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Teacher Supplies and Storage at Lakeshore Learning

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All the tools and supplies teachers need to organize their classroom, school or child care center. Browse our huge selection of teaching materials and storage equipment-including bins and totes, pocket charts and teaching easels, dry-erase boards and markers, storage carts, listening centers, laminators and so much more.

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Flexible Seating Elevates Student Engagement

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Breaking up rows of desks fosters collaboration and empowers kids to think about how they work best.

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In her continuing efforts to improve her teaching, a middle school teacher moved from reworking the curriculum to updating her room.

Courtesy of Brooke Markle

In the author's classroom, students pick a comfortable option as their primary seat.

According to the Association for Middle Level Education's book This We Believe, education for young adolescents must be developmentally responsive, challenging, empowering, and equitable. In my 13 years of teaching seventh-grade English, I have updated curriculum, lessons goals, assessments, and instructional methods to best suit each group of students.

While all of these changes have been, and continue to be, crucial in improving the education I provide to my students, the one piece I found to be missing was an update to my classroom environment. For over 100 years, classrooms have been organized around desks in rows. I tried moving away from having the 30 desks in rows, but I started to notice that the desks themselves were more of a hindrance than a help to my students as they transitioned from one lesson activity to the next. When given the choice, they overwhelmingly preferred to stand at the counter or stretch out on the floor to complete a task, rather than sit in a traditional desk.

In response to this observation, I started researching classroom design, and then approached my building principal to outline my vision for flexible seating in the middle school. I obtained approval to take this calculated risk and spent my summer gathering unused materials, writing grant proposals, and making a lot of seating options myself.

Remaking the Room

I created three different levels of seating-floor level, regular table height, and standing or high-top table height-with a total of eight options. The floor-level options are tire seats with pillows, a video-gaming rocker, and padded seats at low tables. For regular table height, I have plastic molded chairs and padded bucket stools at tables, and Adirondack chairs. And for standing height I have high tables with rolling chairs and counter space where students can sit or stand.

As the start of the school year approached, I switched my focus from creating the physical space to introducing and implementing this new classroom environment to students and parents. This was the part I was most anxious about, because I had always had strong classroom management. Would this change cause chaos in my otherwise structured world?

I pushed negative concerns aside and started to create my plan for implementation. I turned to my research and outlined expectations and routines for my students. A lot of my research came from elementary and high school teachers, so I relied heavily on my own experience in middle level education to predict issues and to incorporate solutions within my model.
Courtesy of Brooke Markle
On the first day of school, I watched in awe as students exuberantly entered my classroom and looked around to find a seat. I instructed them to try a new seat each day so they could figure out what worked best for them, and I outlined the ability for students to move to a different seat if they couldn't see the board clearly, were distracted by a nearby peer, or felt the need to use table space instead of a clipboard. To my surprise, my students immediately took ownership of their learning and followed my expectations perfectly.

I presented my philosophy behind making this environmental change to parents at back-to-school night, and watched as their heads nodded in agreement when I discussed my rationale for flexible seating with middle level students. Although I had brought in standard desk chairs to accommodate them, all of these parents opted to try out the flexible seating options their students had been telling them about all week-the floor pillows, Adirondack chairs, tire seats, bucket stools, and so on. The parents' enthusiasm helped break down the last bit of skepticism I had in the back of my mind.

Settling In

In week two, I gave a survey to get feedback and have students rank their preferences, in order to determine each student's home base seat. Home base seats are used for attendance, for initial direct instruction, and for when substitutes cover my class.

Students ranked the eight seating options, and I was able to assign every student to one of their top three choices. They're allowed to move around but typically choose to stay in their home base seats since those were assigned based on their personal choices.

When it comes to individual work, partner collaboration, or whole-group discussions, students are quick to follow my lead with the voice volume expectation. I continue to monitor attention to task, and my students seem very eager to please when it comes to using their classroom work time wisely.

The calculated risk to try flexible seating has definitely paid off for the learning community in my room. For example, none of my emotional-support students have needed or requested so much as a break this year.

And recently, when a student brought in a copy of the Pennsylvania State Education Association's Voice magazine and pointed to a photo of my classroom, I noticed that for the first time, instead of referring to "Mrs. Markle's room," students called it "our room." The shift in ownership has empowered students and has been the biggest impact I've seen this year. Students are taking more responsibility for their own learning as they see me model risk-taking in the classroom, and the flexible seating environment has played a large role in that shift.

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A 7th Grade Teacher's Shift to Flexible Seating

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In her continuing efforts to improve her teaching, a middle school teacher moved from reworking the curriculum to updating her room. Courtesy of Brooke Markle In the author's classroom, students pick a comfortable option as their primary seat.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Tips for Creating Wow-Worthy Learning Spaces

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From innovative, intelligent seating arrangements to relevant, engaging bulletin boards, your students deserve a classroom space that stimulates and facilitates their learning.

