To create a dinosaur mural that involves all of your preschoolers, start with a piece of paper as large as you have room for. This art project on a grand scale gives the children just a taste of how big dinosaurs were. I covered my art table, but you may want to take it outside and use even more space! Draw the outline of a dinosaur with a Sharpie. If you’re not comfortable free-handing, use an overhead projector to transfer an outline you can trace. Provide a variety of painting tools with different textures. I used sponges, combs, texture rollers, brushes, print blocks, and paint brushes in a variety of widths. The children will often use their own fingers and whole hands to paint with as well. To accommodate all the different tools, I poured tempera paint thinly into the lids of plastic containers (sour cream, ice cream, etc.).
Create Your Own Print Blocks
For a great creative art activity in your preschool, consider print-making. You can create these texture print blocks in a matter of minutes. It’s quick and easy!
Take a few wood blocks, about 3 or 4 inches on each side. I used leftover MDF, used for finish trim in our house, but you could use other wood boards as long as they are sanded smooth. MDF is great because it is already smooth. Buy a length of trim from Home Depot, or even better, you can sometimes ask if they have any remnants and they’ll give it to you or sell it to you at a bargain.