Grade 2/3 Cardboard Apartments



This is a ridiculously fun unit that culminates in each kiddo having their very own (albeit tiny!) space to call their own.  First up-- if you have been on the fence about getting glue guns for your kids to use in the classroom, consider this your sign from the heavens to take the leap.  I don't know how I ever taught without them. I use Cool Shot glue guns and have for years- even my first graders use them with a bit of training.

Back to the apartments!  Step one was done by me-- cutting the sides and back from cardboard.   Yes, it took some time but it was worth it because the boxes needed to be a uniform size to eventually build the apartment building.  Once the kids collected their 5 pieces (one back and 4 sides), it was time to put in the wallpaper and flooring.  Our kids mostly chose some building design paper that I unearthed from the bowels of my storage closet. Not having to wait for paint to dry gave them some time to create little details for the walls-- calendars, paintings, windows with pretty scenes outside, giant TV's etc.

Once the pieces were dry, the kids glued them together with hot glue guns and the real fun began.  Furniture, lights, swimming pools, indoor slides-- you name it, they popped it in their apartments. It was really interesting to see how they slowly learned to maximize space by making elevated beds and lofts-- this will help anyone who ends up with a studio apartment in New York City once day!!

Once it was all done (I had kids coming into the art studio for weeks at break time to add things) we put them all together.  Then the kids were negotiating who got to be "neighbors" and were adding secret doors and ladders that lead to each other's apartments.  So. much. fun.














Comments

Popular Posts