July Dollar Tree Finds!

This summer seemed to go by so fast! I think it goes quicker every year. While I was in Rowlett this summer visiting my family, I frequented The Dollar Tree, Big Lots, Target and plenty of other blogs. I found so many cute things for my classroom that I just had to share them!




1. Plastic Snack Containers
The Dollar Tree in Rowlett (about 20 miles outside of Dallas) had these cute little containers! They were in a 2 pack and in colors pink, blue, green and orange. I got 3 packs to use in my math center to store some magnetic numbers I got at Target in their $1 and $3 section up front.

They didn't have the blue containers the first time I went, so I just got the other 3 colors. I only needed 5 to make one group so I'll have to find a home for my lonesome green container. That shouldn't be too hard! 

Labels are on! I'm debating whether or not I want the last container to be orange or pink. I went and bought more, but all Lubbock had was orange.

2. Cookie Sheets and Pizza Pans

I have an oil drip pan in my room that I use as a magnet board for small groups, but the kids all want to play with it and don't have enough room to crowd around. My solution ... cookie sheets! How I've been left out of the dark for so long, I have no clue! Julie over at Make, Take & Teach has a few awesome cookie sheet activity packs to use with these.

Click here to see her Cookie Sheet Activities

I got five of these 9x13 cookie sheets for the kids to use during small group or free center time. I'm planning on (if I have time before school starts) spray painting the cookie sheets to match the containers holding the magnetic numbers. We'll see if that happens or not.

For my pizza pan, I'm going to make a note station by the entrance to my classroom to hold tardy slips, changes to getting home and notes that are delivered throughout the day. For this one, I'm going to mod podge some scrapbook paper onto the front, then section off the 3 areas I want with labels.

3. Pool Noodles & 4. Plastic Storage Baskets

You can use pool noodles for so many different things! Mine are being used in a literacy center this year to practice ordering the alphabet, spelling names and making words. It was a super easy activity to make. Head over to my Classroom DIY page or click here to see how I did it with the numbers set. It literally took less than 30 minutes to make both sets. 

5. Dry Erase Baskets

I got three of these dry erase baskets to use for storage. I love finding storage items! They will be a books hospital (I thought that was such a cute idea when I saw it), iPad storage, and headphone storage.

I whipped up these cute little labels this summer for the front of each bucket so the kids don't forget what goes where.

6. 2-Tiered Mini Drawers

I haven't seen these in Clovis or Lubbock, but they had a few different colors in Rowlett. The orange one on the top is holding marbles and the green one on the bottom is holding dice. When the kids need either for a center, I'm just going to pull the drawers out for their table. Best part is they hold a good amount, but don't take up too much room!

7. Mini Storage

One of my goals this year is to be super organized! To help with that, I have been buying lots and lots of storage. The Dollar Tree in Clovis had these mini storage crates that link together and these small baskets that I am using in my drawers instead of shoving things all over the place. 

8. Expandable Coupon Organizer

9. Plastic File Bag

10. Recycling Activity Kit

11. Timers

12. Cupcake Pans

I've seen these used to hold cups that have art supplies, as a toss game (to toss objects into, not the pans!), and to use a sorting pans. But my favorite thing I have seen them used for is as paint trays, and that's what I'm using these for! I bought one for each table and 6 colors is plenty for the kids to have in each group. If I get busy and forget to wash them, that's the only thing we are using them for and they were only $1!

Happy shopping!