Bark Rubbing
What you need
- a few sheets of paper
- chunky crayons with the paper wrapper peeled off
How to do it
- Find a tree with rough, bumpy bark.
- Hold a sheet of paper flat against the trunk for them.
- Show them how to rub the side of the crayon over the paper, not the tip.
- Watch the pattern appear, then try a different tree, a brick wall or a big leaf under the paper.
Why it matters
The bumps they feel with their hands turn up as a pattern on the paper, a neat surprise that makes them want to try the next surface.
What they're learning
- Pressing and rubbing
- Pushing the side of a crayon across paper takes steady pressure from the whole hand.
- Noticing texture
- Rough bark, smooth leaves and bumpy bricks each leave their own pattern.
- Matching
- Finding which rubbing came from which tree is comparing two things closely.
What to look for
Notice them touching the bark with their fingers after the pattern appears, checking where it came from.
A tip
Peel the crayon wrappers off at home and break long crayons in half so the side is easy to use.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: do the rubbing together, your hand over theirs, on one tree
Harder: collect three rubbings and see if they can match each one back to the tree or wall it came from
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Fine motor activities · Activities for 2 year olds · Toddler activities with paper