Scratch art projects are time-intensive, but the finished product is colorful and unique. Encourage your preschool to color a plain piece of paper with crayons. She should press hard with the crayons and cover the paper completely, using any colors other than black. When the paper is covered, she will color over the first drawing with a black crayon, again covering it completely. Give her a wooden skewer to draw a picture on top of the black crayon. The skewer will remove the top layer of crayon, revealing the beautiful colors beneath.
Crayon rubbings are a seemingly magical way for preschoolers to create pictures of everyday objects. Place flat objects beneath a piece of white paper and have your preschooler rub a crayon over the top. Remove the wrapper from the crayon and encourage your child to hold the crayon flat as he rubs. Consider using objects like coins and leaves, or cut shapes from textured paper such as sandpaper or wallpaper. Tape the objects down to the table to make it easier for your child to complete the rubbing.
Add an extra element of color to a crayon drawing with a watercolor wash. Have your preschooler draw a picture with crayon on a white piece of paper. When the drawing is complete, give your child watercolor paints or tempera paints diluted with water. Have her brush the paint over the entire drawing. The crayon will resist the paint and remain visible, creating an interesting look. An appealing option is to draw an ocean scene with crayon and cover it with a blue watercolor wash.
Reuse old crayons to make new rainbow crayons. Remove wrappers from crayons and place them in paper liners in a muffin tin. Break the crayons into pieces to fit into the liners if necessary. Combine crayon colors to create the ultimate rainbow crayon. Place the muffin tin in a 350-degree oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until the crayons are completely melted. Let the crayon pieces cool completely before popping them out of the liner. The final product is a colorful crayon perfectly sized for small hands.