Colors
Hot and Cool Colors Lesson Making Leaves
I taught this hot and cool colors lesson to some very eager pre-K’s. They’ve been learning about hot and cool colors, so we incorporated that as we made TONS of leaves! This project doesn’t require very many materials, and is appropriate for kids at lots of different levels. I think it would work for kids […]
Back-and-forth Drawing
I recently read this book about artist Mica Angela Hendricks, who has been making collaborative work with her four year old. While I don’t have her awesome illustration skills, I still thought it would be fun to create a game out of making artwork together. So, inspired by Hendricks (and partially by the game “Exquisite […]
Color Matching and Paintbrush Craft
Practice color recognition with these fun ‘paintbrushes’. You’ll need paper, scissors, Popsicle sticks, glue, and crayons. Cut the paper into approximately 3×4 rectangles. On each piece of paper, write a color name in the correct color. Have your child add ‘paint’ to each brush by coloring one end. Glue each brush to a Popsicle stick […]
Multi-colored Hand Stamps
Make your own handprint stamp, and use all the colors of the rainbow to make this project! As you stamp, you can use the process as an opportunity to talk about differences, working together, and equality. You’ll need A “block” to make your stamp on. We used a piece of linoleum, but […]
Easy Peasy St. Patricks Day Dessert
The kiddos and I were on the lookout for a fun dessert to make for St. Patricks Day. What makes a good St. Patty’s Day treat? Well it has to be green. Check! And it has to have something magical inside. Check! We were inspired by an activity we saw over at Chalk Preschool (they have so […]
Simple Animal Masks
Dress up is always a favorite around here, no matter the occasion. Today we made this simple, but cool masks using only some basic supplies. Maybe you’ll be able to tell (or maybe not!) we were inspired after a talk about how Eric Carle might make his artwork in some of our favorite books, like […]
Monet Inspired Waterlilies Project for Kids
I think it’s fun to introduce kids to art history in a variety of ways! Luckily, here in Philly, we have one of Claude Monet’s paintings featuring his famous waterlilies. After seeing the painting in person, and looking at some of his other paintings online (like my favorite one at MoMA), we decided to make […]
Preschool Counting Activity with Pom Poms
Repetition is key to learning for young children. To help reinforce the concept of counting and number recognition, here’s a super easy-to-make counting activity for preschoolers. All you need is about 10 minutes to make the counting boards and these supplies: Materials: 5 Sheets of Colored Paper (all different colors) Pompoms in colors matching paper […]
White Chocolate Colorful Party Popcorn
Some times it’s fun to change up a old standby. Dress up a favorite snack to fit any color scheme you can think up! For this special treat, we started with popcorn. You could air pop it (probably your healthiest bet) or make it on the stove, but I’d stay away from microwave popcorn, which […]
Fall Leaves Mobile
Make this beautiful leaf-mobile to hang in your space! Kids will have fun learning about warm and cool colors, and the whole family will be able to enjoy your mobile once it’s hung! This project is fairly quick, easy, and cheap (three big plus’s in my book). We used coffee filters (white work best) scissors […]
Fall Placecards
We’re having a fancy Fall tea party, and we used leaves (which are so abundant in my yard!) and Sharpie paint pens to make some personalized placecards for our guests! I must say, I was so impressed by how these markers worked on an organic surface! We doodled on some leaves, wrote names of our […]
Measurements Lesson and Play (with free printable!)
