How To Put Tennis Balls on your Classroom Chairs

Let's talk about noise level. I'm all for students talking with each other and having a "loud" classroom. What I found I couldn't deal with was the unnecessary noise my chairs were making. This is new to me because I came from a middle school classroom where we had traditional desks where the desk tops were connected to the chair. There was no movement of desks or chairs only of students. The concept of tennis balls on the bottoms of chairs is not new. I just had to figure out where to get them and quick and how to easily (and safely) cut them to put on my chairs.

Do the math, I have 24 desks with chairs in my classroom. Yikes! For the chairs alone, that is 24 chairs with four legs each. That equates to 96 tennis balls I needed! I'd love to also put them on the bottoms of the desks but I figured I'd start with the chairs first.

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What you need--lots and lots of used tennis balls. Key word here is used. Do not go and purchase brand new tennis balls. You will need to cut the tennis balls so there is no need for them to be perfect and clean.

There are many ways to acquire used and flat tennis balls. Here are a couple ideas:

• Your county middle/high school tennis teams
• Local recreation department
• College/University nearby
• Dog training business or Doggie Daycare

Offer to bring them a box for them to put them in and to come pick them up when it is full. Ask your school if you can get a donation receipt to give them for tax purposes. 

I didn't want to wait for enough to be collected so I decided to go online and search my options. You can find bulk used tennis balls here on Amazon(Affiliate link) or sometimes on Ebay.

Now, how to cut those tennis balls. I researched how to cut tennis balls and asked coworkers how they did it. There are lots of methods out there. The biggest thing to remember is safety! Be careful! I read that the method that works best is to cut one slit. This makes it harder to put on the chairs but will mean it is is harder to get them off. You don't want the tennis balls coming off of your chairs. 

I used a very sharp meat cutting knife. You can also use a new utility knife.(Affiliate link) Be sure to wear heavy duty work gloves so you don't slip and cut yourself. I borrowed one from my husband to hold the tennis balls in place. I sat down outside in my driveway and went to town. I held the tennis ball in one hand on the ground and then poked the knife into the ball and cut the slit.

Tennis balls have a design from the seams and I found that starting in the center of that circular area and cutting straight down to the center of the opposite area was a large enough slit. You don't want to cut too long of a slit or it will come off your chairs too easily. Keep cutting until you are finished! It took me about an hour to cut all 110 tennis balls I had. My dog was very confused at all these "broken" tennis balls!

Take your tennis balls to school and flip all your chairs upside down. Work the tennis ball onto the bottoms and then marvel at the quietness of your chairs!

Here is a quick demonstration of the noise difference of my chairs. Be amazed!

I plan on getting more for the bottom of my desks so when kids bump into them or we move seating arrangements the noise level is low. I didn't realize how much the noise from the chairs were bothering me until I had all the tennis balls on. I can now hear kids instead of chairs.

Good luck with your tennis balls and let me know if you have any questions!

Sudoku Interactive Bulletin Board Tutorial

Do you have students who need some movement after they have finished working or just need a brain break activity? Sudoku is your answer! I have always loved Sudoku because it deals with numbers but it doesn't involve math. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, Sudoku is defined as "a puzzle in which missing numbers are to be filled into a 9 by 9 grid of squares which are subdivided into 3 by 3 boxes so that every row, every column, and every box contains the numbers 1 through 9". I tell my students they are using deductive reasoning to complete the puzzle. When I tell them there is no math involved they are game to play!

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Here is how you can make your own giant Interactive Sudoku Bulletin Board for your classroom. Click here to purchase the kit.

CLICK HERE to see some teacher shared pictures of how they have used this resource to fit their classroom!

Step 1:
Print numbers one through nine on white paper. These will serve as your "original puzzle". These are the numbers the students will not move. Then, print numbers one through nine on colored paper. I like to print mine on nine different colors! You will then print the playing board which is a nine by nine grid. I highly recommend laminating so your board will last for years!

Step 2:
You'll need a way to store your extra numbers for students to grab to put on the board. I love these mini file folders to organize them on the board. Click here to get your own.(Affiliate link) I write the numbers on the tab and use double sided tape to place a number on the outside. I also laminate these folders so they will hold up to wear. I use the folders for the "original puzzle" pieces (the white numbers) and store in a quart sized baggie in my desk. 

Step 3:
Next you'll need a way for the numbers to stick to your board. In the past I used thumb tacks on the side of the board. That board lasted four years and could have been more but this year I used Velcro Dots on the back of the numbers. I think this will last longer than the thumb tacks. Click here for the Velcro dots I used.(Affiliate link) I suggest putting the soft side on the back of the numbers and the tough side of the Velcro on the board. 

Step 4:
Staple up your title, game instructions, and number folders. Put up the original puzzle(the white numbers) and let your students start thinking! 

Tips for using the board:
I usually allow for this during homeroom, warm-up time, coming into or leaving the class, or other down-time. I do not allow them to get up during instruction or while working on an assignment. You can use this as a reward too! Be sure to explain and model how to place numbers on the board. Remind students that they do not move the white pieces. I do not let students hover over the board. I tell them since they can view it from their seats to get up when the time is appropriate. I do not allow more than three students at a time to be at the board. 
In the beginning when students are just learning I usually check that the number is correct before allowing them to place on the board. I also love having them explain how they figured out the number to put up. 

Click here to get the Sudoku Bulletin Board Kit for your classroom!

I hope you enjoy and have fun! I'd love to see your completed board! Tag me on Instagram @activityaftermath Let me know if you have any questions! 

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