This fall, our kids will be moving into preschool for the first time and we are all very excited about it! In preparation for some of the things they’ll do and learn there, we’ve been taking the time to make extra crafts and DIY projects with them because we like the idea of them already understanding certain concepts and skills when they arrive, which will let them concentrate on listening and having fun. That’s why we’ve always go our eyes peeled for awesome new preschool craft ideas that we might not have tried with them before!
1. DIY mason jar aquariums
Have your kids, like most, recently entered a phase where they’re completely obsessed with the ocean and all of its creatures? For our older child, this phase was sparked by a visit to the aquarium. For our younger kid, The Little Mermaid was what did it. No matter the reason, we’d definitely suggest this simple, kid-friendly aquarium craft that involves filling a glass jar with all the plants, rocks, and creatures your kids might think live under the sea! Get some suggestions and instructions from ,.
2. Paper plate and bead snails
Paper plate crafts are such a classic in the DIY world and the world of preschool crafts that we even remember making them when we were little kids! We’re particularly fond of this cute paper plate snail idea from not just because little kids tend to adore snails, but also because adding the beads in a careful spiral helps with hand eye coordination.
3. Glowing lanterns from plastic cups
Are your kids turning into the kinds of miniature scientists who always prefer a craft if it has some kind of working or unconventional element to it? Ours are obsessed with “science experiment” style crafts lately as well. These awesome DIY lanterns featured on , which are easy to put together and decorate and are made from plastic cups, were a huge hit in our house!
4. Decorated DIY paper spinners
If you’ve never made, or at least played with, a spinner then we are very sorry to tell you that you are missing out on something very fun indeed! We used to make these as kids as well and then spin them until they practically fell apart. has a nice, simple set of instructions to help you make teaching the process to your kids as hassle free and fun as possible.
5. DIY paper kite
When we were kids, we simply adored flying kites. We don’t currently own one now, but we still wanted to introduce our kids to the concept of flying kites and getting them up in the air, so we found a way to make that happen using our DIY skills! This awesome tutorial from shows you how to make one of your own from paper wooden dowels, and ribbon. Yet, it’ll actually fly!
6. DIY yarn dream catchers
Have your kids recently learned about the history and cultural significance of dream catchers from one of their favourite books and now they want to pay homage to that, like kids so often do when it comes to using their crafting skills? Then we have a feeling you’ll get along very well indeed with this lovely dream catcher tutorial from that will also teach them a little bit about yarn weaving and pom pom making!
7. Cupcake liner, popsicle stick, and button flowers
Perhaps you’re still working on the basic crafting skills like cutting and gluing but you’ve have enough “crafternoons” by now to know that your kids enjoy all of that most when they get to work with more than one kind of material at once? In that case, we think you simply must take a look at how made these lovely crafted flowers using popsicle sticks, paper, buttons, cotton balls, and cupcake liners.
8. Glow in the dark paper bowl and yarn jellyfish
Like ours, do your kids get beyond excited when they get to see or interact with things that glow in the dark? In that case, we have a feeling they’ll get along quite well indeed with this fantastic craft from that results in awesome, textured paper bowl and yarn yellow fish that, thanks to a particular kind of paint, actually glow in the dark!
9. DIY nature bugs
In our house, when the kids aren’t crafting, they can almost always be found playing outside in the yard or down the street at the park. They’re huge fans of taking long walks and exploring the woods and there isn’t a bug out there that scares them. That’s why we thought this awesome leaf and twig bug craft that specifically recommends for preschoolers was such a good idea!
10. DIY jar lid and popsicle stick banjos
Maybe your little ones are already starting to show signs of musical talent, or at least a love for music, and you’re looking for simple, kid-friendly ways to start introducing them to the idea of playing instruments? Then we have a feeling these awesome little jar lid, popsicle stick, and elastic band guitars that actually make a fun twanging noise when you pluck the strings will be right up your alley. See how they’re done in more detail on !
11. DIY fairy jar
Did we really catch your attention when we started talking about creating awesome, kid-friendly scenes inside emptied glass mason jars but you’re just not sure that your kids are ready for the aquarium idea yet because they’re not very familiar with the sea and its wildlife? In that case, maybe you’d all have a better time making these glowing fairy jars together! shows you how they created these ones and suggests using them as a calm down tool as well. Give the jar a shake and have a quiet moment until the glitter settles!
12. DIY thumbprint leaves family tree
Have your kids been slowly starting to learn about family dynamics and the different relationships in their homes? Then maybe they’ll get a kick out of the way suggests creating a thumbprint leaf family tree! Whether you draw the tree or they do is up to you, but they’ll certainly love stamping their thumb to create the leaves and you can help each other list all of their different aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on to help them understand which title applies to who in their home network and why.
13. DIY story stones
If there’s one kind of nature based craft that our kids adore more than just about anything at all, it’s rock painting! Whether they’re following a theme to turn their rocks into something specific or just getting created with colours on an unconventional surface, they have a blast ever time. That’s why we loved this story rocks idea from so much! They suggest painting specific images on the rocks, like animals, plants, and people, and then using those stones as visual prompts to make up stories together.
14. DIY jumbo polka dot slime
Just like almost every other kid in the world right now, are your kids completely obsessed with the whole slime trend that has taken over the play and crafting worlds in the last few years? Ours have too, but we feel like we’ve already made just about every kind of slime that’s possible with them. Imagine our excitement, then, when we came across this tutorial from for making jumbo polka dot slime! It’s definitely one of the more unique ones we’ve tried.
15. DIY rainbow bubble snakes
Just in case your kids are the kind of preschoolers who love being hands-on whenever possible and will take just about any opportunity they can to make a mess, here’s an idea from that’s perfect for doing on a sunny day in the backyard where they won’t track colourful paint and soap all over your house! Take a better look at their tutorial to see how these rainbow bubble snakes are done.
Have you done other kinds of awesomely unique crafts and DIY projects with your little ones that were a huge hit but that you don’t see here on our list? Tell us all about what you did and how or link us to photos of your finished work in the comments section!
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