Dollar Saving Teachers {Part 5}

This is the last of my dollar saving teachers posts. This idea has endless possibilities. I chose to use shapes with it because I have some students with shape identification goals and wanted more activities to practice that skill. Now, I actually already had this tray on hand, but I did purchase it at the Dollar Tree and I'm fairly certain these are pretty easy to come by at a dollar store.

The foam pattern blocks are from Teacher Created Resources and the clipart of the shapes is by Ashley Hughes. I simply printed them out to label the sections of the tray for sorting. If you don't know own her clip art or don't want to purchase it, you could always use one of the shapes themselves to mark each section of the tray for sorting.

These trays are so perfect for sorting activities because of their center. You can put whatever object you'll be using in that spot. After all the objects are sorted, the child knows the task is done. I couldn't fit all of the pattern blocks in the center of the tray, I do want to make that clear. But I was able to fit a good mix of each shape in there.

Here's the cost breakdown:

Chip tray: $1
Shape clip art: $1.50
Foam pattern blocks: $5.99
Total: $8.49

I know I will keep having "dollar saving ideas" throughout the school year. I'll try to keep sharing them with you throughout the year. And don't forget that you can always check out the Dollar Saving Teachers pinterest board too!