Great post! Since we are so new to HS here, it is great to see what works/doesn't work for you all! I have to agree with Crayola...I only buy that brand and it works really well and that includes, Crayons, Markers and Colored Pencils!
Non Crayola Brand Crayons suck.....As for Pencil Crayons...I only buy Laurentian (and good artist ones for me). Oh yeah....Alcohol works but will ruin your white board over a long period of time. At work we had a wall sized one that was used all the time and people discovered that alcohol cleaned it well....it also dried it out and made it so it would not erase anymore
These aren't educational, per say...But I recall that we bought some Transformers Action Figures for 6yo and 4yo that made them cry, we couldn't "transform" those stupid bits of crap together or put them back how they were supposed to go. They were stuck in an "inbetween state" 4yo and 6yo were in hysterics within 20 minutes because the toys wouldn't transform to robots or go back to just being cars...We took that mess back within the hour. *grr*.
Crayola fan here too! I don't think we have bought anything that was a waste of money...we use lifepacs for my son and he LOVES them, but they don't work with my other kids. I will never own an inkjet printer again! I used to spend over $40 a month just in ink untili found a lazer printer for $30 on my craigslist. I have had it nearly a year and have not had to replace the toner yet...even when I do it will only cost me $18.
Only Crayola WASHABLE markers... never will I buy the RoseArt washable markers. My son is autistic, and when he was younger I let him draw on my kitchen floor with washable markers. He was able to express himself and relieve frustration with drawing and I had a big area of my WHITE kitchen floor that was his to create his masterpieces. For his birthday he received a bunch of RoseArt washable markers. They left a shadow of every stroke he made on my floor. It was HORRIBLE! I had to scrub it with bleach to get it off. Crayola comes right off with a damp mop.
Yes if I want washable I buy crayola! However I do find that the Discount School Supply brand is also very washable and cheaper, so I often get their markers. Their crayons are icky but I like the markers.
Oh yeah....Alcohol works but will ruin your white board over a long period of time. At work we had a wall sized one that was used all the time and people discovered that alcohol cleaned it well....it also dried it out and made it so it would not erase anymore Gee, I dunno, lonegirl - I've been using mine for ten years now, and it still works just fine! as long as I remember to buff after and wash my felt erasers every so often....
