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Using BIG Paper to Unleash Creativity in Children

Give kids a huge sheet of paper and unleash their creativity!

Using big sheets of paper is one of my favorite ways to get my kids thinking creatively, and a favorite rainy day activity for my kids! I buy large rolls of paper (like this, but we get ours from IKEA usually) and cut off large sections – around four feet long – for the kids to draw on.

Using BIG Paper to Unleash Creativity in children

When each kid has their own sheet, they are basically using every bit of free space in on the wood section of our floor, but it’s worth it to watch them creating their own unique worlds!

Kids love to get creative with a large sheet of paper!

Two-year-old Anna is really into “writing” right now, so that is how she covered her large sheet of paper. Nine-year-old Emma (photo at the top of the post) loves animals, and you can see that in her drawing.

Giving kids space - time, and materials - helps them express themselves creatively

Seven-year-old Johnny loves numbers. Every single digit on his paper has a face, and there are pencils and a pen with faces at the bottom of the page, including one that is signing his name. I love that his sun has glasses AND a superhero cape.

Home design was a favorite activity of mine as a kid, and one my own children also enjoy

Five-year-old Lily drew a lovely house with me and the four kids (Mike was at work when we were doing this activity). She also drew the two dragons below, probably inspired by the dragon-themed book that the aide in her kindergarten class was reading out loud to the class at the time.

Art is a wonderful window into your child's world!

My kids also like to draw together on a single sheet of paper, and we often tape sheets of paper to the table for them to draw on together, or with their friends. This is also a wonderful whole-family activity – grown-ups can get creative with pencils and paper, too!

Has your family created big art like this recently?

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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.

15 thoughts on “Using BIG Paper to Unleash Creativity in Children”

  1. Such a fun and relaxing activity! My favorite piece of art hanging in my house is 2 big canvases we did as a family this past New Year’s Eve.

  2. I love the big paper idea. My 15 year old will especially love it. My middle daughter now practices near an Ikea so I’m going to stop by there to buy those big rolls! Thanks for your great idea!

  3. When I worked in advertising, I used to bring home discarded posters and even billboards for the kids to use the backs of for their art. The scale of these gave them a whole new format to express themselves. Ask you local printing companies for their leftovers.
    Gwynn Torres
    The Creativity Institute

  4. jeannine @ waddleeahchaa

    I love seeing the different drawing styles of each child! Those numbers with faces are showing off some great personality.

  5. Elisa | blissfulE

    I hadn’t thought about doing this, but it looks like a lot of fun!! Perfect for wood floors, too.

  6. Natalie PlanetSmartyPants

    It’s amazing to see how creative your kids are and how different their worlds look like!

  7. Chrissy @ The Outlaw Mom Blog

    I love this idea. Sometimes I put the paper down as the “table saver” for another project, but decorating the paper ends up being the favorite activity!

  8. That’s a great idea! I will try this out with my daughter. She’s not really into drawing or coloring right now. Maybe the novelty will get her to do some drawing/coloring.

  9. Thanks for reminding me to get out the big paper. Not only do the kids like it but when they are on their tummy drawing it strengthens the core and when it is on the wall it helps the hands.

  10. Those are some really nice numbers! We don’t have big paper right now and just rely on letter-size, though I also prefer big paper, especially for painting. Much less mess going over the edges of the paper, too!

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