My Target and Dollar Tree Finds

Because I want materials to fit in the containers I've chosen for my math work stations I have been on the look out for small things that I can place in the containers, Also, we can have up to 25 students this coming school year, so I'm thinking more children less room on tables. I found these approx. 8" heavy plastic plates that will be perfect for addition activities at Target 4 for $1.99. They also fit together. They come in assorted colors.

 

 I found some plastic shell table scatters (125 for 2.00)(You just can't beat 125 very durable manipulatives for 2.00!)  and some fruit erasers (1.00 a pack) also at Target. I trotted on over to Dollar Tree and found some clown fish and small pompoms (80 in a pack) for you guessed it a $1.00, just think of all the activities you can do with small pompoms (count, sort, pattern... and they are quiet!) Fran Kramer made some patterning activities using bingo markers and placed a set to download on her blog. It started me thinking that I could laminate some of the strips and have the children make patterns with the pompoms before using the dot markers. Thank you Fran for all the great ideas I've found on your blog.  Because we start back to school the first of August, these summery manipulatives will be just the thing to excite the children about learning. I'm a mentor teacher in my school district and for several years I taught a workshop for new teachers called Teaching Cheap (click on Teaching Cheap and you'll find a page I created on my website several years ago).  Below are some of my purchases. Deedee Wills made the statement on her blog that she uses the same type games, she just changes manipulatives. It keeps the interest high, but you don't have to keep teaching new games.