Use washable paints for this preschool art activity. Have children create a variety of dinosaur fossil prints on smooth rocks. Preschoolers can create a dino track by dipping one, two, or three fingers, or their knuckles, into paint, and pressing the print onto a rock. Each child may create more than one fossil, as time and materials allow.
Encourage children to use their imaginations to create their own dinosaurs. Provide a two-liter plastic soda bottle for each child. Have them paint the bottle a color they think dinosaurs might have been. Glue on construction paper or craft foam parts for the horns, spikes, tail, legs and feet, eyes, and mouth.
Handprints in various positions can easily be turned into dinosaur art. Have each child place their hands into a shallow layer of paint, and then press it onto paper. Children can place their hands in different positions for each print. Have them use their fingers to drag some of the paint out of the print for tails, long necks, or horns. When the paint dries, children can use markers to add other features.
Turn old, clean socks into preschool art with a purpose. Preschoolers choose one or more socks and the body for their dinosaur puppets. Glue on craft foam dinosaur features--eyes, horns, spikes, tails. When the glue dries, children can play with their dinosaur puppets.
Preschoolers can turn their art projects into dress-up fun. Along a strip of construction paper that will fit around a child's head, glue dino horns or spikes to the paper headband. Fold diamond shapes along a long strip of paper or twine, and glue or staple to hold in place. This strip of spikes can be pinned onto the back of a childs shirt, or simply taped for safety. Tape or staple two paper plates together to create a hand or foot. Make two of each. Cut a hole to fit child's hand through. Let children use crayons or markers to decorate their dino hands and feet.
Have children tear pieces of construction paper or tissue paper and glue onto a simple dinosaur shape. When glue dries, cut the dino pictures into puzzle pieces according to the age and abilities of the preschoolers. Children may make more than one puzzle, perhaps having each one be a little more difficult to assemble.