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by Jessica Mazone
Whether we are fifteen-year veterans or novice teachers to the profession, the start of a new school year carries with it a myriad of emotions, feelings, and tasks in need of completion. Questions such as: (a) What types of learners will I have in my classroom? (b) How can I integrate the Common Core State Standards into my current practice? (c) How can I arrange my classroom (tables, schedule, workspace) to maximize student learning? and (d) How can I differentiate instruction to meet the needs, interests, and abilities of my students? consume our thoughts during the first few weeks of school. There are no easy answers to these questions. However, we can begin to think about using bulletin boards as a means of providing both differentiated and individualized learning experiences for all students.

In our work with pre-service teachers at the University of Southern California, we have discovered that bulletin boards are an under utilized resource for differentiating classroom instruction. Many of our teacher candidates believed that bulletin boards were simply a means of making the walls of a classroom look "cute" or "welcoming," and that bulletin boards were only a technique suitable for primary (K-3) grades. We, however, believe that bulletin boards are much more than decorations; they are essential and instructional tools for creating a differentiated classroom environment.

Bulletin boards function as the perfect vehicle for integrating the four tenets of gifted instruction: Acceleration, Depth, Complexity, and Novelty into the core content standards. Bulletin boards created around a universal concept (acceleration) can help students see the connections that exist between and across the various disciplines. The prompts of depth and complexity can be integrated into the construction of a bulletin board to further focus students' study of the core content materials. Bulletin boards can also serve as the catalyst to independent study projects based on student interest, choice, and aptitude (novelty).

This article presents four different types of bulletin boards that can be used individually or in various combinations to create stimulating and differentiated classroom environments across the grade levels. When most educators think of bulletin boards, they envision those that are aesthetic in nature. Images of the fall harvest, famous works by Claude Monet, and the national parks as seen through the hauntingly beautiful lens of Ansel Adams epitomize this design. Aesthetic bulletin boards serve two very important purposes: (a) they help students develop an appreciation for the world in which they live, and (b) they provide opportunities for students to "dabble" into unfamiliar topic areas and to develop interests they did not even know they had.

Informational bulletin boards, as the name suggests, provide students with key pieces of information that can be narrow (specific classroom events) or broad (current events happening in various parts of the country or world) in scope. Informational bulletin boards serve as a means of communication between several different classroom stakeholders: teacher, students, school administration, parents, and community members. Back to school night, school fundraisers, PTA meetings, and community events can be continuously updated using an informational bulletin board. Informational bulletin boards also provide directions to students and can act as a place where previously taught information can be retrieved for use on current and future tasks.

Sharing bulletin boards provide a communal space for students to display their work generated from the lessons, units, and projects of the core curriculum. This type of bulletin board helps to reinforce a classroom culture that values individual differences, multiple perspectives, and the idea that "personal best" does not mean "the same." Sharing bulletin boards enable students to become aware of the talents, aptitudes, and successes of their colleagues and help facilitate the development of common interests and new friendships among peers. It is important to remember that all students, regardless of behavior or ability, be granted the right to have their work displayed on the sharing bulletin board.

Interactive bulletin boards function as an instructional tool that can be built into existing learning experiences or lesson plans. This type of bulletin board is closely related to a learning center in that it contains specific task cards for students to complete. The task cards relate to the lesson, unit, or theme under study and demand an individual or group output from the students. Student-constructed responses (as seen below) are then displayed on the bulletin board to be used to share and summarize information throughout the lesson. In this way, interactive bulletin boards act as a "secondary" or additional teacher in the classroom by facilitating intellectual engagement without direct teacher instruction.

The four different types of bulletin boards do not exist in separate and distinctive realms. Their areas of overlap are nuanced and they are many. For example, you can construct a bulleting board that can be both informative AND interactive, a board that can be aesthetic in nature but also used to share students' work. It is not important which board you create, how perfectly cut your letters are, or how close your rendition of a covered wagon comes to the original. What is important is WHY you chose to create the board and HOW you utilize its contents to create differentiated learning experience for your students. Be creative, be inventive, and make it your goal to design and implement a differentiated bulletin board during the fall semester.

Jessica Manzone, University of Southern California, has been a Research Assistant on two Department of Education grants to assist in the collection and analysis of data. Dr. Manzone currently teaches at USC in the MAT program. She also has been instrumental in managing the grant resources and disseminating curriculum materials through direct interactions with grant affiliated administrators and teachers. Dr. Manzone has been recognized for her abilities to develop and present in school districts and conferences the principles of differentiated curriculum to educators. Her primary professional responsibilities throughout her career have been in Title I schools working with students of diversity. Dr. Manzone has co-authored three publications related to differentiated curriculum for gifted students. Currently, she is the co-author of a publication targeting the implementation of the Common Core State Standards of mathematical practice.

What would you like to read now?

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Using Bulletin Boards to Differentiate the Classroom Environment

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by Jessica Mazone Whether we are fifteen-year veterans or novice teachers to the profession, the start of a new school year carries with it a myriad of emotions, feelings, and tasks in need of completion. Questions such as: (a) What types of learners will I have in my classroom?

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Education World: Bulletin Boards That Teach: You Probably Didn't Know That...

