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Montessori and Preschool Art Activities: An Overview

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Mondrian artist study Montessori and Preschool Art Activities

Preschool Art Activities: Cutting

Using hands and tools to change the shape of objects, especially paper

Examples:

Tearing Paper

This is exactly what it sounds like: using fingers to tear paper into smaller pieces. This activity seems quite simple but contributes to the development of hand-eye coordination. Tearing paper also helps strengthen the hand muscles in preparation for writing. Remember to offer a container to collect the torn pieces of paper. These pieces are ideal for use in other preschool art activities, such as collage. 

Cutting Strips of Paper

This activity introduces children to the use of scissors. The activity has several stages – first, children cut strips of paper without any printed lines. Later lessons can include paper strips with lines preprinted for children to cut on. Lines that go straight across the strip are easiest to cut. Diagonal or curved lines are a bit more challenging; wavy or zig-zag lines offer the most challenge. Paint swatches from home-improvement stores can be a nice addition to this work – children can also use these like cutting strips.

As with tearing paper, remember to offer some sort of container or procedure for collecting the cut pieces of paper. 

Symmetry Cutting

A sheet of paper is folded in half. The child is invited to cut a shape out of the folded paper, with the instruction that part of the shape must contain the paper’s folded edge. Once the shape is cut out, the child unfolds the paper, revealing a symmetrical shape. The child can cut a shape that is pre-printed on the folded paper, trace an object to create a shape to cut, draw a shape to cut, or cut the folded paper without drawing any shape first.

Pin-Poking (sometimes called “Pin-Punching” or “Perforating”)

Using a sharp tool with a pointed tip, children poke holes around the outline of a shape. These holes perforate the paper, allowing the child to remove the shape from the surrounding paper. Children can draw their own shape to perforate, trace an object or stencil to create a shape to perforate, or perforate a shape pre-printed on paper.

Jumbo push pins can be useful pin-poking tools. Some companies also offer special pin-poking styluses. A heavy felt, cork, or other soft, stiff mat should be placed behind the paper when poking the holes. Montessori Services offers a nice set that includes poking tools and felt mats together.

Preschool Art Activities: Gluing

Using glue to attach one item to another

Examples:

Using a Container of Glue

This activity includes paper, a small container of liquid glue, and small items to glue onto the paper. Some options for the glue container are a small glue bottle with the brush incorporated into the lid, or a small jar of glue accompanied by a paintbrush. For the paper, try using stiff paper like watercolor paper or cardstock.

The exact presentation depends on the particular container being used. The general idea is to use a small amount of glue at a time and to apply the glue with precision. By having all the other necessary materials ready for the activity, the child can focus on the skill of using the glue. This is a great way to repurpose some of those tiny pieces of paper created by the “tearing paper” and “cutting strips of paper” activities!

Montessori and Preschool Art Activities simple gluing seasonal trees
Practice gluing with a simple seasonal trees activity

Using Glue Sticks

This activity is similar to “using a container of glue.” The main difference is that the focus is on using light and consistent pressure to apply the glue stick to the paper, and on only twisting the glue stick to reveal a small amount of glue at a time. 

Collage

Montessori and Preschool Art Activities torn paper collage

Children select a variety of paper shapes, magazine pictures, or other lightweight materials like tissue, feathers, sequins, pieces of string, small scraps of fabric, etc. and use glue to attach their selected items to a piece of paper. Because of the moisture from the glue and the added weight from the attached materials, collage often works best on stiff paper like cardstock or watercolor paper. 

Mosaic

This is a special variation of the collage lesson. In a mosaic, paper shapes (typically squares) are arranged next to one another to create a new image. A mosaic activity will often cover the entire paper with shapes. The child’s mosaic image might be abstract or might represent a nature scene or a particular object, animal, or person.

A more preliminary version of this activity might include a container of pre-cut paper shapes. Adults can cut the shapes by hand or use pre-cut shapes like like these tissue paper squares or circles, or these cardstock squares. A more advanced version might include thin paper strips and scissors to allow the child to cut their own squares. As with other collage activities, because of the added moisture and weight, mosaics often work best on stiff paper. 

Preschool Art Activities: Painting and Printing

Using hands and tools to make marks using paint

Examples:

Easel

Montessori and Preschool Art Activities: painting on the easel

Working on a vertical surface has many benefits for young children. In particular, this activity helps refine the large muscles needed to support the arm and hand for stamina in writing.

