Art projects are an ideal way to keep young children entertained while helping them learn new skills.
From coloring books to painting projects, there are plenty of creative ways to get toddlers excited about learning. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best back-to-school art projects for toddlers.
1. Colorful Collages
A collage is a great way to get a toddler’s creative juices flowing, and it’s also an easy project for even the youngest children.
Gather a few pieces of construction paper in various colors, some glue, and any other materials you want to add such as magazine cutouts or glitter.
Show your students how to arrange the materials into a picture, and then let them go to town to create their own collage.
2. Painting Projects
Painting is another great way to help toddlers express themselves creatively. Try setting up a painting station with washable tempera paints, brushes, and paper.
Let them explore their creative side while learning about colors and textures. If they’re still a bit too young for painting, you can also try using finger paints or watercolors.
When it comes to children’s crafts and art projects, finger painting always seems to be at the top of the list.
3. Play-Dough Creations
Play-dough is a classic art project that toddlers love. Set up some play dough and let your students explore their imagination by creating different shapes, figures, and sculptures.
You can even add googly eyes and other decorations to make the creations come alive.
Creating homemade scented play dough is a great way to entertain a toddler with a sensory-based art activity.
This craft allows children to study their senses while making something fun together. Making scented play dough also encourages creativity, allowing them to form shapes and creatures as they knead the colorful, textured material.
4. Paper Plate Crafts
Paper plates are great for crafting with toddlers because they’re easy to manipulate, and you can use them to create a variety of different projects.
You can turn them into animals, faces, suns, or anything else the toddler can dream up. All you need is some paint, paper, scissors, and glue, and you’re good to go.
As summer approaches, why not bring the spirit of the season indoors with a bright and cheerful paper plate sun craft?
It’s an easy, inexpensive activity you can do with toddlers that will also help them develop their fine motor skills as they carefully glue each of the sun’s “rays” on using yellow pipe cleaners.
5. Clay Creations
Clay is a great medium for toddlers to explore, and it’s also very forgiving if mistakes are made. Let them use their hands to shape the clay into different figures or animals.
Once they’re finished, you can bake the creations in the oven, so they last longer.
6. Tracing Their Hands
Tracing your hand is a fun activity that can be done for fun or for art projects. It only requires a piece of paper and something to draw with, making it easy for people of all ages to do.
With a bit of creativity, tracing a hand can become something quite special!
One popular craft that utilizes tracing your hands is a “Hand Turkey”, which makes use of the wings and feathers from a traced hand to create an imaginative turkey drawing.
Beyond this classic form of handcrafting, creative minds can also do more artistic endeavors, such as drawing “Hand Cats” and “Hand Giraffes”.
7. Making Masterpieces Out Of Pipe Cleaners
Pipe cleaners are a great way to let your students’ imaginations soar and create masterpieces only limited by their own imaginations.
With some basic materials like pipe cleaners, styrofoam packing material, and even beads, kids can make sculptures of anything from animals to castles.
Pick up some glittery pipe cleaners for an extra colorful touch that will really liven things up!
Letting the kids use their creativity significantly boosts their problem-solving skills, motor skills, and concentration.
8. Make Friends Out Of Popsicle Sticks
These crayon popsicle stick friends are an adorable and entertaining craft idea for back-to-school. They’re a great opportunity to get creative as your students design and decorate their own set of whimsical ‘friends’.
All you will need is some colorful crayons and a bundle of popsicle sticks in order to begin the craft project.
Once you have gathered all the necessary materials, you can start with this fun art project by setting up the foundation for each ‘friend’ by taking about 5 or 6 popsicle sticks and gluing them together at one end.
9. A Printable Coloring Sheet
This back-to-school coloring sheet is just the thing to get kids excited about the upcoming school year!
Perfectly suited for preschoolers, this adorable design features images of all sorts of classroom must-haves – from desks to markers and notebooks.
As the children colors in each item, they can name each one and get acquainted with some of the supplies they’ll likely use during their first year of school. It’s a great way to transition into their big day!
10. Pasta Necklace Painting
Painting a pasta necklace is a fun and creative craft project for toddlers to enjoy. All you need are some noodles, paint, and string to create customized jewelry that each little one can make their own.
Gather craft paint, brushes, pasta noodles, and string so that each child can create their own painted necklace. You’ll be amazed at just how creative and imaginative these little pieces of art turn out!
When they have finished stringing these masterpieces together, help them put on their personalized necklace proudly as they show off their individual style.
11. Bookmarks
Back-to-school season is about more than just prepping for classes and getting a new wardrobe- it’s also about celebrating with friends.
With these watercolor bookmarks, you can help them make thoughtful and unique gifts they can share with their peers as they start the school year off right!
This craft is perfect for younger kids who are hoping to express their creativity in a fun and productive activity.
By playing with splashes of color on a bookmark page, they can create one-of-a-kind designs that are inspired by their imaginations.
Watercolor bookmarks will look great hanging out of textbooks and give students something extra special to look forward to when they sit down to do homework. They’ll be reminded of their friends every time they open up their books!
12. Piling Up Paper Tubes
Creative crafts and DIY projects come in many forms and can often be completed with repurposed or recycled materials.
Paper tubes, often seen as the empty casings left over after a print job, are no exception. With a few modifications, these tubes can be taken from waste to wonder in just a few simple steps.
Simply gather some paper tubes of differing lengths and stack them one on top of the other. Glue together the bits that need some extra holding strength, if needed.
Or, give it an extra dash of whimsy by intertwining two or more stacked paper tubes together with ribbon or string for an eye-catching effect! You can also decorate the pieces using tape or paint to make them even more special.
Whatever style you choose, this is an excellent opportunity to unleash your creativity and give these otherwise discarded items a new purpose.
13. Tracing And Painting Their ABCs
This kindergarten art project is a great way to introduce, reinforce, and review the ABCs with little learners.
To begin, fold hearty paper into nine equal squares and encourage children to decorate each square with a different color and/or design using markers, crayons, or paint.
Once complete, use painter’s tape or glue each page together to form a large rectangle shape before they paint the ABCs.
14. Cutting And Pasting Color Wheel Flowers
Cut-and-paste color wheel flowers are an activity that combines art and science to teach kids about the concept of the color wheel.
By creating a flower out of primary colors, and then filling in the petals with secondary colors, students are gained a better understanding of how different hues can be combined to create new shades.
Not only is this a fun and creative way for them to learn about the basics of art, but it also helps develop fine motor skills like cutting and pasting.
15. Making Their Own Robot Puppets
Kids are always awed by the idea of robots, with their advanced technology and mysterious mechanics.
Combining robots and art can be an amazing way to engage youngsters in something fun and creative.
A robot puppet is a great project for young kids – it uses up those last bits of buttons, paper scraps, and colorful stickers while the children learn through imagination, trial and error, and problem-solving.
Final Thoughts
These 15 back-to-school art projects are all great ways to get your class excited about the new school year.
From painting bookmarks and creating colored wheel flowers to making robot puppets, these engaging activities are sure to inspire their creativity while also providing a fun break from homework.
Hi, my name is Helena Waters and I was a teacher for 40 years before retiring last year.
During my time as a teacher I dedicated the majority of it to making classrooms as fun as possible, with educational parties, fun activities, and low cost entertainment that made the children excited about learning.
I taught children of all ages, from preschoolers to high school students. Now, with the pandemic having uprooted everything that children once knew about school and learning, I think that the need for my ideas is bigger than ever.
That is why I created School Sparks, a place in which I can write down and share all of my ideas on how to get students excited about going to school again. I hope that you’ll find some useful within a school setting, even at home too!
