Cons: static cling in the wintertime! Yikes! At the first sign of cold weather when the heater is turned on, I have to tell all of my classes they may NOT touch each other at all. Because when I say "shock," I mean it can REALLY hurt! I can often even hear the sound of the shock from where I'm standing across the room. So, I tell them they have to "move their clip" (school-wide behavior plan) immediately if they are caught "trying to hurt someone else by shocking." I have been known to put a vaporizer in the room; I have a friend in another school who has 2 large humidifiers going all of the time in her room. I have been also known to use a dryer sheet. And, sometimes I get so tired of it that I walk around with a fine-mist sprayer and spray into the air. None of those ideas work very well, so just beware of that problem if you live in a cold climate.
Another con is the price. Check their website. But, if you can get your school or PTO/PTA to pay for them, they will last forever. The ones in my classroom are the old type. The new ones are nicer.
I have used them like what you see pictured, with each riser separated (I have a total of 6 risers). Each riser easily seats 4 people, 2 on top and 2 on the bottom with their feet on the floor. I have them in an L-shape with 3 together for each part of the L. I'm liking that right now.
And, yes those are hand drums and tambourines hanging on 3M hooks on the walls. Makes it easier for kids to pass them out.
Another tip: the blue circle on the floor is made from strips of Velcro. I buy the sew-on Velcro and only use the hook side. They stick to carpet - no harm done! I like that circle on the floor for instant circle games.
