Play & Learn: Texture Treasure Hunt
3 mins read

Play & Learn: Texture Treasure Hunt

Texture Treasure Hunt is a fun way to explore your home, your yard, and the world around you.

Grab some paper and crayons and seek out surfaces and objects that look like they’d make an interesting texture rubbing. You can even pick out some toys and household objects to dip and paint and make texture stampings (the messier the better!)


Early Literacy Connection

Writing is one of the early literacy practices that helps children become better readers and communicators. Texture Treasure Hunt involves coloring and scribbling with crayons or pencils. If you decide to get messy and try texture stamping, your child will also explore slippery paint and different stamping materials. All of these will help to improve their fine motor skills, which are in the hand and wrist. Helping kids strengthen those muscles may help with their handwriting and drawing as they get older.

Play is another early literacy practice, and kids can learn a lot through games and creative play. Texture Treasure Hunt is good for a variety of ages, and you can focus on the treasure hunt part of this activity by giving older kids specific goals. Ask your child to track down certain textures, like something rough, something soft, or something from outside. If you’re using paint, some kids like to get messy and explore the feeling of paint on their hands. Play can help your child observe the world in different ways and gain vocabulary they’ll use in other parts of their life.


Supplies and Instructions
  • Paper  
  • Crayon, pencil, or colored pencil  
  • Washable paint (optional)
  1. Choose some objects and places inside and outside your home to use for texture rubbings. You can search for specific types of textures, try to find something from each room in your home, or see who can find the most interesting texture!
  2. Place the paper over the object and gently rub the paper with your crayon or pencil. You can write the name of each object on the edge of the paper so you can tell them apart later.
  3. If you want to get messier, you can try texture stamping!  Toy cars, balls, LEGO, and towels are all items that are all easy to clean and could make interesting patterns on paper. Just remember, less is more if you’re using paint to stamp! 
  4. Try using your texture rubbings for other activities. Once you’ve made your leaf rubbings or stamps, you can use them for other art activities later, like making a fun collage or decoration for your wall.

Book Suggestions

Here are some books from the Plano Public Library collection we suggest to go along with this activity:

Saturday by Oge Mora eBook | eAudiobook | Print (Wonderbook)

Another by Christian Robinson eBook | Print

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle eBook | Print | Spanish | Arabic | Chinese

Frederick by Leo Lionni eBook | Print


Be sure to check out our other Play & Learn activities for early literacy fun at home.

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