Submitted by Connie Herbon, Iowa
Idea posted October 26, 2004
Now that I've had some time to work in my classroom, I've been working at creating some magnetic notes that suit my needs and are cheap, sturdy, and easy to use. I've come up with the following:
I purchased packs of counting tokens at Wal-Mart. I paid $1 per pack (75 in a pack). The tokens are brightly colored and are flat and smooth, about 1 1/4" in diameter. I get the 50-packs of 3/4" round magnets for around $5. A drop of hot glue holds a magnet solidly to a token.
Because the tokens are bigger than the magnets, there is room to get a hold on each one for easy manipulation. For a staff, I made the lines 1 3/4" apart (this seems like a good size by the time you actually get them drawn). I tried washable Crayola markers. They *can* be removed from the white board, but they also smear easily. I know Vis-A-Vis overhead markers hold up pretty well until washed off, but I don't know if they come in anything but fine point tips. Finally, I tried a permanent marker, and it held up well. I removed it from the board with alcohol. Some have mentioned using detailing tape, so that is another option for making staff lines.