Art Activity Ideas for Preschool
Here are some art activity ideas for preschoolers. These are great art activities for preschoolers ages 3 to 5 years old that can be done at home or in school. I have included a variety of different art activities that explore different art materials and I am explaining why that is important to the preschool child development. Keep reading to learn about some art activity ideas for preschool aged children!
Art Activity Ideas for Preschool
About the Preschool Age Group:
This group of students are still learning fine motor skills. You will notice there is quite the difference of abilities between a three year-old and a five year old even with students who are the same age they might have different abilities based on the fine motor skills that they have.
It is important to incorporate lots of fine motor practice in your art activity ideas for preschoolers so that the preschoolers can continue to refine and learn fine motor skills.
Fine motor skills relate to the development of the bones in their hands and fingers which helps them write and print easier and have neater writing.
Fine Motor Skills Art Activity Ideas for Preschool:
Cutting & Snipping
Paper strip cutting – Use colourful paper for snipping practice.
Cutting along lines – Wavy, zigzag, or curved lines.
Cutting straws – Snip into pieces for beading or gluing.
Cut fringe on paper – Turn into lion manes, grass, etc.
Cut out shapes – Pre-drawn shapes they can cut and glue.
Squeezing & Pinching
Eyedropper painting – Squeeze coloured water onto paper towels.
Sponge painting – Squeeze to apply paint.
Clothespin painting – Pin pom-poms into clothespins to dab paint.
Playdough & bead push-ins – Pinch, roll, and press beads or buttons into dough.
Spray bottle art – Strengthens whole hand muscles.
Threading & Beading
Stringing pasta or beads – Onto yarn, pipe cleaners, or shoelaces.
Lacing cards – Punch holes in shapes to lace with yarn.
Weaving with paper strips – Over/under patterning.
Button threading – Add large buttons to yarn strings.
Poking straws through colanders – Great hand-eye coordination practice.
Grasp & Mark-Making
Drawing with small crayons – Forces tripod grasp.
Chalk drawing on vertical surfaces – Builds shoulder and wrist stability.
Tracing stencils or shapes – Pencil control practice.
Dot markers – Squeeze and stamp along paths.
Finger painting – Builds control and awareness of hand movements.
Rolling, Pressing & Building
Rolling out playdough – Use small rolling pins.
Playdough cutting with scissors – Easier than paper for early cutters.
Cookie cutter stamping – Press into dough or paint.
Pinching and shaping clay – Builds finger strength.
Building with small blocks or pebbles – Requires grasping and placing.
Gluing & Placing
Squeeze-bottle glue dots – Place buttons or sequins on top.
Sticker peeling and placing – Great for pincer grip.
Pom-pom sorting with tweezers – Use art trays or egg cartons.
Collage with small items – Feathers, pasta, seeds.
Make a mosaic – With tiny paper squares or foam shapes.
Sensory Play Benefits for Preschoolers
1. Brain Development & Cognitive Growth
Sensory play strengthens neural connections and helps children make sense of the world.
It supports early science and math skills like cause and effect, comparison, and pattern recognition.
Example: Pouring water between cups teaches volume, estimation, and experimentation.
2. Fine Motor Skill Development
Manipulating small objects, scooping, pouring, pinching, and stirring help build the muscles needed for writing, cutting, and buttoning.
Example: Scooping rice or shaping playdough strengthens hand and finger muscles.
3. Language Development
Sensory play invites rich vocabulary as children describe textures, actions, and experiences.
Example: Words like "squishy," "slimy," "gritty," and "soft" become part of their everyday speech.
4. Social and Emotional Skills
Sensory bins and activities encourage turn-taking, cooperative play, and shared problem-solving.
Sensory play is also calming and can help with self-regulation.
Example: A child upset after a transition may calm down while playing with kinetic sand.
5. Sensory Integration
Sensory play helps children learn to process and respond to different sensory input (touch, sound, smell, movement), supporting attention, balance, and coordination.
Example: Children learn to tolerate new textures or sensations in a safe, playful way.
6. Creativity and Imagination
Open-ended materials (like sand, water, or rice) inspire imaginative play, storytelling, and problem-solving.
Example: A simple bin of dry pasta becomes a bakery, a construction site, or a treasure hunt.
7. Repetition Builds Confidence
Sensory play invites repetition, which builds mastery, focus, and a sense of achievement.
Example: Repeatedly filling and dumping a cup teaches control and prediction
Sensory Art Activity Ideas for Preschool
Touch-Based Sensory Art
Finger painting – Classic and fun for texture and messy play.
Salt painting – Glue designs, sprinkle salt, then add watercolours.
Sand painting – Mix glue and coloured sand for textured creations.
Foil painting – Smooth, shiny surface adds a new feel.
Shaving cream marbling – Swirl food colouring into shaving cream and press paper on top.
Texture rubbing – Rub crayons over paper placed on leaves, coins, etc.
Fabric collage – Soft, rough, smooth fabric scraps glued on paper.
Yarn painting – Dip yarn into paint and drag across paper.
Cotton ball dabbing – Held with a clothespin or fingers.
Bubble wrap printing – Paint it and press it onto paper.
Messy Play Meets Art
Mud painting – Use real mud or make edible "mud" from cocoa and flour.
Oobleck splatter painting – Cornstarch and water mixture with added colour.
Pudding painting – Safe and tasty for sensory-sensitive children.
Gloop printing – Use thick goop or slime on paper for impressions.
Playdough stamping – Use toys or found objects to make patterns.
