How to make stencil use more successful

Kids love stencils. They're drawn to them. Stencils offer the promise of creating a picture that really looks like something (something that they could not draw on their own)! But tracing around the edges of a stencil is difficult and often frustrating. So here's a neat trick - place the paper on the wall. Tape it in place for those that need it. Then place the stencil on top and ask the child to color in the stencil. Use crayons or pencils with back and forth movements. For more success, peel the crayon and hold the barrel lengthwise and rub it across the paper.The result is a shaded-in drawing that is easier to do and looks pretty good! You can also tape the stencil in place, if needed, but holding it in place is a great upper extremity workout!  Have fun with this!