25 Best Tearing Paper Activities: From Ripping to Learning

Updated January 27, 2024

Tearing paper may seem destructive, but intentional tearing paper activities are great for young children. Tearing paper has many benefits, which is why I use these activities in my developmental therapy sessions. Let’s explore 25+ learning activities focused on tearing paper!

Getting Started

Paper is both a loose parts material and also a process-art material. 

Most paper-tearing activities are open-ended. Supervise to ensure safety; otherwise, let children investigate tearing and crumbling.

Types of Paper

• Shredded crinkle paper strips
• Colorful tissue paper
• Wrapping paper
• Cardstock
• Construction paper
• Magazines
• Newspaper
• Paper towel
• Cardboard
• Post It notes
• Greeting cards
• Paint samples
• Crepe paper streamers
• Packing paper

Ways to Use Torn Paper:

• crumbling
• shredding
• folding
• stuffing
• tossing
• scooping + pouring
• prop in imaginative play

Paper Sensory Bins

A sensory bin is an open-ended way to explore tearing paper. Offer a variety of paper materials to tear, including different colors, textures, and sizes. Some children will need you to model some ways to rip paper or use props.

Ripping Paper Challenge

Offer different types of paper for your child to rip. Talk about how it feels to tear tissue paper versus construction paper or cardstock versus cardboard.

Paper Stuffing

Set out an empty baby wipes container, tissue box, or cut a slit in the lid of an oatmeal container. Children can rip paper and stuff the pieces into the container through the opening. This activity challenges fine motor skills while also letting them investigate sizes.

Scoop + Pour

A simple sensory bin idea is scooping and pouring with measuring cups, large spoons, or shovels. Using different types and sizes of paper will test a child’s hand coordination.

And let’s be honest, paper is much easier to clean up than sand or sudsy water.

Tongs + Cups

Ripped paper, like shredded crinkle strips, are fun to transfer with tongs. Children can explore picking up the pieces and stuffing them into cups using the tongs.

Extension: Add a touch of make-believe and pretend the paper shreds are pasta. You can even add crumbled paper “meatballs” to the sensory bin.

Try this activity with chopsticks or training chopsticks (store-bought or DIY).

Plastic Containers + Lids

Use shredded paper to fill empty plastic food containers, practicing sealing and removing lids. This activity lets children explore weight, filling, and dumping. Find even more container play ideas.

Tearing Paper Art

Bottle + Paper Stuffing

This paper-stuffing activity involves dropping or stuffing torn pieces of paper into the neck of a bottle. Children will have to use fine motor skills and problem-solving to fill the bottle up. The end result is a colorful sensory bottle.

Extension: Add items such as stones, beads, bells, or pipe cleaners to the bottle

Contact Paper Collage

Tearing paper to make a contact paper collage is one of my favorite art activities. It’s open-ended and process-oriented art, meaning you can visit this activity again and again. 

Tape a printer paper-sized piece of clear contact paper to the table, sticky side up. Set out different types of paper on the table. Then kids can tear, place, and peel paper to create a textured collage. 

When your child is done, simply use a second sheet of contact paper to seal the collage.

Alternative: Tape the contact paper to the floor, table, wall, or even under the table.

Glue Collage

This activity is similar to the contact paper collage but with glue instead. You can either use construction paper or cardboard.

Children can tear, place, and glue different paper types to create a textured collage.

Water + Tissue Paper Dye

This activity is an engaging way to explore color mixing with torn paper. Your child can tear colored tissue paper or crepe paper. Then place the pieces on a sheet of white paper.

Offer a paintbrush and a container with a bit of water. Show your child how to drip or brush water on the tissue paper. The color from the tissue paper will start to bleed onto the white paper.

You can either remove the tissue paper now or let it dry first. Either way, in the end, you have a science experiment turned into a colorful piece of art.

Crumble Paper Sculptures

This imaginative play activity will help your child explore making 3D art. They can twist, crumble, rip, fold, pile, or shred paper into a creation. 

Tips:

• Model different ways to manipulate the paper.
• Use open-ended questions to learn about their design.

Tape + Paper Collage

After your child tears paper, they can use tape to create a collage. Using cardstock or a piece of cardboard as a base, show your toddler how they can tape their ripped paper pieces. 

This process-art idea lets toddlers explore different paper textures and get familiar with using tape.

More Activities

Paper Sorting

Toddlers are just beginning to understand sorting and classifying. Different types of paper or colors of paper can become the sorting objects.

First, you can choose specific colors or types of paper to sort. Then tape a piece of each color/type to the bottom of a muffin tin. Kids can rip pages of paper and place pieces into the matching spots. You can also set out colored bowls for toddlers to sort matching colors into.

Remember, if your child is not interested in matching, just enjoy watching them investigate. They might not be ready for this skill yet, but open-ended play will prepare them.

Wet Paper Tearing

Tearing wet paper is an entirely different sensory experience. 

For this activity, offer different types of paper to your child. They can wet the paper using a paintbrush, sponge, melting ice cubes, or eyedropper. Now they can explore shredding, poking, or crumbling the wet paper.

Foam Board Paper Peel

This idea is a classic recommendation for toddler teachers. Sometimes toddlers rip paper they are not supposed to because they enjoy the sensation of peeling.

For this activity, take a large piece of foam board and cover it with different kinds of paper. Tape the paper down with various types of tape such as masking tape, washi tape, or scotch tape. Layer different textures of tape and paper to make the activity more challenging or sensory-rich.

You can let your child explore the board by tearing up the paper and peeling back the tape. Once the board is empty, you can reuse the foam board again and again.

Pipe Cleaners + Strainer + Paper Holes

Puncturing holes is another way to explore tearing paper.

If your child is not familiar with threading pipe cleaners through the holes of a strainer/colander, you should introduce this activity first.

Once they have the concept down, you can use masking tape to tape pieces of paper to the inside of the strainer/colander. Now encourage your child to explore puncturing the paper as they push the pipe cleaner through the holes.

Fans + Paper Shreds

Remember that children’s game with the elephant trunk, butterflies, and nets? This is a quick DIY version that’s way cheaper and more adaptable.

First, set up a small fan or box fan on the floor. It would be best to take a few moments to talk about fan safety. 

Now your child can rip up pieces of paper and place them in front of the fan. Turn the fan on a low setting when they are ready and watch the paper pieces scatter.

You and your child can investigate all the different ways to do this activity. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Different fan settings
• Dropping paper in front of the fan
• Different types or sizes of paper
• Crumbled paper versus strips of paper

More Information

Benefits of Tearing Paper 

Tearing paper naturally supports children’s curiosity. It’s an excellent way for them to explore their senses and learn about textures. The feeling of paper tearing, its sound, and the opportunity to make messes all make these activities appealing.

Tearing paper is often an early step in learning to use scissors. It helps young children develop the hand muscles and control needed for cutting. Plus, it’s a great interactive learning idea that extends children’s attention.

Tearing paper activities are also a great way to recycle used paper instead of just throwing it away.

Why do toddlers rip paper?

Toddlers are curious and sensory-seeking. Ripping paper is a way to explore objects, their properties, and how they work. Toddlers instinctually seek out activities to build their fine motor skills, and tearing paper happens to be a perfect outlet. 

Remember, toddlers may damage things to meet a need. They may need a new sensory experience or are trying to communicate frustration. When children break items, they don’t realize that the damage is permanent.