Skill Building: Gluing Activities for Preschoolers

I have a love-hate relationship with glue sticks. I love them because they are THEE toddler and preschooler friendly alternative to the much stickier option: liquid glue. In this post, I will share a few gluing activities for preschoolers that will help you teach young children how to use this popular art supply without losing your mind.

Read now or Pin for back to school time!

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TOO MUCH GLUE ACTIVITIES

Yes, you read that right.

As a lover of art projects, can there be such a thing?

The answer is “yes”.

Early childhood educators such as child care providers or preschool teachers can lose their mind over puddles of glue or finding a piece of construction paper completely stuck to a table top.

My advice is to choose some simple art activities that your young group will love and that will allow them to learn how to properly use a glue stick.

Don’t even present liquid glue as an adhesion option (sounds so fancy) until much later in the year when you feel like the kids in your crew have a handle on the more kid-friendly supplies.

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IS GLUING A FINE MOTOR SKILL?

Any task that requires the focused use of the smaller muscles in our fingers, hands and wrist can be considered “fine motor”. Kid Sense Child Development provides Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy services to children with developmental challenges, explains fine motor skills in the perfect way:

Fine motor skill efficiency significantly influences the quality of the task outcome as well as the speed of task performance. Efficient fine motor skills require a number of independent skills to work together to appropriately manipulate the object or perform the task.

Kid Sense

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Independent Time With Glue Matters

All of the activities shared below allow children to work independently with the paper and glue. This solitary creative time lends itself to moments within the process-oriented art realm. This simply means there is no cookie-cutter outcome and that all finished projects will look unique from one to another.

Allowing children to work independently with the tools they are provided fosters a “Can Do” attitude and children are so proud of their work.

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Gluing Projects for Preschoolers & Toddlers

Here are a few projects you can try with your group to introduce glue sticks that will lead you down a path of stress free creation time.

COLORFUL PAPER COLLAGE ACTIVITY

Supplies You Will Need:

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• VARIOUS SHAPES OF PRE-CUT CONSTRUCTION PAPER (i used this hand dandy circle cutter!)
• GLUE STICKS (one per child)
• A LARGE PIECE OF PAPER (one per child)

Preparation & How-To:

• Gather your supplies.
• Pre-cut several shapes and bits out of various colors of construction paper and spread them out on the table.
• Give a brief demonstration on how to use a glue stick.
• Pass out the glue sticks.
• Allow the children plenty of time to create! Assist where needed.

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More Paper and Glue Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers

WHO LIVES IN MY HOME?

Supplies You Will Need:

• PRE-CUT SMALL RECTANGLES FROM VARIOUS COLORS OF CONSTRUCTION PAPER OR GRAB THESE PEOPLE CUT OUTS
• PRE-CUT A BASIC HOUSE SHAPE OUT OF CONSTRUCTION PAPER WITH FOLD-ABLE FLAPS FOR EACH CHILD.
• GLUE STICKS (one per child)

Preparation & How-To:

• Gather your supplies.
• Pre-cut a large house shape for each child this is where they will glue their people cut outs or strips of rectangles to represent each person in their family.
• Talk with each child about how many people live in their home. Pass out the appropriate amount of rectangles or people cut outs.
• Give a brief demonstration on how to use a glue stick.
• Pass out the glue sticks.
• Have the kids glue the pieces into their house to create a representation of their household.
• Time permitting, have each child share with the group about who lives in their home.

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EASY SILLY ACCORDION GUY: PAPER CRAFT FOR PRESCHOOLERS

Supplies You Will Need:

• PRE-CUT SMALL SQUARES OUT OF COLORFUL CONSTRUCTION PAPER
• PRE-STRIPS OUT OF COLORFUL CONSTRUCTION PAPER
• GOOGLY EYES
• GLUE STICKS (one per child)

Preparation & How-To:

• Gather your supplies.
• Pre-cut squares and long strips.
• Show the kids how to bend the long strips into according style. (This will be difficult for younger children)
• Give a brief demonstration on how to use a glue stick. This activity requires them to glue one piece to another rather than to a sheet of paper.
• Pass out the glue sticks.
• Encourage the kids to construct silly monsters using the materials provided.

What are the kids learning through these gluing activities?

Through these types of activities in which one common classroom tool, such as the glue stick is featured, kids learn to experiment with the medium and figure out how it will help them create their masterpiece.

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More Gluing Crafts for Kids

I love these “Invitation to Create” projects by Ellen, over at ‘What Can We Do With Paper & Glue’…

Best Glue for Toddlers

I love the purple glue sticks from Elmer’s. Young kids are able to see where they have applied the glue because of the purple color during application. No fear, this purple color will disappear as the glue begins to dry.

HOW LONG DO GLUE STICKS LAST?

A package of glue sticks may only last a week or two if you don’t take the time to teach kids how to use the tools in front of them.

By teaching the kids the skills required to use a glue stick, you are letting them know you believe they are now capable of using this tool correctly.

This type of encouragement can boost a child’s confidence as well as support a sense of ownership over the materials in the classroom.

Young children are much more likely to take care of the materials if they feel as though they have ownership over their supplies. This type of attitude will allow the glue sticks to last for a long time (well…at least long enough for kids to use up the entire stick inside!)

Share in the comments below if you think you’ll be giving this one a try! You can also share on Pinterest or Facebook using the icons at the top of the article!

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Keep all of your curriculum ideas organized with this great play-based planner!

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