Are you looking for something new to add to your classroom that…
- Will serve as an engaging content-rich free time activity?
- Requires very little maintenance or material?
- Can be used by students across several grade levels?
- Will produce a breathtaking piece of collaborative art?
If so, you should consider purchasing the Friendly Loom.
Although it requires an initial investment, this piece of art room “furniture” serves so many purposes that I can’t imagine teaching without it. Once this simple, large-scale loom is set up it can be used as part of a weaving lesson, a reward for good behavior, an activity for fast finishers, or even a fine-arts night family interaction project.
I have used it in all of these ways in my classroom, and we all love it! It stores flat up against a wall, and when I want to use it I can simply pull it out with my tub of yarn and a few pairs of scissors. Up to eight students can work on it at a time, and once the whole thing is finished (we are trying to do one a year) you are left with a beautiful tapestry suitable for hanging in the school office or hallway. Consider the Friendly Loom for your classroom!
What kinds of multi-purpose equipment do you use?
How do you fund larger purchases like this?
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.
Article 
