I need to take a photo of this... I HATE Dry Erase boards... WHY? Because I LOVE them so much! It goes like this (Sing along, if you know the lyrics...) Buy New $8.00 Dry Erase Board from Walmart, thinking you got a great deal because it is about 3 feet by 2 ffet in size... USe it for a month, then slowly realize you can no longer erase anything off it completely, no matter the harsh chemicals you use, INCLUDING Mr. Clean's "MAGIC ERASER". sigh.......... Spend $25 on the Office Max version, thinking it is a good investment, because it should last longer. More money = Better quality, right? Sigh...... Nope.... Spend $39 on the best quality one you can find at Target. THIS one will be the ONE THAT LASTS!... Sigh.,..... NOPE! Spend $1.00 on printing paper to print a photo of all three of your kids playing on the floor with dried up dry eraser markers on the boards on the floor, drawing pictures that will never really erase..... OR.... Spend Approx $50.00 and NEVER buy another dry erase board or markers again! Here is how... Go to Lowes or Home depot.... Go to the lumber department and find or ask for PLEXI-GLASS....... Pick a size that suits your dreams or room availability..... For me, that would be a dreamy 8 foot by 4 foot... Have them cut it to size, they usually do this for free.... Don't for get two things.... Grab some adhesive backed velcro (Hook and Loop Fasteners) Enough to make about Six or Eight small squares. And some WAX PENCILS... (The kind that are "Sharpened" by pealing more and more string from the tip to expose the wax... Ok, so you have your plexiglass (Really just see-through plastic) and your velcro and your wax pencils... now what???? Place velcro squares on one side of plax-glass to create hangers. One in each corner and one on each side.... Attach plate of plexi-glass to the wall.... Attach to a wall of LIGHT cololr WHITE works best, of course.... Write with wax pencils.... Erase with a napkin.... NEVER EVER EVER BUY ANOTHER DRY ERASE BOARD OR EXPENSIVE DRY ERASE MARKER SET AGAIN!!! If you want to move it... pull it off the wall from the velcro..... reattach somewhere else! Love me later..... I am off to get photos.... :wink:
Here is how we employed Plexi-Glass sheets and velcro to protect the computer monitor screens from our childrens hands.....
I like the plexiglass idea for the monitor. We just started our 8th year of homeschooling and I have had the same white board - a big one - for the whole time. Yes, I do buy a couple new markers every year. Thanks for thinking outside the box and sharing it with us.
What an excellent idea Jen! I had read on another forum about someone using their sliding glass doors but I can't remember what they write on it with. Thanks so much for sharing this!
yep, Jen they do work, I have been using them for along time. they are wonderful and the kids will love them... Got it from another wonderful homeschool lady.
FYI, you can also use Sharpie markers and they will wipe off with glass cleaner. Wax pencils are a great idea though, much easier and probably safer for the kids.
Jen, also you can use the shower backing........ the people on AtoZ talk about them all the time, they have the people at home depot cut them and they may be cheaper.
I like the idea of pexi glass on the monitor!! I have gone through more than my fair share of boards until I found these really thick ones at WalMart. They are solid white on one side, and "ruled" on the other. They have been used a TON and my youngest even let marker set on one for about 3 months, and they still look new. I have 3 and I gave $4 a piece for them. With another little one coming up in the ranks, I am really hoping I can find another one!!
I have used sliding glass doors I like the plexi glass idea too cause you can put it over a map and copy the map, trace it and then put all the right things on it as a project! No I have not used it yet! We too have the same whiteboard we got back when I started about what 12. somehting or other years ago? We use it every year to some extent and now it has a sticky substance in one spot from using it as a bulletin board for something last year. it helped me teach ds Math, spelling, writing and all that, So it works for us, we dont put it on teh wall thugh it moves around wiht us, its about a 2 by 3 or 4 foot sidesed one adn I find cheap dry erase markers. I went with whiteboards because of my allergy to chalk. How hard is it to clean off? what do you use? Ho fast is it?
I like the pexi glass idea. I see another honey do project. His way of being involved While I don't have a patio window, I have a series of windows facing the backyard next to the dining room table. I could just see hubby's face when he comes home. How did the kids do today. Well honey just look at the windows. One for each kiddo.
How can you use windows, unless you put something behind it, like a white sheet to even out the background? Ky eyes would go breserk. And my kids>??? Hahaha How can I tell if they are looking at what I am trying to write, or the bird and clouds out the window??? hahaha!
What an excellent idea! I know exactly what you mean about dry erase boards! I just bought one again! This is definitely worth a try! Thanks!
I guess our yard is more dark or something, we have fence and tree behind the window? we did that for a while with markers cause the kids really wanted to do it on the window instead. Then I chose whiteboard cause its mobile hehe
TMom, I like the idea of using the glass as a change of pace!!!!! We have a great background. DIRT!!!!!!!!!! As for whiteboards! Do any of you like off brand dry-erase markers? I bought them once and they did not come off as easy as EXPO.
We have used off brand, they dont last as long here. I have one called "Board Marker Pen" though it has a little eraser on the end and a magnet on the side so you can actually stick it on the fridge whn not in use or use one of the metal dry erase boards. I have never had a problem cleaning my board of makers, we even had some permanent marker on ours, so we just reuse the one we have. I did buy personal sized ones for them after watching an old movie with slates, so I bought us modern day slates and let them work out problems on it. For a while they also used them for "Teacher I need Help" signs. They are cheap and about a 11X8 in size with magnets and hooks to hang if you desire. We used them to remind kids of work not done last year too. They love them when they are using them but dd made one into a Soccer lesson board and it got stickers on it, she has to clean hers off before she can reuse it now.
The dry erase markers I bought dried to the board. Even with cleaner, it was hard to remove. Maybe I just got a bad batch.
TMom!!! Last night I grabbed a black dry earse marker and wrote a math problem on the slider. Ems loved it. She ended up doing a lot of problems. Then, we decided to draw on the glass on the picture frames. We were laughing so hard, Handsome came out of the room to see what was so funny. I made my dad look like a women and the girls look like a clown and man.LOL When the sun rises we are going to do math on the slider today. Thanks for the idea!