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There are lots of things students (and staff members) probably do not know about members of your school's staff.

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Standing desks, chairs, and things to make you move

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Research Findings: Standing desks in Classrooms

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Master students of Ghent University research impact of standing desks in classrooms.

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The Effect of Classroom Environment on Student Learning

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Create professional resources to support GAA teachers in developing learning classroom environments

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Create professional resources to support GAA teachers in developing learning classroom environments

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Create a list of criteria for effective learning environments at GAA

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Create a list of criteria for effective learning environments at GAA

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Create a proposal that can influence future ordering

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Create a proposal that can influence future ordering

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Learning principles are driving the design and structure of the learning environment. Time, space and furniture have been reconfigured so that learning can occur anytime and anywhere. There is broad support across the learning community for these increasingly flexible ways of making learning happen. Intended learning Impacts and the learning environment are recognized as complementary elements in a comprehensive vision for learning. The learning environment mirrors approaches to achieve desired learning Impacts. Evidence is regularly captured to explore and confirm the correlation between progress in achieving intended Impacts and the configuration of learning space and time.

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My feed is full of great stories from fellow teachers beginning a new school year. Many are inspiring me with the depth of thought that goes into starting a new school year. I especially liked this post from my new 2nd grade colleague, Nora, who reminded me in her post to take a minute to appreciate the special, clean start of a new year before everything levels up.

Today I read a post I have been waiting a year for. My friend Jocelyn in Singapore did amazing things with her learning space this time last year. She is not the type of person to sit with the status quo so I was super intrigued to see where she would head this year. She did not disappoint. Jocelyn has refined her thinking and continued her research all in the name of best supporting her students. She herself even says of her new learning spaces:

I also know that removing the 1 desk & chair per child will encourage me to adapt and broaden my teaching practice to move beyond 'desk work' activities.
Jocelyn Sutherland

I really respect the way she is leaning in on the third teacher to help her kids learn best. Jocelyn's entire post which includes links to last year's learning environment post, is definitely worth reading in its entirety. My biggest takeaway was the need for a variety of spaces in your classroom. Spaces known as: the cave, the watering hole, and the campfire:

As per Jocelyn's post, these spaces are described as:

CAVES: This is a space where students can reflect independently, journal or read. It allows students to process what they've learned and allows students private quiet time.

WATERING HOLES: This is the social space where students collaborate, share thinking and can work in small groups. Watering holes foster relationships in the classroom and encourage students to expand their friendship circles through mixed grouping opportunities.

CAMPFIRES: This space is used for whole class gatherings for morning meetings, storytelling, celebrations and presentations by experts. It stands as a ritual for bringing the entire classroom community together in one friendly space.
It's never too late to change. Take a look at your room. Do you have these types of spaces in your learning environment? Could you? How might you #cultivate your learning spaces?
I have been teaching for 20 years in 7 countries, located in 4 continents. I am passionate about finding a significant opportunity to make a positive change wherever I am working. I enjoy learning more about the challenges and triumphs in education and believe in sharing ideas in order to deepen understanding. I look forward to sharing ideas and learning from you. View all posts by Sonya terBorg

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My feed is full of great stories from fellow teachers beginning a new school year. Many are inspiring me with the depth of thought that goes into starting a new school year. I especially liked this post from my new 2nd grade colleague, Nora, who reminded me in her post to take a minute to...

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BMS: Baku Modern School - Math Classroom Design

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Designers: Baxram Efendiyev and Yagub Mehdiyev BMS: Baku Modern School - Math Classroom Design

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Natural Light

An effective classroom lighting scheme will make use of any natural light that is available, with the addition of artificial light where it is necessary. Incorporating natural light can provide physical and physiological benefits to students, teachers and administrators. Natural light is shown to benefit the health, concentration and even test scores of pupils. Lighting is an important consideration in effective classroom design.

A study by the Heschong Mahone Group discovered that students receiving high levels of natural light where achieving test scores up to 18% higher than students receiving minimal natural light.

Unfortunately it is not always possible to incorporate completely natural light into an existing classroom due to architectural constraints. Alternative solutions such as Daylight Bulbs and Tubes can be implemented to recreate the sensation and benefits of natural lighting as accurately as possible.

Lighting Factors

A carefully balanced lighting system will take into account a number of factors, including illuminance, uniformity, glare, flicker and colour, in order to provide optimal learning conditions.

Illuminance refers to the average light level in an area. Low illuminance has been linked to slower reading, reduced concentration, poor posture and long term weakened vision. An excessive variation of illuminance can also be an issue - this has been shown to actually reduce visual performance, causing discomfort and hyperactivity. A level of uniformity needs to be achieved to avoid excessive contrast and distraction.

Glare occurs where a bright image or object that is not the one the pupil wants to see is perceived directly, or via reflected light. Although pupils will attempt to compensate, perhaps by squinting or turning their head, glare still interferes significantly with visual tasks and can result in headaches, eyestrain, reduced concentration and diminished productivity.

