How to Build a House as a Preschool Activity

Building a construction-paper house

Preschool activities have to be both simple in their execution and sophisticated in their teaching opportunities. The ideal craft develops fine motor skills, reinforces children's understanding of shapes and colors and enables them to see everyday objects in new ways. Building a house out of constructin-paper shapes is a perfect example of an entertaining but effective learning tool for preschoolers.

Things You'll Need

• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue stick

Instructions

1. Cut various shapes out of different colors of construction paper. One large square will form the building itself. Cut the roof in the shape of a triangle. Cut long rectangles for doors and shorter ones for windows. Repeat, using different colors so that there are enough shapes for buildings, doors, roofs and windows for every child.

2. Give each child a piece of blue construction paper, on which she will glue the building and its parts. Position the square for the building, and add the triangle for the roof. Glue both in place.

3. Let the children choose the other shapes to decorate their houses. Have them glue the doors and windows in place.

4. Cut out a variety of small shapes such as circles, triangles and rectangles. Use small rectangles for shingles on the roof or a brick fence around the house. Small circles can be doorknobs. Landscape the houses with pine trees made of green triangles. Use a yellow circle for the sun or white circles for clouds.

References

• Esl Teachers Board: 3 Great Preschool "Roof Over Your Head" Activities

Resources

• A To Z Kids Stuff: Homes