Gather all of the broken crayon pieces you have lying around the house or classroom. Instead of throwing them away, let the children use the pieces for an art activity. Before the child begins, make sure the paper is removed from each broken crayon. Line a muffin tin with aluminum foil and fill up as many as you can with the broken pieces of crayon. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees until the crayons are melted together in each tin. Let cool completely before removing from the tin. The broken crayon pieces have now formed into a circle inside of the tin and create a stained glass effect. Young preschoolers can now use these crayons for coloring.
Set out an assortment of Styrofoam balls, blocks and other shapes. With adult supervision, the preschoolers can construct people, pets and places with the Styrofoam shapes. Help the children insert toothpicks to join the Styrofoam. Use glue to attach scraps of yard and fabric for faces and hair. Markers and paint can be used to draw faces or other details to objects, such as shoes, clothing and skin tone.
Set out a variety of wooden letters for the preschoolers. These can be purchased at most craft stores. Encourage the child to decorate the letters in different colors using acrylic paint. Details, such as polka dots or stripes, can be added to the letters. Once the letters are dry, the preschoolers can use this fun art activity to learn the alphabet and spell words. Help the preschooler pronounce the word accurately as each one is displayed. Larger letters can be purchased for those children who wish to display their name on a door or even across a wall in the bedroom.
Encourage creativity with shaving cream. Lay out a vinyl table covering to help with an easy cleanup. Give the preschooler a big mound of shaving cream and watch as the children use their imagination to draw and write in the shaving cream. Offer help with writing names, drawing faces and even spelling out short words. It might be best to use a shaving cream used for sensitive skin to prevent any unnecessary rashes or allergic reactions.