Flicker is produced by certain lighting equipment and can result in discomfort or irritation. At a more serious level, it can lead to visual disturbance - for example, making moving objects or machinery appear stationary. Flicker can also trigger epilepsy and exacerbate various other conditions.

Colour also plays a vital role in the learning environment and good colour rendering performance is essential for effective learning, allowing pupils to make accurate colour judgements.

Other Considerations

Although the primary concern in providing an effective lighting system for the classroom is to facilitate pupils and educators, learning establishments have other important considerations to keep in mind. Government targets to reduce carbon emissions mean that schools must factor in sustainability when purchasing new equipment.

With artificial lighting accounting for the greatest proportion of energy costs in schools, the energy efficiency of any lighting installation will be a primary concern. Good design, specification, management and controls can have a significant impact on limiting electricity consumption, saving energy and keeping running costs to a minimum.
For more information about how Innova Design Solutions can help your school optimise the use of light within classrooms, call our dedicated team on 0161 477 5300 or browse our case studies.

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How Important is Lighting in a Classroom? - Innova Design Solutions

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An effective classroom lighting scheme will make use of any natural light that is available, with the addition of artificial light where it is necessary. Incorporating natural light can provide physical and physiological benefits to students, teachers and administrators. Natural light is shown to benefit the health, concentration and even test scores of pupils.

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It has been on my mind to take some photos of our learning space- the physical environment- in these early days of the school year. I am always snapping photos of the students in action to share with families, but I rarely photograph our space. I want to keep a memory of what it looks like at this special time. The walls are relatively empty and uncluttered, the material tubs and buckets are still organized, the lockers and book boxes are fairly untouched. While I sometimes feel eager to get to that busier and more active time of year, I also hold a special place in my heart for these slower, calmer, earlier days. It is the time when we are still deciding together how our space will work and be used and changed. There is a lot of possibility in the space.
I hope you are finding that nice balance of calm, focus, and fun in your first weeks.

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It has been on my mind to take some photos of our learning space- the physical environment- in these early days of the school year. I am always snapping photos of the students in action to share with families, but I rarely photograph our space. I want to keep a memory of what it looks...

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KIDS OUTDOOR PLAY IDEAS

Summer is around the corner and outside is one of the best places for kids to grow, play, explore and learn.

We just love outdoor play ideas so we have compiled some of the best ideas out there.

Image source, and directions are listed below each image

Kids Water Wall- from Tinkerlab

Outdoor playhouse SOURCE HERE

Gardening Sensory Bin SOURCE HERE

Backyard Racetrack SOURCE HERE

Dry Riverbed Play area - from Little Creatures Family Daycare

Outdoor Music Wall -> SOURCE HERE

PALLET TEEPEE from Killer B Designs HERE

Outdoor Water table IMAGE SOURCE

Have the kids plant a garden using an old Kiddie pool - FULL DIRECTIONS HERE

Fun Playhouse idea-> IMAGE SOURCE HERE

Swing Set Turned Bat Cave--> SOURCE HERE

Outdoor Pallet Sink from The Empowered Educator

Dinosaur wold in a tire IMAGE SOURCE HERE

Star Gaze in a blow up pool with blankets and pillows--> SEE IT AND MORE HERE

Playhouse and Sandbox in one IMAGE SOURCE

DIY Kiddie Car Wash from MOM ENDEAVORS HERE

Up-cycled kids playhouse IMAGE SOURCE HERE

DIY WATER BALLOON LAUNCHER from Frugal Fun 4 Boys HERE

DIY PALLET PLAYHOUSE--> from A Happy Wanderer HERE

Outdoor mud kitchen IMAGE SOURCE HERE

Outdoor mud kitchen IMAGE SOURCE HERE

Outdoor Truck play from The Empowered Educator

Kids Backyard Garden- from Keep it Simple, Sister

Neat Ball Storage Idea From 100 Things 2 Do HERE

Kids Play House- from a Handmade Hideaway

Kids outdoor mud kitchen idea IMAGE SOURCE HERE

DIY Water Blasters from MOM ENDEAVORS HERE

Make a big slide in your back yard SOURCE HERE

Use an old gutter for make a little river for kids- IMAGE SOURCE HERE

Truck Play using an old wire spool- IMAGE SOURCE

Fun Backyard Swing Idea SOURCE HERE

Use Metal Planters to store sand toys from HAPPY HOOLIGANS HERE

Amazing Outdoor Mud Kitchen for kids IMAGE SOURCE HERE

Kids Toy Parking - such a great idea from USEFUL BEAUTIFUL HOME

Outdoor mud kitchen- IMAGE SOURCE

Covered Kiddie Car Garage from MOM ENDEAVORS

This post contains affiliate links

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KIDS OUTDOOR PLAY IDEAS Summer is around the corner and outside is one of the best places for kids to grow, play, explore and learn. We just love outdoor play ideas so we have compiled some of the best ideas out there.

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Architect Lior Ben-Shitrit designed an innovative workspace space where children with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can thrive. The Isreali architect is known for designing attractive and alternate learning environments.

