As this is the first blog on this site that my husband and I share, I begin this with the feeling that it has to somehow be monumental, but really it’s just something I’m excited I figured out! (I’m sure others have done this before, but I wanted to share for those, who, like me were frustrated about this issue of laminating small game pieces for classroom activities.) Note: this was used with my small personal laminating machine, and I doubt it would be effective on a large machine like at a school. I’d stick to using a small personal laminator for this trick! Here’s a picture of my machine:
Like many other teachers of elementary kids, there are so many cheap, printable games and activities found online to use with students. However, I’ve always been frustrated by all those little tiny pieces that won’t stay in place!
When I put them in the small laminating machine the pieces all fall with gravity and begin to overlap each other like this:
…which defeats the point of laminating them – much less using them!
The trick that worked for me was GLUE…better yet – spray on adhesive!! I used Elmer’s Multi-Purpose Spray Adhesive (think I found it at Hobby Lobby or Walmart).
Before placing the game pieces inside the laminating packet, I opened it and sprayed one side with the spray adhesive. Then, I placed the pieces (be careful to not set them down overlapping!!) on the sticky side of the packet and closed the sheet. Finally, I laminated the sheet as usual. Voila!!
I did it very fast and did not utilize the space well. In future, I would make sure all the pieces are cut first, then spray, then work quickly to put them in place without wasting expensive laminating space!
(Final side note: As most of you have probably discovered, if you cut through a piece of paper after you have laminated it -i.e., separating letters after laminating – the lamination has a tendency to peel right up!! Thus cutting before laminating becomes necessary. And of course the fun of cutting them all a second time. Maybe send this project home with a helpful parent to cut the second time!!)
Life, Passions, and Projects 