Preschool kids have tender minds that are in the process of growing. This is why when choosing art and craft projects for them, an individual should ensure they select projects that encourage open-mindedness and have plenty of opportunities to explore.
You want to foster a love of play and creating, therefore, avoid complex procedures that may appear boring to the kid. Instead, pick art with simple steps and a twist to make them magical. This is crucial if your kid is ready for preschool enrollement.
Top Tips for Art and Craft for Preschool
Plan for the mess. At his age, messing is inevitable. Cover the room with butcher paper if you have to do the art and craft project indoors. Even better, take the class/activity outside. Messing is part of exploration at this age.
Step back. Your responsibility as an adult is to set up the project and facilitate the kids. However, see that you give the children space and let them explore by themselves. Their off-shoot projects are what adds to their excitement.
Make it short. However interesting a project may be, preschool children get tired easily. Choose short projects that consume little time.
Here are the best art and crafts for toddlers:
1. Wooden Block Prints
This is one of the most exciting art and craft projects for toddlers. Ask them to pick up wooden shapes of their choice, as well as a different color paint for each wood. Encourage the kids to make as many shapes as possible on their blank paper; later, find a cool spot to hang their work for them to see. Through the wooden block prints, children have fun and learn different shapes.
2. Plastic Bead Suncatcher
This activity takes art and craft to the next level. The results are mesmerizing for both you and the kid. The art and craft idea comes from the artful parent. This art will make your child feel like the newest rock star in town.
3. Negative Leaf Impressions
No one wants to be out in the scorching sun during summer unless they are swimming. Trees also shed leaves and mess up all the paths. However, this is a chance for toddlers to enjoy negative impressions.
Ø Take your kid out for a walk and let them collect leaves of different shapes.
Ø Lay the leaves on a clear piece of paper.
Ø Using a spray bottle with ½ orange liquid watercolors and ½ water, spray the leaves and leave to dry.
4. Homemade Chalkboard Paint Wall Hanging
Once kids learn to paint, they paint everywhere! This includes on your beautiful white walls. Instead of having him/her mess up everywhere, buy them a chalkboard wall hanging, where they can paint or draw with any color of their dream. This will give them freedom and give you peace of mind.
5. Textural Sand Painting Creation
This activity is exciting and also improves the hand & eye coordination of your child as well as their fine motor skills. Here is what you need to do;
Ø Help your child decide on the shape they want for their art, and replicate it on paper with a pencil.
Ø Give your tot a tiny bottle of glue, which when gently squeezed pops out glue, and let them pour it following the pencil line.
Ø Offer them sand and let him/her sprinkle sand on the glue.
Ø Leave the painting to dry overnight, frame it and hang it in your house.
6. Play Binoculars
Next time you finish your toilet paper rolls , instead of disposing off the roll right away, save it for your toddler. Tie two tubes of the toilet paper on a thread of twine, and color each tube with a different color to make them more colorful. Your kid will enjoy going back and forth as they play pretend.
7. Fossil Cookies
When growing up, there is always a small voice telling you there are some dinosaur remains in your backyard; you can’t deny to have dug once or twice in search of the remains. Relieve your tension and that of your toddler through fossil cookies from Martha Stewart. It may just save you from eating the fossils when you finally land on one!
8. Easy Stained Glass Window Hanging
Using a clear lid, your child can craft a beautiful panel that the whole family will fall in love with, and probably request them to make several for a special window in the house.
9. Cloud Dough
This is one of the science magic that no adult wants to explain. The dough is powder one minute, and sand & wet the next minute. Well, let’s not get into the details of what happens and just have fun with the nature of the dough. This is one of the easiest art activities for toddlers.
10. Colorful Fun with Golf Balls
Now this one is easy, and all toddlers and preschoolers kid will enjoy doing it. With a few splashes of paint and a golf ball; your kids get to turn a blank canvas into a colorful creative art of zigzag painted lines.
11. Bubble Paint
This is the perfect preschool art for summer activity for any child, it’s messy so you may consider doing it outdoors. Through easily found ingredients, your kid can make dreamy bubble prints and use them as; decorations of her room, book cover or handmade cards.
12. Rainbow painting
For no good reason, everyone feels excited when they see a rainbow. The simple rainbow painting using combs can be a good way to reconnect with your child.
You only need to buy paint in rainbow colors, a dish, and combs.
Pour the paint in the right order of rainbow colors (Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple), dip the comb in the paint dish and spread. Let her enjoy the messy rainbow colors. This are some of the things they are studying in their preschool programme.
13. Spray my Name!
Well, everyone loves their name. Like all the other toddler crafts activities; this one is easy and probably will be one of her/his favorites.
Guide your kid to write his/her name with a pencil
Hand them a masking tape and let them place it on the pencil lines
Give her/him, spray bottles with colors (blue, yellow and red) and let them spray them on their name as they watch the colors blend.
Give the painting a day to dry and peel off the masking tape.
14. Yogurt spin art
You will need to prepare the tops for the kids. However, they can help mix paints and spin tops for some irresistible art fun.
15. Shaving Cream Painting
Now, this is a classic project for obvious reasons. Here is how to do it;
- Spray some shaving cream on the bottom of a tray
- Add food coloring drops on top
- Mix the shaving cream and food color gently using a craft stick.
- Press a blank paper on the concoction
- Scrap the shaving cream using the edge of the credit card
16. Colorful Apple Print Place Mats
We all love apples. It would, therefore, feel good to see them when having every meal. Cut apples into halves and use them to make pretty table mats!
17. Bubble Wrap Paint Print
Just when you assumed nothing could surprise you; the bubble wrap paint print comes up. After seeing what a bubble wrap can do; you will never see it the way you do now! Here is what to do;
Ø Cut a bubble wrap the same size as that of a white sheet paper.
Ø Together, decide on the colors you want to use.
Ø Use a scrap paper as palette (a thin slab which an artist lays and mixes colors) of the paint.
Ø Squeeze a little bit of every color paint and spread it on the bubble wrap using a painting brush (or let your kid get crazy and finger-paint directly onto the bubble wrap).
Ø Encourage your child to form organized designs of similar shapes and blend colors to create beautiful color shades.
Ø After the bubble paint is covered, press the white sheet against it and see the cool bubble wrap paint.
18. Ice Chalk Painting
Here is the recipe.
In addition, you will require squeeze bottles with water and vinegar mixture.
PS: Vinegar can be itchy on the skin so be sure to see that the kid only sprays it on the chalk.
Bonus: the chalk turns into oobleck when everything melts!
19. Muffin Tin Prints
This one is a cost-saving art and craft practice that will help you make good use of your muffin tin that you use twice a year. This art helps children get creative on how to make art.
20. DIY Paints
This is one of the activities that will take you a short time. Besides, these paints are safe, and your tot can help make them. The pudding paint makes a wonderful finger paint.
Final Thoughts on Art and Craft
Art and craft for preschool kids are essential in their growth. It helps in boosting their critical thinking, creativity, and hand-eye coordination. It is also through art and craft that kids learn social skills by cooperating with other children. You can also do it with your child to create a stronger bond with them and get to know what’s going on in their life.
Challenge yourself and do five of the above art and craft activities with your pre-schooler, you may enjoy so much and decide to invest in our kindergarten franchise.
