Rubbings! Keep the little ones busy and the bigger ones happy.

Stuck for an activity for a group of little ones on supply?  Grab some scrap paper, and either get the children to do the rubbings themselves, or do a few quick ones yourself… These lovely, colourful rubbing plates don't need a photocopier password or internet connection! I have featured here Baker Ross' jungle animal prints, but they also have floral and geometric rubbing plates. What other surfaces can the children find to do rubbings of? Send them out into the whole learning environment with a crayon and a piece of paper to collect three rubbings… Once they are finished, they have to return and quiz each other on their mysterious pictures. Can their partner guess what surface it is? Do they need a clue?

With the older children, try a Literacy activity based on the jungle, perhaps based on The Tyger by William Blake, and throw in a little The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) by The Tokens! After drafting, their writing could be written over a jungle rubbing.

Your turn – rubbing plate activities

How would you use these rubbing plates in class? We can probably see that they are most suited to tiny people, but what about the older children? How could you use rubbings in class of young adults? Let us know!