Ben-Sheetrit designed the details and furnishings for the classroom after extensively observing the students and talking with them and their teachers about the difficulties they experience in a standard classroom setting. The students reported that notice boards, posters, accessories, decorations were distracting and that sitting still made learning a challenging experience.

The unique classroom called the "Yes I Can!" classroom at Darca High School in Kiryat Malachi, Israel features chairs made from yoga balls, tables on wheels, individual workspaces, and distraction-free décor. The classroom has translucent, coloured surfaces and the furniture is based on circles, rectangles and squares.

The classroom is a pilot project designed to accommodate 55 learners.

The personal workspaces were fitted to accommodate learners who require individual study or one-on-one training. The yoga ball seats allow the students to move around without distracting themselves or other learners.

The students report that it is much easier for them to study and concentrate in the new classroom thanks to the clean design - no notice boards, posters, accessories or decorations featured in a regular classroom.

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These classrooms are designed to help children with ADHD focus | Design Indaba

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Architect Lior Ben-Shitrit designed an innovative workspace space where children with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can thrive. The Isreali architect is known for designing attractive and alternate learning environments. Ben-Sheetrit designed the details and furnishings for the classroom after extensively observing the students and talking with them and their teachers about the difficulties they experience in a standard classroom setting.

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How can we #cultivate effective learning spaces to start the new school year?

After my first attempt one year ago at using a theme to guide my classroom design (see previous post Dare to Ditch Desks) I decided to build on my previous learning and incorporate a more purposeful design approach based on ideas from the book From Campfire to the Holodeck. In this book the author David Thornburg describes three main features that boost student engagement, encourage student-led learning and enhances the use of technology in the classroom:

CAVES: This is a space where students can reflect independently, journal or read. It allows students to process what they've learned and allows students private quiet time.

WATERING HOLES: This is the social space where students collaborate, share thinking and can work in small groups. Watering holes foster relationships in the classroom and encourage students to expand their friendship circles through mixed grouping opportunities.

CAMPFIRES: This space is used for whole class gatherings for morning meetings, storytelling, celebrations and presentations by experts. It stands as a ritual for bringing the entire classroom community together in one friendly space.

I'm hoping that the open space will allow for more dynamic and kinesthetic learning opportunities for students. An excerpt I read from Kim Hurdhorst's post reminded me of the importance of movement and play when forming neural connections in new learning:
Chan & Petrie (1998) also believed that the brain learns better in well designed school environments. They believed that an artistic environment is vital for learning. This is based on the premise that optimal learning happens when brains are challenged. One way to do this in a non threatening way is to learn and practice using the visual and performing arts. This way of learning helps learners build expression and memory. This allows the brain to rewire itself to make the connections necessary to secure deeper learning and understanding. Combined with modern day architectural design and visually pleasing aspects, it will challenge the brain and help develop brain growth. They also believed that creating spaces for activity will help in the growth of mental functions. When a learner is given the opportunities to spin, crawl, roll, rock turn, jump or swing for example, it is engaging and strengthens the brain because it brings more oxygen to the brain resulting in better functioning brain transmitters. [khurdhorst]
Her post about Brain Based Learning Architecture further details the research behind alternative classroom designs, and focuses on Thornburg's approach to these three spaces.
My Learning Space Explained:
Below I will detail some reasons why my space has been organised in this specific way to start the year:
Class Library & Reading 'Cave': Window Desks for Independent Reflection Ditching Desks & Blue Chairs
There are 23 students in my class but only 16 blue school chairs and 8 desks. I purposely removed two desks this year to allow more flow and brought in a circular 'cafe style' table where up to 3 students can sit. There will be no assigned seating for now as I would like to foster a sense that each space is shared and available to everyone depending on their preferred learning styles. I also know that removing the 1 desk & chair per child will encourage me to adapt and broaden my teaching practice to move beyond 'desk work' activities. For example, some of the tasks may include using the soft seating social areas for collaboration and discussion or use of iPads rather than independent writing/laptop tasks at desks.
Updated Makerspace & Whiteboard Tables
Shared copy of Google Doc plant quotes & welcome message available here.
UPDATE: September 5 2017
Here are the collaborative posters made by the students in the first week of school to shape our learning for the year; students crafted the posters and presented their understanding of the quotes to the class.

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How can we #cultivate effective learning spaces to start the new school year? After my first attempt one year ago at using a theme to guide my classroom design (see previous post Dare to Ditch Desks) I decided to build on my previous learning and incorporate a more purposeful design approach based on ideas from...

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Work Rugs are bath mats with supplies. A good way to ease into flexible seating.

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July 13 @ 11:37 am

Kid-friendly backyard ideas encourage outdoor play, which contribute to overall physical and mental health. Frequent outdoor play helps to increase fitness, as well as raise vitamin D levels. Creating a kid-friendly backyard will help ensure your child is enjoying the outdoors during the summer. Here are eight ways to do just that!
Need some help making your backyard a paradise for kids? Load up on all the necessary supplies and save with a Michaels coupon, Home Depot promo codes, Amazon coupons, and eBay promo codes!
1. Life-Size Angry Birds Game

This game can be dismantled and reassembled over and over again, so it's ideal for limited-space backyards. Use old boxes to create the structure and place stuffed animals on top and inside the boxes. Bouncy balls can be thrown to knock the structure down. Whoever knocks down the most boxes and animals wins.

