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KackyK
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| Posted: July 31 2008 at 5:02pm | IP Logged
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I was looking for some flags for our geo corner, but I'm trying to go cheap.
How does this site's combo pack of 192 toothpick flags look to you all?
Do you have any other sources?
If these look good, I thought I might splurge on some toothpick stands too!
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KackyK
Mom to 8 - 3 dd, 5ds & 4 babes in heaven
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Mackfam
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| Posted: July 31 2008 at 5:19pm | IP Logged
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 Kacky!!! These look so great!! And...they fit my budget!!
Are you ordering the UN pack?
And what kind of little stands are you getting? The little black rubber stands? How many?
Thank you soooo much!!!!
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Jen Mackintosh
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: July 31 2008 at 5:27pm | IP Logged
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Perfect!!!! Oh, I am so glad you posted this!
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Theresa
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KackyK
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| Posted: July 31 2008 at 7:23pm | IP Logged
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Well I guess from your responses this looks like a good deal!
Yes I was going to get the UN pack.
I was thinking you could probably glue (maybe hot glue or glue dots) the rubber stands to a block of wood or something. I don't know how many I would get...maybe 6 or something. What do you think???
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KackyK
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TracyQ
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These are very cool! How will you all be using them?
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Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Aug 04 2008 at 8:20pm | IP Logged
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Tracy - I'm so sorry I didn't come back to your question right away.
Montessori geography lessons very prominently feature a set of small flags for each country for their lessons. They are $$$$ mucho-expensivo $$$$ - at least for this family! So, I jumped at the chance to get Kacky's toothpick flag set - I hope they'll hold up ok!
From the Michael Olaf 3-6 catalog:
Quote:
| Flags of the world have a special attraction to children. Ideally every classroom has a set of the flags of the world. A child might come in one morning with a story about India. She will gather all of the objects related to India in the classroom—a folder of pictures of Asia, the map of Asia with the puzzle piece of India, maybe a brass pitcher or statue from India, the flag of India, and so on. Often other children will join in the search, and maybe remind her of a song or poem from this country. |
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Here are the presentations I'm planning on using with the flags. You'll have to scroll down a bit to see the presentations specifically pertaining to the flags. You certainly could do these outside a Montessori curriculum with any flat map of the continents and countries. I think the toothpick flags could add an extra dimension to any geography study. Just my .02 though.
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Jen Mackintosh
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Donna Marie
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I was going to USE toothpicks and flag stickers for mine. I have a few sticker books that I was able to find at the thrift store!
I was just going to use a piece of sheet styrofoam to hold them...maybe with a labeled piece of laminated paper attached to the top....
...you know...in my *spare* time
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Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 7dc + one more due 10/08!
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MaryM
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OK so I just googled the real Montessori flag sets and you aren't kidding they are expensive...yowza  ! So I see in that context that these toothpick flags really are a great deal. I'm glad you posted though, Donna Marie. I was just getting ready to ask for help with some perspective - I was wondering it am I the only one here who is so cheap that I look at the toothpick flags and think - with this Flags of the World website, a box of toothpicks and some Sculpey clay (for bases) I could put this togehter myself for a few dollars. I am SO cheap - but I think that is a whole new thread I should start. 
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Mackfam
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Well...I had planned on making mine...but by the time you factor in cardstock for printing and color print cartridges for 190ish flags - I'd have probably spent more to make them! 
I do like the styrofoam base idea, Donna Marie. Though my dh did mention that he could probably make a wooden base with the drill press fairly easily - ??? We'll see - I predict they'll be set out in a lovely wicker basket!
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Jen Mackintosh
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missionfamily
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Jennifer--What if you lined your lovely wicker basket with a hunk (very technical, I know  ) of floral foam and some raffia to cover its unloveliness, then poked the flags in? At least until dh could make that stand?
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Colleen
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missionfamily
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Okay, now my brain is spinning...since we're following the American history trail this year, do you think this concept could work with state flags? Does anyone know a site where I could print them all?
Edited to add: They have those too!!
A thought about stands or baskets...what about having seven so the kids could sort by continent?
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Colleen
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Mackfam
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I'm glad you saw those state toothpick flags, Colleen.
I like the floral foam idea a lot actually, but I may end up putting them in our continent boxes as you suggest. They may last longer if I *don't* store them upright on the little toothpick - kwim?
I'm brainstorming how I might keep them in my continent boxes...
