Fastener tape is one of the first items I want to show you for my Teacher Supplies List Must Haves series!
I absolutely LOVE fastener tape! It makes it so easy to create reusable centers and activities that you make once and then can use year after year and is something that I think every teacher should have in their toolbox!
Here is exactly where you can get it on Amazon! I’m an affiliate which means I get commission for purchases made through the link. I only recommend things I absolutely love but I wanted to be super transparent (like regular tape, lol) and let you know! 🙂
You can click here or on the picture to check it out on Amazon 🙂
It comes in a roll of tape and is super easy to use. If you want to see one example of a way to use it, check out this post on Fact Fluency in First Grade. Scroll until you see the red paper that says “Fact Fluency.”
That section shows how you can take any cut and paste worksheet and turn it into a fun, interactive center. Once you make them, they’re so easy to pull out for centers year after year. I LOVE making math cut and pastes into centers especially, but you can do it for any cutting and pasting activity that you have. Seasonal ones are super fun to make, as well as phonics, grammar, or any subject. It’s such an easy way to make what starts out as a worksheet A LOT more fun!
Important tips when Buying:
– COLOR: Check to make sure you buy the color you want! I prefer the clear so you can see through it. If you look at the red Fact Fluency center mat again, you can see how you can see through it in order to see the answer key. This makes clean up soo much easier because kids can see exactly where to put the piece back which is awesome! I also often see the tape in black so look at the picture to make sure it’s the color you want.
– WIDTH: Check the width of it. They can come in very different widths. For making activities, I like 3/4 inch (0.75). I think anything between half an inch and an inch is great for making activities.
* Think about how you want to use them and what size/color would work best for you. I put links to the ones I like but you might like a different one! There are several different brands that make really high quality fastener tape and dots 🙂
Speaking of dots! If you don’t want to cut pieces to the exact size you want, or think you’ll always want about the same size, they come in fastener DOTS too. The dots are so cool! I love using them as well… especially for square cut and paste activities that have decent size pieces:
Important Tips when Creating Activities:
– Laminate the page OR use heavy duty sheet protectors. You can make these super easily with sheet protectors but definitely make sure the ones you’re using are labeled “heavy duty” so it doesn’t tear when kids take the pieces on and off.
– Each piece has 2 sides: what I call the “scratchy” side and the “fuzzy” side. I always put the fuzzy side on the mat and the scratchy side on the back of the piece. That way, it doesn’t scratch your other papers if you stack them, store them in a file, etc. Plus, the “scratchy” side is clearer so it’s easier to see through for putting pieces back.
For more creation tips, the Fact Fluency post that I keep mentioning has much more thorough instructions with pictures. That post may have been what brought you here, though! If that’s the case, peek around here if you want! 🙂 I share a ton of lists of teacher tools, supplies, book lists, and other random lists like classroom jobs, themes, teaching interview questions, all sorts of things. I love sharing ideas and especially making lists! 🙂
Feel free to ask me any questions you have below – I am happy to help!
For more fun lists, check out the page that has all of my lists on this blog organized by category:
A few favorite ones to get you started are:
Classroom Management Books Organized BY BEHAVIOR
Thank you so much for stopping by! Feel free to follow me on Facebook if you want to follow along. You can also go directly to teacherslovelists.com to see if I have any new posts. I have a lot of posts planned out to post this month and next month. I appreciate you reading all the way to this point if you did! 🙂
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