2. Outdoor Chalkboard

Paint a piece of large plywood with chalkboard paint and attach to a wall or fence. Keep a bucket filled with chalk nearby.

3. Backyard Clubhouses

You don't have to spend a fortune to create a clubhouse for your kid. Instead, you can use old sheets and blankets to create tepees. Additionally, you can designate out-of-the-way places-such as beneath a hammock or between some trees-as a "secret hideaway." You can even create a backyard clubhouse out of sunflowers if you plant them in a circular shape and leave a small space for an entryway.

4. Multi-Level Play Environments

Using your backyard's natural topography, you can create multi-level play environments. Place recycled items, such as pallets and tires, along hills and receding walls to create safe environments children can climb.

5. Music Wall

Music is very enriching, and it provides endless opportunities for creative play. A music wall can be achieved by mounting musical items to a fence or otherwise solid structure. Use pots and pans, wind chimes, xylophones and more to create a musical oasis for kids to enjoy.

6. Vegetable & Herb Gardens for Kids

Children learn through play, so why not teach them a valuable skill such as growing their own food or flowers? Designate a portion or your garden to your kids and allow them to grow the foods and flowers they like best.

7. Outdoor Bowling

Encourage children to go bowling in the backyard by setting up a backyard bowling alley. All you need are some glow sticks, a ball and some water bottles. Break open the glow sticks and dump their contents into the water bottles. Line up the bottles and have children knock them over.

8. DIY Splash Pad

You can save yourself megabucks on a store-bought splash pad by making your own. Simply lay out a tarp and use a hose or sprinkler to get it wet. Make sure kids are being safe, as it may hurt to fall.

These budget-friendly backyard ideas are simple to execute and will provide your children with plenty of outdoor fun, ensuring your kid's mind, body and spirit is nourished with the benefits only nature can provide.

Before you shop: Another affordable kid-friendly backyard idea is kickball croquet.

Using old pool noodles and a kickball, you can create a simple and fun game. Fold the noodles over and place them into the ground. Attach stakes to the bottom of the noodles to keep them in place.

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8 Easy & Affordable Kid-Friendly Backyard Ideas - thegoodstuff

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July 13 @ 11:37 am Kid-friendly backyard ideas encourage outdoor play, which contribute to overall physical and mental health. Frequent outdoor play helps to increase fitness, as well as raise vitamin D levels. Creating a kid-friendly backyard will help ensure your child is enjoying the outdoors during the summer.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Last month I talked about Nature Deficit Disorder and its potential harm toward children's wellbeing. Awareness of this problem, thanks in part to Richard Louv, has led to the increased popularity of natural playscapes. A natural playscape incorporates nature into its outdoor learning environment.

Cheryl Charles, CEO and co-founder of the Children & Nature Network, commented: "These play areas are appealing to children and their families. Different kinds of flowers, bushes and plantings add a sense of beauty and place and are very stimulating for kids' intellectual, emotional, social and physical development." Moreover, "Academic achievement is enhanced when kids get nature-based settings and there's an improvement in standardized test scores if outdoor learning is part of a school's curriculum" (italics mine).

Kaija Clark (2010), author of "Is Nature the Next Wave in Playground Accessibility?" added to Charles' beliefs, stating "In fact, time outside has been shown to help increase cognitive ability, something that might help multiplication-weary children. Brief stints to stretch their legs on a nature walk ease tension and enable kids to regain focus for more intensive learning when they return to the classroom" (italics mine).

Clearly natural playscapes are here to stay. If you'd like to learn more about designing one for your outdoor classroom, just click here.

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Last month I talked about Nature Deficit Disorder and its potential harm toward children's wellbeing. Awareness of this problem, thanks in part to Richard Louv, has led to the increased popularity of natural playscapes. A natural playscape incorporates nature into its outdoor learning environment.

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Quint's infinite possibilities for arranging collaboration groups is inspired by organic mosaic tile arrangement.

SMARTdesks is honored to win the Platinum ADEX Award for design excellence for its innovative Quint Collaboration Conference Tables. In addition to the Quint's five-sided top design, it may be outfitted with the iPad flipIT to provide greater security for using iPads in a classroom setting. A SMARTdesks exclusive, the iPad flipIT classroom desk accessory also won a Platinum ADEX Award.

The inspiration for Quint's five-sided top was based on a study of mosaic tile arrangement. In contrast to forms with even numbered sides, the five-sided shape allows a different freedom in creating forms and shapes for group interaction. While mosaics appear homogenized from a distance, a close inspection reveals that close proximity is enough to bring about continuity in a group. The Quint desktop defines a personal space that can either fit tightly together for close interaction, or can spread apart slightly to increase personal space without completely disconnecting from the group. The loose-tight relationships are easy to facilitate, resulting in uniquely organic arrangements that defy description, yet make perfect sense for spontaneous arrangement.

