Glue Sponges to the Rescue!

Raise your hand if you have a love-hate relationship with glue sticks. I know I do. Let me break down my relationship for you...

What I Love About Glue Sticks:
-Not as Messy as Drippy-Drop Glue
-Students Don't Use Too Much
-Easy Storage
-No Curly Edges on Pages
-Sticky Fingers... Not So Much
-Less Likely to be Eaten... serious.

What I Hate About Glue Sticks:
-Spendy
-Don't Last as Long
-Dry Out Quickly
-Difficult to Glue Little Pieces
-Not Always Sticky (brand-to-brand)
-Need Something to Glue Against

Now that I have hashed out the nitty-gritty for you... I hope that you are not having a full blown panic attack thinking about those glue sticks you have in your classroom. Keep on reading for the solution that you won't regret trying in your classroom!

Maybe you have seen these glue sponges lurking around in the bloggy or Pinterest world. Trust me, I was skeptical at first too. I thought it would make a mess, my students fingers would get all gluey and they would be a complete waste of time.

I WAS WRONG.

First, I picked up my materials. Sponges and Plastic Sandwich Containers. I already had a bunch of drippy-drop glue in my classroom so I was set.

Each glue sponge requires a container, a regular sized sponge and one normal size container of glue. I have tables in my classroom so I have three students who share a glue sponge. I made 7 for my classroom and one for my office too!

Place your sponge in the container and pour the glue out of the bottle. It takes a few minutes to let all of the glue drip out of the bottle. Then cover and let it sit for 24 hours before using.

Repeat the steps for as many glue sponges as you need. Let all of them sit for 24 hours before trying to use them with your students.

To use, students simply swipe the paper on the sponge and BOOM- stickiness.

Ready to try out glue sponges in your classroom? Here are a few more tips:
1. Make sure you teach your students how to close the containers all the way. If they are left open- they could dry out before you find out.
2. If the top of the sponges start to get dry you can spritz with a bit of water to renew it.
3. Purchase containers that are sturdy. Don't go with the cheapest option. You will want to use these again and again. The lids of cheap containers tend to break and then you are out of luck.
4. Take the time to set up expectations and your rules when you introduce them to your students- you won't regret talking through the little details before you unleash the power.
5. Have a few bottles of drippy-drop glue on hand, I like to add a bit of glue every now and then to make sure they are going to be nice and sticky when my students go to use them.

Are glue sponges the answer you have been looking for?!