Coloring Books

[SilverSabre25]

Doesn't anybody stock up on the .15 notebooks at back-to-school time? I'm going to use these, as someone in another post mentioned awhile back, then each child will get their own notebook to color in until they use it up and it's on 15 cents! May not look so pretty with the lines, but I'm sure the kids could get over it. I also like coloring books though, but do like the 2 page limit per day. They still add up in cost even at a buck a piece.

Yep I do. Each bigger child gets their own and is free to use it as wanted/needed. We also have blank paper, colored blank paper, and construction paper all up for grabs.

I also stock up on packs of markers, crayons, glue sticks, regular glue, and whatever else strikes my fancy!

[Abigail]

Doesn't anybody stock up on the .15 notebooks at back-to-school time? I'm going to use these, as someone in another post mentioned awhile back, then each child will get their own notebook to color in until they use it up and it's on 15 cents! May not look so pretty with the lines, but I'm sure the kids could get over it. I also like coloring books though, but do like the 2 page limit per day. They still add up in cost even at a buck a piece.

[SilverSabre25]

This is what I do also. I only use coloring books as the 'going home' activity after the final cleanup of the day, so one picture is generally all they get to before mom or dad pick them up.

I remember LOVING to color as a kid and my dck's really enjoy it too. It gives me an excuse to buy coloring books in every possible character, .

This is a good idea; I've been wondering what I could do with the kiddos after cleaning up in the afternoon. Right now we don't clean up because I don't see the point (they just screw it all up again; my DD is the only one who 'gets' cleaning).

[jessrlee]

I use regular dry erase markers. The kiddos only mark on the boards. They must stay seated at the table with the markers and the boards.

[momofsix]

For those using white boards, don't you worry about the marker getting on things? Or do you use washable markers? Don't know if those work on white boards?

I use crayons on the white boards, less smearing.

[SandeeAR]

For those using white boards, don't you worry about the marker getting on things? Or do you use washable markers? Don't know if those work on white boards?

[DCMom]

I would take the page out that she wants to color, and tell her when she is finished the picture, then she can pick a new one.

This is what I do also. I only use coloring books as the 'going home' activity after the final cleanup of the day, so one picture is generally all they get to before mom or dad pick them up.

I remember LOVING to color as a kid and my dck's really enjoy it too. It gives me an excuse to buy coloring books in every possible character, .

[VTMom]

I have a doodle pad for each kid with their names on it. If they want to go through it and use the whole thing in one week, that's their option but they are told that that's what they get and when it's gone it's gone. I noticed that when it's their "own", they seem to be a little more conservative with paper waste!

[countrymom]

I have tons of coloring books (my mom gave me lots) well, when I rearranged my room, I went thru them and found that pictures where half colored. So my new rule is, is that I'm in charge of the books and I rip out the pictures, so they have to ask for another picture. the problem with letting them draw whatever they want on blank paper was that I would get kids who would do a couple of scribbles and then want another one and then cry when I said no. Also I found plain paper more money than coloring books.

[melskids]

we love our white boards too!!! except we use old socks as erasers.

[jessrlee]

Actually I just have a stack of coloring books (15 or so) that I bought at Dollar tree. I do not allow them to rip the pages out. Every great once in a while I will let a big kid have their page if they finish it but the littles don't remove the pages. My kiddos tend to just color anything. Even if the picure has already been colored on. I buy 3-5 new coloring books at Christmas time and weed out a couple of old ones.

One activity that keeps my kiddos busy for hours is white boards. You can buy 81/2 x 11 at Walmart for $4 each and packs of 8 markers for $5. I also buy erasers so we don't waste paper towels. I just replaced the markers after 2 years of use and picked up a couple of new boards and erasers.

[Luna]

you guys are totally gonna laugh but i have a tub labeled "paper scraps" and i have the kiddos trained. if they only use a portion of the paper, fine. but then they must cut the extra off and add it to the scrap tub. even little 1 inch pieces get saved. (foam felt and tissue paper too) then, when they know they only need a small piece for something, say, two black eyes, they have to take it out of the scrap tub.

free art doesnt mean free to waste LOL

but seriously, i think half the fun is digging around the scrap tub for "just the right piece". they love it...


as far as coloring books, i would make them finish the picture, or limit the number of pages you give out.

I love this! I've been trying to save the little bits in separate baggies etc...never occurred to me to let the kids sort them out themselves, duh.
With colouring books, I just tear out a page for each child & they colour until they think they're done.

[lil angels]

I tell them to pick out a pick and then I rip it out for them and they know it has to be done front and back before they get another one. I print things online a lot to then there is only one for everyone when they are done they are done.

[melskids]

you guys are totally gonna laugh but i have a tub labeled "paper scraps" and i have the kiddos trained. if they only use a portion of the paper, fine. but then they must cut the extra off and add it to the scrap tub. even little 1 inch pieces get saved. (foam felt and tissue paper too) then, when they know they only need a small piece for something, say, two black eyes, they have to take it out of the scrap tub.

free art doesnt mean free to waste LOL

but seriously, i think half the fun is digging around the scrap tub for "just the right piece". they love it...


as far as coloring books, i would make them finish the picture, or limit the number of pages you give out.

[Blackcat31]

I'm just wondering how everyone handles coloring books. I have a 3 yr old dcg who loves to color... but I have noticed that she only likes to color a very tiny section and then rip the page out and move to the next page.... I know coloring books are not that expensive... but after her ripping 4 pages out and coloring one little thing (doesn't touch the back of the page) I've now asked her to color more on the page.

Do you let them only color a small section and move on to the next page or ask they color a little more? What kinds of coloring books do you have?

I no longer use coloring books but in the past when I did, I limited the number of pages per day they were allowed to use. For EXACTLY the reasons you stated...I got tired of them wasting the pages and wanting to use/waste so many without actually using them for more than a few scribbles. So I started to limit them, for example they could color 2 pages per day (front and back) and if they wanted to color more, they got plain paper. Now I only use plain paper and do not allow coloring books at all.