A toad house provides a shelter for real toads in the garden. Clay flower pots work well for the houses because they blend in with the surroundings and hold up to the elements. A 4-inch pot is large enough for a toad without taking up a lot of space in the garden. Let the kids paint the clay pots on the outside to add a decorative look to the toad house. If the toad house is a preschool classroom project, send a note home to the parents to dig a hole and place the pot sideways in the hole. Surround it with dirt and place a small amount of dirt inside to hold it in place. A shallow dish of water next to the home provides moisture for the toad.
Toad puppets encourage the kids to put on a show about the animals. A paper bag puppet is one option. Craft stores often sell the bags in different colors, or you can have the kids color the bags to resemble a toad. Cut out legs from construction paper and help the kids glue them onto the paper bag. Plastic wiggly eyes add to the look of the toad. Let the kids use markers or crayons to add the other facial features of the toad.
Another puppet option is to cut out a toad shape from card stock. The kids draw in the details and glue the toad to a craft stick or paint-stirring stick. The stick serves as the handle for the puppet.
Foam craft balls create the body of a toad for this preschool project. Cut out a small wedge for the mouth of the toad before you start the craft. Press a craft stick into the bottom of the ball with the other end pressed into a ball of Play-Doh or clay for support. The kids paint the ball to resemble the toad. Once dry, they add legs, eyes and other features using craft foam or felt.
This activity combines art and literature to create a homemade book about toads. Brainstorm with the kids to create a list of facts about toads. Print out pages of the book with one fact on each page. The kids draw a picture on each page of the book to create the illustrations. Staple the pages together inside a construction paper cover to complete the book.