One of our best kindergarten classroom ideas is THE ORIGINAL Glue sponges. I see so many teachers talking about glue sticks and glue bottles and the struggle that comes with them. The solution is definitely GLUE SPONGES! No lost lids or clogs. Less mess, money, and waste. It’s a win-win for everyone! I created the first glue sponge 16 years ago and have never looked back! And yes, THEY WORK! Here’s the thing about TKS. We don’t share or promote anything we don’t use or believe in. If glue sponges didn’t work and if they were messy, I wouldn’t talk about them all the time.
Glue sponges are included in our School Supply Research Project, along with 25 other school supplies!
Kindergarten Classroom Ideas: How To Make Glue Sponges
Glue sponges are simple to make and cheap to make! I spent about $18-20 dollars to make 10-12 glue sponges. They last the entire year with a little maintenance. At the end of the year, I throw them out, and then I make new ones for the new school year. $18-20 dollars compared to the amount of money for glue bottles and glue sticks. We make 1 sponge for every 2 kids.
You need sponges. We recommend the O-Cello brand sponge because they’re already a little moist. Of course, you will also need containers. We recommend the plastic Wal-Mart brand containers. For some reason, these work better than the more expensive brands. And you will need glue for your glue sponges. We recommend Elmer’s White School Glue. The clear glue and the Glue All are slightly different textures and don’t work as well.
You can also get sponges in bulk from Amazon!
Pour the entire bottle of glue into the bottom of the container.
Put 1 complete sponge in your container. Then, cut another sponge in half or 1/3 to fit (varies depending on your container!). Push them down in the glue.
Pour more glue on top of the sponge.
Place the lid on and let the sponges absorb the glue. Allow the glue sponges to sit for a few days so they can absorb the glue.
Glue Sponges In Use
Glue sponges are simple to use. Through explicit instruction, modeling, and practice, teach your students to touch their paper to the sponge. They don’t pick up the sponge, and they really don’t touch it. I teach my students to press the paper into the sponge with one or two fingers.
Our first glue sponge lesson involves modeling how they work and how we use them. This includes how to take the lid off, put the lid on, and carry them. Then, each student gets a turn to glue a square onto the paper. Next, everyone gets to practice using their glue sponges by gluing squares onto construction paper. I’m watching, guiding, and practicing.
Glue sponges work great for larger pieces of paper as well! The students are taught to glue around the edges for larger pieces of paper!
Glue Sponge Maintenance
To keep your glue sponges moist and germ-free, spray them with a mixture of water and Listerine. The Listerine kills germs, and the water keeps the glue sponges moist. I use a regular-sized spray bottle filled with water and pour in one travel-size bottle of Listerine. Shake it to mix. I spray my sponges every Friday afternoon! You will need to add glue occasionally. This depends on how much the glue sponges get used. Make sure the lids are on tight!
Making Individual Glue Sponges
If you’re wanting to make individual glue sponges, here’s what we recommend:
Crayon Boxes from Walmart (found in the office supplies section).
We used these during the pandemic when we couldn’t share supplies. These needed much more maintenance, so we recommend the larger, shared sponges.
Check out these videos to see how to make a glue sponge and see them being used in my classroom by my students!
Here is a Glue Sponge In Use In My Classroom
For more ideas and information, check out these posts:
