Monster Mash Up

For several months every year, our Seattle skies are filled with gray clouds. So as a kindergarten teacher, I was always on the lookout for easy, rainy day activities that would make inevitable indoor recesses fun for my students. Hands down, Monster Mash Up was one of the kids' all-time favorite projects. Now that I have children of my own, I can officially declare this simple activity a winner. It's guaranteed entertainment at doctors' offices, restaurants, and on airplanes.

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Materials you'll need

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1
To start, I fold a blank piece of paper into thirds. I try to make the parts as equal as possible but I don't worry too much if they're uneven.

Step 2
With the simple prep complete, my three-year-old eagerly helps his dad draw the monster's head on the top third of the paper. My son chooses the number of eyes the monster will have... the color of his teeth... the shape of his nose... the negotiating is endless and so adorable. Meanwhile, I'm purposefully looking in the other direction to keep the drawing a surprise. That's important for the next step.

Step 3
Once my husband finishes drawing, he folds the paper so that his picture is hidden from view. Then he passes the paper to me and I begin drawing the monster's belly while my husband and son look in the other direction.