10 Fun January Crafts for Preschoolers

January is a wonderful month for preschoolers to dive into winter-themed crafts that are fun, easy, and encourage creativity. Here are some simple ideas to keep little hands busy during the cold winter days.

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Snowy, Winter-Themed Crafts for Preschoolers

1. Paper Plate Snowman

• Materials: Paper plates, black and orange construction paper, glue, cotton balls, markers, googly eyes.
• Instructions:
  1. Use two paper plates for the snowman’s body.
  2. Glue cotton balls around the edges of each plate.
  3. Add googly eyes, an orange paper triangle for the nose, and draw a mouth.
  4. Cut out a paper hat and glue it on top. Kids can add scarves or buttons using markers!

2. Cotton Ball Winter Tree

• Materials: Dark blue construction paper, brown paper, cotton balls, glue.
• Instructions:
  1. Cut out a simple tree trunk and branches from brown paper and glue it onto the blue paper.
  2. Let kids glue cotton balls on the branches and around the base for snow.
  3. Add a few cotton balls as “snowflakes” falling around the tree.

3. Snowflake Stamping with Toilet Paper Rolls

• Materials: Toilet paper rolls, white paint, blue construction paper, glitter.
• Instructions:
  1. Flatten the ends of a toilet paper roll to create a “snowflake” shape.
  2. Dip the end in white paint and press onto the paper to make snowflake shapes.
  3. Sprinkle a little glitter on the paint before it dries for a sparkly effect.

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Animal-Themed Winter Crafts

4. Pinecone Bird Feeder

• Materials: Pinecones, peanut butter (or honey for allergies), birdseed, string.
• Instructions:
  1. Spread peanut butter or honey over a pinecone.
  2. Roll the pinecone in birdseed until fully coated.
  3. Tie a piece of string to the top, so you can hang it outside for birds to enjoy.

5. Pom-Pom Penguins

• Materials: Black, white, and orange felt, large black pom-poms, googly eyes, glue.
• Instructions:
  1. Cut a white oval for the penguin’s belly, two black wings, and an orange beak.
  2. Glue the white belly and wings onto the black pom-pom.
  3. Attach googly eyes and the orange beak to complete the penguin’s face.

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Mess-Free Winter Sensory Crafts

6. Snowy Sensory Bags

• Materials: Clear zip-top bags, hair gel, glitter, small foam snowflakes or sequins.
• Instructions:
  1. Fill the bag with hair gel and add a pinch of glitter and foam snowflakes.
  2. Seal the bag and secure with tape.
  3. Kids can press and move the snowflakes around for a sensory experience without mess.

7. Mitten Match-Up

• Materials: Construction paper, scissors, markers, stickers.
• Instructions:
  1. Cut out mitten shapes from colorful paper.
  2. Decorate each mitten pair with matching patterns or stickers.
  3. Kids can play a matching game, finding the pairs based on patterns or colors.

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Easy Winter Décor Crafts

8. Ice Painting

• Materials: Ice cubes, paintbrushes, watercolor paints, white paper.
• Instructions:
  1. Let the ice cubes thaw slightly for kids to hold easily.
  2. Dip the ice in watercolor paint and let kids create beautiful designs on paper.
  3. As the ice melts, it leaves a fun, watery effect on the paper.

9. Bubble Wrap Winter Hats

• Materials: Bubble wrap, paint, construction paper, glue, cotton balls.
• Instructions:
  1. Cut a hat shape out of construction paper.
  2. Use bubble wrap dipped in paint to “stamp” a pattern on the hat.
  3. Glue cotton balls to the bottom edge and top of the hat for extra “fluff.”

10. Salt Snowflakes

• Materials: White glue, salt, blue paper, watercolor paint.
• Instructions:
  1. Use glue to draw a snowflake design on blue paper.
  2. Sprinkle salt over the glue design, shaking off any excess.
  3. Let kids use watercolor paint to gently color the salt, creating a beautiful textured snowflake.

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Each of these projects is great for developing fine motor skills, color recognition, and creativity, making them perfect for January and the winter season!