Busy Mommy Media » Preschool Arts and Crafts

Preschool Art – Paper Bag Pumpkin

Rachel — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:06:56 +0000

Preschoolers will love making this paper bag pumpkin as a special Halloween craft activity.This is my favorite activity to do with preschoolers for a fun Halloween project. It is so easy that even a toddler can do it with some supervision.

This Halloween art project makes a wonderful holiday decoration for preschoolers desks at school or at home as a centerpiece for a festive meal.

What You Need

Brown Paper Bag
Orange Paint
Black Construction Paper
Green Pipe Cleaners
Safety Scissors
Scotch Tape
A Pencil
Newspaper

What To Do

Give each preschooler a brown paper bag and some pieces of newspaper. Have preschoolers use safety scissors to cut the newspaper into strips. Preschoolers can tear the pieces of newspaper if they prefer. Crumple up the newspaper strips and fill the paper bag about half way. Tie the bag shut just above the newspaper filling by twisting a green pipe cleaner around it. Show preschoolers how to wrap the ends of the pipe cleaner around a pencil to curl them. You can add additional pipe cleaners to create more pumpkin vines if you want.

Have preschoolers paint the bottom section of the pumpkin orange. While the pain is dry, have preschoolers cut triangles out of black construction paper. Allow preschoolers to be creative. If they want to experiment with different shapes or formations let them.

When the paint is dry, use scotch tape to attach the black triangles to one side of the pumpkin to create a jack-o-lantern face. You can use glue if you want but tape works best because of the curve of the pumpkin and the paint underneath.

Preschoolers will have an adorable paper pumpkin to get them in the spirit of Halloween.

Toothbrush Painting

Rachel — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:50:26 +0000

Toothbrush painting is a fun twist on traditional painting and is a great way to teach toddlers and preschoolers about the importance of dental health. This activity was one we did every year during my years as a home daycare provider during our dental health preschool theme but it makes a wonderful homeschool health lesson or fun art activity for kids.

What You Need

Tooth template

Yellow paper

Toothbrush (regular or electric)

White paint

What to Do

Kids often don’t understand why it is so important to brush their teeth well at least two times a day. Many kids rush through brushing their teeth and miss spots that can develop into cavities. Kids can develop a better understanding of why they need to brush their teeth thoroughly every time by seeing a visual demonstration.

Give each child a yellow piece of paper. Tell the kids that yellow tartar can form on your teeth and cause cavities if you don’t brush it off. Put some white paint on a paper plate or in another container and instruct kids to use the toothbrush to brush the “tartar” off their paper tooth by painting it white.

As the children paint their tooth white, you can discus the importance of good dental health.

Cookie Sheet Print Painting

Rachel — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:12:09 +0000

Art can be created using materials found around the house. This open-ended art activity can be altered to fit the needs of kids of all ages and can be used to fit nearly any subject matter. Using an old cookie sheet, kids can create a simplified version of a printing press and come up with a creative work of art.

My son chose to create a classic masterpiece . . . a Star Wars lightsaber. Star Wars is popular around our house and is has found it’s way into our homeschool art lessons but it helps my 6 year old stay excited about art and gives him a starting point to express his creativity. Allowing kids to be free to create, no matter what the subject matter, can help them to develop as an artist and be encouraged to try new things.

Materials Needed

Old cookie sheet
Non-toxic paint
Paintbrush
Paper

Instructions

Provide kids with an old cookie sheet and several colors of paint. Encourage kids to paint whatever they want to on the cookie sheet, If you are doing this art project as part of a preschool theme or as a curriculum supplement provide kids with some direction as to the subject matter but try and avoid dictating what they should create.

Once the painting on the cookie sheet has been completed, have kids lay a piece of paper down flat on top of the painting, being careful not to wiggle the paper once it has come into contact with the paint. Gentle pressure can be applied to the top of the paper to be sure that all parts of the painting have been printed onto the paper. The paper can be slowly peeled off of the cookie sheet and flipped over to dry.

