Tire Seats: Flexbile Seating

Today I'm linking up with 4th Grade Frolics for 

I have been an admirer of flexible seating for quite a while now. I have searched into its many benefits, and have been eager to implement it in my classroom! 

In my hunt for ideas, I came across a blog called the cult of pedagogy. On this blog, Jennifer posted photos of another teacher's classroom. I was in awe. How is this teacher allowed to do this in her classroom? How COOL! My favorite aspects, among the many were: the rubik's cube block, the hand seats, and the tire chairs. 

Here is a photo of Sherah's classroom (featured on the Cult of Pedagogy blog)

I thought to myself as I began my elaborate search for tire seat ideas. I found many adorable tire seats, but I couldn't keep my mind off of the original ones I came across. I did my best to mimic these but put my own twist on them.

Here is what you'll need to make these tire seats:

Follow these steps for success :)

Go get some tires. (Drive to your local car shop. If you have ever gotten your tires rotated, chances are you paid a fee to have them do away with your tires. It turns out they have piles of old tires they are going to throw away! The manager let me take three tires for free! Less work for them to move, I suppose.)

Take them out to your backyard and spray them down with water. I shoved my finger on the spout to build up more pressure. I didn't use soap because the tires were hardly dirty! I sprayed them for a good while though. 

Set them out in the sun to dry on beach towels. (Take note: water will pool in the inner ridges of the tire. I soaked up most of that water with a towel, and let the rest evaporate. It's July - and HOT - so this was a fairly quick process.)

While they are drying, use the pliers and butter knife to get out any rocks or nails. I found a nail jammed into one of the tires, and pulled it out with the pliers. The rest of the rocks I just used a butterknife to wedge out.

Paint your tires with your choice of color and paint! Other tutorials I read used spray paint, but I really didn't want the paint to easily chip off. The lady at Michael's seemed to think this was a better option. I think it also went on thicker, which I liked. 

It took me a while to paint them. I had to wait a while for the paint to dry, and getting in the individual ridges of the tire with my brush was difficult. However, I didn't need these to look perfect - just funky and fun.

                                 

When you have three coats of colored paint dried onto your tires, you can spray them with sealant. I grabbed pottery sealant, because the Michael's lady told me to - I'm a push over when it comes to asking store clerks for advice. I used the sealant twice - I don't want that paint chipping on the first day!

Grab three pillows for each tire. You want one pillow as a filler - it can be ugly and stained. You just need it for cushion support. The other two pillows should be pillows you and the students would like. I liked these colors, and I loved the tassels on the blue pillows. I went to the ARC for the inside pillows, which you don't even see. The other two (per tire) I bought at TJ Max on clearance.

Insert the cushion pillow first. You don't want your students to fall into the center of the tire.

Then enter the other two at a slant. When someone sits on these, the front pillow bends for their bottom, and the back pillow ends up as back support. 

Your tire seats are done! This is a very doable way to create tire seats. No plywood, no stuffing and no staple guns! All you need is paint and determination. (And a little bit of money.)

This is my nephew sitting in the tire seat. He is in Kindergarten. He said he thought it was poky. Consider moving the small rubber hairs, you know those flimsy protrusions? I think they were prickling the back of his knee (he is also in shorts.)

Thank you for stopping by and checking out these awesome seats! I think they are quite comfortable! I might add they are fun to make!

Come again next time! Before you leave, subscribe to my blog. Also please comment with any ideas you have on flexible seating, including tire seats!