17 Amazing Art Activities For Preschoolers

Break out the tissue paper, glue, scissors, and if you’re brave enough…glitter! It’s time to get crafting. This time of year is perfect for starting up fun art projects in the preschool classroom. Your preschoolers will love these art projects, and you’ll love seeing them build color recognition, fine motor skills, and more! Check out these 17 unique preschool art activities for inspiration.

1. Primary Colors Handprint Art

Preschoolers are all about color- the brighter the better! Get them going with a fun, and messy, primary colors handprint activity. Grab some tempera paint and cardstock and let your students experience a hands-on lesson on primary colors.

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2. Romero Britto-inspired Art 

Romero Britto is known for his bold lines and bright colors. Build early writing skills with a lesson on the different types of lines. Put them all together and make a funky art project for an upcoming holiday.

Learn More: Teach Starter

3. Crayon Resist Process Art

Dig out the seldom-used white crayons and engage your students in crayon-resist art. Have students draw pictures or designs on white paper, then paint over them with watercolor in their favorite colors. What a fun texture!

Learn More: Amsler Art Room

4. Straw Painting for Preschoolers

If you’ve got a holiday coming up that is known for fireworks, try straw painting with your preschoolers. To create this effect, drop a small dollop of washable paint on the student’s paper, then have them spread the paint into fireworks by blowing on it through a straw. What fun fireworks!

Learn More: Teach Starter

5. Art With Natural Materials

Take your preschoolers outside and go on an art supply scavenger hunt. Collect twigs, leaves, pebbles, and other natural materials. Use your newfound supplies to make fun animal art!

Learn More: Lakeshore School

6. Classic Art Projects Using Paper Plates

Grab a stack of cheap paper plates and make all sorts of fun things! Hats, monsters, fruits, and vegetables…you name it! There’s a paper plate project to match every theme!

Learn More: Mary Tardito

7. Turn Bubble Wrap into a Piece of Art

Introduce your preschoolers to color and texture with a bubble wrap art project. Have them paint a base coat on their surface, then dip small pieces of bubble wrap into contrasting paint and dab them around. The outcome is a bright, three-dimensional work of art!

Learn More: Little Steam Learners

8. DIY Scratch Art Using Wax Crayons and Tempera Paint

Make your own DIY scratch art using simple wax crayons and black tempera. Color designs heavily on cardstock, then paint over the entire drawing using black tempera paint. When dry, students can use a craft stick to scratch fun designs into the paint, allowing their drawing to shine through.

Learn More: The Craft at Home Family

9. Craft a Pack of Paper Bag Puppets

Everyone loves paper bag puppets, and they’re so much fun to play with in the classroom. Grab a stack of brown lunch bags, some construction paper, and glue. Have students cut out shapes and pieces to make animals, monsters, and more! They could even use their puppets in a skit!

Learn More: Alpha Mom

10. Watercolor Salt Painting

White glue, table salt, and liquid watercolors are all the materials you need to make these beautiful salt paintings. To make, have students draw a design in liquid glue and sprinkle table salt to cover. Add a rainbow of colors using your watercolor paints. 

Learn More: I Heart Arts n Crafts

11. Pencil Shaving Art Flowers

Most teachers HATE pencil shavings, especially when they’re all over the floor. Instead of tossing them out, gather them up and let your students use their imaginations to turn them into artistic masterpieces. Just look at these pencil-shaving flowers!

12. Creative Keepsake Rock Art

Smooth stones and some paint are all you need to create lovely rock art with your students. You could use acrylic paint or paint pens to have your preschoolers make their own adorable pet rocks.

Learn More: Four Cheeky Monkeys

13. Recycled Cardboard Tube Crafts

Teach your students about protecting the Earth by recycling materials normally thrown away. A bit of paint and some cardboard toilet paper tubes are all you need to make a mountain of fun creations.

Learn More: The Spruce Crafts

14. Fine Motor Torn Paper Collage

Torn paper collage is a must with your preschool students. You can provide them with an image to reference, or have them create their own designs using scrap paper. Collages almost always turn out beautifully, and they become easy homemade gifts with just a bit of lamination.

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15. Rainbow Collage Ideas for Kids

Your preschoolers will love learning their colors while creating their own rainbow collage projects. Recycled cardboard templates, paints, paper, and pom-poms are just a few things you can use to craft these beautiful rainbows.

Learn More: Art Bar Blog

16. Tree Crafts using Pom-Poms

Pom-poms and clothespins make the perfect paintbrushes with this fun tree painting project. Give your learners a bit of paint to use, and they can craft the perfect fall tree. Or you can tie all four seasons together, and have them craft a tree for each season!

Learn More: Kids Activity Zone

17. Aluminum Foil Art

Simply switching your standard paper for a section of aluminum foil is a fun and easy way to create unique paintings with your four-year-olds. The different texture creates a new experience and provides young students with yet another way to work on those fine motor skills.

Learn More: Pickle Bums