Preschool Literacy Art – Yarn Letters

Rachel — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:10:40 +0000

Preschoolers love experimenting with different mediums. This preschool literacy activity requires very few supplies and really gets preschoolers excited about learning to write the letters of the alphabet.

What You Need

Several colors of yarn.
A glue bottle for each preschooler
Colored construction paper

What To Do

Parent or Teacher Preparation – Cut the yarn into a collection of different lengths. Make sure you have some longer lengths and some short lengths. If desired, you can print a sample of the letter you would like preschoolers to practice on the paper before giving it to the preschoolers. They can use this to model their own letters off of or use it to practice making their first glue letter.

Preschooler Participation – Show preschoolers how to use their glue bottle to write the alphabet letter that they are working on. When preschoolers have written the alphabet letter in glue help them to find pieces of yarn that fit to cover their glue letter. Preschoolers can experiment with writing their alphabet letters big or small, using different colors of yarn, and making multiple letters on their paper.

This preschool literacy activity works best with letters that have only straight edges but it can be used with others as well. This is an excellent introduction to writing for preschoolers because they do not see it as work and they are able to use the long and short pieces of yarn to visualize the way that they need to write each letter of the alphabet.

Variation – Use the same method to teach preschoolers to recognize and write their numbers. Preschoolers enjoy learning how to write the number of their own age or the numbers in their phone number.

Preschool Art – Popcorn on the Cob

Rachel — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:27:20 +0000

Thanksgiving is a celebration of gratitude and food is a central part of the festivities. Preschoolers will enjoy making this simple preschool craft as part of a preschool Thanksgiving theme.

Use this simple corn craft as part of an exciting preschool bulletin board in your preschool classroom or as a fun Fall family activity.

What You Need

Green Paper
Yellow Paper
Safety Scissors
Popcorn
Glue
Paper Plates

What To Do

Adult Preparation – Fill a paper plate with craft glue. Create a template by turning a piece of construction paper on it’s side and tracing one side of a paper plate vertically on the paper. Position the paper plate to form a point at the top of the template and trace the line down the paper. Cut out the corn husk shape with a flat line across the bottom.

Use the template to create green corn husks and yellow pieces of corn. Each preschooler will need two green pieces and one yellow piece.

Preschooler Participation – Have each preschooler glue the green corn husks to the yellow piece of corn. Talk about how dried corn kernels are heated to make popcorn. Have preschoolers dip the popcorn in the glue and place it on the yellow piece of corn. Let preschoolers fill the yellow corn with pieces of popcorn.

Create a festive Thanksgiving bulletin board with this easy popcorn on the cob craft or as part of a preschool Thanksgiving theme.

Halloween Art – Ghost Feet

Rachel — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:15:15 +0000

This easy Halloween craft is perfect for even the youngest preschoolers. With a little help from mom, this easy ghost craft can create some scary Halloween fun.

Preschool Craft Supplies Needed

Black Paper
White Paint
A Paintbrush
Paper Towels (to wipe paint off feet)
A Paper Plate (to pour paint on)
Cute Preschool Feet

Preschool Craft Directions

Sit your preschooler down on the floor outside or inside on a few sheets of newspaper to prevent paint from getting on the floor. Carefully help your preschooler paint the bottom of his foot. Older preschoolers may be able to do this step on their own. Toddlers may need more parental help.

Help your preschooler to carefully stamp his painted foot down on the piece of black paper. Try to push the foot directly down and do not move it once it is on the paper to get the clearest results.

Let the footprint dry for several hours. When the paper is dry, have your preschooler create a scary ghost face using black paint.

Preschool or Daycare Halloween Bulletin Board Idea

Preschool teachers and daycare providers can use this easy halloween craft to create a fun and festive halloween bulletin board in the preschool classroom or daycare center. Arrange the Ghost Feet pictures on the bulletin board. Write each child’s name clearly on the paper using white paint or crayon. At the top of the bulletin board, use fun letters to say “Meet Our Little Ghosts”

Preschool Art – Pumpkin Painting

Rachel — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:59:51 +0000

Preschoolers love to participate in Halloween themed activities but carving pumpkins is often too difficult for them to master and it can be dangerous giving a preschooler even a dull knife to use.

