Art Center Rules

[SilverSabre25]

Do you have any rules about how many sheets of paper can be used per kid in a day? What about how much/both sides/etc of a sheet of paper must be used before they get a new one? Anything else?

I'm trying--I really am-- to let the kids have more free rein with the art stuff, but they tend to put one small messy scribble down and want a new sheet of paper. If I let them, they would plow through the entire enormous pack of construction or drawing paper in less then a week.

Just trying to figure out the best way to go about this.

[daycare]

what about scrap paper? I have a huge box full of scraps in the art area and they can use that after they have used their paper. Once that is gone then I turn them on to something else. Like glue the scraps to a sheet of paper or cut something up and etc...

I know what you mean. The kids to it here too and I say ok after two papers then you need to move on to something else.....

I also offer different tools..

stamps
markers
crayons
glitter pens
water colors
regular paint
scissors to cut up the paper

all of the above tools can be used on the paper. so if they say I am done with the markers, then give them stamps or crayons or __________________________...

[Crystal]

This is always a toughie. If they are out of control with it, I limit it. Otherwise, I try to allow them to use it freely.

I buy printer paper by the case. I offer, all out at the same time:

*whole sheets
*sheets cut in half, both lengthwise and width-wise
*quarter size sheets
*quarter and half size sheets made into booklets with construction paper covers
*sheets with the centers cut out into shapes, shapes can be used separaetly and the pieces with the shape/hole in the center offer a new way to draw and allow for spatial ralation learning

I also offer chalkboards, dry erase boards, etc. These become a must if they are wasting paper

[melskids]

I get alot of paper for free from a couple different sources. I don't care if its not as pretty as the expensive packaged stuff. It does its job, and thats all that matters....

I have a friend of a friend who brings me the ends of newspaper rolls.

Heck, I have friends and neighbors save me the actual newspaper....

My hubby brings me home reems of old school computer paper. You know, the kind you tear apart, and its green on one side. I don;t even know where he really gets it from, considering he's a mechanic. Maybe one of his customers....

We paint and color on cereal and other food boxes I save and cut apart.

I save every box that comes into this house and cut them apart as well.

Brown paper grocery bags

If you find an architect, or construction forman, you can get old blueprints to paint on.

Printing places are good for finding free resources as well. Ask them to save you scraps or mess ups.

I had a friend who owned a diner give me a whole box of paper placemats she didnt want anymore because she changed the color and decor of the diner.

I save the ends of gift wrap when there's not enough to use to wrap a gift.

I cut apart gift bags and gift boxes that are no longer reusable. I save the tissue paper too...

I also buy gift wrap at the $ store , for that matter. Oh, and shower curtains..plastic table cloths....we'll paint on anything...

I found two HUGE rolls of this brown paper stuff I guess painters put down as drop cloths at a yard sale for .25 cents each. I've had them for two years!

We do alot on the dry erase board, the chalk board, and the windows with homemade window paint. We fingerpaint right on the kids table sometimes too.

[Heidi]

I get alot of paper for free from a couple different sources. I don't care if its not as pretty as the expensive packaged stuff. It does its job, and thats all that matters....

I have a friend of a friend who brings me the ends of newspaper rolls.

Heck, I have friends and neighbors save me the actual newspaper....

My hubby brings me home reems of old school computer paper. You know, the kind you tear apart, and its green on one side. I don;t even know where he really gets it from, considering he's a mechanic. Maybe one of his customers....

We paint and color on cereal and other food boxes I save and cut apart.

I save every box that comes into this house and cut them apart as well.

Brown paper grocery bags

If you find an architect, or construction forman, you can get old blueprints to paint on.

Printing places are good for finding free resources as well. Ask them to save you scraps or mess ups.

I had a friend who owned a diner give me a whole box of paper placemats she didnt want anymore because she changed the color and decor of the diner.

I save the ends of gift wrap when there's not enough to use to wrap a gift.

I cut apart gift bags and gift boxes that are no longer reusable. I save the tissue paper too...

I also buy gift wrap at the $ store , for that matter. Oh, and shower curtains..plastic table cloths....we'll paint on anything...

I found two HUGE rolls of this brown paper stuff I guess painters put down as drop cloths at a yard sale for .25 cents each. I've had them for two years!

We do alot on the dry erase board, the chalk board, and the windows with homemade window paint. We fingerpaint right on the kids table sometimes too.

OMG MEL! Is there any limit to what you can do?????

There are so many excuses for me not going there, but I have to admit, I admire you so much. You are the coolest!

[melskids]

I've said it before...art is my thing...

That, and I am the queen of cheap. When its free, I don't care how much they use.

ohhh...and I forgot! wallpaper stores will give you outdated sample books..we paint on those too!

[Little planet]

wooww!!!! Thank you for the wonderful ideas!!!! happyface

[melskids]

...and you know, you dont always have to color and paint 2 dimensional....think 3D.....

Shoeboxes
paper cups
tissue boxes
milk cartons
toilet paper tubes
the tubes from the inside of gift wrap
wood scraps
tree cookies (hubby cut a tree that had fallen into 1 inches "slices")
rocks

....that sort of thing

[countrymom]

I got free paper from some kid thing they were doing in the mall, and I cut them in half. I found that I have kids that would go and put one scribble and then thats it, but now I send the paper back and tell them that we need more color. I love art and we do it alot, don't worry once they learn what they can and cannot do it will be fine.

[MissAnn]

Do you have any rules about how many sheets of paper can be used per kid in a day? What about how much/both sides/etc of a sheet of paper must be used before they get a new one? Anything else?

I'm trying--I really am-- to let the kids have more free rein with the art stuff, but they tend to put one small messy scribble down and want a new sheet of paper. If I let them, they would plow through the entire enormous pack of construction or drawing paper in less then a week.

Just trying to figure out the best way to go about this.

Construction paper is for cutting and/or glueing not for coloring! (this is my pet peeve....when the kids grab construction paper and scribble on it and say...."I'm done"....ugh