12 Creative Art Activities for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are natural artists — give them a blank page and some crayons, and they’ll be occupied for quite some time (even if they’re just enthusiastically scribbling!).

Beyond being fun, creative play for preschool-aged kids is a crucial part of early childhood development. Through art, little ones explore their imagination, build fine motor skills, and learn to express themselves in ways words can’t always capture. Plus, there’s something magical about watching a child light up as they mix colors or create art with objects from around the house!

  What Should a Preschooler Be Able to Do?

At the preschool stage, kids are developing important fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and creative thinking, so their arts and crafts abilities are all about exploration rather than perfection.

Most preschoolers can hold and use crayons, markers, and paintbrushes with increasing control, though their grip may still be a bit unrefined. They can tear, glue, and manipulate paper, experiment with scissors (with supervision), and enjoy hands-on sensory activities like finger painting or modeling with playdough.

Keep in mind that, at this age, the focus isn’t on creating picture-perfect artwork but rather on engaging their imagination, practicing problem-solving, and having fun with different textures, colors, and materials.

12 Creative Activities for Preschoolers

Stuck in an arts and crafts rut with your preschooler? Add a little excitement back to craft time with these creative art ideas for preschoolers!

1. Make Your Own Paint

Making your own paint is surprisingly easy and just might be the fun your preschooler needs to get interested in their art table again! We like this simple recipe for homemade paint with flour.

2. DIY Puzzles

Once your preschooler has finished a drawing or painting, extend the fun by asking them if they want to turn it into a puzzle! Let them draw lines throughout the picture and then use safety scissors to cut it into pieces. Then, they can mix it up and work on solving their brand new puzzle!

3. Rain Splatter Painting

This creative painting idea doubles as a way to make the most of rainy days! Let your child drop food coloring onto a large piece of thick paper placed on a baking sheet. Take it outside when it’s raining ( a light drizzle or sprinkle works best) and let the rain mix the colors together! The result will always be unique. 

4. Art with Natural Materials

Your backyard just might have plenty of creative art opportunities! Let your child use garden tools and stones to make their very own “zen garden” in the sandbox. Gather flowers (and yes, weeds count!) to glue to a drawing. Find and paint pinecones. Or if you’re up for a little mess, let your child create a muddy mixture to “paint” with (outside of course!)

5. Kids Camera

Let your kids explore a whole new artistic medium: photography! There are plenty of affordable cameras created just for kids (or you can let them use your phone if you’re brave). If they need some inspiration, provide a scavenger-hunt-style list of objects to photograph. 

6. Copy a Famous Painting

Whether it’s something as classic as Starry Night, or as funky as Andy Warhol’s Soup Cans, most kids will love the chance to recreate something from a “real” artist. Show them a few pieces, let them choose, and provide the colors and materials they’ll need to give it their best shot! (If you have a little perfectionist, remind them that it’s just for fun, and it does NOT need to look exactly like the original to be a success!)

7. Respond to a Piece of Art

Instead of copying a piece of art, your child can create something in response to a book, song, or piece of visual art. Maybe they imagine the homes of their favorite characters in a book or make a painting that reminds them of a song. There are no rules!

8. Create a Mosaic

You can use anything from pieces of construction paper to extra buttons and coins, to large sequins, Just hand your preschooler a glue stick (or help them with a hot glue gun if needed) and let them get to work!

9. Use Found Items

If your preschooler always seems to find random objects on the ground, this project gives them an excuse to collect their little treasures! Let your kids start a “found items” box, and when they have enough, they can use the pieces to create a sculpture or glue onto a picture. For example, they can glue on buttons to create a bunch of balloons, decorate a bird sculpture with real feathers they’ve found, or just combine their pieces into fun, abstract art.

10. Sculpt with Modeling Clay

If your child loved (or still loves!) play dough as a toddler, they’re sure to love the slightly more “big kid” challenge of making modeling clay sculptures. If they need some inspiration, we love these original modeling clay ideas.

11. Faux Stain Glass

For this project, you’ll need a solution of dish soap, paintbrushes, and different colored cellophane. You or your child can cut the cellophane into any shapes you want to create your stained glass art. You can go for a random mosaic of shapes, or something more intricate. Then, let them paint the dish solution on the window and stick the cellophane to it. It should stick well but come peel right off when you’re ready to clean up!

12. Color Mixing Bottles

Fill some used plastic water bottles with water and food coloring in the primary colors (red, yellow, blue). Then, use a funnel to let them combine colors into other empty water bottles, replace the cap, and shake them up. It’s a great way to teach them about color mixing, and they’ll love learning the different combinations they can use to create their favorite colors! 

FAQ

What are some easy preschool crafts for make-believe play?

What are some May art activities for preschoolers?

May is the perfect time for spring-inspired art activities! Preschoolers can create handprint flower bouquets for Mother’s Day, make butterfly collages with tissue paper, or paint bright suns and rainbows to celebrate the season.

What are some crafts about friendship for preschoolers?

Making friendship bracelets is a classic friendship-themed craft that never gets old! Try making friendship bracelets with beads or pasta.

Another idea is crafting "helping hands" by tracing their handprints and then writing or drawing ways they can be a good friend.