February 23, 2012

SOS - Need Your Advice!

First a little background... My church was recently deeded the church building where we've been renting space. It was an older building in disrepair, so we are in the long process of renovating. Most of the renovations have been contracted out, of course, but we're doing some of the cosmetic repairs (like LOTS of painting) ourselves.


In the 3-4 year olds room (where I help teach the preschoolers Sunday School) is this giant framed-out bulletin board thing (94"x46"). Our guys added fresh drywall with the intent of covering it with chalkboard paint.


I have never had luck with chalkboard paint erasing well, and I suggested we didn't want to deal with the chalk dust on new carpet. Of course, that means I need to come up with alternate solutions. My thought at the moment is to turn it into a giant felt board. If I covered cork board with felt, it could be used as both a felt board and a bulletin board. But it's a very large surface, so there's the potential to divide it in half and create two separate spaces.

So what are your initial thoughts? Felt/bulletin board? Where do I even buy a cork board that big? What color felt do you think? Green on the bottom and blue on top, or something neutral?

What about other ideas? The board is at child-level, so we need something that the kids can safely interact with. The idea of a dry-erase surface has already been suggested and denied.

Thanks for your help!

24 comments:

  1. What about magnetic paint on part of it?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'd go with a felt board. In a freak accident in our area, a child inhaled a thumb tack and died. =( I wouldn't want any bulletin board pins around kids that age.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A mural of a town or country scene (maybe even both) where children can interact or create a story with cars, animals, etc.? A felt frame would do the same, but felt that large seems difficult to find. If it was magnetic like another person suggested, then you can use car, animal, people magnets to create stories.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would probably do some magnetic paint under a mural or just a flat color. You can easily fine or even make customized magnets for your Bible story characters or anything else you may want to use the board for in addition to the kids just being able to play.

    Honestly, I made a felt board for my girls to play with and it's been kind of a hassle. THey're under 2, so it will be different for you, but they aren't able to really stick the pieces up easily, and if a corner gets bent under it falls and they get frustrated. With a magnet board you would have a lot more flexibility I feel.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That was my first thought, too, even before reading comments...magnetic. An additional point is that flannel can get dirty and dusty (any children with asthma?) While in most environments it's easy to vacuum the surface and wash the flannel board pieces, in that environment it may be harder. You'll have a lot of different children coming through and unless the children all wash their hands upon arrival, you'll get them as is, unlike a daycare situation. Magnetic pieces can be laminated and easily cleaned and not be such a harbor for bacteria.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am jumping on the magnet bandwagon! :)

    You could get a large piece of sheet metal to place behind the frame... or you could cover it with fabric. or half felt board half magnet board.

    You could make a magnets of the daily schedule, the songs you sing, kids birthdays...

    ReplyDelete
  7. was the cost of a dry erase board too high? i have not used it but there is this product at lowe's similar to chalk board paint but it is dry erase paint.


    http://www.ideapaint.com/

    ReplyDelete
  8. I did a magnetic wall in my game room and my kids love it. That could work really well.

    Or half magnet and half felt board. If you do felt board I'd advocate a simple all one color, then you can build up the background.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Can you do half magnetic and half felt?

    ReplyDelete
  10. My first thought was making it a dry erase board with melamine from the hardware store.

    However, I love the the idea of making a felt board. That will be perfect for 3/4's. Or you could do 1/2 felt, 1/2 dry erase? I agree that a chalk board is too messy. Plus, so many kids have asthma these days and that would really irritate their lungs.

    If you do felt, I'm thinking like sky blue?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hey...you can buy cork 12x12 squares...also, why not leave what you do with this board up to whatever you may be doing in the classroom for a particular theme/need/experience, etc. I like to keep my options open...there are so many cool ideas to use with a space that big. I have a giant whiteboard mounted in my circle-time area..it's cool but has it's limitations...blessings...

