Stick with us: The ultimate guide to glue sticks for school!

Top 5 Benefits of Using Glue Sticks

Glue sticks are a staple for school supplies. They are perfect for classrooms and craft activities by providing a strong adhesive that dries quickly, ensuring children can create without elements moving or falling off their project. Combined with the easy-to-use twist-up, non-drip design, it is perfect for children developing their motor skills or teachers who want less mess during activities. 

1. Easy-to-use adhesive

Glue sticks provide a simple application process that is accessible for almost all ages (3+). Twist tubes allow full control of the quantity of glue applied to paper and crafting materials. This accessibility makes them great for a quick pick-up and play gluing solution for craft fixes or art projects. The user-friendly design is perfect for school environments or educational settings of all ages.

2. Mess-free creativity

A key feature of glue sticks is the liquid-free design resulting in no mess from glue drips or runs ensuring mess-free creativity. This can make crafting activities with children and in schools more enjoyable as there are fewer sticky fingers and less clean-up once projects or lessons are finished.

3. Child-friendly

A top priority for many in education is the safety of pupils within the classroom. Choose glue sticks that are non-toxic and solvent-free to keep students and children of all ages safe! Using child-friendly glue sticks can increase the confidence of teachers to encourage independent play whilst developing children’s autonomy in crafting activities.

4. Quick-drying

Glue sticks dry much faster than liquid equivalent glues. Perfect for children and classroom use, the next steps of projects can continue without delay and ensure a project is finished before a lesson ends. The quick-drying properties of glue sticks also reduce the risk of materials moving post-stick, especially important for those still developing motor skills such as those in primary school.

5. Portable

The convenient twist system on most common glue sticks combined with a pop-off lid ensures they’re easily stored without the risk of the glue drying out or leaking. Their compact size means they can usually fit into most pencil cases, bags, or desk drawers.

Our Top 5 Creative Glue Stick Project Ideas for 2024 

Get crafty in your lessons with glue sticks. The right glue stick offers a premium quality adhesive for long-lasting creativity! Need some inspiration? We are here to inspire: 

1. Seasonal Cards

Get out your glue sticks to create cards for all occasions! The perfect personalised and fun project for birthdays, Halloween, Eid, Christmas, and everything in between. Children can learn about different holidays whilst expressing their creativity. Using materials such as coloured paper and glitter to interact with new materials. Seasonal cards can also be a great way for children to create heartfelt messages to family and friends.

2. Display Boards

Involve the children with classroom decorating. Use display boards to encourage collaborative play and allow children to contribute their drawings, writings, and other creations on the board. This helps instil a sense of pride and ownership in students whilst the glue stick’s adhesive strength ensures all children can place their own work and feel involved in the creation of the display board.

3. Learning Aids

Teach students to better understand how to improve their learning skills with learning aids. Glue sticks can help build learning aids such as visual boards, flashcards, mind maps, and many other illustrations to help put ideas down on paper. Learning aids can help break down complex ideas in subjects such as science or geography and make learning more engaging and interactive as they learn whilst they create.

4. Class Collaging

Encourage team building within the classroom by building a shared collage about a subject. Team-based collages can help foster teamwork and communication among students, helping students become comfortable sharing ideas and working collectively. Choosing a theme such as historical events or literary genres can help further express student’s thoughts and understand their level of knowledge on a topic. Glue sticks make it easy to attach different textures and layers to create vibrant pieces of learning to display in class.

5. Paper Plate Creations

Get out the glue sticks and let their imaginations run wild with paper plate creations. With just 4 materials (paper plates, coloured paper, glue sticks, and googly eyes) students can get their creative juices flowing by creating animals, characters, portraits, and more. Glue sticks ensure elements stay in place and stick fast making it the perfect crafting accessory for children developing their motor skills and artistic ability.

How to Clean Up and Reduce Mess When Using Glue Sticks

When it comes to crafts, it can get messy – which can be part of the fun! But we have some top tips to keep the clean-up quick and easy. 

Designated Craft Areas

Having dedicated spaces for crafting ensures the mess does not spread to other areas. Use disposable paper or plastic sheets to protect surfaces, reducing clean-up at the end of an activity. Alternatively for a greener option use re-usable wipeable mats that simplifies wipe-downs after an intense glue stick and crafting session.

 Glue Stick Storage

A well-organised craft storage area using items such as transparent storage containers can ensure your glue sticks and craft items are easy to find and avoid going missing, speeding up clean-up times. Involve students in clean up to help them learn responsibility and organisation skills by putting glue sticks and other supplies back in their designated spots.

Stick-it Down – Lesson Documentation

Hate lots of loose pieces of paper and notes? Collage your own or student’s work in notebooks or binders quickly and easily using glue sticks to keep all of your work in one place. Well-documented portfolios are a great way for students to showcase their progress and be proud of their achievements.

Team clean-ups

Get the students involved! Make cleaning quick and fun while teaching them to be responsible for their space and mess. Turn clean-up time into a game or a team activity where everyone has a specific task. Not only does this make the process faster, but it also instils a sense of responsibility and teamwork in students.