New uses for old things

I save my coffee creamer containers for random storage, like sticks, etc.

 

yogurt cups would make good paint cups for an easel.
Cool whip containers/sour cream containers, etc. could be used to store manipulatives.

 

Reusing USED mailing boxes is a great idea. I'd be hesitant to take unused boxes from the post office to use for school supply storage. The US post office is experiencing fiscal problems as it is. Jem does a lot of mailing and her local postmaster probably knows her from her businessdealings, but as a person who rarely uses the post office ,and tax payer who subsidizes those 'free' boxes, I'd be hesitant to take free unused ones. That's not really recycling.

 

Thanks for the info Jem. This a great way to reuse boxes as well as boxes I've purchased, but just haven't used!

 

Bump!

 

I've been saving plastic gum dispensers this summer to use for bingo chips and small manipulatives. They make it easy to quickly dispense said items.

 

Great thread, great ideas!! Thanks for sharing! I used a Crystal Light tea container (the ones that hold several small tubs of powder) for box tops that the students bring in. When it gets full, I have a student take it down the to the office to empty it and bring back. I also use these for storing name sticks for my Social Studies class that I only have for 40 minutes a day. With the lid, I can stick it anywhere and just pull it when I need it.

 

Oh I love the gum container idea!

 

Love the gum container plan!

Does anyone have any new/interesting uses for old wall calendars?

 

Cut out the squares with numbers and let kids write equations and fact families with them. Glue onto colorful paper.

 

Our art teacher uses the nature photos for landscape studies...

 

Don't know if it has been mentioned, but I use water bottle caps in math. I just write a number on the top (between 0-9). I am going to use them to practice place value.

 

What am amazing idea!!!!

 

Just found this today: Discovery Bottles. I'm going to have my 5th graders make them, and then gift them to their prayer partners in 1st.

 

Those are great! They remind me of these:



I just dyed a bunch of alphabet pasta that would be perfect for this.

 

Thanks so much for the discovery bottles link and info!! I am getting ready to make these "treasure bottles" to use as a road trip activity on our way to the beach and thought it'd be neat to save them for my classroom this year. I never even thought of using them as word bottles, number bottles, science bottles, etc. WOW!! The wheels are turning...

 

I LOVE the Discovery bottle idea and will be making up some 7th grade remedial math bottles for my students. I'm sure I can find ways to make them suitable for my older kiddos. I am thinking of using centers this year so this will be a great thing to use. Thank you!!

I also wanted to share a way to recycle old greeting cards or postcards:

Take an old greeting card. Cut off the pretty front and Cut a plain piece of cardstock the same size. (If the card was blank inside you could just use that.) Cut the pretty/picture part into an appropriate amount of puzzle pieces. Assemble the card together again and trace the outlines of those pieces onto the other paper. So now, each puzzle piece should have a corresponding spot on the other paper. use the back of the piece and the corresponding spot to make flashcards (i.e. put 9x2 on the piece and 18 on the other paper. Basically, you are making a flash card puzzle. I hope that explanation is clear enough.

 

I love this. Thanks for sharing. This also gives me a HUGE idea! It might take me some time to gather them, but I think it might work and be cheaper, be "green" with repurposing something, and just be easy to do.

Maybe.....

collect as many plastic caps as possible to use as counters for math...I teach arrays and we use dried beans. But these would be bigger.

Number caps 0 to 9 and a few other caps with math symbols x, -, + .... turn them down so the writing can't be seen and then have the kids turn 2 numbers and 1 symbol over and write number sentences according to what they turn up...kind of like math memory. And for a little partner competition...who ever has the highest/lowest number, wins.

 

I like it!

I have gotten the boxes that WalMart uses to hold folders & binders, etc., and covered them with Contact paper (after reinforcing them with duct tape). They made great storage containers!

 

Love the cap idea for place value!

 

And I love the discovery bottle idea! I had never heard of them before reading that post!

 

I use the bottle caps on milk gallon jugs after I have washed them. I use them for word work and write a letter on each one.

 

I use 5 gallon ice cream containers for the same reason. I can store multiple borders in each one, and I just write on the top of the lid, which borders are inside. They do take up more space than frosting containers, but they were more readily available for me.

 

Apparently they do! My students are ALWAYS asking, "Can I have that tube for my hamster, etc"

 

The ends of laminating film is GREAT for book marks. I cut them with my crazy scissors and then color on them with Sharpie markers. (My 6yo daughter LOVES this job). I've added stickers and such too. You could also use this for a stained glass art project, since it is clear. The color shines through. They were the most popular ones in my class- no wonder they disappeared.

 

LOVE THIS!

 

When I student taught I made my host teacher a set of dry erase boards. I bought a 4 x8 sheet of shower board for around $10 and had the guys at Lowes cut it into 12 x12 baords. They didn't charge for the cuts when I told them it was for school. Ended up with a set of 30 dry erase boards and they worked great.

 

Where did you purchase the showerboard? Was this at Lowe's too?