Looking for some Bulletin Board Ideas? Here are some ways to celebrate a Tall Tales theme.
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Larger-Than-Life Bulletin Board Ideas for a Tall Tales Theme
Tall tales are one of the most entertaining themes you can bring into a school library or classroom. Filled with giant lumberjacks, enormous pancakes, impossible adventures, and wildly exaggerated storytelling, tall tales capture students’ imaginations while supporting reading, writing, folklore, and American history lessons.
A tall tales bulletin board theme works especially well for folklore units, storytelling activities, creative writing lessons, western themes, camping themes, Americana displays, and summer reading programs. Best of all, these displays naturally encourage students to have fun with language, exaggeration, humor, and creativity.
Whether you want a rustic frontier look, a western-style display, or a playful storytelling board, these tall tales bulletin board ideas can help students “think big” about reading and writing.
“Tall Tales & Giant Adventures”
A classic and flexible bulletin board theme.
Display Idea:
Feature famous tall tale characters with oversized decorations and exaggerated scenery.
Include Characters Like:
- Paul Bunyan
- Pecos Bill
- John Henry
- Johnny Appleseed
Fun Extras:
- Giant footprints
- Oversized pancakes
- Giant blue ox cutouts
- Rope and wood-style borders
“Reading Bigger Than Ever!”
A fun library-focused tall tales board.
Display Idea:
Use giant books, giant trees, or giant storytelling elements to show how reading expands the imagination.
Add-On Ideas:
- “Tall stacks” of recommended books
- Student’s favorite folklore stories
- Reading challenge progress on giant measuring tapes
Great For:
- Summer reading
- Library promotions
- Elementary reading displays
“Stretch Your Imagination”
Perfect for creative writing units.
Display Idea:
Invite students to create their own exaggerated tall tale characters or impossible adventures.
Student Prompts:
- A fish bigger than a school bus
- A snowstorm made of popcorn
- A giant pet raccoon
- A superhero cowboy
Add Student Work:
Display student-created tall tale stories or illustrations around the board.
“Welcome to Tall Tale Country”
Create a giant frontier scene filled with exaggerated storytelling elements.
Include:
- Mountains taller than clouds
- Giant campfires
- Oversized tools
- Lumberjack cabins
- Huge animals
Fun Phrases:
- “Stories as Big as the Sky”
- “Adventure Lives Here”
- “Everything’s Bigger in Tall Tales!”
“Paul Bunyan’s Reading Camp”
A lumberjack-themed reading board that students love.
Display Idea:
Turn the board into a lumber camp with trees, axes, logs, flannel patterns, and camping lanterns.
Great Additions:
- Student reading logs displayed as “wood slices”
- “Chop Through Your Reading Goals”
- Plaid or buffalo-check borders
Great Pairings:
- Paul Bunyan
- American Tall Tales
“Tall Tales Grow Big Readers”
A playful reading-growth theme.
Display Idea:
Use giant beanstalks, giant vegetables, or oversized flowers to represent reading progress.
Interactive Ideas:
Students add:
- Leaves for books completed
- Giant stars for reading milestones
- Tall tale-inspired writing samples
“Can You Spot the Exaggeration?”
A literacy-focused interactive board.
Display Idea:
Post funny exaggerated statements from famous tall tales and invite students to identify the exaggeration.
Example Statements:
- “Paul Bunyan dug the Grand Canyon.”
- “Pecos Bill rode a tornado.”
- “John Henry could outwork a machine.”
Great For:
- Figurative language lessons
- Writing traits
- Reading comprehension
“Wanted: Tall Tale Heroes”
A western-style bulletin board theme.
Display Idea:
Create “wanted posters” for famous folklore characters.
Include:
- Character traits
- Famous adventures
- Funny exaggerations
- “Special skills”
Bonus Idea:
Students create their own original tall tale heroes.
“Bigger, Wilder, Funnier Stories”
A colorful display featuring humorous books and exaggerated storytelling.
Great Companion Books:
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
- The BFG
- Strega Nona
Great Focus:
Showing how exaggeration makes stories memorable and fun.
“Create Your Own Tall Tale”
An interactive bulletin board that students can help build.
Display Idea:
Start a story on the board and invite students to add increasingly exaggerated details.
Example:
- “One day, a giant squirrel…”
- Students continue the tale throughout the month.
Great For:
- Collaborative storytelling
- Writing centers
- Library engagement
“Frontier Stories & Folklore”
A calmer, rustic-themed tall tales board.
Display Idea:
Use vintage maps, campfire imagery, forest scenes, and old-fashioned storytelling visuals.
Pair With:
- American folklore collections
- Pioneer history books
- Wilderness survival stories
Great Companion Reads:
- My Side of the Mountain
- Hatchet
Easy Extras That Make Tall Tale Boards Stand Out
Use Oversized Decorations
Tall tales are all about exaggeration.
Ideas:
- Giant boots
- Giant pancakes
- Oversized axes
- Huge fish
- Enormous campfires
Add Rustic Elements
- Burlap
- Plaid patterns
- Wood-look borders
- Twine or rope
- Faux trees or logs
Include Student Creativity
Tall tales are perfect for student writing and illustrations.
Student Contributions:
- Invented heroes
- Exaggerated adventures
- Funny frontier maps
- Giant creature drawings
Great Books to Feature
Some excellent tall tales and folklore books include:
- Paul Bunyan
- John Henry
- Pecos Bill
- American Tall Tales
- Johnny Appleseed
Tall tales bulletin boards bring humor, creativity, storytelling, and imagination into libraries and classrooms in unforgettable ways. These themes encourage students to stretch their imaginations, experiment with language, and enjoy the playful side of reading and writing.
Whether you create a giant lumberjack camp, a wild frontier adventure, or an interactive storytelling wall, tall tale bulletin boards help students discover that books — just like tall tales — can take readers on adventures bigger than life itself.
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