• 84 ideas
  • Checked October 2026

Preschool Art Ideas

Press the button for three set-ups for ages 3 to 5, each with the question to ask with it.

Preschool Art Ideas

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  1. A paint roller and a long sheet pinned to a fenceA small roller, a tray with two colors, paper at the child's height. How far can one roll go?
  2. A whisk, a spatula and a pastry brush beside one tray of paintThree kitchen tools, one color, big paper. What mark does each one leave?
  3. Coffee filters, washable markers and a dropperFlattened filters, markers, a cup of water, a dropper. What happens to your lines when a drop lands?

Next step Drawing ideas for preschoolers

All 84 ideas

Open-ended 14

  • A box strung with yarn and a pile of strips to weave A shoebox with yarn across the top, fabric and paper strips. What goes over, and what goes under?
  • A dark sheet with chalk, paint and scraps that are all white Black paper, white chalk, white paint, white paper scraps, glue. What can you make with only white?
  • A hole punch, paper strips and lengths of yarn A single-hole punch, sturdy strips, yarn with taped ends. What can you do with all those holes?
  • A lump of clay and a basket of things from the yard Clay, sticks, leaves, stones, seed pods. What will you press in, and what does it turn into?
  • A paint roller and a long sheet pinned to a fence A small roller, a tray with two colors, paper at the child's height. How far can one roll go?
  • A roll of foil to squeeze into shapes Aluminum foil torn into sheets, tape. What can foil turn into if you squeeze it? Can you make it stand?
  • A tray of cardboard scraps and a pot of glue Cardboard pieces in many shapes, white glue, a brush. What can you build if some pieces stand up?
  • A whisk, a spatula and a pastry brush beside one tray of paint Three kitchen tools, one color, big paper. What mark does each one leave?
  • Cardboard tubes, a box and tape torn ready Tubes of different lengths, a box, masking tape on the table edge. What happens if you join them?
  • Coffee filters, washable markers and a dropper Flattened filters, markers, a cup of water, a dropper. What happens to your lines when a drop lands?
  • Four bowls of colored scraps and one gray sheet to glue on Four bowls of scraps, a glue stick, a sheet of gray paper. Which colors do you want to sit next to each other?
  • Short cords dipped in runny color and dragged along a page Short strings, a dish of runny paint, paper. What line does the string leave if you pull it slowly? Quickly?
  • Smooth wood scraps and white glue Sanded wood scraps, a dish of white glue, a board to build on. What can you build that stands up by itself?
  • Watercolors and a mister of plain water Watercolor cakes, thick paper, a small spray bottle. What happens if you spray the paint after it is on?

Spring 14

  • A bird's nest of ripped grocery bags holding clay eggs Brown paper bags, glue, a paper bowl, clay. How do birds pile up a nest? How many eggs will yours hold?
  • A bumblebee oval banded with torn strips of dark tape A yellow oval, black tape torn ready, paper wings, glue. How many stripes fit? Where is your bee flying?
  • A diamond kite patterned with dot markers A paper diamond, dot markers, ribbon for a tail. What pattern will your kite show from the ground?
  • A rain cloud of cotton pads with paper-strip rain Cotton pads, glue, blue paper strips, a gray sheet. How hard is it raining under your cloud?
  • A washable-marker picture left out in the drizzle Washable markers, thick paper, a rainy day. Draw anything, then put it outside. What will the rain do to your lines?
  • A wind tube with crepe tails to run with A paper tube, crepe strips, tape, string. What do the tails do when you run? When you stand still?
  • An arch of six ripped-paper colors glued stripe by stripe Paper in six colors, a glue stick, an arch drawn by the adult. Which color do you want on the outside?
  • Boot-sole prints in brown paint along a long sheet A rain boot, a tray of brown paint, a paper roll. What pattern is under your boot? How far can you walk?
  • Dandelions swapped in for brushes, bloom or stalk A handful of dandelions, yellow and green paint, paper. What mark does the flower make? And the stem?
  • Foil puddles with paper rain boots splashing in them Foil torn into puddles, paper boots cut by the adult, glue, a gray sheet. Whose boots are these? How big is the splash?
  • Ladybugs folded from red rounds with sticker spots Red paper circles, black dot stickers, a marker, a green sheet. How many spots does each ladybug get?
  • Paper carrots tucked in slits of a brown paper garden bed Brown paper with slits cut by the adult, orange paper carrots with green tops. How many carrots grow in your row?
  • Paper flowers planted upright in a lump of clay Green paper stems, paper circles, tape, a lump of clay. How many flowers can your garden hold before one tips over?
  • Paper pressed onto a puddle of watery blue paint A tray with a thin puddle of paint, paper. What print do you get if you lay the paper down and lift it?

