Organizing your Primary Teaching “Stuff”

So now that you have some scarves, some wind wands, and some envelope games, what do you do with them?  How do you store them?

Where do you put your posters with melody maps, color codes, and missing words posters?

How do you store the paper cups and paper plates you use for rhythm activities in Primary?

Since you asked, here are a few pictures.

I keep my wind wands in bundles of 10 with the ribbons wrapped around the sticks.  The 30+ that I have fit nicely in the red bag that hangs on my music shelf.

I keep the scarves folded and sized (partner scarves, small scarves, large scarves) in the white bag, also having on my music shelf.

I can just grab the bag if that is what I need for the day.

My rhythm instruments are sorted and placed in different containers with labels on the outside.  (Right now they are mixed in on the shelf with my nursery manipulatives which have their own boxes.)

My envelope games are in a file drawer in 9×11 manila envelopes.  I place them alphabetically so that I can just pull out the song with the cut up word strips in envelopes when I teach that song.

My melody maps are in a poster file box (I got mine from Lakeshore) that has separators so that I can file them alphabetically by song.  My tone bell charts are in another box like this one.

The paper plates and paper cups are in another bag on my music shelf so that I can grab it if that is what the activity is for the song.

The Maori sticks are in a box on my the bottom of my music shelf.  The handles are ripping, but it has been in use for 15 years so I forgive it!<grin>

I’m so grateful to have gathered these resources over the years (it has taken a while!) because I can present the songs in a variety of different ways.

Hope this helps!