Looking for something to keep preschoolers busy? Shapes, Sizes & More Surprises by Mary Tomczyk is one of my favorite craft and art books for preschoolers. Each of the more than sixty projects comes with directions and a list of needed supplies. Most of the activities only require basic household items. The activities are educational. Preschoolers will learn about numbers, letters, shapes, and colors but in a fun, exploring kind of way. The activities also include any safety concerns and precautions the adult needs to be aware of. My favorite part of the projects are the “More Surprises” sections where the activities are enhanced or taken further. Sometimes the surprise is a completely different activity but one that uses the same supplies you already have out. A “Helping Hands” section is also included that explains how children learn, how to engage multiple senses, and how to increase visual, auditory, and motor skills.
I also like that these projects aren’t the same old things you’ve seen at preschools over and over again. In “Finger Food Fun” the child is asked to make a square with pretzels or breakfast cereal, or to spell their name in carrot sticks or raisins. The “More Suprises” for that page has children guessing what each food is by touch alone, or by smell alone.
The activities aren’t all crafts either. My boys loved crafts, but they also liked to move and play. Tomczyk includes finger plays, jumping games, making faces in a mirror, scavenger hunts, games for balls, and things to stack.
The Index has projects divided into the early learning skills of shape and color recognition, counting, fine and gross motor skills, letter and number recognition, memory building, and many others. This is a great book for parents or teachers of young children. The projects will keep those preschoolers happy and busy for a long time.
More Projects for Preschoolers:
Paper Bag Fish Preschool Craft
Cereal Necklaces
Easy Paint Projects for Preschoolers