As much as I’d like to say I always have activities planned for each grade level, the reality is that there are often times where some of the kids don’t have anything to do. Currently I am teaching seven different levels (from pre-K to a high school junior) and while I don’t believe in structuring my children’s every moment or learning experience I do try to have things on hand for when I hear for the 100th time, “Mama, where’s my school work?” or “Mama, I’m bored. When’s it going to be my turn?”
One of my children’s favorite activities to do is coloring. I can’t tell you how many crayons we have gone through over the years. Sometimes though, the kids get bored with regular coloring so we have found a few alternative ways to have fun with crayons. They are sure-fire ways to help my kids wait a little longer for their “turn” at school.
- Rainbow Crayons: Take broken pieces of crayons, take the papers off of them and divide them by color. Place the sorted pieces in empty tin cans. Set the cans into a pot of hot/boiling water so that the bottom half of the can is submerged. Let the crayons melt. After the crayons have melted pour one color into an empty film canister. As the color hardens pour a second color on top of the first. Repeat with however many colors you wish. When the wax has all set again, cut the film canister from around your new rainbow crayon.
- Clothespin Crayons: Clip a clothespin onto a crayon and have your kids color with them. It gives a whole new perspective (and gross motor skills) to coloring. Your kids will have fun for sure!
- Stained-Glass Crayons: Gather up all your broken crayon pieces (or break ones if you want). Make sure there is no paper left on them. Line a cookies sheet with foil and cover with your crayon pieces. Place the cookie sheet into a 400* oven for a few minutes or until the crayons melt. Cool completely. When the crayons melt and mix you’ll a have stained-glass effect. Break your new crayons into chunks and color!
- Rainbow Drawing: Tape two or more crayons together and let your children color pictures. They’ll love the double or triple effects they can make with their crayons!
Do you know of any other fun ways to color? Is there anything you do to help your children wait a little longer until it is “their turn” for one on one lessons? I’d love to hear more suggestions on how to keep the other kids busy while I work with some of the other children.
Lately life has been crazy for our family, but when she has a minute or two Michelle writes about her family at her blog Pass The Flu Bug Please.
This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.
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Another fun way to use old, broken crayon bits is to put them in muffin tins and heat in the oven until they melt together. After cooled, place in the freezer so they pop out. You'll have a fun, new conglomerate of color, perfect for small hands.
Good ideas! I'd forgotten about binding several crayons together. That's fun.
And big kids can have fun using crayons to do otherwise boring school work — like math drill or spelling words.
Great ideas – I never knew thought about the stained glass crayons. That will be easy for me, since we seem to generate a lot of broken crayons. We don't have to break them on purpose! :-)