End of School Year
Holidays & Seasons

40 Delightful Summer and End-of-Year Bulletin Boards

Celebrate summer and all it brings, including the end of the school year!

Summer Bulletin Boards
By Jill Staake
Apr 5, 2023

The end of the school year is fast approaching, which also means the start of summer! Kids and teachers alike are counting down the days. These summer bulletin board ideas can help keep students (and you) engaged in learning until the very last day. There are bulletin boards that include beloved characters from Star Wars, Pac-Man, and even LEGO. We love a good play on words—and there is no shortage of that in these summer bulletin board ideas!

Want the cheeriest of end-of-year bulletin boards? Here are some basic supplies to get you started. Then check out our list of 40 summer and end-of-year bulletin boards below for inspiration.

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

1. Hanging up our memories

A bulletin board has a blue background with a sun in the corner. It has clotheslines on it with clothespins holding up t-shirts that students have written and drawn on. (summer bulletin boards ideas)

Give each student a paper T-shirt cutout to decorate and fill with their favorite school-year memories. Then hang them up for all to admire on this end-of-year bulletin board.

Learn more: Kayla McKee/Pinterest

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2. Almost time to Pac-Man

A bulletin board says Almost time to Pacman. It has the characters from the video game (summer bulletin board ideas)

This Pac-Man–themed bulletin board will be especially appealing to lovers of all things 1980s! We also love the adorable play on words.

Learn more: Pinterest/Anna Delegatto

3. An un-bee-lievable year

Construction paper bees have writing prompts on them and are attached to a bulletin board. Text reads We had an un bee lievable year.

Create these adorable bees from construction paper or card stock and then have your students write about what they learned this year.

Learn more: Lessons 4 Little Ones

4. Our summer bucket lists

Text at the top of the bulletin board reads summer bucket list. It has different, brightly colored buckets and pails on it with students' writing assignments (summer bulletin boards ideas)

Bucket lists are a popular end-of-year bulletin board idea, and it’s easy to see why. Have kids create colorful buckets and a list of what they want to do over the summer.

Learn more: Pinterest/Jeanne Corbett

5. A pocket full of memories

A black background has little pocket squares on it that have students' names on them. A square in the middle says A Pocket Full of 4th Grade Memories.

Reflecting on the year is a nice way to wrap things up. Let each student create a pocket, then fill it with slips of paper detailing their favorite memories of days past.

Learn more: Working 4 the Classroom

6. Let’s end the year with a bang

Bright block letters spell Let's end the year with a bang. Balloons in different colors are attached.

Kids absolutely love this end-of-year bulletin board! Put a student’s name inside each balloon. Pop one each day, then spend the day celebrating that student. You can also fill the balloons with fun activities (have class outside, hold a dance party, etc.).

Learn more: Teach and Inspire

7. This year was toad-ally awesome

A bulletin board says This year was Toad ally cool. It has frogs on it made from paper plates and construction paper.

What’s not to love about these paper-plate frog faces and lily pad memories? Older kids can write more details about their favorite memory inside the frog’s mouth.

Learn more: Lessons 4 Little Ones

8. If you still have library books

A bulletin board reads If you still have library books we need them back meow. It has Pete the Cat on it. (summer bulletin boards ideas)

Oh, those end-of-the-year chores! Help kids remember to return any borrowed books before the last day arrives with this clever kitty.

Learn more: The Teacher Librarian

9. The year flew by!

Text in clouds reads This year flew by. Kites are attached to the board that have writing prompts and drawings on them.

Summer bulletin board ideas that also incorporate writing prompts are some of our favorites! Your students will definitely have fun designing their kites and sharing what they loved about school this year.

Learn more: Lessons 4 Little Ones

10. Adventure is out there!

End-of-year Bulletin Board

Inspired by the movie Up, this colorful end-of-year bulletin board shares where each student is heading next. Use it for seniors to show their college or work plans, or for younger kids to share what they hope to learn in the next grade.

Learn more: Pinterest/FHS National Junior Honor Society

11. Turning the page

A book shaped bulletin board says turning the page to a new chapter and has student writings on it.

This fun book-shaped bulletin board highlights student work from the beginning of the year and the end of the year side-by-side so they can see how far they’ve come.

Learn more: Supply Me/mallonmessages.blogspot.com

12. All the feels about leaving

A black background has yellow emoji faces all over it with different expressions. It reads All the Feels About Leaving 1st Grade.

Help kids talk about how they’re feeling now that the end of the year is near. Emojis make this exercise fun. Have kids choose the one that suits them best, then write about their feelings on the second circle stapled beneath. See more at the link below.

