Toddler Art with Tape

Notice how I did not say 'craft'. To me this is art, there is no direction just me laying out materials and letting the children explore and create with them. I think more is gained in exploring the process rather then me directing what should happen, how to use the material (unless of course it is necessary for safety or my sanity!) and what the final product should look like. To me creativity and learning should be about the process not the product but in this case I have to say the product is very pretty! 

Set up is nice and easy - paper and cut pieces of tape. I used some plastic tub-like things to stick the tape to but one could use plastic glasses or something instead. For older children I would offer scissors and the roll of tape to they can cut it themselves, it makes for good practice and trust me kids can do this. The tape I used is coloured masking tape which I bought at a local daycare supply store however there are lots of sources on the internet. 

I let them loose at the table and they quickly got to it. Great fine motor skills at work with use of their pincher grasp to get the tape and them placing it in the spot they want and taping it down. The process of choosing where to place the tape is also using their spacial awareness and early math skills!  

Taping can get tricky when it sticks to itself but it is a great experience for how the material works and how one can still use it even so. Baby T did get a little annoyed at first saying 'oh no!' but a little explanation on how you can still use it seemed to make her happy. 

Baby T attempting to get herself a pice from the big roll. She was fascinated by how it stuck and then you could pull it apart and eventually stick it again. 

After taping was well underway I brought out the crayons to extend the project further. There was interest in how you could colour on the tape and how it was different then on paper by the texture and how the colour was different.  

All in all it is a very easy and fun activity which has been out every second day by request. The finished products are stuck on the wall at the moment and Baby T has been walking by says 'WOW'.... 'WOW!' I think she likes her art work and so do I.