Collages make interesting and inexpensive activities--you can find materials for these projects almost anywhere. Feathers, pebbles, pasta shapes and beans are examples of items that are perfectly suited for a daycare art activity collage. One caveat: Toddlers should not make collages with small items that can pose a choking hazard, due to their tendency to put small objects in their mouths. Either use items that are safe for very young children or arrange this activity only for older children.
Finger-painting is a delightful sensory experience for preschool children. Purchase rolls of white butcher paper for this activity; special paper is not required. Finger-paints can be expensive, so make your own low-cost alternative if money is a concern. Unsweetened powdered drink mix, flour, oil and water are all you need for safe homemade finger-paint. To add variety to the artwork, mix glitter, sand and other texturizing ingredients to different pots of paint.
All too often, caregivers focus on the end result of an activity, rather than the process. For preschoolers, art is all about the process, according to Marvin Bartel, Emeritus Professor of Art at Indiana's Goshen College. He recommends providing toddlers and preschoolers with materials that offer high contrast, such as wet white chalk on dark construction paper. Even though the art may not be recognizable, daycare providers can enhance language development by encouraging the child to tell them the story behind their scribbles. If encouraged, children will often tell a story as they move the writing implement on the paper.
It's never too early for toddlers and preschoolers to begin learning the alphabet. Daycare provides the opportunity for children to learn together about alphabet sounds and shapes. One art activity that incorporates the alphabet is an alphabet collage. Give the children cutouts of letters to glue onto paper. Later, when the children talk about their artwork, they may be able to identify some of the letters. Another activity to do with letters is simply to draw large letters paper and have the children decorate them with markers, crayons or glitter glue to become familiar with the letters.
Preschoolers love the wonder of creating instant butterflies, flowers, footballs and other designs with stamps, so provide them with stamps that depict letters, animals, plants, toys, musical instruments or anything else that you find suitable, along with a few ink pads. Show the kids how to use an ink pad appropriately to get a good imprint, then use the stamped artwork to prompt stories or lessons related to the images.