Summer 14

  • A bowl turned upside down into a sea creature with dangling ribbons A paper bowl, ribbons, tape, markers. How long are its arms? What happens when you jiggle it?
  • A drawn jar on dark paper filled with yellow sticker fireflies A jar outline in white crayon on dark paper, yellow dot stickers. How many fireflies are in your jar? Did any get out?
  • A sandcastle cut from sandpaper shapes Sandpaper squares and triangles cut by the adult, glue, blue paper, a paper flag. How tall is your castle?
  • An ice-cream cone piled with torn-paper scoops A paper triangle, torn paper in three colors, glue. How many scoops can your cone hold before it tips?
  • An octopus with arms of paper loops joined in chains A paper circle for the head, paper strips, a glue stick. How long can each arm get? How many arms have you made?
  • Brushes made from twigs, grass and feathers Twigs with grass or a feather tied on by the adult, paint, paper. Which brush makes the thinnest line?
  • Dry sand shaken over brushed glue for a seashore Glue in a dish, a brush, dry sand in a shaker, blue paper. Where is the sand on your beach? Where is the sea?
  • Keys and leaves left on construction paper in a sunny window Dark construction paper, leaves and keys laid on top, a sunny windowsill. What will be under the leaf tomorrow?
  • Mud paint on a paved path A bucket of mud thinned with water, old brushes, a path. What does mud paint look like wet? And when it dries?
  • Squeeze bottles of watery paint and a sheet on a fence Three squeeze bottles, a big sheet pinned up outside. What happens when the colors run into each other?
  • Sticks stacked as a campfire with torn-paper flames Short sticks, glue, red, orange and yellow paper to tear, a dark sheet. How tall are the flames? Who sits around it?
  • Tinted ice cubes sliding over thick paper Ice cubes frozen with food coloring, thick paper in a tray, a sunny spot. What does the ice leave behind as it melts?
  • Toy dinosaurs' shadows traced on the pavement before lunch and after Sidewalk chalk, toys with clear shapes, a sunny sidewalk. Whose shadow is this? What if we come back after lunch?
  • Watermelon slices with glued paper seeds Red half circles, green paper strips, black paper seeds, glue. Where does the green go? How many seeds?

Fall 14

  • A bare tree filled with hole-punched leaf confetti Dry leaves, a hole punch, a tree drawn by the adult, glue. What happens when you punch a leaf?
  • A clay hedgehog with twig spines A ball of clay, short twigs, a pencil to poke two eyes. How many spines fit on its back? Which end is the nose?
  • A Halloween cat pieced from dark paper shapes on orange Black paper shapes cut by the adult, glue, orange paper, a white crayon. Which shapes make the ears?
  • A leaf parade glued in order of size along a strip A pile of leaves, glue, a long strip of paper. Which leaf is the smallest? Which one comes next?
  • A real pumpkin to draw on with washable markers A pumpkin, washable markers, a damp cloth. What face will it have today? Wipe it off and try another.
  • A scarecrow pieced from squares with straw-colored yarn sticking out Paper squares and rectangles, yarn, glue, a marker. What is your scarecrow wearing? Who is it scaring?
  • A spider with accordion-pleated legs on a round body A black paper circle, eight paper strips, glue, a white crayon. How do you fold a leg so it bends?
  • A trunk ripped from brown bags under sponged red and gold Brown paper to tear, glue, red and yellow paint, a sponge. How tall is the trunk? Where have the leaves fallen?
  • A yarn web wound around a notched black card Black cardboard with notches cut by the adult, white yarn. Where will the yarn cross next? Who lives here?
  • Leaf prints in red, orange and yellow on brown paper Flat leaves, three plates of paint, brown paper. Which side of the leaf prints best? Try both.
  • Leaf veins brought up by rubbing a peeled crayon across thin paper Leaves taped vein side up, thin paper over them, peeled crayons. What shows up when you rub? Which leaf is it?
  • Monster faces built from paper shapes Paper circles, triangles and strips, glue, a big sheet. How many eyes does your monster have? Is it friendly?
  • Orange and black paint on white paper, nothing else Two pots, two brushes, big white paper. What can you paint with only these two? What happens where they meet?
  • Paper acorns wearing hats of rough burlap Brown paper ovals, burlap scraps, glue. Which end wears the cap? Where will your squirrel hide them?

