Acknowledgements - gapitc

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Foundations for writing
Activities and Strategies
for Development
Designer Wrapping Paper
Try this activity when you need wrapping paper for a gift for a young child or
grandparent.
Save a large brown paper grocery bag.
Cut the bag along one side and the bottom crease and open it up to make a
large flat piece of brown paper.
Place the brown paper and several jumbo non-toxic crayons on newspaper
spread on the floor (not carpet!).
Invite your child to come and add her creative marks with crayons to the special
paper.
Sit with your child on the floor and make designs on the paper with the crayons too.
Talk with your toddler about the colors and designs. Say for example,“You used
the crayon to make squiggly lines! I’m going to make my crayon go up and down
like yours.”
When your toddler has lost interest in scribbling, invite her to help you use the
decorated paper to wrap a present for someone special.
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Look through the pages of one of the illustrated books about the 101 Dalmatians
with your toddler.
Point out the spots on these dogs.
Give your toddler some white paper and a non-toxic, washable black marker.
Encourage him to use the marker to make dots or marks on the white paper.
Say,“Look at the black dots you made on the white paper. Those dots are like
the spots on the 101 Dalmatians doggies!
Variation:
On another day, give your toddler a piece of black construction paper and a
piece of jumbo white chalk.
Encourage him to scribble with the white chalk on the black paper.
Say,“Look, you made white squiggles on the dark paper!”
Hang the white paper with black marks and the black paper with the white
marks side by side for your toddler to observe the contrast.
Special Needs Tip
This is a good visual contrast for children, especially those with
visual impairments.