The Quint tops are mounted to X-based pedestals with options for adjustable height and locking casters for added mobility. Fixed height bases are offered in standard 28.5-inch working height, with spring-pin adjustable height bases that allow positioning in one inch increments from 22 to 28 inches. When an iPad flipIT is installed, a six inch hat channel is applied for clearance, making the height range 28 to 34 inches. For even great height variance with easier adjustment, a ratchet version is offered with a 9.45 inch range in 0.78 inch increments. When an iPad flipIT is installed, the hat channel makes the height range 30 to 39.45 inches, or 24 to 33.45 inches without the hat channel. These options make Quint suitable for K-12, higher ed and corporate collaboration environments with people seated or standing.

SMARTdesks designs and manufactures innovative, custom computer conference tables and computer classroom furniture for iMac, PCs, laptops, iPads, all-in-ones and touch screens. Each product is made to order, nuanced for the technology, purpose and interior design choices for the space. SMARTdesks is the patent holder for flipIT® products and is the sole source for flipIT and factory integrated flipIT furniture products. Serving universities, corporations, government and military clients world-wide, SMARTdesks furniture is made in the USA using Certified GREEN manufacturing methods. For more information, contact smartdesks through the web site- http://www.smartdesks.com

ADEX stands for Awards for Design Excellence and is the largest and most prestigious awards program for product & project design in the A&D industry. Design Journal, the international trade publication for interior designers, architects and facility managers since 1988 is the proud sponsor of the ADEX Awards.

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SMARTdesks Quint iPad Classroom Desks Win Platinum ADEX Award for Design Excellence from Leading Architects and Designers

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Quint's infinite possibilities for arranging collaboration groups is inspired by organic mosaic tile arrangement. SMARTdesks is honored to win the Platinum ADEX Award for design excellence for its innovative Quint Collaboration Conference Tables. In addition to the Quint's five-sided top design, it may be outfitted with the iPad flipIT to provide greater security for using iPads in a classroom setting.

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Spending some time outdoors and engaging in those bike rides, building mud houses, or simply bringing those little backyard activities to life is surely an essential element of your child's growth. And to make that happen, you need a great play-space that forces the kiddos to cherish those hours of entertainment in bright sunshine. Below are 25 Outdoor Play Area For Kids That Can Transform Regular Backyards Into a Playtime Paradise!

1. Hula Hoop Hideout

Playing in the garden in summers becomes so much more fun with these hula hoop hideouts hanging down the trees. What they have got is a twine that hangs the hoop to the tree with bedsheets pinned on the top edge. To forge this one-of-a-kind hideout all by yourself, you are going to need safety pins, a rope or twine, some tulle or ribbon, sheets, a pair of scissors, a few cushions, blankets and of course, a hula hoop. Now who needs to head to those summer camps away from home when you can build one from scratch, amazing enough to play and chill out in your very own yard.

DIY Details : alannageorge

2. Mudpie Station

Transform a corner of the patio or the yard into a true-blue mudpie-making station with a huge metal tub loaded with heaps of potting soil taken from a few terra cotta pots. If you haven't got a metal tub, you can always go for plastic buckets. That fence board with all the tools is truly awe-inspiring, and an old table with a rough shape, having paint and scuffs on it is installed to make those lovely mud pies. A wooden drawer hanging on the board makes an excellent spice rack with tins storing odds and ends for mixing and decorating mud pies, including twigs, pinecones, pebbles, and coloured sand. Also keep spoons, water and wash bins handy.

DIY Details : mysmallpotatoes

3. Hopscotch Stepping Stones

What an adorably huge version of the classic game of Hopscotch! Concrete pavers from the local Home Depot work wonders as the stepping stones, and sprucing them up different candy-hued outdoor paints, including red, blue, green, orange, yellow, black and white makes everything oh so vibrant. And you don't need to limit this colorful thing of creativity to games - these pavers are much more fun than a plain paper and pencil when it comes to working on some math problems with a little innovation, making learning all the way more interesting. Putting the stones together as showcased by Read Between The Lines is also a budget-friendly deal and comes under $25.

DIY Details : readbetweenthelimes

4. Tyres Defining Play Area

Tyres can be quite handy and chic when it comes to crafting super joyful early childhood settings. This set of tyres arranged in a cone-like shape serves the purpose of defining the backyard's space dedicated to the kiddos. It's amazing how these old repurposed motor accessories function as a unique wall with an industrial appeal, that too without actually going for any construction to get it all done. If you want to work out something a little more bright, coating the tyres with your choice of spray paints or even lining them with cushions to end up in a comfortable seating is a few extra touches you can add to the project.

DIY Details : pin.it

5. Color-Block Sandbox

Taking a look at this winsome sandbox, it seems hard to figure out that it actually is a bookcase primed and painted in a bright combination of red, light yellow and turquoise. You've got separate compartments to store sand, shovels and sand toys, while making it truly easy to carry the whole thing from one place to another. It all begins with dissembling and laying out all the pieces of the 3-tier shelf, followed by getting the paint job done and assembling the boards together to yield the box, adding an extra plywood to work as the lid. And yes, the compartments come with proper provision for drainage. Lastly, go creative with the painting, adding stripes and castles to the lid.

