8 Crayon Holder Ideas for the Classroom
With crayons, kids can color their world and easily transform dull pieces of art into vibrant creations. Many teachers use crayons regularly, having students color pictures to accompany written works, create colorful displays of numbers for math class or color in science diagrams to improve their understanding of the topic. To ensure that these useful coloring tools are always on hand, while preventing them from making the classroom appear cluttered, select a useful holder for your students' crayons.
-
Laminated Crayon Box
-
Many teachers abandon the boxes in which the crayons come because they quickly become tattered. If you want to take advantage of this box as a storage tool, try reinforcing it. Cover the box with clear packing tape, such as the type you use to cover address labels before shipping packages, or clear adhesive laminating film to make it sturdy enough to stand up to long-term use.
Strawberry Container
-
As you enjoy succulent strawberries in the summer, hang on to the small plastic baskets in which theses berries come. When you head back to school in the fall, use your collected baskets as crayon holders, placing one in the middle of each student work table, or storing them on a shelf. To make the containers more attractive, use ribbon to decorate them, weaving it through the basket holes.
-
Shortened Cereal Boxes
-
Save the boxes from which you enjoy your morning cereal and transform them into crayon holders. To make these boxes crayon-ready, shorten them, cutting off the bottom and leaving a lip 3- to 4-inches high, creating a trough into which you can place your crayons. Decorate these holders -- or have the students decorate them as a separate art project -- to make them look more appealing.
Empty Cans
-
Give the cans in which veggies and soup come a new lease on life by turning them into crayon holders. Save cans and ask your students to do the same, gathering a large collection of these free storage containers. Before readying them for use, inspect the lip of each can, ensuring that it doesn't have any sharp edges that could cut your students' fingers. Wrap the cans that pass inspection with paper, to decorate them and/or label them as crayon containers.
Food Storage Boxes
-
If you seek a storage option with a lid, try a food storage box. Select a box sized for holding sandwiches or a similarly small container. Purchase an abundance of these containers in the same size, allowing you to stack them easily when you plan to stow your crayons.
Shower Caddy
-
A shower caddy provides an effective way to store your crayons, particularly if you want to keep these tools divided by hue or color. Purchase a multi-compartment caddy with a handle. These containers are organizational tools and are usually available in abundance during the back-to-school season, as college students often buy them for dorm use.
Petite Basket
-
Make it easy for your students to carry their crayons around the room by storing them in small baskets. Look for mini-baskets as Easter season draws to a close. Paint these baskets different colors, or leave them their natural hue. Load up your crayons, placing an assortment in each container.
Coffee Cup
-
The heavy weight and convenient handle of a coffee cup makes it ideal for holding crayons. Clean out your cabinets, pulling out the coffee mugs you no longer use and have them house crayons, or go garage sale shopping and buy an array of mugs to use as classroom crayon holders.
-
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