Looking for a classroom easel? Here are a few great options:

To reduce mess when using paint at an easel, offer 2-3 paint colors at a time. Only add a small amount of paint to the containers, replenishing as needed.

Concerned about children mixing the paints and turning the paint or project “muddy” brown? Try limiting paint to colors that are adjacent on the color wheel, like blue and green, or orange and yellow. Even if the colors get mixed, the result will remain vibrant and appealing. Adding black or white paint can also add interest, especially following a lesson on shading or tinting.

No space (or budget) for an easel? Try taping a large sheet of paper to a window, door, wall, or fence. Remember to attach something behind the paper, and possibly on the floor, to protect the work space. Large sheets of newspaper work well for this.

Aprons and smocks can be helpful for protecting clothing when using an easel. Check out these apron and smock options on Amazon and Etsy. Adult-size short sleeve button-up shirts worn backwards can serve as cost-effective smocks (though they are not waterproof).

Need some tips on how to make the easel more of an independent activity? Here’s a video of the easel cleanup routine.

Finger Painting

Using fingers and hands, children apply paint directly to paper or another surface. While adults often think of finger painting as an activity for younger children, older students may also appreciate the additional sensory input this activity provides and the opportunity to fill a page with color without worrying about fine details.

Watercolors

In this activity, the child uses a brush to mix water with pigment and then applies the pigment to paper. For a preliminary lesson, try using a “tempera cake” in a small dish for watercolor painting. Using one or two colors at a time helps introduce and isolate the procedure for applying watercolor pigment to paper.

Later lessons might expand to include watercolor palettes with 5-12 colors. Larger sets like this one offer even more choices and sometimes more vibrant colors. Working with a multicolor watercolor palette requires a very clear lesson on using water to rinse the brush between colors.

Since the added moisture often causes regular printer paper to tear or disintegrate, thicker paper works best for watercolor painting. For best results, watercolor paper (like this) is highly recommended. While watercolor paper is slightly more expensive, sheets can be cut into halves or even quarters to reduce waste. Cardstock is another cost-effective alternative.

Crayon Resist

This activity combines crayon with paint (typically watercolors, but you can experiment with other types of paint too). Color with the crayon on the paper – even “scribbles” work well here – and then paint directly over the crayon. The waxy crayon “resists” the paint and will remain visible when painted over. 

Painting/Printing with Objects – Marble, Straw, String, other Found Objects

This activity allows children to explore the properties of various objects and to experiment with printmaking. Because this activity introduces objects that may not typically be used in an art setting, it’s important to give very clear instructions about the expected use of those objects.

Preschool Art Activities: Exploring Color

Learning about color theory; expanding color vocabulary

Montessori and Preschool Art Activities exploring color mixing with play dough

Examples:

Primary and Secondary Colors

This vocabulary adds an interesting dimension to children’s art. Activities that explore this concept might include mixing pre-colored water in a series of containers, mixing small quantities of watercolor or tempera paint on paper, or mixing small amounts of colored dough. 

Color Wheel

Exploring the relationships between colors adds further nuance to children’s artwork. Once children have learned the names for the colors and the distinction between primary and secondary colors, the colors can be arranged on a color wheel using paint or another artistic medium. The color wheel is also interesting to recreate using collage.

Check out this Trillium post for even more ideas about color mixing and rainbows!  

Shading and Tinting

In this activity, the child adds small amounts of black or white paint to a color to darken or lighten the hue. This activity works well with paint at an easel, with paint at a table. Shading and tinting can even be done using other media such as crayons, watercolors, or colored pencils. This activity is a natural bridge to the sensorial area, especially Color Box 3.

Preschool Art Activities: Drawing

Using tools (other than paint) to make marks on paper

Examples:

Crayons

Offer a small dish of crayons with blank paper, demonstrate the procedure for making marks on the paper, and see what children come up with on their own.

For children (and adults) who are used to working with coloring sheets, blank paper may take some getting used to! Remember that art does not need to be “representational” or look like anything in particular. It’s OK for children to simply explore the process of applying color to paper using crayons as a tool. Vary the paper for interest – try textured paper, watercolor paper, colored paper, etc. Cut paper into half or quarter sheets to better fit on a tray and to avoid waste. 