Textured finger trails – Fingerpaint through a surface like sugar or salt.
Rice glue art – Coloured rice sprinkled onto glue shapes.
Pasta mosaics – Glue different shapes/textures of pasta.
Painted ice cubes – Watch colour melt and spread.
Squirt bottle painting – Great for outdoor art on easels or fences.
Sound & Movement Art
Shaker art – Put paper and paint-dipped marbles in a box and shake.
Drum painting – Bounce balls or stamp brushes on stretched fabric or paper over a drum.
Dancing ribbon painting – Tie ribbons to brushes and dance them across paper.
Sound-inspired drawing – Draw lines or shapes to different types of music.
Sprinkle painting – Sprinkle glitter, confetti, or textured bits over glue shapes.
Smell & Taste Sensory Art (safe materials only)
Make sure to check for allergies with sensory art especially!
Scented playdough creations – Add cinnamon, vanilla, mint, or lavender.
Spice painting – Mix spices like turmeric or cinnamon with paint.
Scented watercolours – Add lemon or orange juice to painting water.
Edible finger paint – Use yogurt and food colouring.
Jelly paint – Set jelly in trays and let them squish and “paint” with it.
Other Art Activity Ideas for Preschoolers
PAINTING ACTIVITIES
Q-tip dot painting
Painting with toy cars
Ice cube painting - can freeze watered down paint in an ice cube tray with popsicle sticks for students to paint with.
Blow painting with straws
Marble rolling painting
String pull painting - dip different strings and yarn in paint
Bubble painting
Pom-pom painting with clothespins
Painting with feathers
Painting with kitchen tools (spatulas, whisks)
Spray bottle painting
Straw painting - use watered down paint and have students blow through the straw on the droplets of paint on their paper
Painting on cardboard scraps
Painting on rocks
Painting inside cardboard boxes
Painting with balloons - balloons can be full of paint and you can splatter them on the ground - this works well outside - make sure to check for latex allergies.
Painting with sponges
Painting on foil
Painting with cookie cutters
DRAWING & MARK-MAKING
Crayon resist with watercolours
Chalk drawing on black paper
Drawing with scented markers
Rainbow scribble art
Dry erase drawing on mirrors
Drawing on sandpaper
Drawing with both hands at once
Scribble-and-tell storytelling art
Drawing to music (fast vs slow)
Drawing with eyes closed
CUTTING, GLUING & COLLAGE
Paper tearing collage
Magazine face mashup collage
Shape collage
Glue-and-sequins art
Mosaic art with paper scraps
Sticker collage
Textured collage with fabric
Collage with yarn and string
Gluing leaves and nature finds
Making rainbow strips collage
PRINTMAKING
Leaf printing
Fork print flowers
Block printing with foam shapes
Cardboard tube stamps
Lego printmaking
Bubble wrap printing
Plastic lid stamping
Toy animal footprints
Celery stalk rose prints
Handprint and footprint art
TEXTILE & TACTILE ART
Weaving with paper strips
Lacing yarn through colanders
Poking yarn through cardboard
Sensory squish bags with paint
Felt shape collage
Fabric scrap gluing
Ribbon weaving on fences
Textile collages on burlap
Yarn-wrapped sticks
Cotton ball collage
SCULPTURE & 3D ART
Playdough sculptures
Salt dough handprints
Clay pinch pots
Pipe cleaner sculptures
Recycled box robots
Popsicle stick structures
Paper plate towers
Cardboard tube animals
Papier-mâché balloons
Modeling clay creatures
NATURE & SEASONAL THEMES
Nature mandalas
Rock animals
Stick painting
Leaf rubbings
Pinecone painting
Painted pumpkins
Snow painting (with coloured water)
Sand art in jars
Flower pounding prints
Mud painting
PROCESS & SENSORY ART
Scented paint (mix with spices)
Painting with shaving cream
Textured paint (add sand, rice)
Foamy paint - can mx shaving cream with a bit of glue and food colouring
Painting on ice blocks
Colour mixing trays
Ziplock bag squish painting
Tape resist art
Sensory painting with pudding or yogurt
Rain painting (watercolours + spray)
THEMED & CREATIVE PLAY
Create a treasure map
Make a paper crown and decorate it
Design your own monster
My family drawing
Build and decorate a house out of paper
Create a birthday card
Decorate a pretend cake
Under the sea art collage
Create a space scene with planets
Make your own imaginary animal
Conclusion:
When you are planning our activity ideas for preschoolers, it's really important to promote their fine motor skills development as well as sensory art experiences. This helps with their overall childhood development so that they are meeting their educational needs and continuing to grow and learn.
It's important to expose all children, but especially young children to different art materials and art supplies. Make sure you are spending time explaining how to properly use new art materials.
It's good to get students, even young students involved in the clean up process. This is a big component to art, instructing them on how they can wash their hands, clean the table, clean the chairs, clean the floor, etc. it's good to have clear expectations and routines in place established at the beginning of the school year.
If you are looking to avoid the mess, you can watch this video that I created about how to avoid the mess and reduce the stress when doing art with kids.
Remember with young kids you will need to repeat the instructions multiple times. It's good to have examples to show students as they are often visual learners. It's good to have extra activities planned because that students will finish their art early so having a sensory table or something extra for students to do once they are finished will help control and organize the chaos.
Overall, teaching art activities to preschoolers is loads of fun, but there is some extra preparation involved. It's better to be over prepared than underprepared with this age group.