Preschoolers love art! Preschool art activities – like drawing, painting, coloring, and squishing playdough – invite little ones to explore with joy. They don’t sit back and analyze their work or wonder how to improve it. They simply dive in and enjoy every moment!
If you have a little one, you’ve probably seen this creative spark firsthand. But as kids grow, many start believing they can’t draw or paint or “do art.” You can help protect that natural confidence by encouraging your child early on. You can cheer for their efforts, celebrate their ideas, and give them lots of chances to create. Just be prepared… things might get messy!
Ready to get started? Here are a few preschool art activities you can try:
1. Playdough
Playdough has always been a favorite around our house. I usually buy the very cheap kind from the dollar store, as I know most of it will be mixed together or dropped on the floor. There are also lots of recipes for making your own playdough, even the edible kind. On nice days we go outside to use our dough on the picnic table, saving me some clean-up time.
2. Crayons and Coloring Pages
Coloring is a classic preschool art activity. With little ones, the colors they choose won’t match real-life, and most likely they won’t stay in the lines. But it doesn’t matter! Remember, it’s the process, not the product, and that is certainly true with preschoolers.
3. Pens and Paper
My children loved “drawing” with ball point pens since they were about a year old. The time they spent focused on their drawings increased as they grew older, and pens and paper have quickly became staples for long car rides. If you’re worried that your preschooler might hurt himself by falling with a pen, teach him the rule that he must always sit at the table when using it.
4. Dot Drawings
Younger children will love “drawing” by following the dots on these simple illustrations. There are no numbers involved, which makes them perfect for preschoolers who want to feel like real artists without needing to count or connect lines in order.
5. Stamps
Stamps are always a hit, though be sure to get self-inking ones for your little one. I have tried it both ways, and when a preschooler is using an ink pad, ink is everywhere.
6. Watercolors
Watercolors are a great addition to your preschool art activities, and those inexpensive watercolor sets from the dollar store work perfectly. Set your child up at the table with a brush, a cup of water, and plain white paper. Show them how to dip the brush into the water first and then into the paint. When my son was only 2½, he surprised me by washing his brush between colors to keep the paints clean! Another perk? Watercolors are washable and usually come out of clothing.
7. Watercolors with a Twist
Speaking of washable, instead of using paper, try letting your child paint on themselves! With washable watercolors, it’s so much fun to paint red, blue, or green stripes on arms, legs, or even tummies. You can even let them paint on you too! 🙂