Five Craft Activities For Preschoolers
Our young ones are great vessels for creativity. Sometimes though, it can be tough as adults to figure out exactly what they would be interested in doing. Here are some good ideas for preschooler craft activities.
One: Memory Handprints
This craft activity works best with a small group of children.
• Finger-paint – ready-made from a store
• Large sheets of paper – big enough for handprints and photograph
• Shallow tray – to hold paint
• Newspapers – to protect tabletops
• Photograph – of each child
• Glue – nontoxic
• Smocks – to protect clothing
Write each child’s name on paper before placing it on a protected table. Pour finger-paint in shallow tray before allowing children to dip each hand in the liquid. Help child press each hand on the paper, and when the paint is dry, glue photograph of child between the two handprints.
Two: Animal Book
Children love learning about animals, and this booklet is a family keepsake.
- Crayons – nontoxic
- Rectangular pieces of paper – fold and staple into a booklet
- Old magazines – donated
- Scissors – small ones
- Glue – nontoxic
Have children cut out pictures of animals they find in old magazines to paste on each page of the booklet. Children will use crayons to write the name of the animal on each page of the book.
Three: Number Paper Chain
This is a simple but effective way for preschool children to use their senses to memorize the first 10 numbers before they enter kindergarten.
- Construction paper – two bright colors
- Scissors – small ones
- Glue – nontoxic
- Tape – for hanging chains
- Markers – to write numbers
Preschoolers can write the series of numbers one through 10 on alternating colors of paper strips. Next, glue the strips together while looping the circles to make a paper chain. Tape the paper chains to the wall to help preschoolers learn their numbers.
Four: Make a Sunflower
This craft is perfect when preschoolers are learning about seeds and flowers in the spring.
- Paper towel tubes – save these after using up paper towel
- Construction paper – green
- Paper plate – plain white
- Paint – bright yellow
- Glue – nontoxic
- Scissors – small size
- Crayons – nontoxic
- Stapler – filled with staples
Spread glue on paper towel tube before wrapping with green construction paper. Children will draw seeds with brown or black crayons in the middle of the paper plate before painting the rest of the plate bright yellow. Next, children will cut with scissors from the edges of the plate to the middle circle to make petals. An adult will staple the paper tube to the flower petal plate.
Five: Egg Carton Ladybugs
Preschoolers love to learn about bugs, making this craft project a favorite activity.
- Egg cartons – cardboard cartons
- Paint – bright red
- Construction paper – black and white
- Paper punch – to make dots for eyes and body
- Glue – nontoxic
- Paintbrushes – medium size
- Black pipe cleaners – cut each in half to make antennae and legs
- Stapler – filled with staples
An adult should cut apart the sections of the egg carton to make ladybug bodies before children paint these bright red. As the paint dries, children can make large dots from the white paper for the eyes and small dots from the black paper for the body. Also make a small black construction paper circle for the ladybug’s face. Glue the black dots on the red body, and create eyes on the face with white and black dots. Glue the face on one end of the body. Last, an adult can staple the legs on the bottom of the body and the antennae above the ladybug’s face.
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This guest post is contributed by the online fabric store, The Ribbon Retreat. They offer a variety of products such as fold over elastic, bows, hardware, as well as elastic and offray ribbon.