Laminators?!

[mumofone]

are these worth buying for your business? What kinds of things do your laminate?

[natlou82]

Ooh good question :-) I love my laminator! What have I laminated? :- certificates, insurance docs, ofsted parents poster, menu, floor plan (basically everything I choose to display for parents), homemade placemats, certificates for the children, wipeable bingo games, signs and labels (print in the environment) the list goes on lol. Mine was only cheap but I find it invaluable :-)

[moggy]

I have generally managed very well without one!
I find they are so environmentally-unfriendly. I like to recycle or compost old paper but once it is laminated it can only go in the bin :(

I use clip frames for certificates/ofsted poster/insurance on the wall.

The only time I have used one (I admit using one very occassionaly!) is for outdoor paper things- nature-spotting sheets, that kind of thing.

[mama2three]

I am a bit of a laminatrix!
Everything for outdoor displays , role play areas , number lines , parent notice board , homemade whiteboards , games and puzzles ,
and even eggs and fruit slices !!!

An Early Years Science Activity and Giveaway Winners! (http://abcdoes.typepad.com/abc-does-a-blog/2014/05/an-early-years-science-activity-and-giveaway-winners.html)

[loocyloo]

I am a bit of a laminatrix!
Everything for outdoor displays , role play areas , number lines , parent notice board , homemade whiteboards , games and puzzles ,
and even eggs and fruit slices !!!

An Early Years Science Activity and Giveaway Winners! (http://abcdoes.typepad.com/abc-does-a-blog/2014/05/an-early-years-science-activity-and-giveaway-winners.html)

Oh wow! That's great! Thank you :-):-):-)

I was just thinking that following that principle i could make the sensory bags with shaving foam etc in as I find no matter how strong the zip lock bags ... it always bursts.

[natlou82]

Wow that is a really fab idea although I won't be trying it as I know it'll end in disaster lol!

[AliceK]

I wouldn't say mine is used on a regular basis but over the years it has certainly been used a lot. For the low cost they are to buy I would say def get one.

xxx

[FussyElmo]

Mine is gathering dust on the top of the wardrobe :D

[mumofone]

I always thought they were really expensive and have only just realised how cheap you can but them!

[Maza]

I love mine. It makes resources last longer - Bingo, flashcards, dominoes, place mats, name cards. I don't laminate everything in sight though because the novelty does ware off, I'm lazy and the cost of the pouches mounts up. I also laminated some big reusable Christmas gift tags which I love.

[Helly Belly]

I love mine also , I've done leaves and we all coloured in a big number which I laminated and we hid them in the dry alphabet pasta( sainsburys) in the tuff spot , also we made menus for the mud kitchen , have fun , the works sell the pouches a4 and I got 100 a5 size pouches on eBay

[bunyip]

Mine is gathering dust on the top of the wardrobe :D

Fussy, you disappoint me. No self-respecting CM would go a day without laminating something. :D

[FussyElmo]

Fussy, you disappoint me. No self-respecting CM would go a day without laminating something. :D

Self respecting 😇😇

That's me or maybe not

[lisbet]

I take care to be environmentally friendly in lots of areas of my life, but I have to admit, I am fond of my laminator! Thinking about it, I only use it to make things last a long time, so at least I'm not throwing much plastic away.

I've used it for things like toy box labels, a sign on the front door saying "Baby sleeping. Please knock quietly", recycling a Going on a bear hunt calendar into story cards that the children can put into order, labels for the vegetable patch, name labels etc. So, basically making things sticky-finger-proof and weatherproof!

[bunyip]

Self respecting 😇😇

That's me or maybe not

I respect you. :thumbsup:

................I'll even promise to still respect you in the morning. :D

[FloraDora]

I have a laminator. I have had it for 20 years. I use it rarely but it is so useful when I do. The best use since childminding is to make the children personalised placemats at the dining table.

Many years ago at school I did some research when studying around the sensory experiences children enjoy.
Touch was a really tricky one as everyone laminated everything! Children were experiencing the world through plastic most of the time, one class even had laminated leaves on their Autumn display ' to make them last longer'.

I was reminded of this earlier this week when a childminder on another site thought laminating a comic/ magazine was a great idea as it allowed her to keep it for4 years. My LO's love reading magazines, the thin paper that you have to be careful with makes it different to books, they feel grown up, I look at my cosy catalogue ( which they love too) and they read a magazine.....we read the magazine together ...but they love turning the pages, without ripping them. When they become too tatty I cut out the pictures for the craft area. The excitement when they realise there is a new one in the reading area, or buying one when we go shopping and carefully carrying it home encourages them to read.

I appreciate laminating makes things last longer but too much means different papers, cards, textures become lost to the children and sometimes it is the thin paper or the thick card that is the attraction in a game.

[lisbet]

I appreciate laminating makes things last longer but too much means different papers, cards, textures become lost to the children and sometimes it is the thin paper or the thick card that is the attraction in a game.

I agree, Flora - as in so much of life, balance is key. :laughing: I save maps and blank forms and train tickets and things for the children to use in pretend play. I was tempted to laminate a particularly nice map so that it would last, but then thought that the children would miss out on experimenting with folding and unfolding it along the creases.

[halor]

I am a bit of a laminatrix! Everything for outdoor displays , role play areas , number lines , parent notice board , homemade whiteboards , games and puzzles , and even eggs and fruit slices !!! An Early Years Science Activity and Giveaway Winners! (http://abcdoes.typepad.com/abc-does-a-blog/2014/05/an-early-years-science-activity-and-giveaway-winners.html)
I've done sensory bags with hair gel and sequins etc and used hair straighteners to seal it. I've never managed to keep them sealed though :-/

[mumofone]

Just revisiting this........can anyone recommend/link me to one they would recommend?

[smurfette]

Just revisiting this........can anyone recommend/link me to one they would recommend?

I use the Tesco own one and it's fine was €14

[mumofone]

I use the Tesco own one and it's fine was €14

Brilliant thank you I wouldn't have thought of tesco :-)