Hand prints can be used to create a multitude of art projects. These projects can be as simple as tracing your preschooler's hand, or if he is capable having him tracing it himself, then coloring each of the fingers in a different color as a lesson in color naming. Hand-print projects can also be more complex; you can create a hand-print flower by tracing your child's hand onto colored construction paper. Cut out the tracing, and glue it to a green construction-paper stem. Paint-based hand-print projects are also enjoyable for preschoolers; to make a hand-print bird, paint a bird body onto a sheet of construction paper. Have your child dip her hands into non-toxic, washable paint, then use her hand as a stamp to make hand-print feathers around the bird's body.
Your preschooler can use salt dough to make small sculptures and ornaments. Salt dough is a simple-to-make craft dough made from only three ingredients: salt, flour and water. To make salt dough, combine 2 cups of flour with 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of hot tap water. Mix the dough thoroughly until all the ingredients are incorporated; the dough will be very sticky. Lightly flour a flat, smooth work surface, such as a table, and turn your sticky dough out onto this surface. Knead the dough for five to eight minutes; if you find the dough continues to be sticky as you knead, you may want to add more flour. Once you are finished kneading the dough, help your child make small figures like snowmen, snakes or caterpillars. You can dry your child's figures in a low-temperature oven. Left-over dough will keep for up to one month refrigerated in a plastic storage bag.
You don't need expensive equipment to try print making with your preschooler. Everyday items like toy cars, dish sponges, cotton balls and toy animals can be used to make unusual and interesting prints right at your own table. To make prints, select the object you would like to use to make the print. This can be almost any object that will leave an interesting pattern on the paper you are printing. Dip this object into washable, non-toxic paint and stamp the object onto a sheet of paper - construction paper, white paper, wrapping paper and scrapbooking paper will all produce interesting results. Let the paper dry, and then encourage your preschooler further embellish it with markers or crayons.
Never underestimate how enjoyable painting can be for a young child. Painting does not need to be a guided activity; simply give your child a variety of washable paints and paint brushes and allow her to paint at her own pace and under her own direction. Allow your child to explore the paint as she sees fit and don't stress if paint ends up on your child's hands or off the paper; exploring the paint is an important part of the lesson. You can make painting even more fun for your child by allowing her to paint in an unusual environment like the bathtub - simply place a large blob of finger paint into an empty, dry bathtub and let your preschooler use her hands, feet and body to paint the floor and walls of the tub (make clean up easy by using washable paints and encouraging your child to see what happens when the finger paints mix with water).