XML RSS
What is this?
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Add to Google

Home
Updates
For Moms
Free Printables
ABC Fun & 1-2-3
Preschool Themes
Preschool Curriculum
School Readiness
Ideas by Subject
Science Activities
Art & Crafts
Songs & Rhymes
Reading Skills
Free Menu Planner
The Whole Child
Homeschool
South African
Kids & Money
Contact Shirley
About Shirley
Free Gifts
Store
Earth Day
Mothers Day
Fathers Day

Enter your E-mail Address

Enter your First Name (optional)

Then

Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you The Whole Child.
 

Preschool Crafts


Free and easy child art and preschool crafts for kids, teachers and parents including painting, drawing, cutting, pasting, modeling and construction activities.





Preschool art


The process of creating craft projects is always more important than the end result. If your child does succeed at completing the project correctly, consider this a bonus.

Never let your children feel that there is a right or wrong way to express themselves through their preschool craft activities. I find that often our results are far from the picture-perfect crafts depicted in most craft books.

You will find links to craft activities that my kids and I have done further down this page, but since we don't do a lot of crafts, I have decided to feature a great resource I have found, which offers a whole lot at an affordable price:



Little Kids Crafts for All Seasons

Little Kids Crafts for All Seasons Little Kids Paper Plate Crafts


Discover "real" kid-tested crafts that parents love too! These ground breaking new ebooks of 200 pages each, include a range of activities that can be adjusted to your children's skill-level.

When you buy Little Kids Crafts for All Seasons you get the Little Kids Paper Plate Crafts ebook free, making them together the ultimate in easy kids' crafts!

Printed copies are available too. Click here to read more about Little Kids Crafts


Navigate this page using these links:

Painting Activities

Drawing Activities

Cutting and Pasting Activities

Modeling and Construction Activities

Preschool Craft Recipes



Other art and craft pages on this site

Art Appreciation

Christmas crafts

Easter crafts



Recommended Craft Links

Find Fun Kids' Crafts arranged alphabetically (and otherwise) for every occasion.

At Easy Child Crafts you will find preschool craft ideas arranged by season and a craft calendar giving suggestions of appropriate crafts each month.





If you don't find what you need right here, then use this search box:

Google
 
Web www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com




Painting Activities


Painting enables children to communicate and express themselves. It is also a soothing activity which encourages them to relax and paint with their emotions.

1. Handpainting - Father's Day Printable Poem
2. Finger painting
3. String painting
4. Printing - apple stamping activity
5. Stenciling
6. Marble patterns
7. Marbled paint
8. Paint blowing
9. Sponge painting
10. Spatter painting
11. Pet rocks


Painting Tools


1. Conventional artists’ paint brushes
2. Non-spill paint container (cut off the top half of a plastic bottle and invert it into the bottom half of the bottle)
3. Old toothbrushes
4. Large wall paint brushes
5. Kitchen brushes (used for dishwashing)
6. Paint rollers
7. Roller paints
8. Feathers
9. Straws
10. Squeeze bottles
11. Sponges
12. String
13. Printing blocks
14. Potato printing blocks
15. Hands and fingers
16. Spray paints

Top of Preschool Crafts



Drawing Activities


Drawing is an activity that enables children to express their feelings, rather than talk about them. Scribbling, using various tools and media, is an important activity for young children as it helps to develop fine motor skills

1. Rubbings - leaf and coin rubbing activity
2. Sugar water pictures
3. Scribble patterns
4. Shadow outlines
5. Wax etching
6. Wax and dye
7. Tracing
8. Charcoal drawings


Get free art projects and drawing lessons at Masterpiece Art Instruction, creators of "The Phonics of Drawing" CD.

Top of Preschool Crafts



Cutting and Pasting Activities

Click for Mothers Day Basket Collage Activity
Let your children experience the textures of different mediums and practice fine motor skills, like cutting and pasting. Tearing is also a good activity for developing fine motor skills. Use some of the ideas below.