Winter 14

  • A block of ice, a dish of salt and droppers of color Ice frozen in a tub, salt, tinted water, droppers, a tray. What does the salt do to the ice?
  • A cardboard ornament wound with two shades of yarn A cardboard circle with a notch, yarn in two colors, a ribbon loop. Which way will you wind it?
  • A fir sprig tapped and dragged through green and white A sprig of pine or fir, green and white paint, paper. What mark does it make if you tap? If you drag?
  • A mug shape painted brown and topped with cotton-ball marshmallows A paper mug shape, brown paint, cotton balls, glue. How many marshmallows fit in your cup?
  • A snowman torn by hand in three sizes of round White paper, a glue stick, blue paper, paper scraps. Can you tear a big circle, a middle one and a small one?
  • A white bear ripped from paper, walking across a blue sheet White paper, a blue sheet, glue, a black crayon. Tear pieces for a body, a head and four legs. Where is it walking?
  • A winter hat cutout with a repeating pattern and a cotton-ball pom-pom A paper hat shape, crayons, a cotton ball, glue. What comes after the zigzag? And then?
  • Chalk smudged into bands of light over a mountain Black paper, a paper mountain, green and pink chalk. What happens when you rub the chalk with a finger?
  • Green triangles piled large to small into a fir with a star Green triangles in three sizes cut by the adult, glue, a paper star. Which triangle goes at the bottom?
  • Icicles of white paint dripped from the top edge Blue paper clipped to a tilted board, runny white paint, a spoon. What does the paint do when you tip the board?
  • Paper light bulbs colored in turn and clipped along a string Paper bulbs, crayons, mini clothespins, yarn. Which color comes next? Does your pattern start again?
  • Salt sprinkled on wet watercolor for frost Thick paper, blue watercolor, a dish of salt. Paint first, then sprinkle. What happens where the salt lands?
  • Spray bottles of colored water on real snow Two spray bottles of water tinted with food coloring, a patch of clean snow. What happens where two colors meet?
  • Two mitten cutouts given the same stripes and joined by yarn Two paper mittens, crayons, stickers, yarn to join them. Can you make the second one match the first?

Scissors and glue practice 14

  • A folded sheet with bites snipped from the fold Paper folded once, child-safe scissors. Snip a few bites out of the fold. What will you see when it opens?
  • A haircut for a cardboard-tube person A tube with a face and a fringe of paper hair, child-safe scissors. Short hair or long hair today?
  • A hunt through old magazines for anything red to cut and paste Old magazines, child-safe scissors, a glue stick, paper. Can you find five red things? Where will each one go?
  • A paper lion given a fringe mane with scissors A yellow paper circle with a face, child-safe scissors. How long do you want the mane? Snip in toward the face.
  • A paper pizza topped with shapes they cut themselves A cardboard circle, red paper sauce, colored paper, child-safe scissors, glue. What goes on your pizza?
  • A robot glued together from junk-mail shapes Junk mail, child-safe scissors, a glue stick. Cut any boxes and circles you find. What does your robot do?
  • A tray of things to snip: ribbon, grass and paper Ribbon, long grass, paper strips, child-safe scissors, a tray. Which one is easiest to cut? Which is hardest?
  • Confetti snipped into a jar to seal in a card Paper strips, child-safe scissors, a jar. Snip tiny pieces into the jar. Who is the confetti for?
  • Drinking straws chopped into short tubes for a necklace Paper straws, child-safe scissors, a bowl, yarn with a taped end. How many beads can you cut from one straw?
  • Paper chain loops cut along lines and glued Paper with wide strips marked, child-safe scissors, a glue stick. How long can the chain get before lunch?
  • Squares stuck down with just a dot of glue Paper squares, a small dish of glue, a cotton swab, a sheet with dots drawn on. Can one dot hold one square?
  • Straight, zigzag and wavy lines to cut along Paper strips with one thick line each, child-safe scissors. Can your scissors stay on the road to the end?
  • Strips cut into squares and glued in a pattern Paper strips in two colors, child-safe scissors, glue. Snip squares, then lay them out. What comes next?
  • Yarn noodles chopped to length and heaped in a dish Yarn, child-safe scissors, a paper bowl, red paper scraps. How long is your spaghetti? What goes on top?

How it works

These preschool art ideas use paint, glue, scissors and loose materials for ages 3 to 5. Each gives the set-up and a question to ask, such as What happens if you spray the paint after it is on?

Read the full guide

Open ended art ideas for preschoolers

Open-ended set-ups put out materials and a question, with no model to copy: a tray of cardboard scraps and a pot of glue, watercolors and a mister of plain water, a dark sheet with chalk, paint and scraps that are all white. The line under each idea is the question, in words to say aloud.

Art and craft ideas for preschoolers, by season

Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter use what each season puts in reach: dandelions, mud and sun, fallen leaves, ice and snow. Scissors and glue practice is for any month.

Questions and answers

What are some spring art and craft ideas for preschoolers?

Spring holds dandelions swapped in for brushes, bloom or stalk, a washable-marker picture left out in the drizzle, ladybugs folded from red rounds with sticker spots and foil puddles with paper rain boots.

What are some summer art and craft ideas for preschoolers?

Summer has mud paint on a paved path, tinted ice cubes sliding over thick paper, the shadows of toy dinosaurs traced on the pavement, and keys and leaves left on construction paper in a sunny window.

What are some fall art ideas for pre k?

Fall has leaf veins brought up by rubbing a peeled crayon across thin paper, a leaf parade glued in order of size along a strip, paper acorns wearing hats of rough burlap and a clay hedgehog with twig spines.

Are there orange and black art ideas for preschoolers?

Yes, in Fall. One set-up is orange and black paint on white paper, nothing else. Another is a Halloween cat pieced from dark paper shapes on orange.

What are some winter art ideas for preschool?

Winter has salt sprinkled on wet watercolor for frost, spray bottles of colored water on real snow, a snowman torn by hand in three sizes of round and icicles of white paint dripped from the top edge.

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