Tissue paper is thin, and it only takes a small amount of glue to adhere the paper to another piece of paper. Glue sticks work well on tissue paper because it is so thin and can be easily torn if too much liquid glue is used; in addition, liquid glue might cause the colors of your tissue paper to run if your preschoolers use too much. Provide your preschool students with a variety of colors of tissue paper cut into small squares. Give each student a piece of paper that has been cut into a seasonal or themed shape, such as a leaf or dinosaur. Encourage the students to use a glue stick to attach the tissue paper squares to their shaped paper to create a mosaic.
Your preschoolers can use construction paper, which comes in a wide variety of colors, to create collages. This type of paper is easily secured using a glue stick, which opens up many creative opportunities to your students. Provide construction paper in several different colors and ask your students to rip small pieces or cut out shapes to create collages. Tailor this project to your current theme or season. For example, you can use red, yellow, brown and orange paper to create fall leaf collages or red, white and blue paper to make collage flags for the Fourth of July.
Most preschool classrooms have a package of paper plates, which you can have your preschoolers use to create masks. Cut eyeholes in a paper plate to create a plate mask for each preschooler. Provide colored paper so preschoolers can make a mask depicting an animal, monster or famous person. Attach craft store "googley" eyes, which adhere well with a glue stick; skip pipe cleaners and colored cotton balls that don't work so well with this medium. After the plate masks are dry, tie a string on each and let your preschoolers put on a show.
If you work with preschoolers, you likely know how messy a combination of school glue and glitter can make. If you still want to use glitter in your art projects, a glue stick can help accomplish your project goals without creating a large mess. Cut out any shape from a piece of heavy paper, such as ornaments for the holiday season or hearts for Valentine's Day. Punch a hole at the top of each shape. Show your preschoolers how to coat the front surface of the shape with a glue stick. Sprinkle colored glitter onto the shape, shake off the excess and allow it to dry completely. Hang the creations around your classroom for seasonal and holiday decorations.