Oil Pastels

Oil pastels are similar to crayons, but more highly pigmented. “Cray-Pas” are a specific brand of oil pastels. Oil pastels also work for “resist” paintings. 

Markers

The lesson here is similar to the one for working with crayons, with markers as the medium. As with crayons, blank paper also works great here – preprinted coloring sheets are not necessary. Remember to give clear instructions for re-capping markers when finished!

Colored Pencils

This lesson is also similar to the ones for working with crayons and markers. Again, blank paper is best for this activity.

Before offering colored pencils, decide on the process for sharpening the pencils when they become dull or broken. Will adults be responsible for sharpening the pencils? Will children do this themselves? If it’s the children’s responsibility, will they use a handheld sharpener over a dish? Over the trash can? An electric sharpener? This can be a great opportunity to practice practical life and fine motor skills. Consider starting with adults taking responsibility for pencil sharpening at first, then gradually introducing necessary skills for children to sharpen pencils independently over time. 

Crayon Rubbing

Place a textured object under a piece of paper, then rub a crayon sideways across the paper to capture the texture of the object. This activity is a great way to repurpose broken crayons. Crayon rubbing also helps strengthen the muscles in the fingers to build stamina for writing. Especially for rubbings, “crayon blocks” make a nice alternative to regular crayons. This activity is great to do with flat items from nature, especially leaves. Pre-textured “rubbing plates” are also available (here’s one example).

Still Life

This is a drawing activity where children are invited to draw what they see. Some ideas for still life are a potted plant, a flower arrangement, or any other interesting object or arrangement of objects. Start with a single object and work up to more complicated groupings. This activity also works outdoors, observing something in nature.

Because children’s drawings will (especially at first) rarely closely resemble the subject being observed, it can be nice to ask them to describe their artwork, write down what they say, and include these notes with the art in some way. It can be very interesting to hear what details about the subject(s) stand out most to the children!

Note: while still life can also be done using paint, children sometimes become frustrated by not being able to produce fine details with a paintbrush. This limitation can be interesting to explore in a lesson about impressionism.

Self Portraits

This activity is similar to still life, where the child is the “subject” being observed. The child observes their own face in a mirror, notices the details in their face, and draws a picture of themselves incorporating these details.

As with still life, it can be nice to record children’s thoughts about their artwork. Which details stood out to them? What did they choose to include in their self-portrait? What’s their favorite part about their own face?

Whether selecting art materials for self portraits, remember to include a range of realistic colors that reflect the eye, hair, and skin tones in your class. Here are some resources for realistic crayons (try these or these), oil pastels, and pencils. Looking for more guidance on supporting and encouraging representation in children’s art? Check out Drawing Differences, a wonderful free online resource. (This material is designed for 8-11 year olds and their grown ups but definitely adaptable for a younger audience. Montessorians will appreciate the focus on observation.)

Creating a Story Book

In this “practical application” of art, a series of drawings combine to tell a story. Length and exact procedure may vary based on age and ability. Children add their own captions or dictate the story to an adult who adds it to the pages. These books make wonderful keepsake items.

Preschool Art Activities: Sculpture

Using hands and tools to make three-dimensional creations

Examples:

Dough art

Montessori and Preschool Art Activities play dough

Modeling dough is fantastic for exploring three-dimensional figures and for strengthening hand muscles. Try using natural/homemade dough when possible. Here’s one good recipe for homemade dough. Commercial “play doh” also works here. Note: many homemade and commercial modeling doughs contain wheat – the Colorations brand offers a popular gluten-free alternative. Try offering a variety of modeling tools for children to experiment with.

Clay

A little more difficult to manipulate than dough, clay is perfect for keepsakes or permanent projects. In most cases, “air dry” clay is best for using with young children (instead of clay that has to be baked or fired). Here’s one good option for air dry clay. Tools for modeling dough often work well with clay, too.

Decide ahead of time where you will place projects to dry, and how you will label whose work is whose. Letter stamps can be useful for adding initials to a project. Pre-cutting clay into small portions saves time when replenishing this activity during work time. As with modeling dough remember to store clay in an air-tight container to prolong its working life. 

Other materials – foil, wood, wire, paper mache, etc.

When selecting materials for sculptures, remember to think through how children will need to attach the materials to one another. Experiment with materials yourself when possible. This allows you to have an idea of what challenges the children may encounter so you can help troubleshoot.

