HOMEMADE PLAY DOUGH LIVES!
We make our own play dough each month at the school. It gets used almost every day and sits out for almost two hours during playtime. Obviously, it dries up quickly with that much exposure to the air. I just discovered a new way to extend the life of it. When I go to put it away, I just wrap a wet cloth around it and let it keep overnight in a Ziplock baggie. The next day it is a little slimy, but I just knead it to restore it to its original texture. You won't need to wrap it every day, but whenever it feels a little dry, just wrap it for one night. Works like a charm!
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We make our own play dough each month at the school. It gets used almost every day and sits out for almost two hours during playtime. Obviously, it dries up quickly with that much exposure to the air. I just discovered a new way to extend the life of it. When I go to put it away, I just wrap a wet cloth around it and let it keep overnight in a Ziplock baggie. The next day it is a little slimy, but I just knead it to restore it to its original texture. You won't need to wrap it every day, but whenever it feels a little dry, just wrap it for one night. Works like a charm!
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ANOTHER MAN'S TRASH...
All those things that we throw away in the trash at home can be an art project at school. Just hang a bag in the closet and, before you throw ANYTHING away, look at it a second time and think, 'Can this be used for a project somewhere?' If so, drop it in the bag. When the bag is full, take it to school, empty it, and bring it back home to refill. Some things I like to save are: egg cartons, yogurt cups, Crystal Lite containers with the little pre-measured cups inside , colored tissue paper from gifts, butter tubs, cardboard, toilet paper and paper towel tubes, frozen dinner dishes (Stouffers has nice black ones in many of their smaller entree's), etc.
Feel free to add more of your own ideas to this list in the comments section.
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COSMETIC SOLUTION
Many years ago, I was working at a local day care. Morale was low, so our director decided to lift our spirits with a Mary Kay party. She invited a Rep to come to the center during nap time and give us all a make-over with her many facial products. We had a ball and a good laugh. When she was finished, she gathered up all her used brushes and bottles and threw them in the trash. I immediately grabbed the eyeliner brushes and told her I could use them for my classroom. She refused to let me keep them, but substituted a full pack of new, unused brushes instead. I still use eyeliner brushes to this day for my glue projects. They're great for fine motor as well as glue economy. If you are interested in ordering them, I get them from this web site: Fantasea Disposable Lip Brushes (Bag of 25) ::Cosmetic Solutions . I usually order two or three packs at a time and they last several years......unless they fall down the drain.
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EASY DOES IT
In a previous tip, I wrote about how to make clean up a breeze. Many years ago, I worked in a day care that did not have running water in the classroom. I had to come up with a different way to make clean up easier, especially for glue materials. I came up with the idea to squeeze the glue onto a butter tub cover for the children to use. Then when we were finished, I just set the covers on the shelf to dry overnight. In the morning the dried glue just peeled right off the cover and they were ready to use again.
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YES OR NO
A child asks you for something. You're not sure you want to say yes right away. "No" doesn't seem appropriate either. Buy yourself some time and just answer "I'll think about it." Then be sure to give them an answer after you've made a decision.
If you are struggling with your decision, engage the child in the process. Let them get some experience with problem solving, too. Give them the pros and cons and see what they have to offer. If there is still not a clear answer, tell them you will think about what they said and give them an answer soon. Don't make them wait too long, though.
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TIME SAVER
This may seem like a no-brainer to many of you, but I'll put it out there for those of you who have not thought of it yet. When you are cutting out art activities for your class, trace each different shape on ONE piece of paper and then staple five or six papers together and cut it once. You can't know how many times I have watched assistant teachers or student helpers trace the same shape several times on one sheet of paper and cut each one individually. Must be nice to have THAT much time to spend on preparing projects. I only have 24 hours in MY day.
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CLEAN-UP IS A BREEZE
Time is precious in a classroom. We need to spend as much time with our attention on the children as possible. The clean-up is important as well, but we can't always wash up all the paint and glue brushes and art containers as soon as we've finished using them. If we let them sit, the paint and glue dries and makes them twice as difficult to clean. The easy answer is to have a pan or pail of water, already filled at the beginning of your day, to throw the messy materials into to soak while you carry on with the children. The clean-up is made easier and faster, and can be done during a more convenient time like nap time, or after class is dismissed. Then, it doesn't take time away from you and your beautiful kids!
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QUICK FIX
Every year, you will inevitably discover that there are a few children in your class who don't like to get paint or glue on their hands. The sink is just not close enough. Without a quick fix, they will eventually begin to avoid doing projects or become upset if pressured. So here is the quick fix: put a wet washcloth on the art table. They can wipe their hands as often as they want....and quickly.
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AVOIDING BOREDOM
When setting up a frequently used playdough table, choose materials that are different to ensure that the area never becomes boring. If possible, try to use materials that relate to your theme of the day. If that is not feasible, then try using different groupings of materials.
Here are a few choices:
Use materials that are all the same color. Rotate colors every day.
Use materials that are only for cutting or pounding.
Use materials that are made of the same thing, like metal, wood or plastic.
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BEYOND THE NORM
Activity tables can hold a lot more than sand and water. How about popcorn kernels, rice, birdseed, dried beans and peas, macaroni noodles, shaving cream, moon sand...
Feel free to share your own favorites in the comments section.
