Organizing Centers.

I have been a big fan of creating centers for my children. Well, not really creating centers around the house...but making those "Take To Your Seat" type of centers. They are usually big hits and they keep the kids busy when the are bored, when they are waiting for their next lesson, etc.

I purchased a file folder holder awhile ago to help me organize all our file folder games and centers. You can check out this link to see my kids using their centers and how I organize them! http://hfclassicalacademy.blogspot.com/search/label/centers

But lately, I came across a great post over at the WTM boards talking all about creating a math lab. (You can see that thread here.) It gave me an idea! Instead of having our centers in our school room, why not create a special place for them? After all, we have a space set up in our alcove with a table, chairs, and plenty of space for materials. All I have to do is organize the materials.

So I visited Fanning the Flame for some inspiration! Wow! She has some wonderful ideas and I suggest anyone to check out her blog (the pictures are great!). Another website for great ideas is over at Hubbard's Cupboard. You can see a couple of pictures of their math tubs and there are plenty of links to get you started.

For the time being, I'm gathering ideas for materials, manipulatives, and other necessities. CanTeach has some wonderful ideas of what math centers can include. But I'll also be including a place to store all our "take to your seat" centers. I'm planning on setting up a board with a daily or weekly challenge, just to get the kids started. We'll see how it goes!!

Right now, I'm in the planning stages and I would like to have it all done within a couple of weeks. Pictures to follow!!!