Painting pumpkins is a wonderful alternative to the traditional pumpkin carving and it allows preschoolers to use their imagination in a safe pumpkin decorating activity.

What You Need

Small pumpkins that are easy for preschoolers to hold
Non-toxic paint
Paintbrushes
Paint Smocks
Newspaper
Paper Plates

What To Do

Let each preschooler pick out a small pumpkin. This activity would be a wonderful follow up to a pumpkin patch field trip but you can also purchase a selection of small pumpkins for preschoolers to choose from. Pumpkin stems can be prickly. If you have an especially prickly pumpkin stem you may want to rub it with a piece of sand paper so preschoolers will not get tiny thorns in their fingers as they handle the pumpkin.

Spread newspaper on the floor, making sure to have lots of overlapping pieces to prevent paint from leaking onto the floor. If it is nice outside you can spread newspaper outside on a cement patio or the grass and give preschoolers a chance to get some fresh fall air at the same time.

Fill several paper plates with a variety of colors of non-toxic paint. Let each preschooler paint their pumpkins any way that they want to. You may want to test your paint before doing this activity. Some paint flakes off of a pumpkin when it dries. If the type of paint that you have does not work well, try mixing a very small amount of water into the paint to thin it out.

When the pumpkins have dried you can use them to decorate your preschool classroom or send them home for your preschoolers to enjoy with their families.

Variation

When the painted pumpkins have dried, you can have preschoolers add some additional decorations to their pumpkins by gluing on a variety of extra craft supplies. Plastic google eyes make a fun addition to the painted pumpkins as do sequins, glitter, and foam shapes.

Preschool Art – Car Tracks

Rachel — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:43:09 +0000

Painting with a paintbrush is fun, but every once in a while you need to change things up a bit. Use old toy cars to create unique and fun pieces of art.

Preschool art is more about the process than the end result. Preschoolers will have so much fun painting car tracks all over their paper. This preschool art activity makes a great addition to a preschool transportation theme or a fun activity to do with mom.

Supplies

Old cars, all shapes and sizes

Washable, non-toxic paint

Paper, construction paper or sheets of butcher paper

Instructions

1. Squirt a small amount of washable paint on an extra piece of paper. It is easier for preschoolers and toddlers to use if you create a thin layer of paint for them to drive the cars through.

2. Allow your preschooler to choose from a variety of old cars, in all shapes and sizes, and have him drive the cars through the paint.

3. When the wheels have been covered in paint, have your preschooler drive it on another piece of paper to create car tracks. Encourage your preschooler to be creative and experiment with different cars and mixing paint together to create new colors.

Clean Up

Wash the cars off with clean water when you are done. If you have used a good, washable paint, the paint should come off easily. Place the wet cars on a towel to dry. The water and paint may wear down some of the finish on the cars if you do this activity several times so be sure that you are using old cars that your preschooler will not be upset if they are damaged.

Marble Painting

Rachel — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:15:28 +0000

Preschoolers love to paint. They paint with paintbrushes, stamps, and their fingers. They love the feel of the paint and the textures they can create with different materials. Preschoolers make sense of their world and the things that interest them through art. In a world that is largely too big for them, preschoolers can express their feelings and create something that is uniquely theirs. Painting of all sorts is a wonderful open-ended art activity. It allows the preschooler to take charge. They are in control and they can let their imagination run wild, rather than following strict cut and paste guidelines.

What You Need

The bottom of a cardboard box
Large or small marbles

Paint

Paper

Paper plate or plastic bowl

What To Do

For this activity, you need the bottom of a cardboard box or the lid of a box with a rim around it tall enough to keep the marbles in the box. I find that the lids to printer paper boxes work really well for this. They are already the right size since they were designed to hold paper and you don’t have to do any additional cutting to make it small enough for preschoolers to control.

