Pages

March 9, 2014

Tips for Using Camp Chairs in the Classroom

Welcome to the Bright Ideas Blog Hop! I'm teaming up with the bloggers at the bottom of this post to share bright ideas for the classroom. My teaching tip is super simple, but sometimes the simplest ideas make the best solutions!

Who likes to sit in a hard chair all day? I know I don't, and my students never did either. Classroom carpets are nice, but there's never enough room on the carpet for everyone. Bean bags are fun, but they often split and leave the room littered with little white styrofoam pellets! Camp chairs to the rescue!

Camp chairs are perfect for school, both inside and outside the classroom. They're great for those times when students want to move away from their desks to find a comfy spot to read alone or work with others.


Seven Reasons to Use Camp Chairs in the Classroom
  1. Camp chairs are light and portable, easy for kids to grab and move. 
  2. They fold up small enough that four or five of chairs can be stored in a corner of the room. 
  3. Students can take them just about anywhere, making great use of all the little nooks and crannies in your classroom. 
  4. Camp chairs make it easy to circle up for discussion groups and classroom book clubs. 
  5. When students are reading alone, they can turn their chairs to face an empty wall to remove visual distractions.
  6. Students can take camp chairs outside to to get comfy when writing or working out of doors.
  7. Teachers can use them when they need to pull up a chair for a private reading conference with one student. 

How to Get Camp Chairs for Your Classroom: 
  • Parent Donations - Put them on your school supply wish list for the classroom. They are quite inexpensive, especially at the end of the summer when school starts back, so parents will often donate them if you ask. 
  • DonorsChoose Grants - Write a DonorsChoose project proposal to obtain creative seating alternatives for your classroom. and include camp chairs as one option. 
  • Sporting Events and Concerts - If you live near an outdoor venue for sporting events or concerts, check with the management to see if you can have any chairs that are left behind after these events. I've been told that people frequently walk off and leave their chairs behind, and those chairs are given to anyone who wants them. 
  • Yard Sales and Flea Markets - Visit yard sales and flea markets to find bargains on camp chairs.
Ways to Use Camp Chairs 




What are some creative seating solutions you use in your classroom? 

I'm excited to be a part of the giant Bright Ideas Blog Hop! The next blogger is Rachel Lamb, The Tattooed Teacher. She's sharing some tips for using dry erase markers on desks. Click the image below which will take you to here blog! You can also use the links at the bottom of this post to find topics that interest you and hop directly to those blogs. 
The Tattooed Teacher



11 comments:

  1. I hopped over during the Bright Ideas Blog Hop! Many 3rd - 6th grade students are just too big for "Criss-cross Applesauce!" this is perfect!
    Thank you, this is terrific!
    ~Fern
    Fern Smith's Classroom Ideas!
    Fern Smith's Pinterest Boards!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the camp chair idea! I also use bucket seats that I made two years ago. They have held up well, and they provide extra storage! Love this Bright Ideas Blog Hop!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I had never thought of using camp chairs before! I love how easy they are to move and I could see the students really enjoying them! I am pretty much done with beanbag chairs at this point...or should I say beanbag pancakes ;) so this sounds like a wonderful alternative. Thank you Laura!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes! I love this! My kiddos are over the moon when they have seating alternatives!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a great idea, Laura! My sixth graders' tendency to "jump and plop" on the beanbags is currently liming our seating options. I love that the camp chairs have indoor/outdoor functionality. Wonderful photos... They have sent me to the Internet looking for deals!
    Thanks for sharing your Bright Idea!

    Kim
    Finding JOY in 6th Grade

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow... camp chairs. I never gave that a thought for the classroom. I had a "comfy cool-down chair" that I used as a place for frustrated kids or those who were causing disruption, to go take a time out. Not is a punishment sense, but just a place to go cool down. It worked well, and I blogged about it some time ago. But the camp chair idea is so versatile! Great for everyday use, or mixing things up. Thanks for sharing your ideas!
    Jean (JWDesigns) Teaching Tidbits and Treats

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I just started using camp chairs this year. The kids love them!!! I'm working on getting more very soon!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Why haven't I thought of this? Thank you for this post!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.