- Set up an art file for each child in your group. Put them in (nicely coloured) box files in register/alphabetical order. The children can file away their own works of art and parent can have acces to them to take them home.
- Get diary for children 2 sign in each day.
- Visit your local picture framers and ask them for off-cuts. When they cut mounts for pictures, they have no use for the middle bits and discard them. They are usually pleased to donate them to daycares & preschools and thick card always has many uses...
- When you run something through the laminating machine and you end up with excess film, don't throw it away. It can be used to draw on with the overhead projector if you would like to enlarge something. If it is cut to 8 1/2 x 11 it can also go through your laser jet printer to make very inexpensive transparencies. The overhead markers can be wiped off with a damp tissue.
- Children love celebrating their bday with their friends especially at the centre because we can make it special for each child. Decorate an empty biscuit tin with tissue paper, collage materials, cellophane etc and put candles on the top to make it look like a birthday cake. Each time it is a child's birthday, present the 'cake' to the birthday child singing happy birthday with the group. The tin can also be filled with cheap lollies to be given to the birthday child.
- Use a pack away song. After giving a 5 minute warning and the children are ready to pack away, play a pack away song (this can be any song the children like). The aim is too have everything packed away before the song finishes. After a few days with the pack away song once the children are ready to pack away just play the song and they will begin to pack away without you having to say anything. The children will recognise that it's time to pack away and start reminding eachother that everyone has to pack away...
Hope This Helps,
,L.A
