A group art project requires young students to work together in an imaginative way to experiment with the artistic process. Transform almost any project into a group activity as long as the space and materials allow for several students to gather around. For example, try an oversized group mural. Set out a section of butcher paper with at least 1 square foot of space per child. Have the children discuss what they will paint and why. Help the students to take responsibility for choosing specific tasks such as painting the sky or designing flowers. Other collaborative art activities that preschoolers include collaborative collages, constructions or group drawings.
Science activities spark the natural curiosity that preschoolers have. Through hands-on experiment style activities children can come together as group, working to better understand or figure out specific scientific concepts. Starting with a group discussion allows children to share knowledge and come up with new ideas. For example, experiments such as sink or float can help young children to collaborate, making predictions and observations together. Show the children a few items such as a cork, pebbles or feathers. Make predictions about what will sink or float. Give the students a small tub of water and have them experiment with each object, finding out which predictions were correct. Conclude with a group discussion on what happened and why.
Preschoolers can work together to build block structures that range from a simple tower to an elaborate city plan. Invite three or four children at a time to explore with different shapes and sizes of blocks. Ask them to see how tall a tower they can build while working collaboratively. Make sure that each child takes a turn adding to the tower. Encourage discussion among the children about which blocks to use and why by using prompts such as, "Jenny, can you tell Tonya why you chose the square block for the bottom of the tower?"
Planning doesn't have to be an adults-only task. Although the preschool teacher is in charge of coming up with activity ideas, the children can also take an active role in planning a variety of classroom events. Planning activities together presents a unique opportunity for the preschoolers to work together as a team. A classroom party can become more meaningful for the students when they have a hand in creating it. If you have a special occasion coming up, ask the students to collaborate on activities to try, games or even a party schedule. In working together, the planning of an activity because an activity in itself.