Preschool Art Activities - Hands-On Activities: MESSY & FUN

I can't imagine a day with preschoolers without preschool art activities. These provide direct hands-on learning and can be done indoors or outside.

Here are a couple of activities that have been sent to me for all to try. The first one is using clay--an excellent medium to use at the water table and gives immediate gratification to children. They can learn to make shapes, figure out what shapes can hold things and which can't.

The second one teaches colors, mixing colors, cause and effect of actions and creative ways to use ordinary household items in new ways--Fly swatters!!!


Molding Clay Containers
All this indoor activity requires is:

Molding clay
Water- use judgment, enough to keep wet.

We put the clay and water on the table. Give the children enough to work with.
Wet the area with water(you may want to use sand/water table)
The children begin to create miniature bowls, baskets,(whatever their skill level may be).

Once they have molded their clay into their design, let dry for a couple days. Once dry good. Children can paint them. Fill the with miniature goodies, flowers, etc.

FAIR WARNING-- this can be very messy, but it is lots of fun.

Fly Swatter Art
I have a simple but really fun art experience for the theme BUGS!

I DO THIS ONE OUTSIDE. Smocks are essential. Messy but oh so fun!

You can either draw or print some flies onto large paper for the easels and give the children new fly swatters.

Place some paint onto baking trays, two colours that make a new colour is usually good and they dip their swatt in and swatt the flies.

This teaches hand & eye co-ordination and if the colours get mixed they learn about new colours.

The children love this! You just have to watch the over exciteable ones as they tend to swatt everything or swatt too hard making paint fly everywhere!!


If you like these animal themes for preschool, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

http://www.preschoolplanner.com/thefullstory.html

There are Two Editions now for the Preschool Planner: Basic or Platinum.


Send me any ideas you would like to share and I will post them on my Blog.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com


P.S. If you would like to receive my free newsletters for ideas for your preschool class, enter your name and address at the site below:

http://preschoolplanner.com/preschool-activities.html

Preschool Art Projects - Frozen Paint and Water Painting

I can't imagine a day with my students without preschool art projects. I also find that the simpler activities are just as fun as the more elaborate ideas I have done over the years.

Here are 2 easy, creative ideas that I use often. My readers have sent me similar suggestions and it is such fun to hear these same ideas from around the world!

Frozen Paint
One thing I have found that my preschool classes have really enjoyed is painting with frozen paint. All you have to do is fill an ice tray or popsicle trays with paint. Stick it in the freezer.

Once frozen let the children enjoy painting. School Supply stores also sell containers specifically for this purpose for pretty cheap. I have found that sometimes the painting works best when you let the trays sit out for 1/2 before painting unless it's a really hot day. It can be messy as the paint thaws so do this activity in a water table or outside.

Water Evaporation
Materials: Water, Paintbrushes

When practicing letters/shapes/numbers--anything!
We go outside to the wall or sidewalk.
Give each child a paintbrush and have 2 children share a cup of water with each other.

They listen for the teacher to tell them what to draw. On a sunny day, before they know it, their letter or picture has "disappeared." They love getting to paint and also watching it disappear.

If you like these preschool art projects, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

http://www.preschoolplanner.com/thefullstory.html

There are Two Editions now for the Preschool Planner: Basic or Platinum.

If you prefer lessons which have ideas for the Toddler Age, go here to the second volume of lessons. There is an entire bonus section devoted to TODDLERS.

http://www.preschoolwhiz.com/v2.html

Send me any ideas you would like to share and I will post them on my Blog.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com

Easy Preschool Art Projects - Paper & Cookie Cutters

If you have younger preschoolers in your school or day care or the parent of a preschooler, you can always use easy preschool art projects.

The preschool art project below is just a starting point for you. Keep supplies of construction paper and cookie cutters on hand and you and your children can create so many things.

These ideas engage your preschooler in using their imaginations, their tracing skills, coloring within boundaries, fine motor with crayons, scissors, etc. Simple but with lots of room to grow and expand on any theme.

Cookie Cutter Art
If you preschoolers in the house, construction paper should be a basic staple. Combine them with cookie cutters and your kids will be entertained for quite some time creating things they couldn't do yet free hand.

Fun plastic cookie cutter sets can be purchased for under $10 and usually include 100 different shapes and sizes. Generally these sets include basic shapes, letters and numbers, as well as holiday shapes, sports and animals.

Show your child how to trace the cookie cutter onto construction paper. Have them decorate their shapes with glue, glitter, crayons, or paint, then when they are dry, cut them out to create a mobile or glue to craft sticks for a puppet show!

If you like these ideas, you'll love the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

Check them out:

http://www.preschoolplanner.com/thefullstory.html


Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com


PS: If you would like to receive my free newsletter for more ideas for your preschool class, enter your name and address at the site below:

http://preschoolplanner.com/preschool-activities.html