Offer preschool children a sensory art activity with finger paint. Set out pieces of paper and fill bowls with different colors of washable finger paint. Encourage them to dip their fingers into the paint and spread it along the paper to create any type of picture they would like, from a portrait of their families to an abstract work of art. While finger painting can be used as an open-ended art activity, it can also be used as a means of teaching. Have children tell you the names of the paint colors they are using, and ask them to draw specific shapes or to practice writing numbers and letters.
This art activity also serves as a means of scientific exploration. Set out a variety of different objects for children to create rubbings of--coins, leafs and sandpaper shapes, for example. Have your students place a piece of paper over the objects and ask them to predict what they think will happen when they rub a crayon over the paper. Provide them with crayons and instruct them to rub the crayons over the paper. As they rub, the image of the object under the paper will appear.
Provide your preschoolers with scissor practice with this art activity. Set out different types of paper and materials that are easy to cut, such as felt, yarn and craft foam. Provide your students with safety scissors and encourage them to use the scissors to cut the materials into pieces. For a challenge, ask children to cut out different shapes. Offer students glue and have them use the materials that they have cut to create collages.
Your preschoolers can use these art projects for dramatic play. Cut eye holes out of paper plates and give a plate to each of your students. Set out paint, markers, crayons, yarn, cotton balls, construction paper, scissors, glue and any other art material you think children could use to create a mask. Encourage children to use the materials to create any type of person or creature they would like on their masks. When they have finished decorating their masks, glue a craft stick to the bottom of the plates, which children can use to hold their masks up to their faces.