Wrapping Paper Road

What you need

• a long piece of wrapping paper or brown paper
• masking tape
• chunky crayons
• a few toy cars

How to do it

1. Tape the paper to the floor, plain side up, in a long strip down the hallway.
2. Draw a wiggly road along it together, with a few bends.
3. Drive the toy cars along the road, saying "brmm" and "stop" at the bends.
4. Add houses with lights, trees and a garage with crayon, then drive again.

Why it matters

Drawing a road and then driving on it joins mark making to play, and long lines along the floor use their whole arm.

What they're learning

Big arm marks

Drawing a long line along the floor uses the whole arm.

Pretend play

Driving cars on a road they made is a little world of their own.

Telling a story

"The car is going to the shops": the road gives them something to talk about.

What to look for

Notice them keeping the car on the road, and slowing down at the bends.

A tip

The end of a wrapping paper roll or brown paper from a parcel works well. Masking tape lifts off the floor without marks.

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