“Pat on the Back” Bulletin Board

By Melissa Chesny, Resident Assistant, Philadelphia University

Hey Everyone! This Bulletin Board is so easy, and fun too. It’s called "Pat on the Back" and all you need is a BIG hand (made out of construction paper or poster board), some cut out hands for a border, cut out hands for posting messages, the title (made on construction paper or however you want), and push pin tacks (that get stuck right into the board).

Take the big hand and put it in the center of your board, then put the title above it, and staple hands on the board as a border. Use the envelope as a pouch for the hands where individuals write messages. Write instruction on the envelope so residents know to write a “pat on the back” to anyone who has made a significant accomplishment or might need an extra thank you. The “pat on the back” messages get posted on the big hand.

This board is a great community builder because it is all done by your community residents. It helps if you post the first “pat” to encourage participation. You can leave this board up all year…when the board gets full with hands you can carefully remove some of them and hang them on the room doors of the residents who received the “pat”.

Enjoy!