Handwork Activities

Using hands and tools to create practical or decorative items

Examples:

Stringing Beads

Bead stringing is a simple activity with many fine motor benefits. To avoid frustration and save time during work time, consider preparing lengths of string in advance with a knot large enough to prevent beads from sliding off the other end of the string. If bead holes are too large for this, tie a bead to the end of each length of string instead. Beads can also be strung onto other materials like pipe cleaners, thin ribbon, yarn, shoelaces, etc.

Sewing

Sewing is an activity with many practical and artistic applications. For artistic exploration in this medium, consider offering blank embroidery hoops for children to decorate with sewing in whatever way they choose. (Think of a blank embroidery hoop like a blank piece of paper.) Children can also design sewing projects of their own, such as stuffed animals, pillows, or bags. For a more in-depth exploration of sewing with young children and a fantastic book resource, check out this post on the Trillium blog! 

Weaving

Children can weave with paper strips or with fibers on a loom. Woven art made of paper can be laminated and used as placemats. Woven art made of fibers can be used as decorative wall hangings. Small woven creations can be used as ornaments or hung in windows.

Woodworking

Woodworking projects can vary widely depending on the space available, the children in the group, and the comfort level of the adults. These projects can be as simple as nailing small tacks into a stump, or as complex as designing and creating a useful item from scratch, such as a shelf. Montessori Services has a nice collection of woodworking resources for adults looking to begin or extend woodworking projects with young children.

Preschool Art Activities: Art History & Art Appreciation

Lessons that introduce students to key figures, movements, and works in the art world

Examples:

Learning About an Artist

Montessori and Preschool Art Activities art shelf

Select an artist and explore a few of their major works with the children. After exploring some important styles or themes in the artist’s work, children may want to create their own artwork based on that of the artist being studied.

Learning About an Art Movement

Similar to learning about an artist, but focusing on a broader collection of artists working in a similar style during a particular time period. As with an artist unit study, children may want to create their own works of art inspired by the art movement being studied.

Representation in Art History and Art Appreciation

Remember to present artists and art movements from a variety of backgrounds and time periods. When studying art history with young children, it’s easy to unintentionally communicate the message that a handful of well-known European artists are the most important artists to study. Taking the time to research and explore a range of artists and art movements sends the message that all people are capable of creative endeavors and that everyone’s artistic contributions are valuable.

The HOKA program includes an artist study/art history lesson in each month’s curriculum bundle. Check out this page for more information.

The Creative Changemaker Kids Activity Book is another fantastic resource for introducing children to a range of artists and art styles. The projects are somewhat complex for primary age children but most are easy to adapt for younger students.

Preschool Art Activities: Seasonal & Holiday Arts

Art activities that relate to a particular season or holiday

Examples:

Seasonal Art

wet on wet watercolor butterfly Montessori and Preschool Art Activities
Wet on Wet Watercolor Butterfly

Montessori and preschool art activities can be modified to match seasonal changes by swapping out colors or materials. For example, in the winter, include shades of white, light blue, and gray paint at the easel to mirror icy or snowy conditions outdoors. In the spring, a collage activity might include pages cut out of old magazines with flowers and green plants for children to cut and glue along with other loose items.

These modifications don’t need to be complicated. Simple swaps can add a lot of interest to your existing art activities without adding a lot of extra prep work for the adult. 

Holiday Art

Many preschool art activities are easy to modify to reflect holidays celebrated in your community.

Try swapping easel paints, dough colors, collage materials, crayon resist, or beads for bead stringing to reflect popular holiday color combinations, such as shades of green and white during Eid, shades of blue and white during Rosh Hashanah, or shades of red and pink during Valentine’s Day. Tissue paper collage could be adapted to make circular rangoli collages during Diwali or decorated wreaths during Christmas.

Remember to offer holiday activities as individual activities for one child to work on at a time, without pressure for the child’s work to match an adult example.

Holly Earnest
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Holly Earnest is a content writer on the Trillium team. After eight years in the classroom and another 2.5 as a center director, Holly transitioned from full-time campus life to focus on supporting Montessori educators and caring for family. She is AMS-credentialed at the primary level, and enjoys coaching Montessori guides, creating Montessori training materials, and presenting at Montessori conferences.