I can't believe it took me so long to come up with this idea. I've always had a box of left over crayons at the end of the year. What do I do with these? Nothing, they just get thrown in a plastic container. Not very productive.
On another note... you know those cute tissue boxes you have left over when you finish all the tissues? Well, I have several of them roaming around my classroom. I always feel like there is something I could do with them and feel guilty just dumping them. I usually get sick of them being piled up and recycle them.Can you see where I am going with this?
Just the other day I got am epiphany. As my students were coloring the other day I saw a little arm up in the air. Then I was asked this question... "Do you have the color red?" I almost always have them ask the student siting next to them for whatever they need, reminding them to "Use their words" but at this time I thought "yes, I do have a tone of them. They are sitting in a box doing nothing." So I got up and dumped my extra crayons in one of these empty tissue boxes and set it in an easily accessible table. I then stopped the class and introduced a new procedure.
From now on when you have run out of a crayon, you may get up and go to the "Extra Crayon Box" to get another one. Too bad it is the end of the year or I would have made and "Extra
Marker" and "Extra Color Pencil" box too. I will definitely be keeping this for next year. The best part is that when the boxes are all worn out I know exactly where to get another one and it doesn't cost me a penny!
I have to say that I thought this would be a bit of a problem but y students love this and are not abusing it... for now at least. They are excited that they no longer have to wait "forever" for another student to finish with the yellow color.
What do you all do with your your empty tissue boxes?
I use "borrow buckets" in my classroom. I purchased one of those toy bins from Target or Walmart which are wooden w/ plastic tubs. We have a couple for crayons, one for glue sticks, one for scissors, one for colored pencils, one for erasers, one for regular pencils, one for glue bottles, and I can't remember the last one. When kiddos bring in school supplies at the beginning of the year, they keep basics in their desks, and the rest go in the borrow buckets or my supply closet. I replenish as needed. If I find things on the floor at the end of the day, they just get tossed in the buckets. It works out so well.
ReplyDeleteI too have a crayon basket. I'm always finding them on the floor,so I just started putting them in the basket. When kids need a certain color, they look in the basket.
ReplyDeleteNow if I only had a solution to keep their pencil boxes from dumping off the tables
I think that it is so funny that we all have never come up with this solution before. I have my students keep their supplies in their "supply boxes" (the 3 drawer plastic containers like Mrs. Meacham uses). I am forever having students lose crayons and need a color. This is a great way to make sure that they can always find the one that they need and they don't have to disturb me to do it. Thanks for the idea!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea!! Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteMagnificent Multiagers!
we call ours the "crayon grave yard!"
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to recycle!
Good idea to use something that would normally be thrown out
ReplyDeleteI just came up with this idea too! I use a plastic tray and call it the "Lost and Found." It's nice that they can be independent and get a color if they need it without help from me!!!
ReplyDeleteI have extra crayon boxes too. I say "boxes" because I used to just dump them all in a box, and then got frustrated with all of the time the kids spent digging through the box when they needed a certain color. To fix this problem, I bought small square containers with lockable lids from Wal-Mart. I then divided the crayons into color families (reds, oranges, greens, etc) so that the kids can quickly find the color they're looking for.
ReplyDeleteWe cover them with construction paper to make Valentine's Day boxes. I'm also thinking that next year I'll use them to make jewelry boxes for mom! :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. Since I finally have a button I've decided to add a few to my blog...and yours is one of them!
Little Miss Glamour Goes to Kindergarten
Thanks Kristen. :)
ReplyDeleteMs. M
I've turned the cube-shaped tissue boxes into "roll a ___" 'dice'. I covered one box with paper coins, as part of a roll and cover game.
ReplyDeleteI also use empty tissue boxes as a container for plastic shopping bags. They can take up so much room, but the empty box is a perfect container for these slippery bags.
:-) (Isn't the watermelon box cute?!)
ReadWriteSing
this is genious! How come I hadn't come up with other uses for tissue boxes?!? I really like the dice idea. To think of all the boxes I threw into the recycling bin this year...
ReplyDelete