Arts and crafts for preschoolers that encourage creativity. Try fun painting, clay and sensory play ideas for this age.
Updated June 2023
The preschool stage is an exciting one with increased capabilities and interests. The foundation laid as a toddler begins to widen with scissors, pipettes and other exciting fine motor challenges.
Keep in mind what your child is ready for is unique to them. If you see another 4 year old wielding scissors like a pro, but your child is just starting, don’t sweat it! My son explores everything with his mouth so I’m still not sure we’re totally past the choking hazard stage.
The important theme here is enjoy exploring new waters with your child. It’s exciting to see confidence build with new skills and repeated exposure to art supplies.
The amazing benefits of open ended art making will last for life!
Arts and Crafts for Preschoolers
1. Stacked Cardboard Recycled Sculptures
This is one of my top favorite art activities for toddlers and preschoolers. At my art classes, I like to do this project early on to grab the attention of kids who might be drawn into painting as much as building!
An added bonus is it uses mostly recycled materials like cardboard, toilet paper tubes and egg cartons.
2. Monochrome Color Collage Paintings
These color collages are great color work for preschoolers. Choose a color, then send kids on a color hunt for materials in that color around your home or classroom.
3. Sticker Collage Art
This art activity is super easy to facilitate and makes a great morning art invitation or play date activity.
4. Color Mixing with Vinegar & Baking Soda
We do this color mixing activity all the time in our home and the kids never seem to tire of it!
Pipettes offer a wonderful fine motor activity for preschoolers. Set out diluted liquid watercolors and vinegar in various jars. (I like to use primary colors.)
We like to squeeze the color vinegar over trays of baking soda and watch the fizzy rainbow that forms as a result.
5. Playdough & Poke Ins
Playdough is a staple in our house and we usually have a few little containers set out on our art cart. At this age, it’s fun to introduce letters, stamps, and other fun poke-ins
6. Sculpting with Plastilina Modeling Clay
This modeling clay is worth its weight in gold. A step up from playdough, it’s a great material to introduce to preschoolers for open-ended art exploration.
Also, it’s cheap, never dries out and is the perfect material match for the builder in your family. My son spends so many hours creating with this that we have a designated clay station in the works!
7. Watercolor Wax Resist Painting
The easiest art activity to set up with watercolors, crayons/oil pastels and paper. It’s open ended and looks different every time!
8. Mural Art
This collaborative art activity is the perfect match for siblings or play dates when a wide age range of kids is present. Kids love rolling paint with foam brushes, using spray bottles to apply paint, squeezing squirt bottles, and splatter painting with brushes.
Then stand back and watch kids get to work!
9. Foam Painting
This is a new favorite of mine that usually ends in full body painting…so I’d recommend taking it outside or to the bathtub!
Squirt shaving cream, then color with liquid watercolors or food coloring. Mix to combine well. There are so many ideas out there, but painting animals or baby dolls is a fun art play activity.
10. Bubble Wrap Printing
There are so many fun variations on this art activity and it’s another solid kid favorite.
Print on canvas, add squeeze bottles with paint to the mix, or roll paint on bubble wrap with foam rollers!
More Arts and Crafts for Preschoolers
- 11 Painting Activities for Preschoolers
- The BEST Art Supplies for Preschoolers
- Creative Learning Activities for Preschoolers
- 5 Nature Based Play Ideas for Toddlers & Preschoolers
- 5 Nature Based Art Ideas for Toddlers & Preschoolers
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