In addition to being fun, crafts help kids develop fine motor skills and creativity. Provide students with clay, play dough or silly putty and ask them to make a sculpture of a pet or person. Drawing, coloring and painting pictures of family or scenes from a story helps kids learn coordinated hand movements.
Teach basic science by talking about animals, weather, health and the environment. Go on a nature walk through a local park, and encourage students to use their five senses to describe what they experience. Projects such as planting seeds, raising a tadpole into a frog or watching a butterfly emerge from its cocoon encourage children to think about the animal life cycle.
Although most preschool-aged children are too young to read, teachers should lay the foundation for strong reading skills. Teach kids the alphabet by singing alphabet songs, coloring letters and making crafts with the child's name. Read picture books aloud to students, and ask them to help you tell the story to engage their minds.
Preschool teachers should help students learn counting and other basic math skills that they will build upon in later years. Counting books, songs and number coloring projects teach kids to recognize and write digits. Give them pennies to count, and use coins to teach basic addition principles. Numbered mazes and connect-the-dot activities let kids use their new counting skills in a fun way.
Exposing kids to music at a young age improves their ability to focus, read, do math and play with others. Incorporating musical activities into preschool activities makes lessons fun for children. Ask kids to become active participants by leading them in dances or singalongs. Giving kids blocks, bells or homemade shakers allows them to keep a beat and play along with the music.