My top recommended supply for your art cabinet is a big roll of paper, sometimes referred to as "butcher paper" or "kraft paper." Your kids can make some truly awesome art projects with a big roll of paper!
You will be amazed at how stocking this one item will change up your at-home art game, especially if you have kids who are not naturally drawn to the arts and crafts table. That's the kind of kids I have, by the way.
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What you need for big paper art:
- A big, gigantic roll of paper like this one, of course!
- Art supplies! I recommend washable pens, washable crayons and washable paints. Be sure to have big paint brushes, too.
- That's it! You can also have on hand found items (like sponges, bubble wrap, cardboard tubes, etc.), which are great for stamping.
On to the ideas!
Toddler Drawing
Toddler drawing from a new perspective. This activity gets toddlers out of the restraints of a high chair and allows them to move their whole bodies. They (and you!) will recognize that creativity happens everywhere! I recommend washable markers to keep parental stress over stray marks to a minimum.
Body Tracing
Body tracing. This is probably the most classic art project using a big roll of paper! The best way to go about it is to allow the kids to fill in their outline however they want. Want to draw clothes? How about the inside body parts? Maybe just doodle in your outline? It's their body, after all!
Giant Dot to Dot
Giant Dot to Dot. This was one of my kids' favorite big paper art project! Crawling and stretching on the floor while using a pen works their fine and gross motor skills at the same time! You can mix things up by numbering the dots, color coding them or using the alphabet. Or, let them create their own dot to dot maze.
Giant Comic Strip
Giant Comic Strip. Roll out a large piece of paper on the floor. Getting the whole body involved in art is highly beneficial for tweens, not just toddlers and preschoolers. Any age child who enjoys drawing will love creating their own larger-than-life comic strip. Plus, it's wonderful for enhancing literacy!
Mandala
Collaborative Mandala. One day I set a large square of paper from our paper roll down on the floor and started drawing a mandala. Lo and behold, my son comes on over and starts creating with me. It was a wonderful cooperative art project for us. Likewise, if a mandala isn't your style, try our even simpler tandem art project on big paper instead of dueling art journals.
Landscape for Pretend Play
Create a New World. A huge blank canvas is the perfect place to start building a new world. Draw trees, roads, mountains, lakes, fantastical buildings and imaginary inhabitants. Kids may even want to add their own 3D elements like toy vehicles on roads, small toy animals in forests, block structures and more. One of my kids used to draw huge subway system maps! Let their imagination lead them!
Process Art
Free Art Exploration on the Floor or Table. One of the most freeing things you can do for your children is hand them some art tools, spread out a gigantic sheet of paper and let them do whatever they want. Add in interesting items for printing like bubble wrap, cardboard tubes, or let them use their feet!
Sponge Painting Cityscape
See how we brought New York City to life by sponge painting a cityscape! Lay out the paper on a table and see how long of a skyline your kids can create!
More ideas from others:
Terry says
Great ideas, Erica. We used to keep paper taped to the coffee table permanently. A tin of crayons, colored pencils, and markers sat on top. Even into her late pre-teens our now 18-YO would doodle or draw, we'd play tic-tac-toe or "Imagine." I liked that she could "listen" to her favorite shows but also engage her mind more actively.
Imagine was a game where one person created a shape or doodle, then the other person made something out of it. It is SUCH a portable game. We'd play while waiting for food at restaurants, in the car, at the airport, etc.
Erica says
Great ideas!