Coated Kraft Paper
White kraft paper carries a protective coating, which is the difference between a craft that works and a table that needs scrubbing afterward. Marker ink sits on the surface rather than bleeding through to the wood, and paint does not soak the sheet into pulp. The paper is child friendly and thick enough that a heavy hand with a crayon will not tear a hole in the middle.
The Full Table
At 54 by 88 inches there is space for six or eight children to work at once without elbows meeting in the middle. Adults sitting at the ends usually end up coloring too. Because the sheet covers the whole surface, it doubles as protection. What lands on the paper stays on the paper, and the table underneath comes through a party of eight year olds unmarked.
Hearts Cupids And Notes
Printed line art runs edge to edge, with hearts to fill in, cupids, roses and small love notes that leave space for writing. Children who freeze in front of an empty page will color a printed heart happily, and older ones treat the blank areas as their own. Sections can be torn off at the end so each child takes home the part they worked on.
Rolls Up After
Cleanup is one motion. Roll the sheet from one end, and the crumbs, marker caps and paper scraps come with it. A partly used cover can be rolled and stood in a corner for the next round, or kept as a record of what the children drew. Between February and the next class party it stores in a tube rather than folded, which keeps creases out of the artwork.