Place the piece of paper in the bottom of the box. Fill the paper plate or plastic bowl with the paint of your choice. You can either roll the marbles in the paint or paint them with a paint brush. Drop the marbles into the box, on top of the paper, and let the preschoolers hold the box with two hands and tilt it back and forth. The marbles will roll around and create an exciting design.

Variations

For younger preschoolers, or if you don’t want to deal with the mess of coating the marbles in paint, you can follow the same instructions above. Instead of coating the marbles in paint, squirt some paint directly on top of the paper inside the box. Drop the clean marbles into the box and tilt the box so they roll around the paper. To create different designs squirt different colors of paint on different places on your paper. Try several variations and see what kind of designs you can come up with.

Preschoolers enjoy painting with something a little different. It makes painting an entirely new activity. This art activity can be altered to fit several preschool themes. After you have used the marbles to paint the paper, allow it to dry, and then cut it into various shapes. Some easy formations are eggs, shapes, masks, hands, feet, and apples.

Preschool Art – All About Me Book

Rachel — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:13:26 +0000

One of the most important jobs that preschoolers have is learning about themselves and the person that they want to become. These open-ended art activities come together to form an “All About Me” book that preschoolers will love to share with their parents.

What You Need

Colored construction paper, cut in half
Buttons in blue, brown, and green
Cut pieces of yarn in yellow, brown and red
Old magazines, store ads, grocery store ads
Safety Scissors
Paper plate
Paint
Assorted craft supplies (colored buttons, feathers, beads, foam shapes, and stickers)
A family picture sent from home

What To Do

Page One – Self Portrait
Give each preschooler one half of a piece of construction paper with “All About Me” Or “All About [preschooler’s name]” printed at the top of the page. Give each preschooler a turn to look in a small hand mirror and talk about what their faces look like. Instruct each preschooler to draw a self-portrait on the piece of paper. Provide buttons that are blue, brown and green for preschoolers to use as eyes. Cut pieces of yellow brown and red yard for preschoolers to glue to their paper as hair.

Page Two – Things I Like
Give each preschooler one half of a piece of construction paper with “Things I Like” printed at the top of the page. Talk about how everyone likes different things. Ask the preschoolers to share a few of the things that they like with the preschool class. Give the preschoolers a collection of old magazines, store ads, and grocery store ads. Give each preschooler a pair of safety scissors. Instruct preschoolers to look at the pictures in the magazines and ads and cut out the pictures of things that they like. If preschoolers cannot find a picture of something they like, provide markers or crayons for them to draw a picture of the object.

Page Three – I Am Special
Give each preschooler one half of a piece of construction paper with “I Am Special” printed at the top of the page. Explain to the preschoolers that everyone’s fingerprint is unique. Tell them that no two people have the same exact fingerprint. Fill a paper plate with paint. Help each preschooler to dip their hand in the paint and press their hand onto their piece of construction paper to create a hand print.

Page Four – My Favorite Color
Give each preschool one half of a piece of construction paper with “My Favorite Color is [color]”. Let each preschooler share their own favorite color with the preschool class. Provide a selection of craft materials such as colored buttons, feathers, beads, foam shapes, and stickers. Let each preschooler glue selected objects in their favorite color to the page. Provide markers and crayons for preschoolers who want to illustrate objects that are their favorite color.

Page Five – My Family
Give each preschooler one half of a piece of construction paper with “My Family” printed at the top of the page. Let each preschooler talk about the people in their own family and tell the preschool class the things that make their family special. Have each preschooler ask their parents to send in a picture of their family. Using a glue stick, attach the pictures to each preschooler’s paper. Allow the preschoolers to decorate the page with stickers and other craft supplies.

Assembly

Help each preschooler assemble their “All About Me” Book. Line up the pages and hole punch the top and bottom on one side. Use yarn to tie the pages of the book together.