Free Preschool Crafts

This is a craft and a fun toy all in one! Preschoolers design their snake and then they can take it for a “walk” by pulling it along with the yarn.

What You Need: paper towel tube, scissors, tempera or poster paints, googly eyes, scrap of red felt, red yarn, glitter glue, paintbrush, glue.

How You make It: Adult cuts the paper towel roll into six sections of similar width. Preschooler creatively paints the sections, adding glitter glue and other details. Once paint is dry, help preschooler apply googly eyes and glue red felt forked tongue to the “head” tube section. Loop yarn around last section and tie; thread the yarn through the rest of the section, leaving it loose at the head as a leash to pull the snake.

This project is quick, simple and fun, along with being a great way to use up scraps!

What You Need: zip-close plastic sandwich bag (or larger, depending on the size of your butterfly), half a pipe cleaner, scissors and (here’s the fun part) all kinds of scraps from your “craft pantry”: dyed pasta, bits of yarn, tissue paper squares and paper “confetti” kids cut by themselves, bits of craft foam, sequins, glitter and so on!

How You Make It: Set out a variety of supplies in small containers for preschoolers to choose what to add to their butterfly bag. This is so fun! Then, make sure most of the air is out of the bag, seal the bag and distribute the scraps somewhat evenly on either side of the bag as you “pinch” it together in the middle. Wrap pipe cleaner around middle of bag, twist to secure and bend ends for antennae.

What You Need: 5 Popsicle sticks, blue craft foam, tan cardstock or construction paper, scissors, foam fish and other sea creatures, googly eyes and glue.

How You Make It: Cut wave-like notches along top edge of blue craft foam. Arrange 5 Popsicle (craft) sticks as shown so that they overlap one another in a fishbowl shape and glue the sticks together at their ends. (Make sure the Popsicle stick “frame” is smaller than the foam piece.) Trim blue foam piece so it’s slightly smaller than the craft stick frame. Cut tan cardstock about 1 inch high in a curvy shape for “sand” and glue to bottom of blue foam. Then glue the frame over the foam. Fill with foam fish, starfish, sea horses, whales and so on. Add googly eyes and you’re done!

Recommended storybook: One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss.

What You Need: yarn, plastic craft “straws” (or cut up drinking straws), construction paper, heart punch (not shown) or just draw hearts and cut them out.

How You Make It: Punch two holes at top of each heart. String hearts and straw beads on yarn and tie. That’s it!

You can make a cat, bunny, puppy and other animals using baby food jars and a few basic craft supplies!
What You Need: baby food jar, scraps of felt, pom poms, pipe cleaner (or plastic lace), googly eyes, scissors, and glue.

How You Make It: Turn baby food jar upside down. Cut ears from felt and glue to the bottom (now the top) of the jar. Use glue to add pom poms for nose and muzzle. Add pipe cleaners or plastic lace for whiskers. Glue on googly eyes.