Free Preschool Crafts

Preschools can string these heart necklaces quickly and easily, and then present them to Mom for a Valentine’s Day gift.
What You Need: Red or red-and-white striped straw or straw beads; foam hearts; red yarn; hole punch.
How to Make It: If manufactured straw beads are unavailable, adult should precut short lengths of straw as well as punch hole near top of each foam heart. Set out supplies for preschoolers to string as they wish. Help child tie knot to make necklace or bracelet.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with this sweetheart of a dog. The littlest preschoolers may need help with the pipe cleaners and affixing the heart “head,” but remember: Enjoy the process!
What You Need: 1 straw; 2 red pipe cleaners; 1 large pink foam heart; 2 small red foam hearts; red pom pom; 2 googly eyes; glue (foam glue works best); scissors; cellophane tape.
How to Make It: Glue small red hearts overlapping behind large pink heart so it looks like dog ears and a head. Glue pom pom nose and 2 googly eyes. Set aside to dry. Cut straw (adult job) however long you’d like your dog’s body to be (ours is 6 inches). Insert one pipe cleaner through the straw and curl one end for a tail and bend the other end up and then forward for the dog’s neck and head. Cut second pipe cleaner in half (adult job) and twist each over the first pipe cleaner and bend at ends to form feet. Use tape to affix head to pipe cleaner.

Perfect for Valentine’s Day or anytime, this love bug or butterfly heart clip can be used as a chip clip, paper holder and so on. Or you can add a magnet to the back and put it on your fridge!
What You Need: Clothespin; 2 small googly eyes; 4 foam hearts in 2 sizes; half of a pink pipe cleaner; glue (special foam-friendly glue works best on the foam).
How to Make It: Wrap pink pipe cleaner around flat end of clothespin and glue to secure. Glue googly eyes to flat end and let dry. Glue small foam hearts inside large ones and glue both sets point-to-point inside the clothespin (you may need to overlap them a bit).

These cute pom pom monster mascots may bring back memories for moms who grew up in the ’70s and ’80s. Now, kids can make their own little monsters with heart feet and googly eyes.
What You Need: Large pom pom, 2 googly eyes, pink construction paper or cardstock, pencil, glue. (Optional: heart punch.)
How to Make It: Punch or cut out (using classic technique of folding paper and drawing half of heart) heart shape from construction paper that’s slightly larger than the pom pom. Glue googly eyes to pom pom. Glue pom pom to heart with the curved parts forward to they look like feet.

Alec, now 3, got the supplies to make this coaster, trivet or wall hanging at a birthday party. The dough was in a zip-close bag to keep it from drying out. This would be a great affordable activity for preschool, day care or any party, as well as an at-home activity.
What You Need: Purchased or homemade play dough (we love the recipes at www.makeplaydough.com); any size disposable plastic drink cup lid; assorted small rocks and shells (purchased or collect your own.)
How to Make It: Spread play dough into lid. Then, children press rocks and shells into the dough however they’d like. Let dry and pull off the lid. Depending on how “even” the top is, you now have a great coaster or a decorative hanging!