You can teach preschoolers about the body of a crab by making crabs out of paper plates. Allow students to decorate white paper plates with markers, crayons or watercolor paints. Punch eight holes around the rim of the plate. Let students know that crabs have eight legs, which is why you made eight holes. Make legs by inserting pipe cleaners into the holes and twist them into place to secure them. Show preschoolers how to bend the legs to make it look like the crab is walking.
Supply kids with red craft foam and have them trace and cut out a giant letter C from the foam. Show preschoolers how to cut out two claws for the front of the crab. Next, show them how to cut out four skinny rectangles out of the foam. Turn the letter C upside down so that the curved end is facing up. Here, glue two of the rectangles to the center of the curve, and glue two googly eyes at the tips of the rectangles. Off to both sides, glue the other two rectangles and then attach the claws. Kids now have their own red foam crabs.
Designate a spot on your preschool wall for an underwater collage, especially if you are teaching about an ocean theme. Have preschoolers make colorful crabs out of construction paper. Provide them with templates to trace and cut out the crabs. Kids can decorate them with craft supplies, such as glitter glue, sequins, seashells or small craft pebbles. When the crabs are finished, have the kids glue them to the underwater collage.
Educate preschoolers on a new type of crab, the Florida blue crab. Kids can make pictures of the crab using paint and their own handprint. You will need blue tempera paint, orange tempera paint, construction paper, black markers and newspaper to keep the tabletops tidy. Have the students dip their palms into the blue paint and then press the hands onto the construction paper. The hands should be touching at the inside of the wrists with the fingers flaring outward. Kids then wash their hands and use a clean finger to dip into the orange paint, and paint two lines for the stalks for the crab's eyes. Use the black marker to draw the eyes at the top of the orange stalks.