of you with space for permanent displays: all our displays have to be packed away at the end of the day, so we're fairly limited.

I'm sure I can adapt some of your brilliant ideas, though!!

Maz