Healthy Kids Archives:

Games & Activities: Art Rubbings

by Dennis Dunn 

Here's an activity kids can do on their own or with a little help. 

First, show them what rubbings are by placing a piece of white paper on top of an object and rubbing firmly with a crayon so that the object's image appears. 

Objects with a rough, textured surface work best such as a brick, a coin, a piece of sandpaper, or a basket. 

Next, provide paper and various colored crayons and let the kids make a few test rubbings to see what works best.

Let the kids look for interesting surfaces to rub.  Don't forget objects outside like tree trunks, leaves, and sidewalks.

Rubbings can be combined on one piece of paper to create a more complex picture.

Talk about the pictures the kids complete.  What makes the images show up?  What is the difference between the rubbing and a photograph of the object?  What makes a rubbing "art"?

Finally, children can put together an album of their art by saving the sheets in a notebook or folder.  From time to time they can reassess the neighborhood to find new objects to include in their collection.

Courtesy www.GrowingChild.com 

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