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Encouraging art is a good move in classrooms, no matter the age of the children. Creativity seems to come naturally for many kids, and allowing them to express it in a healthy way is a good thing. For this reason, easels are helpful items to have in a classroom, as they can make it easy for children to paint or draw. Of course, like any other type of classroom furniture, there are plenty of options when it comes to easels.

If you have children of different heights and ages in your classroom, such as in a preschool, you might find easels with adjustable heights to be invaluable. In fact, such easels usually have two sides, and each one can be set at different heights. Some easels even feature up to four sides of different heights. This makes it easy to allow four children of different ages or heights to draw or paint simultaneously. This type of easel has hinges that easily lock into place when you find the right height.

Many easels feature not only a blank paper canvas, but also a large chalkboard. In fact, some include a whiteboard, too, as well as space to store erasers, markers, and chalk. Of course, you can also attach plain white paper to this type of easel so that kids can use it to draw or paint. Such easels allow children several ways to express their imagination. If they enjoy playing with chalk or child-friendly dry erase markers, they have the opportunity to do so, but can also quickly switch to paint or regular markers when you add paper to the easel.

Some specialty easels include certain extras that you might find appealing. For example, some include much more storage space than most, with several shelves underneath that are big enough to fit small bins or buckets of supplies. Keeping all the art supplies in one place makes this type of easel a great piece of classroom furniture. Other easels attempt to encourage more creativity than ever in kids by including a certain theme. Some look like fire engines, police cars, or ambulances, which are especially appealing to toddlers who enjoy bright, recognizable themes.

Before you choose an easel for your classroom, think about the ages, heights, and interests of kids in your class. If you have a specific art time, it makes sense to get several easels that have adjustable heights so that many kids can paint or draw at once. However, you may simply have one easel available for play time. Either way, this type of classroom furniture can encourage kids to get creative.

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As the classroom door closed, Joey got up from his seat. Rushing to the front of the room, he ran his fingernails down the blackboard.

Squeak...squeak... the sound echoed through the room.

The girls in the second grade class squealed, "Eek! Stop it Joey!"

The boys all laughed.

Three more boys jumped up to add their squeaking nails to the din.

With so much noise, it was not surprising that none of the boys heard the classroom door open, or the Sister enter the room. It wasn't until the ruler was cracked across the boys' knuckles in quick succession that they realized they had been busted - quite literally. Their next stop was in the School Administrator's office. Of course, he was also their own parish priest.

While they sat in silence, they heard each phone call - one at a time.

"Your son was scratching the blackboard with his fingernails when Sister Elizabeth was out of the room for a moment. No, it is only a minor infraction. He was told to stay in his seat when she stepped into the hallway. Yes, she exercised discipline, a ruler across the knuckles."

All four heard the same conversation time after time until each of their homes had been called. Once the black telephone handset was placed in the cradle, the boys glanced at each other.

"Well, my boys," he began, "it seems that we have a problem."

Each boy kept his eyes trained on the floor.

"Look up at me, please."

When the boys looked up at Father Wilcox, they saw him smile. "Don't misunderstand me, boys. I know that hearing the girls squeal because you run your fingernails on the chalkboard is fun...at your age. Believe it or not, I was your age once. But it is inappropriate and the bad behavior will not be tolerated. You must show restraint by doing as you are instructed by your teachers. What you did was very disrespectful."

Father Wilcox pulled the pink pad from his drawer. "But Father, wait, please don't do this, we'll behave" the boys protested. The dreaded pink pad was used for detentions, suspensions and sometimes - even expulsions.

Taking his time, the priest wrote four forms, one after another and then handed one to each boy. "Take this to Sister Elizabeth, she will remove the top form and give you the yellow copy for your parents. Sister Elizabeth will tell you what to do next."

The boys walked very slowly back to their classroom, two of them in tears. After all, they were only eight years old. When they handed the forms to Sister Elizabeth, she read them, gave each of them the yellow copy and directed the boys to their seats.

Joey and his friends looked at the Sister quizzically, the Sister said, "The Father has decided to overlook this transgression as long as you agree to clean the blackboards for the next two weeks."

The boys yelled, "Yes, yes, yes! We will, we promise. We'll behave from now on, Sister."

The second grade girls all laughed at the boys. "No more squeaking fingernails for awhile."

At the end of the day, Joey and his friends were standing at the blackboards with the erasers in their hands. They looked at each other and in one motion all four boys raked their fingernails down the blackboard.

Sister Elizabeth was at the back of the room...

"Eek!" was all they heard from her before the crack of the ruler found its mark.

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If you are renting a photo booth for your next party, props are a fun way to make sure you end up with some really memorable photos. If you are short on time, the easiest way to get great props for your party is to purchase a props package from the photo booth company you are working with. These packages may include hats, wigs, sunglasses, boas, masks, and other props sure to spark your guests' creativity.

Most photo booth rental companies will also let you bring your own props. If your party has a specific theme, such as a luau or pirate party, you can tailor the props to fit with your theme to help your guests get into the spirit of the party. Party stores are a good place to find fun costumes and props, but they can be pricey. To get a good selection of props on a budget, try shopping right after a holiday, when many seasonal items will be on clearance.

If you're the creative type, you can even save some money by making your own props. Mustaches on a stick, empty picture frames for your guests to put their faces through, and sock puppets are all simple to make and fun to bring into a photo booth.

If you want to keep copies of your guests' photo strips, you can give them the chance to leave you a message right in the picture by providing a small chalkboard or dry erase board. Just make sure it is small enough to fit in the photo frame!

When putting together your prop kit, don't worry about what the typical props are. Choose what you think will be the most fun! Just make sure all of your props are visible from the waist up. Hula skirts and funky shoes may be a hit at a costume party, but are not good props for a photo booth.

No matter what you choose to do, props can definitely add that extra something to your photo booth experience.

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For years, I admired those framed chalkboards & bulletin boards, but The Budget Diet girl inside of me couldn't justify spending $40+! So, I figured out how to make them for less than $10, and they make perfect teacher gifts! Here's how to make your budget friendly framed chalkboard or bulletin board:

#1. Find an old picture frame of any size...these are easy to find at garage sales, flea markets, Goodwill or thrift stores for just a few dollars! Also...always be on the lookout for a "free curbside treasure"...a.k.a. the trash!

#2. Take your frame to Michael's or Hobby Lobby and have them cut a piece of foam board to fit.

#3. If you're making a chalkboard...take the foam board home & paint it with chalkboard paint. Next...return to Michael's or Hobby Lobby and have them insert the foam board into the frame & finish the back.

#4. If you're making a bulletin board...buy a piece of burlap & take it to Michael's or Hobby Lobby...they will mount it on the foam board, insert the foam board into the frame & finish the back.

#5. Have you child write "Have a Great Summer" on the chalkboard OR write a thank you note to the teacher & pin it to the bulletin board. If the chalkboard or bulletin board is a gift for a friend or family member, simply write a note on the chalkboard or pin a note to the frame.

Once you've mastered making these...you might just give them to all your friends & family! Just remember, always be on the lookout for old frames!

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