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The Keeper of the Memories

Awesome Ideas for Creative Mamas & Little Kids

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    • 50+ Process Art Activities for Kids
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50+ Process Art Activities for Kids

These process art activities for little kids are a wonderful way to encourage creative thinking and problem solving, increase fine motor skills, and of course, provide sensory exploration too. You’re definitely not going to want to miss this list of 50+ Process Art Activities that your little learners are sure to love! Check it out today! 

collage of process art activities with text: 50+ Process Art Activities for Little KidsLittle kids love process art and let’s not forget how important it is for them from a developmental perspective.

Creative thinking and problem solving, increasing fine motor skills, and also providing opportunities for sensory exploration are just a few of the many benefits of process art experiences. 

If you’re a preschool teacher or homeschool mama, especially K-2 or early elementary, then you’re definitely going to want to stick around and explore all of the awesome process art ideas here on The Keeper of the Memories.

By the way, this post may contain affiliate links. which means I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if an item is purchased through one of these links. For more information, see my full disclosures here.  

There’s a lot to choose from. We add process art to just about every one of our preschool themes. And most of these invitation to create activities can be adapted for your little learners of just about any age. 

From toddlers to early elementary, kiddos will love having the opportunity to create and explore with lots of non-conventional supplies.   

I hope that you enjoy using these ideas with your little kids as much as I loved creating them with mine. 

What Is Process Art & Why Is It Important

Do you remember drawing and coloring as a young child? Getting totally wrapped up in the process and not being at all concerned with the end result? 

You enjoyed mixing colors, exploring supplies and experimenting with lots of different techniques.

And then there’s the mess… But you know what? That’s half the fun. 

Back then, you just wanted to create. The end result didn’t really matter all that much to you. 

What’s the Difference Between Process and Product Art? 

That’s exactly what process art is. It’s open-ended and has no definite end product. There are no directions to follow and no example to recreate.

Process art has no end product like most of the preschool crafts that we typically refer to as product art.  

Children thrive on this way of creating! They enjoy using their imaginations, getting messy, and trying new things. Not to mention, it’s a great way to build their confidence.

By now you’re probably wondering why you might want to focus on process art. How does open-ended art benefit children? Why are process-based experiences so important?

Keep reading to learn five of the many reasons why process art is important for kiddos.

5 Reasons Why Process Art Is Important for Little Kids

Inspire Creative Thinking

Preschoolers are inquisitive and thrive on having the opportunity to be creative. Giving little kids opportunities to express themselves as often as possible helps to build confidence and self-awareness.

Encourage Problem-Solving Skills

There are so many reasons why creative thinking and problem-solving skills are important for kiddos. These skills will give your little learners a definite advantage when it comes to learning science, technology, engineering, art and math.  

Provide Sensory Experiences

Your little kids’ development depends on play and getting messy is an important part of that. Kiddos use sensory play to explore the world around them and in the process they get to experiment with new textures and sensations.

Increase Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are one of the single most important skills your little kids will learn. From eating to writing and everything in between, fine motor skills are critical for children. And of course the more we practice, the easier these things get.

Explore New Materials and Mediums

All little kids do things in their own time and on their own terms. What one is ready for another might not be. Talk about a great way for kiddos to explore new materials and mediums! After all, every child is unique.

I seriously can’t wrap my head around how much little kids can learn from just one quick & easy activity. And like I said, that’s just a few of the reasons why process art is so important.

It’s actually kind of crazy when you stop to think about it.

If you haven’t already tried open-ended art experiences with your children, here are a few ideas to get you started. And of course make sure to check out our Tot School & Preschool Themes for Little Kids to get even more ideas for using process art in your homeschool or classroom. You’ll find ideas for all four seasons – spring, summer, fall, and of course winter too! 

Process Art Ideas for Little Kids

All About Me Process Art

  • Learn about X is for X-Ray or even save this X-Ray Process Art for your next human body theme. Such a unique process art experience for preschool learners. 
  • This quick & easy Resist Painting for Kids is a great way to explore lots of important early learning skills. 
  • Learn about the five senses with this quick and easy (and of course tactile too) Five Sense Sand Process Art for Little Kids. 
  • Explore clothes with this Quick & Easy Dot Painting for Kids. We used clothespins and pompoms to make this adorable process art! 

Artist Process Art

  • Learn about Claude Monet with this Monet’s Flowers Invitation to Create Process Art Experience for your next Art Studio Preschool Monthly Theme. 

Baby Animals Process Art

  • Discover baby animals with this too cute paper plate Seahorse Invitation to Create Process Art Experience. 

Beach Process Art

  • Little kids love building sandcastles at the beach and this Sandcastle Preschool Craft is a great way to bring the beach to your homeschool or classroom. 
  • Make a beautiful beach-inspired work of art with this Seashell Preschool Craft.

