Crayon Rubbing Texture Discovery Art

Thin paper — copy paper or newsprint works best

Crayons with the paper peeled off for side rubbing

Textured items — coins, sandpaper, leaves, textured placemats, corrugated cardboard

Collect flat textured items from around the house. Look for things with raised patterns — coins, sandpaper, leaves with strong veins, textured placemats, corrugated cardboard.

Place one item flat on the table. Tape it down if it slides around.

Lay a piece of thin paper over the item so the texture is hidden underneath.

Show your toddler how to hold a crayon on its side and rub across the paper with broad strokes. The texture appears through the paper.

Your toddler's eyes will widen when the pattern magically appears. This cause-and-effect moment is powerful.

Try different items underneath and switch crayon colors for each one. Build a whole collection of texture prints on one page.

Compare the patterns together. "This one is bumpy, but this one has straight lines. Which one do you like best?"

Peel the paper wrapper off the crayons so you can use the flat side. This gives the best rubbing results.

Hold the paper steady for your toddler with one hand while they rub with the other. The paper shifting is the biggest frustration with this activity.

Thinner paper picks up textures better. Thick paper muffles the pattern.

Take this activity outside and do rubbings of tree bark, brick walls, and manhole covers for dramatically different textures.

This is an activity you can revisit over and over. Once your toddler understands the technique, they will start finding textures everywhere they go.