Question Details
I don’t know how much time to give students to pack away after craft activities. If I don’t give them long enough there’s a mess at the end of the session, but if I give them too long, they start chatting and doing other things after they have packed away.
Answer
A ‘tidy up’ song is a great way to keep students motivated to get the job done quickly and efficiently so that tidying up doesn’t eat into essential learning time. Before you start tidying, remind the class of your expectations. Tell them the jobs that need to be done, the manner they are to be done and how you expect the space to look by the end of the song. Then press play! You might need to practice this a few times before they get it just right as they need to become familiar with the song, how much time they have and your expectations. Be aware of the age group you are working with and make sure you choose an appropriate song. Another option is to give each group of students a specific job to do, so that they can stay focused on that particular task without getting distracted.
