Guest Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 I work in a session pre-school based in a community centre. At present we are unable to create displays of children's work, as all equipment has to be put away at the end of the session, including anything we stick on the walls, such as area labels. I have always enjoyed creating displays with the children and as much as I would like to show their 'work' off, I have really got nowhere to put it. I have considered sticking up things on the walls, but I think it'll be too time consuming each day, putting it all up and then taking it all back down again. There is also the risk of ruining children's work if this happens. I was wondering how others in similar situations manage their displays and whether or not anyone had any ideas as to how I could alleviate this problem? We are (as is everyone!) on a limited budget and have considered pin boards for work, but again taking them out and putting them away at the end of the session may be too time consuming. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 HI, I have seen in a magazine somewhere a kind of screne that can be used in cases such as yours, they can also be used for dividing up areas, now where did I see them, maybe someone else knows. Tracie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 Have you tried approaching your landlord to see if they would permit you to have a display board fixed up somewhere in the building which you could use? Who else uses the venue? Maybe they might like to display things and you could make a group representation, perhaps with a suggested area for display boards? When I supervised a playgroup there were two large rooms for group usage (playgroup, beavers, rainbows, cubs, brownies, scouts and guides mostly, but hire of building at weekends for weddings, parties etc. and Blood donor team use it 3/4 times a year). The smaller room (which we used during session and as a story and 'dismissal' area), after representation, was fitted with boards for each user group as well as three boards in the entrance for more general notices - one of which was specifically for the playgroup! After all, I expect you generate some revenue in rent, it's not too much to ask? I expect your displays will brighten the place up, anyway!! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacquieL Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 Could you collect very large pieces of cardboard- such as they deliver aplliances in? You could cover and border them them and tape them together to make stand up screens, like giant cards, and display work on them. If you are concerned about them falling over you could use ties to fasten them to something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 a bit obscure this one....the previous owner of my preschool used an old hospital (round the bed) screen, it had 4 panels ( light metal tubular surround) and was on wheels, it folded away to one panel size. Instead of curtains she fixed hardboard in each panel. But where you would get them I don't know - maybe contact your local hospital league of friends. Another idea is to get a large sheet ( any colour) hem at top with a pole through it. Hang this from hooks ( if allowed) fix pictures to sheet ( cellotape or blue tack will work for short periods of time) roll up at the end of the day. This is a good way of hanging items at child level. Good luck, I hope you find a solution. I would also do as Sue R says, you may be the highest rent provider so your landlords, I feel, should consider your request. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreamay Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 i noticed ikea are selling a bamboo sort of screen perhaps you could adapt that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 We are a sessional preschool in a church hall, shared with other users. We put all our displays up every day and take them down again. At least it makes us think about what we have out and change it daily to fit in with the theme and keep the children interested! We have made a big decorated sheet of thick board that we blutack children's work to so we don't have to put each one up individually every day. All our posters/displays etc are blutacked to the walls, fixed to the big pinboards we have or leant against the walls. We don't display as much of the children's work as we'd like to though. Carolyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laura Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 My mums pre-school has to pack away most days and needs to be 'invisible'. My dad had the wonderful idea of attaching brackets for shelves or hanging baskets to the wall which the hall owners were fine about. Displays were then made by attaching very good quality large paper to a wooden pole that hangs over the brackets. All the displays could then be turned around on one pair of brackets at the end of the day. HTH Laura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 Display panels bottom right of page These could help or give an idea on making them using large sheets of corrugated card which is what we did in one place i worked. we then blutaced them to the walls each morning and they folded neatly away each day. Sheets work as Peggy says, we used to hang them over the back of chairs by making a pocket in them to fit over the chair. a use for the chairs other hall users had stored in the hall we used. we were lucky enough to be given some display panels on wheels, not cheap to buy but perhaps a fundraise. Also have asked for a board for display in one hall, we reached a sort of compromise as they did not want 'our bits' to ruin the atmosphere for any hall hirers!! but we were a good source of income, and they allowed us to put up boards with a cutain in front to hide them when we were not in the hall. luckily no problem where I am now, we have free reign and everyone is very envious of us in other settings, we put away everyday but display is left up, everywhere, including hanging down from beams. (One place i worked in allowed displays on 2 boards, but the group were very lax in changing them, so much so the bridge club complined about a snow picture in April!! They made flowers and stuck them in the snow for spring!) Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 Do you have a computer you could use? Take digital photos of the work, create an album on the computer and use it as a screen saver so that if the computers are not being used and the screensaver comes on the photos will automatically be shown. Deb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 Debs post reminded me about a differnt way of 'displaying' work which we use..... we take photos of the work (children often insist on taking everything home) and then print them out as A4 size pictures, these we laminate (with pouches which have holes in ready for a ring binder) so they can be put in a folder for all to see. Parents love to look at the file, children spend ages searching for their own work and it is often found in the book corner. It becomed evidence for Ofsted and can be changed regularly or added to daily. Children often ask to have work phographed for the book and those able to help with this process too. Occasionally the childs photo goes with the work if they want it. Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 That's a great idea!! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 That's a really nice idea Inge. Will have to look at that, if only for the Ofsted evidence thing really! Thanks for all your great ideas. Will have a little think over the weekend and try and come up with something that we could use! Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 I have just had a thought... What about using pin boards (the cork type) and attaching a bit of string to the bac. Then asking the centre if we can stick picture hooks in the walls to hang the boards on? The hooks don't stick out too much so there shouldn't be any injuries, the boards are quite cheap to pick up, depending on where you go. I think we really need to concentrate on displaying children's work in the centre. It is a youth centre so there are many images all around the building, including in our foyer area of syringes, cigarettes etc (to warn young people about the dangers of). We are under strict instruction not to touch any of the pictures as they are not ours, despite arguing that the images are unsuitable for the children. The centre is mainly for the young people, then there's us and a small parent and toddler group which meets once a week and uses our hall for the privilege, so with that in mind, I would assume that we must be the biggest rent provider for the centre. I think they should be more flexible when it comes to the children's work and am planning on mentioning it to them next week ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblejack Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 In my previous hall we had to take displays down each day. We mounted them on cardboard dividers purchased from S.B.S. at a very reasonable cost. We also used strong cardboard from recycled appliance boxes.Electrical shops are very obliging and they are useful to divide activities. Very ocassionally they fell down but the children soon learnt to be careful. They spent a lot of time admiring their work because they were child level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 Hi Bibblejack, is S.B.S an educational provider? Never heard of them before but am interested in the dividers! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 SBS - Step By Step - OK, but the best thing is you can sometimes get reps out with samples for the children to play with! Or at least, you used to be able to! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 A friend, when we were doing teacher training used spongy pipe insulation (from B&Q). She cut down vertically one side and slotted large pieces of cardboard into them. You can have more panels and use them as room dividers or have them smaller dependent on your needs. I hope I have described this OK as they looked really effective and could be stored away with the pictures still on the cardboard Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblejack Posted April 22, 2006 Share Posted April 22, 2006 Sorry Claire should have written it more clearly. We use them a lot and yes Sue they do have a rep. that will visit with resouces for children to play with during their visit. I have used the cardboard panels for many things. They display all the legal jargon. I have attatched plastic pockets storing info about head lice etc. for parents to take if they wish. Others for a large play house, much easier than carting out the wooden house each day.All the childrens photos of activities are displayed on this one. Others are mounted each side with childrens work and displays and used to divide room into areas. They have large cut out shapes at the top so if I want an area to remain visible but private for the children I drape voile over the holes. If i need to access the whole of the partition I attatch thin card to fill the shapes before I display work. I have had mine for 6 years and even though they are used every day they are still in good condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 Bit late on advice - but we use metal over the door hangers - they are the single type ones, I think they can be bought in Woolies so we use two over each of the doors and we can hang up notice boards etc - there are lots of these around at the moment so if you have any doors that are shut that could be used might be one way of hanging things up on boards that others have mentioned here. We are lucky as our community hall made us special boards for us to use - we have 6 of them quite big but they never seem to be big enough so we use extra display boards off the metal over the door hangers too. Good luck Nikki Nikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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