Preschool students will have fun creating this craft for Groundhog Day. Give each student a paper cup with a slit cut in the bottom of it. Instruct him to paint the outside of his cup with green paint, making it look as if it is covered with grass. On oak tag, create two templates: one medium-sized oval and one small circle. Have children trace these templates onto brown construction paper and cut them out. Supply each child with a craft stick and instruct her to glue her oval onto the center of the craft stick and the circle to the top half of the stick, creating a groundhog shape. Two googly eyes glued to the groundhog's head will make it come to life. When the paint on the cups has dried, have the children insert their craft sticks into their cups through the slits. Each child can move the groundhog up and down in the cup, simulating the groundhog coming out of his hole and looking for his shadow.
Bring multicultural awareness into your classroom by teaching your preschool students about Chinese New Year. Have your students create dragon masks to celebrate the holiday. Provide each child with a paper plate and help him cut two holes in the plate for the eyes. Allow the children to use a variety of paints, glues, markers and glitter to decorate the bottom of the paper plate, creating faces for their dragons. Cut eight lengths of crepe paper streamers in several different colors for each child. When the paper plates have dried, help each child glue four steamers to either side of her dragon's face. When the craft is complete, the class may hold their masks up to their faces and dance to Chinese music.
If you are teaching your students about butterflies, have them make this craft as a hands-on extension activity. Distribute a piece of white art paper to each child. Set out a variety of colors of finger paint. Help children cut narrow rectangles out of brown construction paper and have them glue one to the center of each paper--this will be the body of the butterfly. Have each child choose a finger paint color and make two handprints on either side of the construction paper rectangle--pointing outward. These will be the wings of the butterfly. When the handprints have dried, the children may embellish their butterfly wings by dipping their fingertips into different colors of finger paint and pressing them onto the handprints. Two googly eyes glued to the top of the construction paper rectangle and two pipe cleaner antenna glued on top of the rectangle finish off the craft.