by Linda Haver

Created on: January 18, 2010

Styrofoam produce trays can be used in many ways in a classroom.  Recycled trays should be cleaned in a dishwasher to sanitize before using.  Grocery stores are a source of new Styrofoam trays.  Many stores will donate the trays to a school or sell them for a nominal cost.  Every elementary teacher should have a supply on hand to use in various ways.  Following are some suggested uses for Styrofoam produce trays.

Painting projects in the classroom can be messy and require substantial clean-up time.  Help alleviate this problem by using Styrofoam trays.  Pour a small amount of paint into a tray.  Teach the students to use the edges of the tray to wipe excess paint off the brush.  This will eliminate many drips.  When the painting is done, toss the paint trays into a plastic bag, then put the bag in a trash can.  This will help cut down the clean-up time.  Other variations on painting with Styrofoam trays are- use small pieces of sponges to dip the paint out of the trays to sponge paint, paint with vegetables by cutting them in half and dipping a half in the tray of paint then pressing it on paper, or use a small stick dipped in paint to draw winter trees.  A teacher can be creative and think of other items to use as painting tools to compliment units of study.

Make a classroom zoo using Styrofoam trays.  The end projects can be utilized to make a great bulletin board.  An adult needs to prepare the trays before starting the craft with the students.  Use a hole punch to make four or five equally spaced holes across the two longer sides of the trays.  Make sure the holes are lined up across from each other.  Give each student a tray.  The students create an animal to glue inside the Styrofoam tray cage.  Next the children thread yarn through opposite holes in the tray to make bars for the cages.  The animals can be based on information learned about real animals for a culmination project after a unit of study.  Another idea is to read the book, If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss and then have the students create pretend animals for the zoo.

Styrofoam produce trays make great holders for math manipulatives.  The trays can easily be passed out to groups of students or individuals for use during math lessons.  After the lesson, the trays of manipulatives can be stacked until needed again.

Two excellent projects that can help strengthen fine motor skills require Styrofoam produce trays.  For the first activity, prepare the trays by cutting off the edges.  Give each child a shape that has been drawn on a piece of copy paper.  Instruct the child to lay the paper with the shape over the tray and then use a push pin to make holes along the outline of the shape.  The holes should be close enough together so that the shape becomes perforated and pops out of the paper.  This activity helps improve the pinch grip.  For the second fine motor activity, flatten modeling clay on the bottom of a tray.  The child can then use an old pencil to practice letters or draw pictures in the clay.  The resistance of the clay helps build fine motor skills.

Styrofoam produce trays can have many functions.  A resourceful teacher will find other ways to use them to enhance the classroom.

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