Toddler activities with large paper
8 activities in the library use large paper, for toddlers aged 14 to 36 months: 2 starting 12–17 months, 2 starting 18–23 months and 4 starting from 24 months. Big sheets give room for whole-arm movements, so toddlers can scribble, paint, trace and make rubbings without running off the edge.
Updated
Large paper: 8 activities to try
Safety: Watch for paper cuts on fresh edges, and keep torn scraps away from a child who mouths things.
8 activities
- Taped-Down First Scribbles 14–24 months · 5–10 min · Indoors · Calm A big sheet taped to the floor or table stays put while your child grips a jumbo crayon and makes first marks, building grasp and intentional movement.
- Baking Sheet Finger Painting 15–24 months · 5–12 min · Indoors · Calm Your child spreads washable paint across a baking sheet with fingers and hands, then presses paper on top to lift a print of their marks.
- Big Paper Brush Painting 18–30 months · 5–15 min · Indoors · Calm Your child paints with a chunky brush on a big sheet taped to the floor, starting with one color, to explore strokes, dots and covering space.
- Egg Cup Circle Stamping 22–32 months · 5–12 min · Indoors · Calm Your toddler dips a cut-off egg carton cup into washable paint and stamps rings on big paper, hearing color and shape names as the page fills.
- Copy My Crayon Line 24–34 months · 5–10 min · Indoors · Calm You draw one simple stroke at a time, a line down, a line across or a circle, and your child copies it, moving from scribbles toward controlled marks.
- Crayon Leaf Rubbings 24–36 months · 5–12 min · Indoors · Calm Leaves from a walk go under a sheet of paper and your child rubs over them with the side of a jumbo crayon until the veins and edges appear.
- Kitchen Outline Match Mat 26–36 months · 5–12 min · Indoors · Calm You trace three kitchen objects onto big paper, and your toddler matches each real object to its outline, a homemade shape-matching puzzle.
- Trace Around the Lid 26–36 months · 5–12 min · Indoors · Calm Your child holds a crayon against the edge of a big lid and runs it around to make a circle, then tries a circle without the lid after watching you.
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Large Paper at a glance
| Activities | 8 |
|---|---|
| Ages covered (corrected) | 14–36 months |
| Focus time | 5–15 minutes |
| Main domains | 3 creativity & pretend, 3 fine motor and 2 early concepts |
| Where they happen | 8 indoors |
| Quickest start | Copy My Crayon Line, 5–10 minutes |
Every activity with large paper
Sorted by the first month each one fits (corrected age for children born early).
| Activity | Ages | Minutes | Domain | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taped-Down First Scribbles | 14–24 months | 5–10 | Fine motor | 2 min |
| Baking Sheet Finger Painting | 15–24 months | 5–12 | Creativity & pretend | 5 min |
| Big Paper Brush Painting | 18–30 months | 5–15 | Creativity & pretend | 5 min |
| Egg Cup Circle Stamping | 22–32 months | 5–12 | Early concepts | 5 min |
| Copy My Crayon Line | 24–34 months | 5–10 | Fine motor | 2 min |
| Crayon Leaf Rubbings | 24–36 months | 5–12 | Creativity & pretend | 5 min |
| Kitchen Outline Match Mat | 26–36 months | 5–12 | Early concepts | 5 min |
| Trace Around the Lid | 26–36 months | 5–12 | Fine motor | 2 min |
How each activity uses large paper
- Taped-Down First Scribbles (scribbling and early drawing, 5–10 minutes): Stop when the crayon goes to the mouth more often than to the paper.
- Baking Sheet Finger Painting (painting, 5–12 minutes): Lay the paper on top, press together, then peel it off and look at the print.
- Big Paper Brush Painting (painting, 5–15 minutes): Tape the paper to the floor or a low table and put a little paint in a heavy dish.
- Egg Cup Circle Stamping (colors and shapes, 5–12 minutes): Tape a large sheet of paper to the floor or table and put a little paint in two ice-tray pockets.
- Copy My Crayon Line (scribbling and early drawing, 5–10 minutes): A large sheet of paper.
- Crayon Leaf Rubbings (scribbling and early drawing, 5–12 minutes): Lay one leaf on the table, cover it with paper and tape the paper corners down.
- Kitchen Outline Match Mat (matching, 5–12 minutes): Trace around a wooden spoon, a measuring cup and a lid on the paper, then tape the sheet down.
- Trace Around the Lid (scribbling and early drawing, 5–12 minutes): Tape the paper down and hold the lid flat on it with your hand.
By age
12–17 months: 2 activities, 5–12 minutes. 18–23 months: 2 activities, 5–15 minutes. From 24 months: 4 activities, 5–12 minutes.
Starting 12–17 months
Starting 18–23 months
Starting from 24 months
Words that come up
Across these activities you will model “line”, “dot”, “round and round”, “more”, “squish”, “swirl”, “paint”, “look, a print”, “swish”, “more paint?”, “circle” and “red”. Say one at the moment it happens, then pause for your child's turn.
Safety with large paper
- Watch for paper cuts on fresh edges, and keep torn scraps away from a child who mouths things.
Prep tips
- Tape the sheet to the table or floor at the corners.
- Use the back of wrapping paper, a paper roll or an opened paper bag.
No large paper? Use instead
- Flattened cardboard boxes.
- Old newspaper (ink can rub off on hands)
- Paper grocery bags cut open.
Combine it with
Large paper is most often paired with painter's tape (5 activities), jumbo crayons (4 activities) and plastic food containers (2 activities). The skills practised most: scribbling and early drawing (6), colors and shapes (4) and imitating actions (3).
Often combined with
Skills practised
Frequently asked questions
What can a toddler do with large paper?
8 activities here use it, for example Taped-Down First Scribbles (14–24 months), Baking Sheet Finger Painting (15–24 months) and Big Paper Brush Painting (18–30 months).
Is large paper safe for toddlers?
Use it only with an adult close by. Watch for paper cuts on fresh edges, and keep torn scraps away from a child who mouths things.
What can I use instead of large paper?
Flattened cardboard boxes, old newspaper (ink can rub off on hands) or paper grocery bags cut open can stand in for most of these activities.
What ages are activities with large paper for?
They cover 14–36 months of corrected age: 2 starting 12–17 months, 2 starting 18–23 months and 4 starting from 24 months.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.