1. Tree collage - for four seasons
2. Snowflakes - Paper folding and cutting
3. Concertina shapes
4. Leaf collage
5. Seed collage
6. Decorated party hat
7. Decorated crown
8. Chinese lantern
9. Masks
10. Starry night glitter collage
11. Eggshell or sand
12. String pictures
13. Corner bookmarks
14. Mother's Day Basket Collage
15. Snowman Collage
16. Hanging Hearts (for Valentine's Day)
17. Four Seasons Poster
18. NEW!Ostrich Collage with handprint cut-outs


Supplies for Cutting and Pasting


1. Scissors (optional – can tear instead)
2. Glue, glue sticks, flour glue, wood glue or other
3. Empty spice shakers containing sand
4. Glitter
5. Magazines
6. Newspaper, paper, card
7. Material scraps, leather
8. Plastic, candy wrappers
9. Bottle tops
10. Items from nature – dried grass, pressed leaves and flowers, berries, seeds etc

Top of Preschool Crafts



Modeling and Construction Activities


Modeling is a sensory activity – an activity involving the sense of touch. It is a relaxing and soothing activity at which children can always succeed.

1. Pine cone sculptures
2. Play dough - various activities at www.create-kids-crafts.com
3. Salt dough sculptures

Papier mache piggy bank and globe 4. Salt dough beads
5. Macaroni threading
6. Box construction
7. Mobiles
8. Binoculars
9. Desk caddy
10. Egg box construction
11. Insect mobile
12. Papier maché - model earth & piggy bank
13. Toilet roll bird feeder

Supplies for Modeling and Construction Activities


Modelling

playdough, modelling
Creative Playdough Ideas for Kids is a full color illustrated ebook.

It contains simple, step by step instructions for a variety of creations including: ladybug, cat, turtle, lion, snail, pig, snowman, snake, faces, cup and saucer, two rose methods, daisy, daffodil, a heart of flowers, fruit and butterfly.

Read more and preview a sample page by clicking here.



Playdough
Salt dough
Papier maché
Clay
Mud
Plasticine/modeling clay

Additional equipment

Rollers
Boards

Cookie cutters in various shapes
Graters
Plastic cotton reels
Keys
Tins
Plastic mesh (from fruit bags)

Construction

Collage supplies
Household recyclables: plastic bottles, tubs, eggboxes, polystyrene trays and containers, empty toilet rolls and paper towel tubes, boxes of various shapes and sizes etc.

Top of Preschool Crafts



Art and Craft Recipes

Finger Paint

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 cups cold water
4 cups boiling water
4 teaspoons non toxic powder paint

Method
1. Heat flour, sugar and cold water in a pot, stirring constantly.
2. Add the boiling water and keep stirring until the mixture thickens.
3. Mix the paint to a paste with a bit of water and add it to the mixture. Stir well.
4. Allow to cool.
5. Store in an airtight container for a few days only.



Salt dough recipe

Ingredients (Multiply the quantities required.)
1 cup flour
1 cup salt
cold water
food colouring (optional)

Method
1. Mix the flour and salt with a little water to make firm dough.
2. Add a few drops of food colouring to colour the dough, if desired.
3. Store in an airtight container until needed.



Flour glue

Ingredients
¼ cup flour
500ml water

Method
1. Heat the water in a pot until hot but not boiling.
2. Add a little cold water to the flour and mix to a smooth, runny paste.
3. Pour the flour into the hot water and bring to the boil, stirring.
4. Remove the pot and allow the glue to cool.



Play dough

The advantage of this recipe is that it does not require heating, so your children can help you measure, mix and knead it.

Ingredients
3 cups flour
4 tablespoons salt
1 cup cold water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon food colouring

Method
1. Mix all the ingredient and knead into a firm dough.
2. Store the dough in an airtight container in the fridge when not in use, so that the dough can last for a few weeks.

Top of Preschool Crafts



If you don't find what you need right here, then use this search box:

Google
 
Web www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com



Preschool Crafts l Home l Preschool Curriculum l Readiness Activities l Songs & Rhymes l Ideas by Subject l Free Ezine l Preschool Science Activities l Free Menu Planner l Homeschool Help l Free Kids Games l What's New? l Free Gifts l Printable Worksheets l ABC Fun & 1-2-3 l About Shirley l Contact Shirley l Free Preschool Activities l Art Appreciation l Father's Day l Preschool Themes l Free E-courses l Preschool Activities Blog


footer for preschool crafts page