Bee Process Art

  • This cute Beehive Stamping Art for Preschoolers is a great way to introduce a lesson about bees and honey.
  • Teach preschoolers about pollination with this quick and easy Nectar Painting Flower Craft for Preschoolers.

Birds & Eggs Process Art

  • Give your preschool learners the opportunities to explore bird feet with this Bird Feet Invitation to Create Process Art Experience.
  • Make your very own Quick & Easy Bird Nest Craft and practice creative thinking and problem-solving skills in the process. 
  • Decorate bird eggs with this quick and easy Egg Painting Craft for Preschoolers. 

Bubbles Process Art

  • Amaze your preschoolers and kindergartners while learning about circles with this Bubble Painting Invitation to Create Process Art Experience. 

Bugs & Crawly Things Process Art

  • What could be cooler than making your very own Beehive Preschool Craft? This is a great process art activity to add to your next bugs theme. 

Camping Process Art

  • Get creative with your next preschool camping theme! Try out this Campsite Invitation to Create Process Art Experience with your little learners today! 

Christmas Process Art

  • Make beautiful Christmas themed process art using pinecones with this Pinecone Painting for Kids process art activity.

Community Helpers Process Art

  • Explore engineering with this Robot Invitation to Create Process Art Experience. This activity would be perfect for either a Community Helpers theme or even a career theme. 
  • Learn about doctors and nurses with this Syringe Squirt Art Community Helpers Craft. Your preschoolers and kindergartners are sure to love this adorable medical themed process art activity. 
  • Pretend to be a dancer with this Dancing Paintbrush Process Art for Preschoolers & Kindergartners. This one’s another wonderful activity for your preschool or kindergarten career theme. 
  • Learn to fix things just like other community helpers do with this Robot Tinkering Process Art for Little Kids.

Desert Process Art

  • Create a beautiful desert night painting and learn about nocturnal animals with this Desert Night Cactus Preschool Resist Painting.

Dinosaur Process Art

  • Learn about dinosaur bones with this Dinosaur Skeleton Invitation to Create Process Art Experience for Preschool Paleontologists.
  • Pretend To Be A Paleontologist With This Fun Excavation Dig Invitation to Create Process Art Experience. Your preschoolers and kindergartners are sure to love it! 

Easter Process Art

  • Decorate Easter eggs in a non-traditional way with this Egg Painting Process Art Easter Activity for Preschoolers. 

Fall Process Art

  • Explore autumn with this Changing Leaves Fall Process Art that’s also a wonderful way to introduce stencils to your little learners this fall. 

Friends & Feelings Process Art

  • Celebrate each of your little kids with this I Am Special Invitation to Create Process Art Experience. What a great keepsake for your preschool and kindergarten learners! 

Gardening Process Art

  • Do you have planting flowers on your mind? This Dandelion Invitation to Create Flower Art is a great way to practice important fine motor skills, which means it’s perfect for your next gardening them. 

Health & Fitness Process Art

  • Your little learners will be on a roll with practicing creative thinking and problem-solving skills with this Preschool Fitness Theme Roll Painting Invitation to Create Process Art Experience.

It’s A Small World Process Art

  • If your homeschool or preschool kiddos are learning about waterfalls, check out this Dripping Waterfall Invitation to Create Process Art Experience!
  • This Swirl World Invitation to Create Process Art Experience is perfect for your next around the world preschool or kindergarten theme. 

Me & My Family Process Art

  • Check out this Owl-Inspired Invitation to Create Process Art Experience! We used this cute activity for learning about brothers and sisters. Either way, it’s a great, family-themed process art activity that your little learners are sure to love! 
  • You’re definitely going to want to save this light-hearted and fun Family Tree Invitation to Create Process Art Experience for teaching your homeschool or preschool kiddos about family trees. 
  • This Friendship Preschool Monthly Theme Salt Painting Activity couldn’t be more perfect for your friends and family preschool or kindergarten theme! 

Nature Process Art

  • Make a splash with this fun and engaging Splash Painting Invitation to Create Process Art Experience. Your little kids will want to do it over and over again. 

Nursery Rhymes Process Art

  • This Wire Sculpture Invitation to Create Process Art Experience is a wonderful way to encourage your kiddos to experiment with three-dimensional artwork. 
  • Get creative with nursery rhymes using this quick and easy Pie Invitation to Create Process Art Experience. 
  • This Baked In A Pie Invitation to Create Process Art Experience is a great activity for practicing nursery rhyme favorites as well as counting and early math skills. 

