Educational Placemats: How to Make Your Own

It's no secret: I was a nerdy child who liked maps, dictionaries, charts, and other fact-driven things I could stare at while drowning out the family banter. Heck, I used to arrange cereal boxes according to recommended daily allowances of riboflavin. So, at my request, my mother purchased some educational placemats when I started second grade: the solar system, maps of the US and the world, and my favorite - food from around the world. With just four educational placements in rotation, I got bored quickly (though I can still recite all fifty states in under 30 seconds).

These days, educational placemats cost around $5 each at teacher supply stores and educational merchandise websites. That can add up, especially if you're the parent or teacher of a precocious kid who will tire of placemat content quickly. Luckily, you can make your own educational placemats for a fraction of the cost using just your printer and some inexpensive supplies.

What supplies are needed to make your own educational placemats?

1. Paper. Either 8.5 x 11 (regular) or 8.5 x 14 (legal-sized) will work well. If you have a way to print 11 x 14 or 11 x 17 paper, those are great for larger placemats
2. Computer. If you're reading this article, we'll assume you have a computer and internet access.
3. Printer. Make sure your printer can accommodate the size paper you've selected. A color ink cartridge will produce the liveliest educational placemats, but it's not always necessary to print in color (especially given the cost).
4. Laminating Sheets. In order to protect the homemade placemats and give them that fun, glossy look, you'll want to laminate them. Self-adhesive laminating sheets, size 9 x 12, can usually be purchased from office supply stores in packs of 10 for about $7-8. Of course, the more you buy, the lower the cost per sheet!

How do I get content for educational placemats?

Using the web, you can find just about anything-maps, diagrams, detailed photos, lists, trivia questions, etc. For best results, I recommend using a basic program like Word or Publisher, inserting text and images, and then formatting appropriately. By the way, letting the kid help you with the creation process will also be instructive! These make-your-own educational placemats turn out best when kids help select and arrange the content that interests them.

Any tips for printing and laminating these educational placemats?

- Since most people use placemats in a "landscape" orientation as opposed to a "portrait" orientation, make sure you change the options in the program you're using.
- If you've found a color image but want to print in black and white, use a photo editor to convert the image and ensure that it will print with enough variation for visibility.
- As an alternative to computer-based educational placemats, you can create a literal cut-and-paste collage using pre-printed materials.
- After you've finalized the design for a placemat, be sure to save it so that you can email the files to other parents or teachers.
- If you are using a lower-quality printer and printing an ink-heavy image, be sure that the ink has dried completely before laminating.

I'm still stuck on content for these educational placemats. Help!

Here are ten quick ideas. Of course, you'll want to tailor them to a child's current knowledge/ability level.
1. Type up a challenging vocabulary list.
2. Find a map of a region the child hasn't studied yet.
3. Use a subway or bus route guide to teach a different type of map reading.
4. Find an anatomical diagram of the human body and include a description of what different organs do.
5. Look for biographies and photos of famous leaders.
6. Teach diversity by looking for multicultural content - food, music, dress, history
7. Introduce foreign language words.
8. Find pictures of sports figures who are good role models and include tips on sportsmanship.
9. Introduce famous pieces of art (Look for images at art print websites).
10. Collect fire prevention and other safety tips.