This is a great repeat activity. So often it feels as though we do a lot of prep work for a 15 – 20 minute activity and then we have to clean it all up. Even if we can save the activity like the rainbow pasta, it still has to be cleaned or picked up after each session. This activity, however, you can put it up and leave it there for as long as you want! It’s perfect!
Materials
- Contact Paper
- Painters' tape
- Foam sheets
- Felt Sheets
- Scissors
Directions
- Cut a large square out of the contact paper. The size of the square depends on the space that you have.
- Peel back part of the paper backing on the contact paper so that the sticky side is facing out. Line one edge of the contact paper with painters’ tape and tape that edge to the wall. Tape the square at a good height for your child to reach while standing.
- Continue to peel the paper backing from the contact paper and adding your painters’ tape to the edges. I encourage you to peel back the paper back a little at the time because the contact paper is sticky and can be more difficult to manage if you pull the backing off all at once.
- Once your contact paper square is secured to the wall, cut different shapes out of your foam and felt sheets. I cut circles out of the foam sheets and squares out of the felt sheets. I used an assortment of colors as well. You can always cut shapes out based on color-all the red felt and foam pieces are squares, the greens are circles, etc.
- Stick the shapes to the contact paper and let your child explore.
Riley's experience
This has been a constant go to activity. Riley will often throughout the day and throughout the week crawl over to the wall, pull up, and start peeling the shapes off. She works intently until all the shapes are removed. Once all the shapes are on the ground, Riley starts to crawl away, but she always changes her mind, and crawls back to start putting the shapes back on the wall. She takes after her mama-she can’t leave a mess just sitting there! Riley experiments with where to put the shapes on the wall like she does when she plays with her magnets. Some parts of the wall (where the contact paper isn’t) aren’t as sticky as other parts (where the contact paper is). As she interacts with this activity, I give names to the colors, shapes, and textures she is interacting with. My favorite part is when I try to help Riley put the shapes back up on the contact paper, she will immediately remove all the shapes that I have put up on the wall and start fresh. I look forward to making a fresh sensory wall peel for Riley’s first birthday!
Age modifications
This activity is geared more for children who are able to pull up to standing. This is a great motivating activity for those children who are just beginning to explore pulling up. However, this activity can still be done with younger children who aren’t yet standing. Instead of taping the contact paper to the wall, tape it to the floor or play mat, and let this be a tummy time or seated activity.
Benefits
- Fine motor skills: This activity encourages the pincer grasp and strengthens your child’s hand and finger muscles as your child peels the shapes off the wall.
- Gross motor skills: This activity encourages your child to pull up to standing as well as possibly creep along the wall as they pull the shapes off.
- Crossing the midline: Encouraging your little one to cross their midline is important for developing hand dominance, bilateral integration, and coordination and communication across the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This activity will encourage your child to reach across the body to grab the shapes.
- Problem solving skills: Your child will have to figure out how to peel off the shapes and stick them back on.
- Hand-eye coordination: Your child will continue working on their hand-eye coordination as they reach for and peel back the shapes from the wall.
- Language development: Your child will be exposed to contextual vocabulary as you name the colors, shapes, and textures they are experiencing. Your child will hear words such as sticky, fuzzy, soft, green, red, blue, purple, circle, square, etc.
Links to materials
