What’s Black & White All Over?
Ready
- A collection of black (or mostly black) objects of varying sizes, weights and textures
– Black objects might include a belt, a remote, a spatula, a black crayon, a pot top, black or dark spoons/measuring cups, an empty water bottle filled with black food coloring, toilet paper or paper towel tubes painted black/covered with black tape, balled up black construction paper, etc. - A collection of white (or mostly white) objects of varying sizes, weights and textures
– White objects might include cotton balls, a bar of soap, golf balls, a white crayon, tissues, Q-tips, socks, etc. - A collection of objects that are both black and white
– Black & white objects might include dice, a toy panda, a remote control, newspaper, a toy zebra, a chess board, a mini soccer ball, salt & pepper shakers, etc. - A large piece of white paper or a white sheet
- A large piece of black paper or a black sheet
Set
CREATE A BLACK AND WHITE PLAYSCAPE:
- First, lay out your white sheet/paper and place your black objects on top.
- Next, lay out your black sheet/paper and place your white objects on top.
- You may choose to overlap your black and white backgrounds as shown here.
Play!
- Explore your black and white playscape.
- Compare and contrast the different shapes and sizes of objects.
- Which items can you put next to each other and play with at the same time?
Play your way! What else can you do with these open-ended materials?
Why Play This Way?
Providing only black and white objects for play encourages children to see and recreate patterns, think mathematically by counting and comparing “like parts,” and appreciate design, shape and utility without the distraction of color.
Better with a Book
At LᐧMᐧNᐧOᐧPlay!, we love to pair our play with a great book.
Black & White Play
Extension Activities
Choose your own adventure! Select any of the extension activities or resources below and see where your play takes you next. They all build on the same play theme to extend your learning in even more ways.
