Creative Activities for Preschoolers

A bored preschooler is a misbehaving preschooler. No matter the weather or the state of family affairs, though, you don't ever have to have a bored child on your hands. Think like a child, and give them lots of stuff to do. Here are a few activities just to get you started.

Become Cookie Artists!

Supplies: chilled store-bought cookie dough, food & dessert decorations, food coloring

Cooking fascinates small children, and though they can't use an oven, they can still bake personalized cookies.

1. Open a couple of packages of pre-made sugar cookie dough.

2. Flour your hands and your preschooler's hands, and start molding that dough like play-doh: roll it, shape it, turn it into giraffes or pretzels. You can blend food coloring in if you like, or mini M&Ms.

To keep the dough from sticking, keep those hands floured and try to keep the dough cool.

3. Decorate finished works of art with colored sugar or candy sprinkles or whatever you like.

4. When you're finished making shapes, put them on a baking sheet and turn them into cookies, following package directions. 2-D objects fare the best, but some 3-D objects, if made solidly, can make it through pretty well. Tall objects will need to be laid on their sides, and will probably flatten. You may have to cook at a slightly cooler temperature for a little longer if you have thick artwork to bake.

5. When the artwork is finished, it can be eaten.

For tougher doughs, try pretzel dough or homemade buttermilk biscuit dough; though not as tasty, the works of art made with these hold together better.

Mad Lib Dressing

Supplies: felt, cardboard, and other colorful flat cuttable material; catalogs and clothes advertisements

1. Using felt, cardboard, or other inexpensive and colorful material, cut out and decorate clothing shapes, flowers, or anything else that strikes your fancy. Get creative: pirate costumes, gorilla suits, dresses, clown suits.

2. Now pull out a catalog or advertising flier with human models. Dress the models up in your new costumes.

3. If you have more than one child, vote on the best costumes, glue together the ones you like, and put them up on the wall to form an art gallery.