    ReplyDelete
  12. I have been a Christian Pre-K 3/4 Teacher for 6 years and have moved my classroom around rebuilding each year. I had a whiteboard that wasn't being used and decided to utilize it for Circle time (Calendar, Weather) using velcro hooks from office max. I had tried other ways to use the board as those mentioned yet found with limited wall space in my classroom, it worked best for circletime. I also hang pictures, artwork the children give me and pictures of the bible, a church, etc..and other photos or work of anything our lesson plan is centered on at the time..

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have been a Christian Pre-K 3/4 Teacher for 6 years and have moved my classroom around rebuilding each year. I had a whiteboard that wasn't being used and decided to utilize it for Circle time (Calendar, Weather) using velcro hooks from office max. I had tried other ways to use the board as those mentioned yet found with limited wall space in my classroom, it worked best for circletime. I also hang pictures, artwork the children give me and pictures of the bible, a church, etc..and other photos or work of anything our lesson plan is centered on at the time..

    ReplyDelete
  14. As an interior design student and teacher major, i woukd recommend eifher magnetic paint for magnetic board or felt board,for their age and purpose of room space...it would be well used.There is chalkboard paint and easy washable kind plus easy washable kid chalk.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Cover the top half on cork for displaying art and the bottom could have a magnetic board for them.
    Or you can just take it off and use it as other free space for toys or art...any center you think you want to add.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I like the idea of making half felt/cork board and half magnetic. If you're going to go with magnetic though, I'd definitely go for doing it right with the sheet metal rather than magnetic paint. (The chalkboard/magnetic/whatever paint generally doesn't work as well as the real thing.)

    ReplyDelete
  17. The magnetic paint doesn't work very well in my opinion. I would do half flannel board and 1/2 peg board... Here is a post where I changed our bookshelf to add those things. IF you are going to go magnetic, I would recommend an oil pan or a magic wall.
    http://www.childcentralstation.com/2011/08/diy-chalboard-feltboard-pegboard.html

    ReplyDelete
  18. I would suggest magnetic wall by using sheet metal or magnetic paint. I have never used the magnetic paint. If you have a parent/friend who can find you a good price on sheet metal, it can be almost the same price as the amount of magnetic paint (I've heard many coats, and make sure it is fresh and hasn't been sitting on shelf).

    ReplyDelete
  19. what is the material that is already there? i like the border around it... it is in a perfect spot to have as a circle time bord or game wall; you can have someone paint it or perm. cover it with some other kid safe material and use the bullentin board for wall games, cirlce time posters, etc... soemthing the kids can interact with. being it is at eye level of a child. you can attach some shlves around the wall that is around the borad have a paint/drawing art board for the kids. can use half chalk,wipe off,dry erase, and easel board for an art station. am sure the lord will give you an inspire moment on this since it is in his house which the board resides ;)

    ReplyDelete
  20. I made my own chalkboard and haven't had any problems with it not erasing well. But you would want to vacuum after every class if it gets used a lot. I don't have a lot of dust from it, but I only have three kids. I like the magnetic suggestion - along with that you can print pictures (like people, animals, etc.) on magnetic paper, cut it out and have those has magnetic paper dolls. It would be a great visual to use with Bible story lessons. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I like the idea of dividing it up a bit. Part felt, part magnetic. If you can paint the sheet metal white, you can use an old overhead projector as a light box, and project what the kids do. You could also put the cork squares across the top, out of reach of the little ones, for a traditional bulletin board.

    ReplyDelete
  22. We've used the dry erase board paint with much success in classrooms.

    But, definitely, I'd divide it up so that the kiddos can use the portion they can reach, and you can use the higher parts.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Get Duplo/Lego sheets and cover half the wall with that and then half with felt of do the bottom with felt and the top with cork. You can find Rolls of Cork at and office store.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love the Lego idea! What a fun way to build. I also think a felt board or circle time/calendar space is good too.

    I know there were a lot of suggestions for magnets, but at our preschool magnets are not allowed for safety reasons. I'd avoid anything with push pins or magnets.

    ReplyDelete

More Fun...

Related Posts with Thumbnails