Learn more: What the Teacher Wants Blog

13. A whale of a year

a bulletin board says We've had a whale of a year and has whales on it made from paper plates.

Summer bulletin board ideas that showcase student artwork like these oh-so-adorable boats and whales are some of our favorites. While you assemble the different shades of blue for the ocean, you can have your students work on the watercolor and Epsom salts sailboats. Once those are done, have them get to work re-creating these adorable paper plate whales. Finally, piece it all together for a stellar summer bulletin board.

Learn more: PreK4Fun

14. Just keep swimming

A black background has waves on the perimeter. It reads Just Keep Swimming and has the number of days left on the board. There are fish, whales, and other sea creatures as well. (summer bulletin boards ideas)

Be like Dory from Finding Nemo, and just keep swimming until you make it to the end! Don’t blame us if you walk around singing that little tune all day, though.

Learn more: Teacher Created/Instagram

15. Surfin’ into summer

A bulletin board says Surfin into summer. There are photos of students holding small surfboards all over (summer bulletin board ideas)

This is such a cute way to include your students’ photos on your summer bulletin board. Be sure to add some beach-themed images like flip-flops and palm trees too!

Learn more: A Touch of Class Teaching

16. Count down the days till it’s o-“fish”-ally summer

A classroom door has colorful fish on it. It says 37 days until it's o-fish-ally summer! (summer bulletin boards ideas)

Swim toward summer with this simple but effective end-of-year bulletin board idea. Let the students color in their own fish and help you change the count each day on the mini-blackboard.

Learn more: Ashley Hook/Pinterest

17. Say hello to summer

If you’re crafty, this is the bulletin board for you. All of the details in this summer bulletin board are just so adorable, from the multi-colored umbrella to the different shades of waves.

18. Oh, but what if you fly?

A woman stands in between two wings attached to a wall. The wings are made from feathers that students have colored and written on. Text reads "Oh but what if you fly" (summer bulletin boards ideas)

This might take a bit more space than a regular bulletin board, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Made by students, each feather features their hopes, dreams, and wishes for the future. Assemble them into a giant pair of wings so students can pose for social media–worthy photos.

Learn more: Bee in the Bookends

19. Dance with the fireflies

Text reads May you dance with fireflies and talk to the moon. Tents made from paper plates are shown and fireflies. (summer bulletin board ideas)

This camping-themed bulletin board is so cute. We especially love the paper plate tents and handprint fires.

Learn more: PreK4Fun

20. Stay on target until the very end

A black bulletin board has white writing that says Stay on Target Still 16 school days left. It has a target and arrows on it.

It’s so easy to get distracted as the final school days arrive. This board reminds kids they still need to do their work and be prepared for class right up until the last day.

Learn more: The Teacher’s Corner

21. Take a bite out of these cute pineapples

Pineapples line the outside of the bulletin board. They have lines for a writing prompt on them and some are wearing sunglasses. The middle says this year was sweet (summer bulletin board ideas)

Certainly nothing says summer like pineapples in sunglasses! If you’re crafty, all you need to do is create this bulletin board from card stock.

Learn more: The Designer Teacher

22. A berry sweet board

A bulletin board says this year was berry sweet. It has strawberries all over it with writing prompts on them (summer bulletin board ideas)

We couldn’t resist another fruit-themed end-of-year bulletin board since they are just so sweet!

Learn more: The Designer Teacher

23. We R2 excited for summer!

A black bulletin board says We R2 Excited for Summer! It also says It's Going to BB GR-8. It has R2 D2 and BB8 from Star Wars on it.

This is definitely one of our favorite end-of-year bulletin boards. We love the math facts in the middle helping to count down the days.

Learn more: Tracy King/Pinterest

24. Read something cool this summer


I scream, you scream, we all scream for … books! Tip: Paste two-dimensional ice cream cones (or Popsicles!) on the board and write or attach book titles on the scoops of ice cream. Another variation of this display, which we have yet to see, is to design an ice cream freezer in which each flavor is replaced by a genre or book title (Ex: strawberry = romance, cookie dough = adventure, etc.)

Learn more: Pinterest

25. Hang in there!

Bulletin board reads hang in there we still have 20 days of school left. Two kids are made from cardstock and are shown hanging upside down (summer bulletin boards ideas)

“Hang in there, we still have 20 days of school left” with two kids hanging upside down! What a cute idea for a countdown.

