18 May Crafts for Preschoolers (Easy Ideas)

Start here: three May crafts that always work

Stamped circle caterpillarStamp circles in a row, a three does itSponge stamped ladybugA sponge and red paint, a ladybug in minutesSalt dough handprint keepsakeThe Mother's Day gift that gets kept

18 May crafts for preschoolers, with pictures

1. Coffee filter butterfly

The child colours a coffee filter with markers, sprays it with water, then pinches it in a clothespin or pipe cleaner body.

Fits May: Spring and Summer.

Easy for 3sProcess art

You need: 1 round coffee filter, pink, blue, purple and yellow washable marker, water spray bottle, 1 wooden clothespin, 2 small googly eyes, 1 black pipe cleaner piece, glue

How to make it

1. Your child scribbles all over the filter with all 4 colors.
2. Spray it with water so the colors bleed together. Leave it to dry.
3. You gather the filter in the middle and pinch it in the clothespin so it spreads into two wings.
4. Glue 2 eyes near the top of the clothespin. Bend the pipe cleaner into a V and clip it in the top.

2. Coffee filter flowers

The child colours filters, wets them so the colours bleed, then scrunches them onto a pipe cleaner stem.

Fits May: Spring and Mother's Day.

Easy for 3sProcess art

You need: 3 round white coffee filters, washable markers, spray bottle of water, 3 green pipe cleaners, clear tape

How to make it

1. Your child scribbles each filter with markers.
2. Spray with water so the colours bleed. Let them dry.
3. Pinch each filter in the middle and scrunch it into a ruffled flower.
4. Twist a green pipe cleaner around the pinched point as a stem, and hold it with a little clear tape.

3. Egg carton flowers

The child paints cut-out egg carton cups in bright colours and attaches them to straw or pipe cleaner stems to make a bouquet.

Fits May: Spring and Mother's Day.

Build it

You need: egg carton cups, paint, flat buttons, green pipe cleaners, glue

How to make it

1. You cut the cups apart. Your child paints them inside and out. Let them dry.
2. Glue 1 button flat in the bottom of each cup as the centre.
3. Make a hole in the bottom of each cup and push a green pipe cleaner through. Bend it over as a stem.

4. Paper plate bird nest

The child paints or dots half a paper plate brown as a nest and glues little paper birds or eggs peeking over the rim.

Fits May: Spring and Easter.

Paint and glue

You need: half of a white paper plate, brown paint, short strips of brown shredded paper, light blue paper ovals, glue

How to make it

1. You cut the plate in half. Your child paints one half brown. Let it dry.
2. Lay it with the straight edge at the top and the curve at the bottom.
3. Glue the 3 blue ovals behind the straight edge so the top half of each egg shows.
4. Glue about 10 short brown strips along the straight edge and across the front as twigs.

5. Paper plate ladybug

The child paints a paper plate red, dots on black spots, and adds a black head, legs and googly eyes.

Fits May: Spring and Summer.

Paint and glue

You need: 1 white paper plate, red and black poster paint, black paper, 2 googly eyes, glue

How to make it

1. Your child paints the plate red. Let it dry.
2. Paint one black line down the middle from top to bottom.
3. Dot black spots on each side of the line. Let it dry.
4. You cut a black half circle and glue it at the top edge as the head. Glue the 2 googly eyes on it.
5. Cut 6 black strips and glue 3 under the rim on each side as legs.

6. Salt dough handprint keepsake

The child presses a hand into salt dough, which is dried and painted.

Fits May: Christmas and Mother's Day.

Handprint

You need: salt dough, rolling pin, round cutter or cup, paint of choice, paintbrush

How to make it

1. Roll the salt dough out thick and cut a round disc about as wide as a saucer.
2. Your child presses one open hand into the middle, fingers spread, then you lift it away.
3. Let the disc dry hard, for a day or two.
4. Paint the inside of the handprint.

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7. Stamped circle caterpillar

The child stamps a row of green circles with a sponge, pom pom or potato masher and one red circle for the head.

Fits May: Spring and Bug and insect.

