Simple Paint Cup Solution!

I don't know about you, but I get reallllly tired of washing out paint cups! I try really hard to incorporate art into my classroom, which can be hard to do with an increased emphasis on standards based curriculums. One of the ways I do this is by setting up a painting center. Now, I know a lot of my general education counterparts set up an easel outside of their classroom and let two kids at a time go out to paint. As a special education teacher, I can tell you this is pretty much a bad idea for me and my kids.  So thanks to DonorsChoose, I now have a solution!

I love this easel! It's on rollers, so I can slide it anywhere I want in my classroom in a matter of seconds. Plus, it has four sides, which means four kids at a time can use it, making it a totally valid center. (They're pretty pricey, but you can buy one here, through Lakeshore. Or, just do what I did and ask for one on DonorsChoose.org.) We slide some butcher paper underneath it to catch any stray paint drops and, voila: my kids can paint, and I can supervise them while still attending to my other students.

Well, after my third of fourth day after school scrubbing paint cups, one of my brilliant colleagues showed me an easier way. An "Are you serious?!? That is genius! Why did I never think of that!" kind of easier way.

Ladies and gentleman, may I present to you...

Dollar store sandwich bags!

Just stick these little suckers into the paint cup...

Pour in the paint...

And close the lid. When you're done with the paint, all you do is pick up the plastic bag, toss it in the trash, and boom. You're done.  Makes painting in the classroom MUCH less time consuming for me, which means I'm more likely to actually do it. A win, win for everyone!