Free Preschool Crafts

What You Need: thin white paper plate, yellow and brown construction paper, black marker, pencil, scissors, glue, large googly eyes.

How You Make It: Paint edges of paper plate brown. Cut yellow circle the size of the inside of the paper plate (you can cut up a spare plate to make a template and trace that.) Glue circle to center of plate. Cut small triangle from brown construction paper for nose. Add mouth, whiskers, etc. using black marker. Glue on googly eyes. Using scissors, cut border of paper plate to just short of yellow circle, about 1/2″ apart all the way around and curl up for mane.

This octopus is really quick and a fun craft for preschoolers. If you don’t have sequins or googly eyes, just draw them on.
What You Need: toilet paper tube, tempera paint, scissors, paintbrush, black marker, glue, 2 googly eyes, eight sequins.

How You Make It: Cut about 2/3 up one end of the toilet paper tube, eight times, evenly spaced. “Roll” octopus arms upward one at a time. Paint octopus, including inside top of tube, and let dry. Adhere googly eyes. Draw mouth with black marker. Glue one sequin to underside of each “arm.”

Suggested Storybook: We’ll Paint the Octopus Red

Here’s a classic that would make a fun Father’s Day or Mother’s Day gift or just a fun project for anytime.
What You Need: Pasta with holes (ziti, macaroni, etc.), food coloring, plastic lace, zip-close plastic bags, craft stick, newspaper.

How You Make It: Add 1 Tbsp. food coloring to 1/4 cup of pasta in a zip-close bag and shake to coat (adult can add coloring and child can shake the bag). Pour pasta onto aluminum foil to dry, speading into one layer with craft stick. Once dry, string on plastic lacing and tie securely.

What You Need: Pony beads, white glue, shallow lid (we used a frosting lid).

How You Make It: Fill inside of lid with a layer of glue. Pour in beads. Move beads around so they are close together, adding more beads until you have a solid surface of beads. Let dry overnight (glue will dry clear).

What You Need: Pinecone, white or black yarn, white or black felt, glue and/or “Glue Dots,” 2 googly eyes, pink or black pompom for nose, scissors, pencil.

How You Make It: Trace ear shapes on white felt twice and cut out. Use liquid glue to adhere ears to top of pinecone. Glue on eyes and nose. Cut length of yarn and adhere at back of mouse for tail.

“We tried it” tip: If your pinecone is not very “dense,” it could be hard to adhere the googly eyes. You could use Glue Dots or a similar gooey adhesive.