Easy for 3sStamping

You need: white paper, round sponge, green and red paint, black marker

How to make it

1. Your child dips the sponge in green paint and stamps circles in a row across the paper, each touching the next.
2. Stamp one red circle at one end as the head.
3. Let it dry.
4. Draw 2 dot eyes and a small smile on the red circle, and 2 short antenna lines above it.

8. Painted rock paperweight

The child paints a smooth stone with paint pens or acrylics as a 'my mom rocks' gift.

Fits May: Mother's Day and Father's Day.

Paint and glue

You need: 1 smooth oval rock, paint of choice, white paint, clear glossy sealer

How to make it

1. Wash and dry the rock. Your child paints thick stripes side by side on top.
2. Let the stripes dry.
3. Your child dabs white dots on top with a fingertip.
4. Let it dry, then you brush on the sealer so the rock shines.

9. Toilet paper roll bee

The child paints a cardboard tube yellow, adds black stripes, paper wings, eyes and pipe cleaner antennae.

Fits May: Spring and Summer.

Build it

You need: 1 toilet paper roll, yellow and black paint, white paper, 2 googly eyes, 1 black pipe cleaner, black marker, glue

How to make it

1. Your child paints the roll yellow. When dry, paint or glue 3 black stripes around the lower part.
2. You cut out 2 white wings. Glue them on the back so one wing sticks out on each side.
3. Glue 2 eyes near the top and draw a smile under them.
4. Cut the pipe cleaner into 2 short pieces and glue them inside the top rim as antennae.

10. Toilet roll butterfly

The child paints a tube for the body and glues on paper or coloured coffee filter wings and pipe cleaner antennae.

Fits May: Spring and Toilet paper roll.

Paint and glue

You need: 1 toilet paper roll, blue paint, orange construction paper, purple paint, 2 googly eyes, 2 short yellow pipe cleaner pieces, glue

How to make it

1. Your child paints the roll blue. Let it dry.
2. You cut one pair of rounded wings from the orange paper and glue it behind the roll so a wing shows on each side.
3. Your child dabs purple dots on each wing with a fingertip.
4. Glue 2 eyes near the top and the 2 yellow antennae inside the top edge.

11. Egg carton caterpillar

The child paints a strip of egg carton cups, then pokes in pipe cleaner antennae and adds eyes.

Fits May: Spring and Earth Day.

Build it

You need: 1 strip of 5 joined egg carton cups, green paint, 2 googly eyes, 2 short red pipe cleaner pieces, glue

How to make it

1. Turn the strip upside down so the cups make bumps in a row.
2. Your child paints it green all over. Let it dry.
3. Glue 2 eyes on the front of the first cup.
4. Make 2 holes in the top of the first cup and poke the red pipe cleaners through as antennae.

12. Fingerprint heart card

The child presses two fingerprints at an angle to make little hearts across the front of a card.

Fits May: Mother's Day and Valentine's Day.

You need: 1 piece of white cardstock folded as a card, red washable paint, pink washable paint

How to make it

1. Fold the cardstock in half and lay it closed with the front facing up.
2. Dab your child's fingertip in paint and press it on the card at an angle. Press a second print next to it so the two meet at the bottom in a V. That is one heart.
3. Make more hearts in red and pink, leaving white sapce between them.
4. Let the paint dry before opening the card.

13. Handprint bee

A yellow handprint or traced hand gets black stripes, wings and a smile to become a bee. You can write a 'sweet as can bee' message and turn it into a present.

Fits May: Spring and Mother's Day.

Handprint

You need: light blue paper, yellow paint, black marker, 2 white paper ovals, 2 googly eyes, glue

How to make it

1. Paint your child's hand yellow and press it in the middle of the blue sheet, fingers pointing down.
2. When dry, draw one black stripe across each of the 4 fingers.
3. You cut 2 white ovals. Glue one on each side of the palm as wings.
4. Glue 2 eyes on the palm, draw a smile under them and 2 short antennae above.

14. Paper plate frog

The child paints a paper plate green and adds big eyes, a curled red paper tongue and handprint feet.

Fits May: Paper plate and Handprint.