After reading some particularly encouraging testimonials and blogs, we’re trying to work a LOT more water drinking into our daily routine. Staying well hydrated is good for both your mind and body! In figuring out the optimum amount to drink I ran into a lot of logistic problems. Should I count ounces all day? Cups? […]
Pantone Leaf Necklace
I seriously might have a problem, I think I’m addicted to paint samples. In any case, we did this fun project immortalizing the colors of Fall, and turned it into a beautiful fun necklace. Check it out! We started on a crisp morning with a walk around our neighborhood, collecting some “samples”. It was fun […]
Halloween Garland
Every trip to the hardware store seems to result in a pocket full of paint sample colors, and we LOVE making crafts from them! I guess because of the season, we ended up with a lot of spooky colors this time – we used them to make this easy holiday garland. Your garland is only […]
Color Blending With Play Dough
Show your preschooler how primary colors are blended to make secondary colors in this fun and simple color blending activity. You will need play dough in three different colors – red (or pink), blue, and yellow. You can buy dough or make your own. We made this easy soft dough recipe and divided it into […]
Easy Soft Play Dough Recipe
This super-easy play dough is not only is it easy to make (only two or three ingredients and you probably already have them!), it’s a snap to clean up and makes for a great sensory experience. You need some hair conditioner (whatever you have should work), cornstarch, and, if you want, food colors. I started […]
Homemade Time-Out Glitter Bottle Timer
Make these sparkly glitter bottles with your preschooler. They are fun to play with but have also been serving another use: Time-Out Timers! Have your child shake the bottle when upset, and then watch it settle to calm down. When everyone is settled down, normal life can resume. All you need: empty water bottles, glitter, […]
DIY Scratch Art
Create your own scratch art paper and artwork! I was amazed at how well this worked. Here’s what you’ll need: – Watercolor or Multimedia paper – Oil pastels – Acrylic paint (for traditional scratch art you’ll want to use black) – Paint brust – Scratching tool What to do: 1. Create a design on your […]
Rainbow Letters Coloring Pages: Free Printables for Beginning Writers
A great activity to work into your preschool letter lessons is Rainbow Letter Tracing. The idea is for the preschooler to trace the same letter several times with different colors to get the hang of how to write that letter. They create a rainbow of colors on the letter. It’s a great way to get […]
Basic Shape Pictures
Learn about shapes, colors, and the basics of drawing while making fun pictures with paper cutouts and glue! All drawing starts with basic shapes, and you can introduce your child to this concept while reinforcing the names of shapes and colors and practicing gluing. You will need several sheets of construction paper, scissors, and glue. […]
Dream Catcher Sculpture
These might just be the perfect summer camp craft. The sculptures are fun to make and can go in so many directions with a little creativity. I’ve never actually seen anything like them before. The idea came to me when I was thinking about creating a dream catcher activity and saw the stick sculptures one […]
Color Circle Suncatchers
These impressive suncatchers are easy to make – all you need is paper, a black marker, a cup, and some crayons. Note: For a suncatcher that lets more light through, use waxed or tracing paper. To make the design on your suncatcher, trace around a cup with a black marker. For more varied shapes, you […]
Bottled Spring: Fine Motor Nature Walk
Put spring in a bottle! This is a fun nature walk sensory project. All you need are a few kids who like exploring, some empty water bottles (clear), and colored tape. Give each child a bottle. Talk about spring and how wonderful it is to see everything growing and blooming. Then go out to the […]
Sensory Texture Crayon Rubbings
Use this project to introduce your preschoolers to different textures around your house and yard. What you need: crayons, paper, and hard surfaces with different textures. Show children how to rub the crayon over the paper to transfer the texture of a surface. Good surfaces include wood grain, woven chair seats, textured walls, and bumpy […]
Contact Paper Transfer Art
Do you ever find yourself scrambling to find a quick, easy, and fun project for your preschooler(s)? This is an idea that fits all 3 requirements! And the best part? It only takes a minute for set up and clean up! It can’t get any better than that! Here’s the few items needed to get […]
Pipe Cleaner & Straw Preschool Jewelry Project
Here’s a fun beading activity for very young children. The pipe cleaners are easier to handle than strings or shoelaces and they fit perfectly inside the straw-beads. What you will need: pipe cleaners, colored straws, scissors, and tape. First make your beads by cutting the colored straws into one inch pieces. If you are working […]
Origami for Kids: Jumping Paper Frogs
Today we made jumping paper frogs. These are a very simple origami project that kids love, because they really jump! All you need is some paper and crayons or markers. I used small strips of paper, about 3×6 inches, but 3×5 index cards would work well also. Start by having the children color the paper […]
Spaghetti Painting
Here’s another unconventional (but fun and silly!) painting method to try out: spaghetti painting! It’s slippery and slimy and messy – a super tactile way to paint! You’ll need cooked spaghetti paint containers (we used muffin liners – you’ll need something shallow enough that the floppy spaghetti can really “get in there” and […]