I try very hard not to be
an infomercial on my blog. There
are very few products that I have ever mentioned other than E6000 glue and
Crayola Dry Erase crayons. (Nope! I don’t work for either company or
receive money from them.)
But, here’s something new
(new to me anyway) that is a “must have” for any classroom. My niece gave Kalina and K.J. some
markers for windows when they were here for spring break. I was a little skeptical, but they had
so much fun and were so engaged I didn’t worry about the clean up. Right before they left I gave K.J. a
rag and a spray bottle and challenged him to clean the windows. Waa laa!! The markers really did wash off!
If you are a parent, or
grandparent, or aunt, or uncle, or anyone who might have children visiting this
summer, these markers would provide children with hours of open-ended and fun. I like the "Crystal Effects Window Markers" the best.
As a teacher, here are some other uses
for the markers in your classroom:
Reading
Write letters, words,
numerals, shapes, or anything you want to reinforce on windows or mirrors.
*Let children wear
sunglasses and identify the information with a pointer.
Writing
Let children practice
writing letters, numerals, spelling words, etc. on classroom windows.
* How about rainbow
writing? Make giant letters,
shapes, words, etc. on windows.
Children can take the markers and trace around the figures with
different colors.
Reward
Use these as a reward or
when children finish their work early.
Reminders
Use the classroom mirror
as a message board to write words of encouragement, reminders, or to celebrate
accomplishments.
Special Days
Let children decorate
classroom windows holidays, seasons, themes, or other special events.
Brainstorm!
Write a word or theme and
invite children to add their own thoughts to the window.
Sign In
Children can write their
name or a special message when they come to school each morning.
Graffiti
What an open-ended art
center this could be throughout the year!
Note! You could even have “window washer” as
a classroom job. I found it was
best to wipe off the marks with a wet towel before using a window cleaner.