Through stimulating art activities, educators and parents can harness children’s natural inquisitiveness. Encourage children to engage with open-ended sensory experiences (like Squish and Squeeze) which strengthen problem solving skills as children learn to make sense of their world. Browse our art activities for infants, toddlers and preschoolers created by experts in early childhood care and education.
Summer is a perfect time to experiment with open-ended outdoor activities for toddlers and preschoolers. Open-ended art projects that emphasize process over product help young children develop crucial skills as they interact with others and think creatively. Grab some sidewalk chalk, and try these DIY sidewalk chalk activities to get your preschoolers outside and immersed in play today.
Summer Learning Outdoor Learning ArtIn this activity from The GIANT Encyclopedia of Kindergarten Activities, children will use their creativity and imagination to create hats for all occasions. Take this activity a step further by adding the finished hats to your dramatic play center for children to use in their pretend play. Using props and engaging in dramatic play helps children develop confidence, communication, language, and social-emotional skills. Hats off to creativity and pretend play!
printable Music Art Individual ChildLet the kids you care for have some messy fun with this July Fourth Fingerpainting activity! Children will engage their fine-motor skills and creativity with this open-ended art project.
printable Art Sensory Large GroupMother's love receiving hand-made gifts from their children! Try this fun, 3D Mother's Day boquet craft with the kids you teach. When children take the time to make their own special gift or card, it fosters a sense of pride and encourages creativity and empathy. Get more monthly and holiday activities like this in the book, The GIANT Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities For Children 3 to 6.
printable Art Individual ChildPreschoolers will have an egg-cellent time creating their own mosaic Easter eggs from balled up tissue paper! This activity from the GIANT Encyclopedia of Preschool Activities for 3-Year-Olds is a great way to get little ones using their creativity and fine-motor skills.
printable Art Spring Large GroupTeachers are always looking for ways to save money. Few teachers have enough money to buy essential materials and supplies, especially with tight budgets and so many classroom needs. Using inexpensive or recycled materials helps teachers save money for special items and spend less money out-of-pocket.
Children will have a blast using recycled toilet paper cylinders to create wind socks in this thrifty activity from Sanity Savers: 200 Quick Fixes for Everything from Big Messes to Small Budgets. Toilet paper cylinders are a very easy material to acquire, and you can always ask children’s families to contribute as well. Get Sanity Savers for more resourceful solutions for teachers including minimizing interruptions, saving money, storage ideas, clean-up tip, transitions and more!
ArtSt. Patrick's Day falls on March 17th and celebrates the famous patron saint of Ireland. In this activity, children will use fine motor skills to lace yarn through a shamrock while learning about this Irish symbol for the holy trinity— faith, hope and love. For more festive monthly activities, get the book, The GIANT Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities For Children 3 to 6.
printable Art Sensory Individual ChildWelcome spring with this nature necklaces activity! We know that interacting with nature is beneficial for children on many levels, but sometimes it can be difficult for teachers to know how to incorporate nature into children's days. This nature necklaces activity from The GIANT Encyclopedia of Science Activities for Children 3 to 6 can be done outside or inside (with collected nature items brought indoors) and incorporated easily into other curriculum or learning centers.
printable Outdoor Learning Art Science Spring Large GroupWhat better way to celebrate Valentine's Day (February 14th) than with a fun craft that children can use to decorate the classroom, or take home to decorate their own space?! Check out the instructions below for creating Valentine Mobiles from the book, The GIANT Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities For Children 3 to 6.
printable Art Individual ChildGroundhog Day is a tradition observed in the United States on February 2nd each year. According to this ancient German tradition brought to America, if a groundhog comes out of its burrow on this day, sees its shadow and runs back into its burrow, this means six more weeks of winter weather. If the groundhog sees no shadow, this means an early spring.
Teach children about this fun tradition while they create their own groundhogs in burrows with this activity using simple materials from The GIANT Encyclopedia of Kindergarten Activities.
printable Art Individual ChildIf you’re looking for infant, preschooler and toddler art projects, Gryphon House’s free activities supplement your current curricula with fun and exciting activities. Through hands-on creative art experiences, children hone skills that help them learn math, science, and literature.
Uncover children’s enthusiasm for creative thinking with art activities for infants and preschoolers. Parents and teachers can encourage healthy early childhood language development by talking throughout the process of each activity. Because children learn language best from slow repetition, parents can use the same activity multiple times to sharpen children’s vocabulary.
Improve toddler and preschoolers’ social skills among their peers with collaborative and engaging art activities that encourage social interaction. Gryphon House art activities challenge children to adapt, interact, and explore by using teacher-inspired art resources.
Watch children explore and experience the world with our art activities from our award-winning early childhood education authors. To stay up-to-date on new activities and best practices for early childhood care and education, follow us on Facebook or Pinterest. We always update our followers with the best games, craft ideas, and more for children in infancy to early elementary school.
Browse through lists, author interviews, excerpts, and articles that connect theory and best practice in early childhood education.
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