Paint and glue

You need: 1 white paper plate, green paint, green paper, red paper, 2 large googly eyes, black marker, glue

How to make it

1. Your child paints the plate green. Let it dry.
2. You cut 2 green circles. Glue them to the top rim, sticking up, with a googly eye on each.
3. Draw a wide smile with the marker. Cut a red strip, curl the end and glue it below the smile as a tongue.
4. Cut 2 green feet with 3 rounded toes each and glue them under the bottom rim.

15. Toilet paper roll frog

The child paints a tube green and adds eyes on top, a mouth and folded paper legs.

Fits May: Toilet paper roll and Frog.

Build it

You need: 1 toilet paper roll, green paint, green paper, 2 googly eyes, black marker, glue

How to make it

1. Your child paints the roll green. Stand it upright to dry.
2. You cut 2 small green circles. Glue them on the front at the top, half above the rim, with a googly eye on each.
3. Draw a wide smile with the marker.
4. Cut 2 green strips, fold them like an accordion and glue one on each side at the bottom as legs.

16. Craft stick photo frame

The child glues four craft sticks into a square, decorates it and backs it with a family photo or drawing.

Fits May: Christmas and Mother's Day.

Build it

You need: 4 jumbo craft sticks, markers, foam heart stickers, 1 square of white paper with a drawing, glue

How to make it

1. Your child colours the sticks with markers.
2. Glue the 4 sticks into a square with the ends overlapping at the corners.
3. Stick hearts on the sticks.
4. Glue the white square with the drawing behind the frame.

17. Fork stamped tulips

The child dips the back of a fork in paint and presses it on paper to print tulip heads, then paints or draws stems and leaves.

Fits May: Mother's Day and Flower.

Easy for 3sStamping

You need: red, pink and yellow poster paint, 1 small plastic fork, white cardstock, 1 green marker, paper plate for the paint

How to make it

1. Dip the back of the fork in paint and press it on the upper half of the cardstock, leaving a small tulip head.
2. Wash the fork and press more tulips in other colors in the same row.
3. Your child draws a long green stem from each tulip down to the bottom of the page.
4. Add a leaf on each stem.

18. Sponge stamped ladybug

The child stamps a red circle with a round sponge, then adds spots with a cotton swab and a head and legs with marker.

Fits May: Bug and insect and Ladybug.

Easy for 3sStamping

You need: 1 round sponge, red poster paint, black poster paint, cotton swab, black marker, 2 small googly eyes, white paper

How to make it

1. Dip the sponge in red paint and press it once in the middle of the paper as the body. Let it dry.
2. Your child dots black spots on the red with a cotton swab dipped in black paint.
3. Draw and fill in a black half circle head at the top with the marker.
4. Draw 3 short legs on each side.
5. Stick the 2 googly eyes on the head.

Nothing matches that filter. Clear it and try again.

Easy may crafts for preschoolers: the 5 a young three can do

These 5 need no exact cutting and no small pieces, so a young three can do most of it alone: Coffee filter butterfly, Coffee filter flowers, Stamped circle caterpillar, Fork stamped tulips, Sponge stamped ladybug.

Gifts, bugs and flowers with a 3 year old in May

For Mother's Day, the salt dough handprint keepsake, the painted rock paperweight and the craft stick photo frame are the three that last. Make the salt dough a few days ahead, it needs time to dry before painting.

The stamped circle caterpillar and the sponge stamped ladybug are the low-prep ones. One sponge or pom pom, one plate of paint, and a three year old does the stamping alone. You add the legs with a marker.

The egg carton flowers and the egg carton caterpillar need an adult to cut the carton. After that, a four year old paints the cups and pokes in the pipe cleaner stems or antennae.

The coffee filter flowers and the fork stamped tulips make a bouquet for a teacher at the end of the year. Tie the stems with a ribbon and let your child carry them in.

What you need for May crafts

Most of these use the same handful of supplies: glue, googly eye, black marker, white paper, toilet paper roll, green paint, green pipe cleaner, white paper plate. Everything else is named on the craft it belongs to.

More crafts for preschoolers

• Spring crafts for preschoolers
• Bug and insect crafts for preschoolers
• Mother's Day crafts for preschoolers
• April crafts for preschoolers
• Crafts for 3 year olds
• Crafts for 4 year olds
• Recycling crafts for preschoolers
• Summer crafts for preschoolers
• All crafts for preschoolers, by theme, holiday and letter

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