Building and playing with our free tube blocks and where you can find them too

I have had lots of folks asking about our wonderful new addition to our block center that we call “tube blocks.”

We have been building and playing with our free tube blocks for a few months now and yes, I said free! Let me share all about them and where you can find them too.

The tube blocks are made out of a very strong, solid cardboard.  They come in about three different heights (lengths) ranging from about 4 inches tall to 8 inches tall.

The tube blocks are very strong but not too heavy for play and we are continuously exploring different ways we can play, explore, and create with our tubes.

Inside each tube are these little white plastic rings (see below) that can easily be popped in and out of the ends of our tubes.  We have been removing the rings to also use for play (which I will share some other time) but the important thing to note is that with each tube, also comes two plastic rings.

We have used our tube blocks to build snowman towers.  I created a snowman head for each child and the children stacked the tubes on top of one another then added the snowman head to the top to make their own snowman towers.

As the children built their snowman towers, we counted the number of tubes they used and compared which snowman towers were the tallest or shortest.

The children are beginning to integrate the tube blocks with other toys in our classroom in different ways and I think they will only continue to get more creative with their use of the tube blocks as we progress through our school year.

Where to find tube blocks

Tube blocks are actually cartridges that hold film paper used by stores that print digital photos.  Stores like CVS, Walgreens and others use them in their digital photo development machines. When the stores are done using them – they throw them away! Yikes!   I stopped by a lot of different stores before I was able to find a photo person that would save them for me.  You have to find a store that prints LOTS of digital photos and then get the person in charge of the photo department to agree to save and donate the leftover tubes to your school or program . And, by the way, some of the stores are getting newer digital photo processing machines that will not use these tubes for their paper so stock up while you can!

My favorite Walgreen’s lady has been saving these tubes for me for several months now and I stop by regularly to pick them up so the saved tubes don’t take up space and get in their way.

I will share more about how we are using these tubes in future posts for sure so if you happen to have a photo department near you, stop by and see if they have these tubes and will save them for you too!

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Thank You

A special thank you to the teachers in Southern Indiana that shared their idea and use of the tube blocks with me.  It took me awhile to find them where I live but I finally did! We love them!!

Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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