Preschool Art Activities
Preschool art activities are a must - preschoolers love art! They enjoy drawing, painting, coloring, and handling very squishy playdough. They don't ever sit back, scrutinize their work, and wonder what they can do to improve it.
If you have a little one, you know they love to be creative! But somewhere in the process of growing up, many children come to believe that they can't draw, or paint, or do anything artistic anymore. You can help your child avoid these types of thoughts by encouraging him along the way, especially when he is very young. But be prepared -- it will probably get messy!
Ready to get started? Here are a few preschool art activities you can try:
* PLAYDOUGH - As I mentioned, playdough is a favorite around our house. I usually buy the very cheap kind from the dollar store, as I know most of it will be mixed together or dropped on the floor. There are also lots of recipes for making your own playdough, even the edible kind. On nice days we go outside to use our dough on the picnic table, saving me some clean-up time.
* CRAYONS AND COLORING BOOKS - This one is pretty much a given. But remember, the colors they choose won't match real-life, and most likely they won't stay in the lines. But it doesn't matter! I heard someone once say, "It's the process, not the product," and that is certainly true with preschoolers.
* PENS AND PAPER - My little guy has been "drawing" with ball point pens since he was about a year old. The time he spends focused on his drawings has increased as he's gotten older, and pens and paper have now become staples for long car rides. If you are worried that your preschooler might hurt himself by falling with a pen, teach him the rule that he must always sit at the table when using it. I don't usually give him markers as they seem to get marks on everything and the tops always get lost.
* WATERCOLORS - Buy those cheaper sets at the dollar store that come with a brush. Have your child sit at the table with the paints, the brush, a cup of water, and some plain white computer paper. Show her how to dip her brush into the water and then into the paints to get the color to come up. I never would have expected it, but the last time my 2 1/2 year old was painting, he even washed his brush out between each color to keep the paints clean. Another great benefit of using watercolors with preschoolers is that they are washable and will come out of clothes.
* WATERCOLORS WITH A TWIST - Speaking of washable, instead of using paper, try letting your preschooler paint on HIMSELF! What fun it is to paint red, blue, or green strips on your arms, your legs, your tummy! For even more fun, let him paint on YOU! :)
* STAMPS - These are always a hit, though be sure to get self-inking ones for your little one. I have tried it both ways, and when a preschooler is using an ink pad, ink is everywhere.
For even more preschool art ideas, check out these pages:
Dot to Dot Drawings Designed especially for little ones that don't know their numbers yet, these dot-to-dot drawings help develop fine motor skills.
Coloring Pages Free pages to print and color! A classic preschool art lesson!
