Amanda Takes Off...

After being beautiful for the last couple of days (mid-70s on Friday) today turned very cold and windy. Since most of my students didn't have coats, we stayed inside for recess.

When we received our classroom worm bin and worms, the packaged were filled with cornstarch packing peanuts. I saved them in boxes, figured I'd use them for...something...later.

Mark's Lover works at a hospital and has access to a bunch of surgical bins. They're basically big blue plastic bowls. He asked if I could use them in school and I took them, figuring I'd use them for...something...later.

During recess today I gave each student a blue bin. I gave each table a bowl of peanuts and another bowl of water. Students dipped the peanuts in water and stuck them together to make different shapes and figures.

They were happy because they were having messy fun. I was happy because recess was fairly calm and the bowls helped them keep their desks clean. When recess was over, they set the bowls aside so their artwork could dry and we went on with our day.

When a coworker walked in the room after class she said, "Why does it smell like corn chips in here?"