Contact paper is a medium I have used often with infants and toddlers. When placed sticky side up it allows for many different types of explorations. As children become more mobile they discover the sensation of sticking to something and when they get older the contact paper becomes an excellent medium for collage. It takes away the need for glue which can be overwhelming for a young child and yet still gives the child the freedom to stick an item down and then take it back up again if they want.
I placed the contact paper, sticky side up, on a large clear storage container lid. I purposely chose a surface that was low to the ground and could be placed on the carpet so the children could really move all around on it.
I also thought that having something big enough for several children to be around together would promote more interactions with the material and each other. Under the contact paper I placed a picture of each child in the group to entice the children to touch the contact paper. This really drew the children further to make full contact with the material.
The familiar cellophane and fabric materials were also carried over into this experience so that the children would have a chance to try manipulating them in a new way, either to pull them off or stick them down. Both on Thursday & Friday only one other child was able to join Sebastien at the playgroup but the intimate setting allowed for the children to make deeper connections to each other and the materials.
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