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Instructional Strategies

Make Your Own Mini Whiteboards!

Magazine / Make Your Own Mini Whiteboards!

8 years ago
15 Comments

Making your own whiteboards is a great way to save money. Sure, you can purchase something more heavy duty from an art supply catalog, but if you are on a budget, these are a cinch to make!

How to Make Your Own Mini Whiteboards

  1. Get white paper or card stock cut it to the size you want.
  2. Send them off to be laminated.
    I have found it’s worthwhile to head to an office supply store or professional print shop where they have a thicker lamination then what is offered at my school.
  3. Cut and trim lamination if necessary.

Bam! You have your own set of whiteboards for a fraction of the cost.

The best part is that there are so many ways to use these in your classroom.

You might use them for:

  • Reviewing elements and principles
  • Reviewing vocabulary
  • A quick assessment
  • Practice drawing
  • “Sketching” out ideas before you start a project
  • Make a list of project steps
  • As an early-finisher activity
  • To create a mind map or for other brainstorming purposes
  • Pictionary or other drawing games
  • Art review games

 

If you made even smaller whiteboards or cut larger ones down, students could use them to make their own flashcards or memory game.  What a fun way to review concepts in the art room.

How else could you see yourself using a class set of dry erase boards with your students? Do share!

Jessica Balsley

AOE Admin

Jessica Balsley is the Founder and President at AOE. She is passionate about helping art teachers enhance their lives and careers through relevant professional development.

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  • Another cheap alternative is going to the local lumber yard and purchasing a 4’x8′ sheet of laminated masonite (like they use in bathrooms)and have them cut. Mine are cut into 12″ squares and I use them for everything from drawing to transporting drying clay.

    • Great Suggestion! Thanks for sharing your tips

    • On a similar note, I found a cheaper version of masonite board at Lowe’s and had that cut up to support student artwork on the drying rack. I find that if we are doing smaller projects they sometime fall through the wire racks. Really wet projects sometimes dry with a funny contour to the surface. When they are on boards it goes smoother, even when the kids are putting their work on the rack it is easier. The board (called MDS board) is also 4×8 feet, and you can get 20 out of one sheet.

  • Dee

    I am a music teacher and I printed out a staff on white paper and put this, along with a small dry-erase marker and tissue, into page protectors! Voila! Students need to actively write music, too. And now they can without spending a fortune!

  • Love this. I’m going to have to do this tomorrow!

  • Sarah

    I also use this laminating technique to create clipable Challenge/Objectives for each grade level. I teach m ultiple grade levels each day, with each grade participating in a different lesson. I am required to post my lesson objective in writing for each class- I laminated 18×24 white drawing paper and I use an expo dry erase marker to write the challenge for each grade level for the week- I clip them on my board and when the next class arrives I just pull down the last class- revealing the next classes challenge. I only have to write the challenge once a week and it saves me tons of time.

  • Does anyone have a source for white boards? I have enough money to buy some. Do you think laminating white tag board is just as good? I was thinking maybe the feeling of a board might help them feel a little more anchored to the task.

    • I think I ordered mine from one of the bigger catalogs. Sax or Dick block. They came in packs of 12 and were high quality and pretty heavy. I also would check with your school secretary for an office supply place they may get a discount through. Good Luck!

  • lisa

    Hi Everyone,

    I went to observe a teacher using these a few weeks ago and she played a really fun game with a group of roughly 16 students. First, she got half of the students to move their chairs to the board with their backs facing the board. Each of these students sitting down would then be given a whiteboard, along with a marker.

    Then, the other half of the students had to stand in front of one of their peers who was sitting down (creating partners). These students were given instructions to dictate to their peers a given sentence that the teacher would write on the board.

    Finally, the pair would work together to change any errors which were in the sentence and then hold up their whiteboards when it was done

    The students were so motivated and engaged throughout the lesson, i hope this helps you in your lessons!

  • Megan George

    I just made a class set of whiteboards by using a clear plastic sleeve and layering a piece of white computer paper, thin piece of cardboard, another white piece of paper and then I used duct tape to seal the top shut. The clear sleeves I bought in bulk for $4.00…I raided the copy room for white paper, I collect cardboard all year long and the duct tape I always have on hand. So a class set of 30 cost me $4.00. They work great and they’re double-sided so the kids can draw more before having to erase. I told the kids my secret to making a cheap whiteboard and they were so excited to go home and make their own. 

    • Love the fact that they are double sided. Thank you for sharing!

  • MB Aldous

    I use white plastic plates form the party store – dry erase markers and pompoms as erasers. Works great and the kids think it is so cool – and that I am cleaver – of course!

  • Jackie

    I’ve seen the technique of hot gluing pom poms to the end of the dry erase markers so the kids have erasers on hand. Less to pass out and put away!

  • Mrs. T

    Go to the lumber store and buy shower board and have them cut them the size you want. Much sturdier than laminated paper.

  • Jeff Mesina

    Glad I found you Jessica! I love using mini-whiteboards in class and was just looking for a lightweight alternative for when I’m moving about. Thanks :)