Easy Paper Art Projects for Preschoolers
Remove the tablecloth from your kitchen! Remove the glue from its packaging! Gather the kindergarten scissors. Paper, imagination and glitter are all you need to create some magic! ).
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Crafting is more than a simple way to kill time with children. Crafting with young children is a sensory-rich, creative activity that helps develop fine motor skills and supports concepts such as colours and shapes. It also allows them to express themselves. Hands-on arts and crafts are especially beneficial for preschoolers because they still have tiny fingers that can be used to cut, glue, and arrange.
We’ve gathered ten of our favourite, brightest, easiest, and joyous paper crafts you can do with your kids. These are great for a family activity, and they’re sure to spark lots of laughter. They’re fun to make together, spark lots of giggles and “look what I made!”
Are you ready to get creative? Let’s go!
1. A Sunny Friend
From: Painted Paper Art
Few things are more cheerful than a sunny smile, and this cute sun-themed craft will brighten up any dull day. Preschoolers can make their suns with bright rays using yellow construction paper, a round base and a yellow sheet of construction paper.
The “rays” are strips of paper that they cut out themselves. This is a good opportunity to practice using child-safe scissors. You can add a smiley face using paper cutouts or markers. Your child will have a new friend to keep him company.
This project can be tied into a lesson on early weather. Ask your child, “What is the sun? What causes us to feel warm?
You’ll need:
- Yellow, orange and white paper
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Black marker or googly eyes
- Optional: cotton balls for clouds
2. Tigers in the Jungle
From Art with Mr. Giannetto
This tiger collage will transform your table into an exciting safari! This project is based on the stunning work of Art With Mr. Giannetto and allows your child to explore natural shapes and bold patterns.
Create a jungle backdrop: tall grasses, green leaves and perhaps a few trees. Create the tiger by using orange and black papers. Pre-cut shapes are available, or you can let your child do it. This is a great way to discuss animals, habitats and even spots versus stripes!
You’ll need:
- Orange, black, white, and green paper
- Safety scissors
- Glue
- A playlist of jungle sounds to set the mood
3. Paper Bugs
Art Projects for Kids and Clare Youngs
Creepy-crawlies never looked so cute! You and your child can make colourful bugs such as ladybugs, caterpillars, butterflies or beetles using folded or cut paper. These projects are a great way to explore symmetry, patterns and colours.
Take inspiration from Kids Art Projects and Clare Youngs, whose designs feature big eyes, fun shapes, and antennae. You want to go further? This craft can be paired with a bug hunt in the garden, or even a reading of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
You’ll need:
- Colourful paper
- Markers
- Scissors
- Glue
- Pipe cleaners as antennae (optional, but adorable)
4. Papersaurus Rex
From The Joy of Sharing
Rawr! This cute handprint dinosaur craft will delight your little artist. You only need paper, a pen, and the hand of your child.
Trace their hand onto a piece of green or brown construction paper. This will be the body of the dinosaur. Cut out the shapes for the legs, tail and spikes. This is a simple and effective craft that makes a wonderful keepsake. “).
Bonus Idea: Make this a family handprint dinosaur parade, where each member receives a dino in their favourite colour.
You’ll need:
- Coloured Paper
- Pencil
- Safety scissors
- Glue
- Stickers or Googly Eyes
5. Smiley Snails
From The Best Ideas for Kids
These paperplate snails, for example, are too cute to describe. A plain paper plate can be transformed into a colourful snail shell with a little creativity.
Paint or colour the plate, then cut out and glue a swirl pattern or rainbow. If you want to get fancy, add a paper body with googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae.
This is a great way to introduce kids to spirals, characters that move slowly and steadily, and the fact that even simple shapes can be used in creating adorable creatures.
You’ll need:
- Paper plates
- Paint or markers
- Coloured Paper
- Glue
- Googly Eyes
- Optional: Pipe Cleaners
6. Shape Collages
From Nurture Store
This collage project is a great way to teach children about one of their foundational math and art skills. Children can cut or tear coloured paper in different shapes, such as squares, circles and triangles, then glue them to a base for abstract art.
This activity is great for “quiet times” because of its freedom. This activity helps children explore colour matching and spatial awareness. Encourage your child to name shapes as they create the collage, or turn it into a themed piece (such as a house, car or robot).
You’ll need:
- Construction paper or Tissue Paper
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Background sheet
7. Tiny Towns
Inspired by Paul Klee via Ecole elementaire l’Ile aux Frenes
This craft is based on geometry and will inspire your child to be an architect. This tiny-town collage is based on the work of Paul Klee and uses rectangles, squares and triangles to create miniature houses, skyscrapers or even castles.
This activity is perfect for rainy days or when you’d like to combine STEM with art. You can add story elements as well: Who lives in those houses? What is happening in this town?
You’ll need:
- Construction paper in different colours
- Glue
- Scissors
- Large base paper
8. Matisse-Inspired Collages
From: Pink Stripey socks
This simple but striking paper-cutting activity will help you get abstract and channel Henri Matisse’s brilliance. Children can use coloured paper to tear or cut bold organic shapes. (Think wavy, spiral, star, and blobs.) They then layer these on a contrasting background.
This collage allows you to explore emotions by using colour. This is a fun way to introduce your children to art history and real artists in a hands-on, simple manner.
You’ll need:
- Bright paper
- Glue
- Paper tearing with scissors or just by tearing it?
- Optional: Play soothing music during work
9. DIY Paper Rainbows
From Art Bar Blog
A rainbow can brighten up any room. This DIY Paper Rainbow Craft requires creating paper strips of red, orange and yellow, as well as green, blue, violet, indigo and indigo. Then, glue them together into a beautiful arc.
Make rainbows that you can hang on the windows, wear as crowns or use for bulletin boards themed around weather. This is a great colour-recognition game. You can also sneak in some science about the sun, rain and rainbow formation.
You’ll need:
- Paper in red, orange, yellow and green as well as blue, violet, indigo and violet.
- Scissors
- Glue
- Clouds can be created with cotton balls or white paper
10. Wattle College
From: Danya Banya
Celebrate Australian flora by creating a freeform wattle collage. This project is inspired by the golden, fluffy flowers of the Wattle Tree. It involves glueing small pieces of yellow paper torn into blossoms and adding green stems.
This activity is great for Australia Day or nature studies. You can pair this activity with a stroll through your local park, where you will be able to see flowers and discuss different trees.
You’ll need:
- Yellow and Green Paper
- Glue
- Scissors
- Real leaves or twigs are optional.
Conclusion
It’s not just about keeping preschoolers busy. This is about sparking their joy, encouraging them to express themselves, and allowing them to explore the world, one glue stick at a time. These 10 colourful paper crafts have been designed to be easy, fun and rewarding for children aged between 3 and 6 years old, whether they are at home, daycare or preschool.
Each project encourages fine motor skills and creativity and provides opportunities for storytelling, conversation and discussion.
Bonding. There’s nothing more rewarding than hearing your child proudly declare, “I made it!”
What are you waiting for? Choose a project, gather the materials, and get started. These moments of creativity, whether you create one sun or a town of tigers, will be the foundation of early learning and happy memories.
Don’t forget to display their artwork proudly. Every colourful creation deserves to be displayed on your fridge or even a gallery wall. ).
