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Recycle Cards, Calendars for Instruction & Fun!
By Teachers.Net News Desk
Djinn – Does anyone have a tried and true idea for calendars?
Chelle/K/PA – I take the calendars and glue them onto tagboard and laminate. Then cut apart as puzzles for each month!
Jane/k/MO – If you have an ellison press you can make some wonderful cut outs from the Christmas cards
Djinn – Jane- what kinds of cut outs?
meeha/ece/tx – I
use the old calendar pics as language experience posters
Chelle/K/PA – that’s what i do with old Christmas cards,meeha
Jane/k/MO – I want to use old calendars for the children to use in sequencing numeral. I will cut them apart and let the children put the numbers in order
Spider – Depending on the calendar, I laminate and use them for picture id and discussion.
Jane/k/MO – we have a book mark cut out with the Ellison press stencil maker
Spider – One calendar from last year had a smaller duplicate picture on the date part so I used them for matching. The kids loved them.
iram – I just thought of using calendars as wrapping paper for small gifts. You can also cut out pictures from cards and paste them on plainly wrapped gifts.
Djinn – I use the circle from the ellison and cut three circles – from cards – fold the circles in half and glue three together. Makes a great ornament
Jane/k/MO – I cut out snowflakes and Christmas shapes and glued the students picture on it for Christmas presents for parents
Chelle/K/PA – I have the children dictate to me everything that is going on in the Christmas card. Glue the card to the paper and write below. Great for having kids notice detail and tell action stories. Bind them togeter for a class book!
Djinn – I have used the calendars with animals – etc. for language experience ESL etc.
meeha/ece/tx – someone on the mail ring uses the back sides of the picture part of the card for thank you notes — it hought that was a great idea!
Djinn – I like that idea Meeha – saves money for notecards too!
Paula B.*MO* – I use the x-mas card fronts for added decoration in the memory book I make for each child.
Spider – You can save some of the cards nd use them next year as Christmas postcards
Chelle/K/PA – I have made some adorable Xmas wreaths from card fronts….
Spider – Chelle, how?
Djinn – Chelle – tell us how you do it
Chelle/K/PA – You need to trace a pentagon shape from each Xmas card. I usually do this for them so that it gets centered properly….the kds cut out the shapes. I think that they select 10 to 12…can’t recall. Anywa, glue them in a circle shape on a large piece of green bulletin board paper. An adult cuts around the outside, leaving a bit of the green paper showing. Their painted red handprints go in the middle on the green aper. Glue a construction paper ribbon on. Laminate and cut out again. Really cute! Can you picture it?
Kathleen:-) – I do simply place calendars at the Writing Center, kids just naturally copy the numerals in the boxes, draw pictures in the boxes
meeha/ece/tx – the thickness of the cards is great for children who need to practice cutting– you could trace patterns … or have them cut out specific objects within … the cards!
LVG – I like to use them with the Ellison cutter to make bulletin board letters.
iram – How about using the cards and caledar pictures as writing prompts in a writing centre..”write a story about… or draw a story about…”
meeha/ece/tx – mom and i make boxes from the cards … but i don’t think it is a preprimary task — 2nd grade and up would probably do ok with it.
Djinn – For older students – cut out a picture paste inside a folded piece of paper. On the outside write 3 adjectives – Mystery Game.
Kathleen:-) – bulletin board letters! that’s a neat idea, too!
LVG – I use old desk calendars with old calendar pieces for a matching & counting game.
iram – Paste a calendar picture on thick cardboard and cut out puzzle shapes. Make puzzles!
Kathleen:-) – The calendar illustrations could be cut and used for categorizing by seasons
LVG – I have picked out cards with simple pictures & writing to put in environmental print books.
Chelle/K/PA – I also punch holes around the cards and use them as lacing cards.
meeha/ece/tx – if you get people to give (donate) 2 matching cards … or collect and find several matching sets, old cards could make good ‘fish’ or other matching games!
Djinn – How did you get your old cards and calendars? Can anyone share ?
meeha/ece/tx – the cut out shapes could also be used as part of holiday (or otherwise) ‘necklaces’ — with a hole punched in one side to thread through — with added beads
iram – laminate calendar pictures and use them as placemats when you serve food. washable and easily disposable.
Toni – WI – People in my family save EVERYTHING for me. I did ask parents to send in calendars and Christmas cards if they were throwing them away.
Kathleen:-) – family collect for me..my sister has a business, they receive zillions of cards
meeha/ece/tx – i’ve bought calendars at 10 – 25 cents per when they are too old to sell, use old ones from family members,
LVG – The local store donates greeting card envelopes, they usually have a seasonal color or logo, so I do the obvious and cut the fronts and put in my writing center.
Djinn – You could use macaroni for beads and pictures between
iram – I’ve been saving cards for years, this is great!
Toni – WI – How about Dr.s offices, etc. They usually receive a ton of cards too.
Kathleen:-) – calendars have become a bit more difficult to come by these days
Djinn – That’s true Kathleen- I make mine on my computer.
iram – my dad always collects calendars for me from insurance companies and banks
Kathleen:-) – my brother-in-law is a veterinarian, so the cards they receive have mostly animal illustrations, so the kids love them
Toni – WI – I asked my parents for calendars, and I have to admit, I didn’t receive any! I can’t imagine what they do with them. Doesn’t everyone have a calendar in their house?
Djinn – My husband is in construction – my kids love the calendars with the big machines – backhoes etc.
meeha/ece/tx – the back parts of the cards would make good ‘templates’ for tracing and cutting — teach the children another level of independence!
Toni – WI – Cute, Kathleen. I volunteer at the local humane society. I will ask for their cards when they take them down.]
Spider – Lots of people write things on them – maybe they are leary of sharing the info
iram – you can get calendars from the strangest places, my dad also found me a few from a sandwich shop. you just have to ask!
Toni – WI – Maybe
they would just give the picture part, if nothing else.
meeha/ece/tx – the
feed’n seed type stores generally have them, pharmacies, etc.
TAM – I asked a loal
icecream parlor to save the containers ice cream comes in. Then each child
gets one and makes a trash can out of them by gluing old Christmas card
fronts around the container. They love this! It’s also a good idea for
Valentines cards.
Djinn – I guess you
just have to get out there and not be afraid to ask. i seem to get more
“pushy” as I “mature” LOL
Djinn – Tam- what
a great project – Bet you could use left over gift wrap too.
Kathleen:-) – TAM,
that’s a new and interesting recycling project..good to do these things
around Earth Day…of course, every day should be Earth Day 
iram – what about
saving envelopes, they are so nice around christmas time, and you can always
cover up the names on them. envelopes always come in handy.
Djinn – I put envelopes
in my writing center – my kids love to “mail” letters to one another.
TAM – gift wrap!
great idea Djinn!
Kathleen:-) – Ask
cigar shops at malls for their empty boxes…good for decoupage with pictures
from cards and calendars, or for storing items in the classroom
Dee2 – Use cards for critical thinking skills. Show 4 or 5 cards and give clues. Ex. Which one is alive? or Which one starts with Rr? etc. [more on next page]