DIY Details : thehomesihavemade

6. Make a PVC Pipe Kiddie Car Wash

Those kiddie car washes aren't a tedious task anymore when you have got this breathtaking car wash section in the yard, built out of PVC pipes. You'll love how pool needles kitchen sponges, pom poms, and shower curtain add the final touches to this kiddie car wash that's the most perfect summer project to make for your little ones. What pool needles do here is hug around the pipes, having a few extra ones attached to the pom pom handles to make an archway, while a the shower curtain goes for the dryer end. If the decorations weren't already pretty enough, sponges cut and stringed into stars adorn the structure even better.

DIY Details : craftymorning

7. Outdoor Play Space

A dedicated outdoor play space that's totally free from all the dirt and mud from the yard, covering a square piece of land with a nice and soft carpet after digging, removing bricks and levelling the surface to lay down the carpet. The wooden wall around the turf and little planters define the area with perfection. A beautiful pink flamingo sculpture on the side and a gorgeous planter box housing bright flowers, as well as that welcome mat makes everything so much more welcoming. To store the toys, you can install a huge milk crate in the space that will drain out any water that gets in.

DIY Details : sweetlilyou

8. The Old Boat Sand Pit

Take the kiddos into a magical world that looks just like a frame from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - a wooden boat disguised as a one-of-a-kind vintage sand pit, apt and appropriate to play pirates ! Surrounded by sand from all the sides, the boat with chipped paint and rustic textures standing in a ring of old sandstone pavers is truly an enchanting and wondrous place for a child, where he or she will cherish a sang beach kinda essence right in the yard, even if you don't have access to an actual beach. Apart from building sand structures, it's all they need to play sailing around the world.

DIY Details : twolittlepirates

9. Art + Outdoors = Artdoorsy

It's a pretty cool idea to get the kids indulged in some outdoor artsy projects, blending creativity with play time and giving the kids a perfect place to create stunning artworks. That outdoor chalkboard installed on the garden fence has been rightly clubbed with a hanging bucket loaded with a whole bundle of colorful chalks. A hardi-board coated in some chalkboard paint would work wonders to get it all done, just make sure you keep the dimensions of your garden fence in mind. To add an element of refinement, you can always build a frame around the board using some old pieces of wood and spray paint.

DIY Details : projectdenneler

10. Build a Green Bean Tepee

Highly long-lasting and strong plastic covered steel stakes form the perfect frame for the green bean teepee with poles placed into large terracotta pots that are spray painted in a bright green coat. Heavier weight sisal twine is used to tie the tops together and wrap around the structure to form a framework for the green beans. Going for terra cotta pots instead of digging holes and planting in the soil elevates the tepee, making sure you don't lose much space in the yard. What you need to do to ensure stability and weight to your pots is to fill the bottom with gravel before loading potting soil.

DIY Details : happinessishomemade

11. Make a Music Wall

Let your innovation loose and grab household items and a few percussive instruments that can make a great sound when rubbed, plucked, or struck. All you need to do is fix them to the fence, ending up with your kid's very own Music Wall. Some of the most surprising yet amazing installations on the wall include a xylophone with a few bars missing, an old bicycle wheel that makes interesting sounds when the kids take a small metal spatula to the spokes, lots of pots and plates from the kitchen, a bunch of old container caps, a metal lattice, a simple wooden rolling pin and an ice-cube tray.

DIY Details : prekandksharing

12. Pallets + Logs = Teepee

Encourage your little adventurer's natural flow of play by integrating this fluid, rustic and child-friendly habitat into your backyard. The teepee sports wooden pallets fixed on logs installed in a pyramid fashion. The floor has also been lined with pallets, and if you add a cozy rug or carpet inside, you are going to have a super comfy place to relax and spend hours at leisure. The pallets are arranged on the frame in a way that the structure has sufficient space to function as doorway. Introduce a splash of color if you don't want to stick to the idea of rustic for these unique playhouses.

DIY Details : 1001pallets

13. Biking Ramp

A homemade ramp built using wooden pallets makes those bike riding experiences challenge-loaded for the kids. It's amazing how such an easy-to-build and simplified structure can make bicycling full of adventures and learning - whether it's cycling up the ramp, taking turns, staying straight, keeping your back wheels away from the edge, or being aware of splinters. A few large tyres have been laid at the bottom of the ramp to achieve the perfectly curved shape. How realistic you want to make things totally depends on the kind of decor elements you accompany your DIY ramp with.

DIY Details : swiftlymorgan

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25 Outdoor Play Areas For Kids Transforming Regular Backyards Into Playtime Paradises

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No matter whether your little one loves arts and crafts, music, or simply getting a bit adventurous, the aforesaid outdoor play areas for kids help you bring their hidden talents out in the open with just a few steps of creativity!

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