Patriotic Process Art

  • Celebrate all things red, white, and blue with this Patriotic Process Art ball painting activity. It’s quick and easy and best of all lots of fun! 

Pond Process Art

  • Give your preschoolers and kindergartners the opportunity to make their very own pond habitat with this Preschool Pond Theme Pond Life Invitation to Create Process Art Experience. 
  • What preschool pond theme would be complete without learning about replies and amphibians? Check out this awesome Snake Invitation to Create Process Art Experience!
  • Explore submerged pond plants with this Preschool Pond Theme Underwater Paper Plate Craft. 
  • Make your own gorgeous and of course tranquil Peaceful Pond Art for Preschoolers. This activity is quick and easy and the final product is breathtakingly beautiful. 

Rainforest Process Art

  • Learning about the rainforest floor layer is definitely a blast when you make it hands-on with engaging activities like this Lotus Flower Process Art.
  • Teach your preschoolers about the rainforest canopy layer with this fun bubble wrap painting Snakeskin Rainforest Process Art.
  • I can’t even get over how amazing this Rainforest Collage for Kids process art turned out. Check it out! 

Safari Process Art

  • If you’ve ever wanted to talk about migration with your preschool or kindergarten class, then you’re definitely not going to want to miss this Preschool Safari Activities Migration Invitation to Create Process Art Experience. 

Science Process Art

  • This Ice Painting for Little Kids process art is a surefire way to win over your little learners while exploring important physical science concepts such as states of matter. 
  • Ball Painting is a great way to explore physics and this Quick & Easy Ball Painting Activity for Toddlers & Preschoolers is definitely no exception. 
  • Learn about forces and motion with this quick and easy Splatter Painting for Little Kids process art activity. 

Space Process Art

  • This Venus Invitation to Create Process Art Experience is a great space-themed sensory experience for your preschool and kindergarten learners. 
  • Explore Mars with this fun and full of texture Mars Invitation to Create Process Art Experience. 
  • Learn about collage as well as planet earth with this Preschool Space Crafts Earth Collage Invitation to Create Process Art Experience. 
  • Make sparkly galaxy art with this Glitter Space Art for Preschoolers invitation to create process art experience. 

Spring Process Art

  • This rainy windows Spring Process Art activity is a great way to introduce a spring or seasons theme to your preschoolers and kindergartners. 

Summer Process Art

  • Make your own cherry tree using nature items and basic craft supplies with this Summer Process Art activity. 

Superheroes Process Art

  • Learn about superheroes and of course physics with this Blow Painting Process Art for Little Kids. This one’s so much fun! 
  • Explore how to reduce, reuse, and recycle. This Reuse for Painting with Kitchen Utensils Activity is a great conversation starter.  
  • Be a superhero and save the earth! This Earth Collage for Little Kids is a great place to start with discussing how we can save our planet. 

Transportation Process Art

  • Learn about transportation and Native Americans with this adorable Native American Craft for Kids Canoes Invitation to Create Process Art Experience. 

Weather Process Art

  • Make a beautiful rainbow with this Rainbow Sculpture Invitation to Create Process Art Experience.
  • This Cloudy Art Invitation to Create Process Art Experience is a great way to explore clouds while practicing fine motor skills. 
  • Here’s a wonderful process art activity for Exploring Hail with your preschool and kindergarten learners. 
  • Make wind and learn about physics with this quick and easy Wind Painting for Kids.

Winter Process Art

  • Make your own snowstorm using a fun texture painting technique with this Winter Process Art for kids! 
  • Make Icicle Process Art in a fun and unique way with this Icicle Painting for Kids process art activity.
  • This Tree Painting for Kids process art is an excellent way to learn about famous artists, trees, and so much more! 

Woodland Animals Process Art

  • This Hedgehog Invitation to Create Process Art Experience is a bit spiky. Your little learners will have a great time making hedgehogs from toothpicks and paper plates. 
  • Check out this adorable Preschool Tree Art Invitation to Create Process Art Experience! Your little kids will for sure love it! 

Zoo Process Art

  • If you’re putting together letter D activities for your little learners, then you’re definitely doing to want to include this D is for Dolphin Zoo Craft.



Check out these other awesome ideas for little kids! 

  • Check out these fun and engaging no-prep printable Preschool Worksheets. 
  • Find lots of quick and easy no-prep printable Kindergarten Worksheets!
  • This list is full of Free Coloring Pages to practice fine motor skills with your preschool learners. 

Don’t forget to leave a comment and share which preschool skills and themes you’d like to see printables and activities for!

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Hi! My name's Cristi. I'm a preschool teacher turned work-at-home, homeschooling mama to two little kids. I write about creativity & crafts and being a creative mama.

As always, thanks so much for visiting and I hope to see you again soon! Read More…

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