Learn more: Crafty Morning

26. Time to LEGO of the current year

A large Lego figure is in the corner. 4 Lego bricks are on the other side. Text reads Pre-k is so much fun we don't want to LEGO

Summer bulletin board ideas that also include a beloved children’s toy—yes, please! Your students will definitely get a kick out of the play on the word LEGO. You can save those Amazon boxes, cover them in dollar-store tablecloths in primary colors, and then add some small plastic bowls to the top to make the bricks.

Learn more: A Gift of Knowledge

27. Inching our way into summer

Balloons make up the body of this caterpillar. It says Inching Our Way Into Summer. It has grass, flowers, a jump rope, and two tennis rackets on it.

Balloons make up this fun inchworm to count down the days until the end of the year.

Learn more: Melly Moments

28. Rays of sunshine

A bulletin board says our little rays of sunshine. It has a sun in the middle and the rays coming out from it have names on it.

This is the perfect bulletin board to leave up during the spring and early summer months. You can hand out yellow strips of paper and have kids write their own names on the rays while you create the smiling sun.

Learn more: Supply Me

29. Floating into summer

A bulletin board says Floating Into Summer. It has people floating on rafts in an ocean. A palm tree, sun, and sand are also included (summer bulletin boards ideas)

Have your students create top-view self-portraits of themselves on floaties for this adorable summer bulletin board.

Learn more: Michelle Gregg on Pinterest

30. Flip-flop into summer

Text reads flip flop into summer. THere are flip flops and a beach shown.

Painted footprints double as an end-of-year gift for parents to follow their children’s growth!

Learn more: Guylaine’s Playhouse

31. We came as strangers, we leave as friends

Text reads We Came as Strangers, We Leave as Friends. There are clotheslines with clothespins holding up pictures of students and teachers.

Photos taken throughout the year are displayed in this favorite end-of-year bulletin board idea.

Learn more: Tanisha Thompson on Pinterest

32. Keep it short and sweet

A bulletin board says in large letters one word reflections. It is covered in words like friends, etc. that describe the past year.

We love how simple this board is to re-create since all you will need is some construction paper and markers. It will be fun to see what words your students come up with as they reflect back on the past year.

Learn more: Stephanie’s History Store

33. Best year ever!

A bulletin board says Best Year Ever in brightly colored letters. It has photos from the year attached to it.

Keep it simple with this colorful display of letters and photographs.

Learn more: Pinterest/Katie Torres

34. Blast off into summer

A blue background has rocketships all over it. It says Kindergarten was a blast! (summer bulletin board ideas)

Summer bulletin board ideas should be relatively simple, like this one, since you’re likely tired and ready for a break! Give your students the rough shapes to create their rocket ships, then let them get to work. Finally, piece it all together.

Learn more: Apples and ABCs

35. Summer vibes

This is the perfect bulletin board to pull together last minute since you can just use some basic store-bought materials like these.

36. That’s a wrap

A bulletin board says that's a wrap. It has large fake candies on it and letters from students.

This bulletin board really ties in the current school year with the next since it includes letters of advice from current students to next year’s students. We especially love the cute play on the word wrap with the wrapped candies.

Learn more: Supply Me

37. Have a healthy summer

A board has a picnic basket on a blanket. It says what healthy activities will you choose to fill your basket this summer. There are pictures of different activities spread out. (summer bulletin board ideas)

While there are lots of summer bulletin board ideas for the main classroom, it is harder to find ones for specials like P.E., art, and music. This board is perfect to get kids thinking about healthy habits during the summer months.

Learn more: PE Central

38. Cruising into summer

Cute little cars decorate a bulletin board that says Cruising to 2nd.

Kids will love creating these cute little cars and will definitely get a kick out of seeing them on display. You can change the text to read any grade or simply say “cruising into summer.”

Learn more: First Grade Blue Skies

39. End the year with a bang

Brightly colored text reads Let's end the year with a bang.

Get ready for fireworks this summer with this fun door decoration to put up during the last few weeks of school.

Learn more: Pinterest/Connecting Teachers

40. Bright futures ahead

A red and yellow bulletin board says Our future is so bright we have to wear shades. There are photos of all of the students wearing sunglasses and underneath their pictures it says what they want to be when they grow up (summer bulletin board ideas)

Find the coolest pair of shades you can and then photograph each of your students wearing them. While photographing them, ask them what they want to be when they grow up and include it with their printed photo. Finally, piece it all together into this adorable summer bulletin board.

Learn more: Rainbows Within Reach

Have more great summer or end-of-year bulletin boards to share? Come and post them in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, 35 End-of-Year Assignments and Activities for Every Grade.

Summer is in sight, but you're not there yet! These summer bulletin board ideas will keep kids engaged until the final bell rings.