Preschool crafts are made to be easy and fun. It doesn’t take much to keep a preschool-age child entertained. The easier it is to make, the sooner they can see the final result. And they are just at the right age to have good fine motor skills. Preschoolers can squeeze a glue bottle, hold a paintbrush, and place small decorative items themselves. Try these easy preschool craft ideas that your kids will have a ball with!
Handprint Flowers
What you’ll need:
- Pastel construction paper
- Grass-green construction paper
- Bright tempera paints, at least 5 colors
- Paper plates
- Glue, glue dots, or double-sided tape
Instructions:
- Trace around the child’s hand on the pastel construction paper.
- Cut out hand shape. The child can paint each finger and thumb a different color as “petals.”
- Cut out a narrow rectangle and leaf shapes for the stem.
- Help the child glue or tape them onto the paper plate, leaving room at the top for the hand-shaped blossom.
- Once the petals are painted and dried, glue or tape the blossom on the paper plate at the top of the stem. When everything is dried, the child can then color the paper plate background.
Make Your Own Musical Group
Create joyful noises with common household items and a little creativity. The instruments are grouped by type: percussion, wind, and string. These are just starter lists, so feel free to add other kinds of instruments for different sound textures.
Percussion
- Cymbals: Use two pot lids
- Drum: Use a large pot or an upside-down 5-gallon bucket with mixing spoons. For the best sound, raise the pot or bucket on some sturdy blocks so the sides can vibrate more freely.
- Drinking glass xylophone: Line up tall drinking glasses with different amounts of water. Arrange them in ascending or descending order of pitch. Carefully strike with a spoon to make melodies.
Wind
- Kazoo: Take an empty toilet paper tube and a 4”x4” square of wax paper. Put the wax paper over one end of the tube and secure it with the rubber band. Hum your favorite tune into the open end with your mouth against the cardboard. For another version, fold the 4”x4” wax paper square over the teeth of a comb, put your lips against the comb, and hum.
- Voices: Everyone has this instrument with them!
String
- Rubber band guitar: Stretch several rubber bands of different widths around an empty shoe box. All the rubber bands should be parallel to each other. Attach a ruler or other flat stick to attach to the back of the shoebox. This is the guitar's neck (the long part with the frets).
Paper Sack Costume
What you’ll need:
- Paper grocery sack
- Scissors
- Four feet of yarn or string cut into one-foot lengths
- Crayons, markers, and other decorative items
- Glue
Instructions:
- Take a paper grocery sack and cut out a hole in the bottom large enough for a child’s head to go through.
- Turn the sack with that hole facing up, as if the child would be wearing it. Make another cut in the middle of the sack, right down the “back” of the costume.
- Cut two arm holes in the sides of the sack, right where the side of the sack meets the bottom part. Do not cut into the bottom, just the sides. When the costume is on, the bottom of the sack will rest on the child’s shoulders. The arm holes should be where the arms would naturally come out.
- With a paper punch, put a hole on either side of the back of the neck of the costume. Tie and knot a length of string or yarn to each hole, leaving one end as long as possible to tie the costume on. Put another pair of paper punch holes about halfway down the back, repeating the step for tying the string.
- Decorate the costume however the child wishes. When the decoration is finished, allow the glue to dry (if any is used).
- Add or create a mask to make your costume complete. If your child doesn’t like masks, use hats, jewelry, or FDA-approved face paints instead.
Working on these preschool crafts with your child will promote both their imagination and eye-hand coordination. Plus, it will keep your kids occupied during the summer or holiday breaks. For more fun ideas that your kids will love, try Arts and Crafts for Kids or Great Ways to Teach Science to Kids.
Check Out These Interesting Craft Ideas From the News
Every now and again, the news cycle will run an article that provides some great ideas for activities to do with your kids. An article from Care that was published on July 7, 2023, covers a number of fun fire safety crafts that you and your preschooler can do together. These crafts are highlighted as not just great for curing boredom, but great for teaching fire safety to young children.
One highlight is the 911 fire safety craft. This craft will involve some basic prep work from you; first, you'll either draw 911 on a piece of paper or print out the provided template. Then, you'll allow your preschooler to decorate it however they wish! This is an easy and fun way to teach your preschooler about the emergency number in the United States. Once they've finished decorating the 911 how they want to, talk to them about what the number means and when they should dial it. Be sure to also let them know that they should never call 911 unless it's an actual emergency. Give them a few examples of what qualifies as an emergency.
Another great craft from the article is the shape fire truck. This simple craft involves using paper that has been cut into blocks, circles, and strips to make a fire truck. This is a great opportunity to teach your preschooler about firefighters and what they do. In addition, it can help your preschooler practice their shapes. As you cut out each shape, ask them what it is and see if they can get it right. Once they're done assembling the fire truck, talk to them about firefighters and fire trucks. This is a fantastic way to get your child interested in learning more about fire safety!
If you're interested in these crafts, or in learning about the other crafts that Care featured in this article, be sure to check it out. Once you're done, return to MomsWhoThink to look through our other articles on fun activities to do with your preschooler!