May 3, 2011

Tuesdays Tip: What's on the Drying Rack?

The drying rack is the Drama Queen of my art room. There's always "an issue" and it always starts at the drying rack. Someone inevitably puts their work in the wrong spot, it gets misplaced and then we spend time and energy looking for it next class.

My drying rack drama is over! If you remember a while back I posted some solutions to my drying rack drama.  Well I've found the ULTIMATE SOLUTION! Color Coding. . . I've painted my drying rack with red, yellow, blue and orange. Now I can say put your paper on the blue and the whole class is in the same spot without fail. Today was the first day with the new painted rack and everyone caught on right away.

Oh color coded drying rack where have you been all my life?


A little sneak peak of  what's on our drying rack right now. . . 

We picked flowers from an "imaginary garden."

First grade imaginary flowers.

Notice the faded green paper we painted on?
I got the idea from Deep Space Sparkle. . . recycling some older construction paper!

Kindergarten Sunflowers.

Inspired by Van Gogh and Mother Nature. 

One of my favorite Kindergarten projects. It's a classic!


9 comments:

Phyl said...

My drying rack is a big jumble!

Meanwhile - the flowers are great; I remember your sunflowers (or something similar) from last year. My big question for you and everyone else I've seen posting sunflowers recently - why now? I always think of sunflowers in the early fall, so that's when I plan to do Van Gogh. Our new school garden, which should be planted soon, will hopefully have sunflowers for me to use when we go back in September. When they planned the garden, the sunflowers were my only request, and since the gal in charge of the project is my (now healthy) friend who's head I henna'ed, how could she say no?

Unknown said...

Well, the simple answer is. .. my kindergarteners can't write their name in the beginning of the year (some don't even know their name seriously) so it makes painting any "thing" really hard. I don't want to leave them out of this lesson so they're usually ready by spring. I have thought about the same thing though. . . maybe I could save the project for first graders in the fall? It would make sense. Sunflowers are out in our Stop and Shop! So that's kind of cool.

So glad to here your friend is healthy!!!!!! School garden? Take pics we're doing one too! Just got a small version of the green house we want in. The one we need will cost $10,000 we raised about $500 so far :) We're going to raise about 500 thursday and friday with an annual plant sale. $9,000 to go. Anybody know any philanthropists?

Angie said...

Great idea with color coding. I'll definitely do this.

Paper Pear said...

Great idea! I might try that! I always end up saying "the side closest to the door" or " the computer side" saying green or blue...much easier!

Barbara's Thought of the Day said...

I'm really interested in your green house project and how you're raising money to fund it. It sounds like you've made a lot of progress since you last posted if your greenhouse has arrived. What size is it? I'm dying to know more about your plant sale, too. What are you selling?
Barb

Lori- funart4kids.blogspot.com said...

Yes! I color code everything! I have used clothes pins (colored are good) and said "Between the reds" and so on... so that I can adjust the spaces for smaller classes, etc.
Your blog has been great with thoughtful ideas. Thanks.

Phyl said...

And a very happy Mother's Day to you, too, on your very first Mother's Day as a MOM!! I hope you and Stella and Nick (and your mom too) all have a wonderful day.

Ruth Lee said...

Fantastic idea!! I bet the drying rack looks more aesthetically pleasing too:)

Amanda said...

I'm looking at getting another drying rack. Do you like yours? It looks like the shelves don't move, maybe holds 12x18". I have a drying rack with shelves that move up and stay up but many don't lower the way they are suppose to, by pulling up and out to let them drop... It is a pain to always have to go over to the drying rack and have to do this especially when having classes back to back. This year I am trying to have them slide their artwork in from the side. I have 7 classes in a day. It gets filled with 3 classes' work. Then there are paintings lined up on the floor or some times clipped to a hanging line but you can't hang a collage or dripping paints over kids heads either. Oh the love hate of a drying rack. Thanks for any insight/suggestions anyone has!