I wrote a fairly extensive piece a while ago on various ideas and craft projects involving colored bandanas. However, the teacher in me just couldn’t leave the topic alone. I had to give this some extra time and document some simple classroom bandana hacks every teacher could use. Following are my top three picks.

Field trip sanity.

Don’t have the time or inclination to deal with an extensive classroom T-shirt tie-dye? No problem. Have everyone vote on a class color (lead them towards something bright and easy to spot) for bandanas and have them on hand for everyone to wear around their neck cowboy style for easy student spotting. Here’s a link for purchasing them in bulk.

Streamlined recess line up.

Get a bright neon one to tie on the end of your teacher umbrella or walking stick. When the young ones are scattering around trying to find where to line up, they can easily find you and feel successful.

Team identification on the cheap.

For teaching situations where the little mesh vests are out of the question budget wise, having half the class wear the colored bandanas and half go without is a super way to plan a team activity on the fly. Bonus? This takes up very little classroom space, which is great if you are short on it in general and also happen to have to teach PE on your own if the school cannot afford an extra teacher. Even if they can afford it, we all know there are times when the class is cancelled, or you are left with a postponed assembly and no preplanned lesson. Grab the bandanas and head outside for a quick game of kickball.

These really are affordable enough for even the most financially challenged PTA to support you with. If you truly are on less than a shoestring due to an extremely remote and financially challenged international school, consider getting just one or two and cutting them up as wrist ties. In the end, it’ll be better than nothing.

Flickr Photo Credit:Psycho Pink