Let's Spice It Up! (Craft Hack)

The dollar store is a teacher's paradise! We often have to spend out of pocket for one reason or another and we need to make it stretch. Another thing that I like to pick up at the dollar store for my classroom are salt and pepper shakers. They are plastic opposed to glass so you don't have to worry about them shattering. That's not to say you shouldn't inspect them for wear and tear before giving them to the children. My main use for these handy doodads, is for glitter. This paces out the use of this very valuable and popular classroom resource and the children are better able to get the glitter where they intend, although it always has a mind of it's own. When I put it away until it's next use, I cover the holes with masking tape so the contents don't get everywhere.

I also use these with sand. We are often making crafts with colored sand and these come in very handy. Try using them to create a beach scene using natural sand. I even give them to the children to use in the sensory table with sand. The children can experiment with how it feels cascading onto their hand or whatever fun things they come up with.