Preschool Crafts With A Polar Bear Theme

Many young children find polar bears to be beautiful creatures, and preschool teachers often help their students to learn more about these animals by planning certain lessons, activities, and crafts. Polar bears are widely recognizable to preschoolers due to their white fur and their habitation of cold climates. Several types of art materials can be used to represent a polar bear's fur, and the following three polar bear preschool crafts allow children the opportunity to work with various white-colored objects:

Preschool children love to find new ways to use food. This craft uses marshmallows and M&M's to create a white polar bear with big eyes. Complete the craft before snack time, then use the leftovers after the craft for a sweet snacktime treat!

Materials needed:

• polar bear template  printed on thick paper (1 per child)
• miniature white marshmallows (enough for each child to decorate his or her bear)
• brown M and Ms (6 per child)
• school glue

Directions:

1) Give each student the materials that are needed to make the polar bear craft. Instruct the preschoolers to glue marshmallows onto their polar bear templates (the entire surface should be covered).

2) When the glue has dried, ask each child to use two M and Ms to make the polar bear's eyes, one M and M to make a nose, and three M and Ms to make a mouth.

This craft will make a terrific classroom decoration or take-home project. The children will learn how to make a three dimensional bear face which gives depth to the room.

Materials needed:

• construction paper printed with polar bear outline (1 per child)
• small white cotton balls (one generous handful per child)
• small black buttons (2 per child)
• medium black buttons (1 per child)
• piece of black yarn (1 per child)
• school glue

Directions:

1) Give the children the materials that they will need to make these polar bear preschool crafts. Show the students how to glue their cotton balls within the printed outline to make "fur".

2) After the glue has dried, ask the preschoolers to make eyes with the two small buttons and a nose with the medium-sized button.

3) Instruct the children to complete their polar bear crafts by gluing on a yarn mouth in the shape of a smile.

Preschoolers love chalk. A polar bear craft in the winter utilizes chalk on felt paper to allow the children to use larger pieces of chalk inside on a cold day. The project will resemble a polar bear face in the cold tundra. Use this project to also teach preschoolers about the polar bear environment.

Materials needed:

• white felt cut into polar bear shape (1 per child)
• black felt cut into small circles (2 per child)
• black felt cut into medium circles (1 per child)
• black markers
• blue construction paper (1 piece per child)
• white chalk
• school glue

Directions:

1) Pass out the materials that are required for this craft. Ask the children to glue their felt polar bear onto the piece of blue construction paper (leave some space at the bottom).

2) Instruct the preschoolers to make faces for their polar bears, using the two small felt circles for eyes, the medium-sized felt circle for a nose, and the black marker to draw a mouth.

3) Ask the children to draw "snow" on their papers with the white chalk. The students can make the bears look like they are sitting in a snowdrift and can add snowflakes in the background.

Polar bear crafts with kids are meant to be fun and interesting. Children learn best through play, and teachers are often impressed by the child who finds a new idea through toys or "fun" projects. The preschoolers will learn about the appearance and habitat of polar bears through these fun crafts. Additionally, the students will enjoy piecing together various crafts to make their own versions of a polar bear. At the end of the bear lesson plan, students will review bears and demonstrate their newfound knowledge.

Photo Credit: RF: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polar_Bear_-_Alaska.jpg

Reference: Author's Own Experience