When you unfurl a long roll of paper and show the children they have a big area to draw on, they'll realize that they can work side by side and end up with a much bigger and more interesting mural than any one child can draw alone.

Materials:

• A long piece of paper from a roll of plain shelf paper
• Markers or crayons
• Tape

Directions:

Unroll the paper to the length of the work area (the floor or the table). You'll probably need to use tape to hold the ends down.

Help the children decide how to work together by asking questions like:

• How can we decide where each person should draw?
• Should each person draw a part of one picture, or should each draw his or her own picture?
• Do they want to use a theme? Maybe the ocean, a garden, the circus, or a house and yard?

Once the children have come to an agreement, set out the crayons or markers, and let them get to work.

This could be a fun way to make a birthday banner for a friend or for someone in the family. What an interesting way to say "we care about you."

Be sure to comment with an encouraging word when the children are working well together. They probably aren't going to get along all the time, but when you praise the cooperative moments, you're helping your child know you value cooperation.

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