While you're all feeling creative (and cheap  ) - anybody got an idea for how to do something like those little black stands they sell for standing individual flags? It is appealing to let the kids stand the flag on the country/state as an activity, but .45 for 50 or so stands adds up - there's gotta be a cheaper way. My biggest concern is that these are after all - toothpicks. So...I thought of affixing one of my control maps to cork and just having them punch through, but I'm concerned about wear and tear. I suppose toothpicks would be fairly easy and cheap to replace and repair though, huh?
Anyway, other ideas?? I thought of sculpey, but - I dunno - that seems labor intensive. Mary, you're the queen of sculpey...ideas?
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Jen Mackintosh
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KackyK
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Okay has anyone ordered the them yet?
I tried and the shipping was $10.99 for just the toothpicks...yowzer!
Anyone local, NoVA types, want to go in on it?
Oh and Jen, I was thinking about that stuff that is similar to clay that you can supposedly use on walls to hold posters up with as a possible flag stand, rather than sculpey. I don't know though...still thinking!
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KackyK
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TracyQ
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What about taking TWO of a flags of the world (or state) sticker books, so you could put two of the same flag together with a toothpick in between, and stick them together to make a "toothpick flag?" I like the idea of using styrofoam or sculpey clay for bases too.
I found flags of the world sticker book here: Flags of the World Sticker book at Amazon
They are Dover flags, which you can find on sale at dover.com, but the free shipping here is over $50.00, while Amazon is over $25.00. Dover Flags of the World
I'm not sure what SIZE each sticker is though, so that's an issue. This site has a set of stickers for $10.00 for 120 stickers with free shipping and handling on orders over $25.00:
Flags of the World Asst. stickers They also have STATE flags as well.
I'm sure with more of a search, I may be able to find some cheaper, I'll have to see.
I'm willing to make, but cutting out all of those little flags from an online site might be daunting for these arthritic fingers.
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Tracy Q.
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amarytbc
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Very naive question here. Why would you want to have your child recognize 192 flags? I read about this activity a few years ago, and we have done something similar with the flags of the countries we were studying in depth, but that came to only about 25 a year and I think the kids remember about15. I'm seriously wondering why they recommend doing it with so many countries.
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Eleanor
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amarytbc wrote:
| Very naive question here. Why would you want to have your child recognize 192 flags? |
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From a Montessori perspective, the flags are an important part of the young child's "peace education." By carefully displaying the flags, we show our love and respect for people of all nations. In addition, when a particular country is mentioned in another context (e.g., animals of the world, folktales, history, current events), the children enjoy finding the flag of that country and bringing it out to share with the others. These hands-on activities help to give them a feeling of personal connection with all the countries of the world.
If they manage to learn to recognize all 192 flags along the way, good for them!  But that's not the primary reason for having them on hand.
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KackyK
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Knowing the flags have been very helpful this week during the Olympics!
We are all picking out Cuba and S. Africa and several European countries now without the need for their abbreviations!
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KackyK
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Mackfam
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My children love the flags. As soon as I saw them I instantly felt the compulsive need to laminate them somehow. I laminate everything!
My 7yo instantly took to sorting the flags by continent into our continent boxes.
I did order a few of the small black toothpick flag holders. Putty, sticky tack would work I think. You'd need something with a little bit of weight to stand up the flag, but not much. Probably more than styrofoam though if you wanted to set up all 50 state flags, or the flags of different countries on a given continent individually on a puzzle. My advice would be to order one as an example and then head down to Hobby Lobby or Michaels to see what else would work for cheaper.
The children and I do love the flags...I'm resisting the compulsion...must.laminate.all.paper...must...
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Jen Mackintosh
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KackyK
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Thanks Jennifer for the rundown!
I still haven't gotten mine ordered...you'd think the Olympics would have inspired me by now.
For the laminating compulsion in you...how about small pieces of contact paper stuck on each side??? It would be a pain to cut small contact paper out though. Hmmm...have to think...got to make them last though!
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KackyK
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Mackfam
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KackyK wrote:
For the laminating compulsion in you...how about small pieces of contact paper stuck on each side??? It would be a pain to cut small contact paper out though. Hmmm...have to think...got to make them last though!
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I thought of that!!!!!
Not sure about my follow through on it... How delightful it is to turn the easy crank on the laminator - paper in - hermetically sealed object coated in plastic out. Joy. Wonder how the toothpick would come out?
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Jen Mackintosh
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Topic: Toothpick flags, good deal?
