Thursday, May 23, 2013

COLOR YOUR DAY SUNNY!


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.