Make It Your Own

I have two tips for my BLFs...

One, I look through the million Oriental Trading catalogs I receive and I copy the craft ideas! So, instead of purchasing their craft kits, I take their idea and use supplies I have in the library to make it myself! Their kits are costly for large groups because they usually contain enough for maybe a dozen kids. If they use craft foam, I just use construction paper! I tweak it to work for my program, budget and supplies. I have used so many holiday ideas from their catalogs! Most people probably don't know that!

Second, I look through educational catalogs like Lakeshore, Learning Resources, Hatch, Learning Shop, Child Craft, Kaplan, etc. and I look at their educational items and make it myself. I LOVE all the educational resources that are out there, but they are just plain expensive! Here is a simple example, (but if you use your imagination and creativity, the possibilities are limitless) a early math skills manipulative - the Smart Snacks Counting Cookies from Learning Resources for $17.00.

I will be making this by taking a big plastic container that I got from Sam's Club that used to have pretzels inside and decorating it to look like a cookie jar. Then I will make the cookies with the numbers on one side and chips on the other. I will laminate these and I will use it in my next program. BLFs- you can easily do this at home! So much fun to be had learning at home!