Transitioning between activities is always a challenge for young children. And it’s no wonder considering the number of times they start and stop an activity, clean up, wash hands, eat, go outside and inside and a plethora of other things. Constant changing of an activity can be a trigger for a tantrum or other challenging behaviour in children, especially when they are asked to transition from an activity they like to something they may not like so much. We have got together a few easy to implement and no-mess transition activities that make the changes easier. These are some easy art and craft activities for kids that require a minimum of set-up, adult involvement and clean-up.
What is the Purpose of Transition Activities
Transition activities are calming strategies which can be used during lesson transition to help curb negative behaviour by encouraging self-regulation. Young children are not equipped to cope with disappointment and frustration and are still learning to control their emotions. They often delay, whine, negotiate or have a huge tantrum during a transition because they don’t feel in control and are overwhelmed by their emotions. They also learn rather quickly that such behaviour works well to successfully delay the transition.
Transition activities help in self-regulation as they help children to know what to expect and participate in their daily routine. They also develop an understanding of time and social-emotional skills. These transition activities help children to maintain self-control even when moving away from their favourite activity.
Easy Transition Art Activities for Kids
- Sticker Art
- Shadow Tracing Art
- Tissue Paper Suncatchers
- Playdough Play
- DIY Art Activity Pages
- Building with Clay
- Decorating Pipe Cleaners with Beads
- Collage with Paper Shapes
- Toothpick Sculptures
- Watercolour Resist
- Q-tip Pointillism
- Washi Tape Art
- Simple Painting or Drawing
This is an interesting way to draw pictures! All you have to do is give your child some paper and a variety of stickers and let them loose with their creativity. They will have a blast with the stickers and it will be a distraction as well.
This is a very simple and engrossing art activity for kids. All you need is a sunny spot where they can trace a pattern of light and shadow on paper and paint it.
No special material is required for this transition activity. You can use anything to decorate them and they will look beautiful. You can further embellish them with sequins, feathers or glitter.
Playdough is a great choice for a transition activity as it requires next to no setting or cleaning up, and it is extremely versatile. It’s again something that brings out the innate creativity of kids.
DIY art activity pages are a good way to cultivate kids’ creativity. These can be created without prior preparation, using materials that are already lying around and can be customised to what interests your child. Printable art activities are also available in case you want to make the task even simpler.
Clay can be messy but using Plastilina makes it simple and mess-free. As it doesn’t dry out, it can be used for sculpting activities over and over again.
This simple activity is loved by all kids and they go all out to string beads on pipe cleaners. It doesn’t matter whether they are making a random pattern or creating bracelets especially for friends, it is something that keeps them occupied and in a happy frame of mind.
You can never fail with this extremely simple activity where all you have to do is tear or cut different shapes out of coloured paper and glue it onto a chart paper for a creative and colourful design.
Toothpick sculptures are a great construction activity that is popular with all age groups and has endless possibilities. You can also use grapes along with the toothpicks for a healthy snack while transitioning.
You can use either crayons or oil pastels for this transition activity and children never get tired of doing it. Draw different designs with the crayons or oil pastels and then paint over it with watercolours. It delights children to see the crayon designs come through the watercolours.
For this transition art all you need is liquid watercolours, watercolour paper and Q-tips. The kids can dip the Q-tips in the liquid watercolours and then press it on the paper to create art with dots. They can also use cotton balls for larger dots, mix colours or use markers
Kids love playing with tape and you can let them make designs and patterns with it and see what their creativity brings forth. You can either use larger rolls of masking tape or smaller rolls of washi tape for this transition activity.
One of the simplest art projects for kids, this activity requires absolutely no effort as all you need is some paper and crayons, watercolours or oil pastels. You can just ask the kids to draw or paint anything that they want without any restrictions whatsoever and you will see their creativity blossom.
A large majority of preschool teachers consider that a kid being able to transition by themselves successfully is an essential skill that a child needs to learn before they enter regular school. Using an interesting transition activity makes it simpler for children and can make all the difference between them having a good or a bad day. As a parent or teacher you have to experiment and see what works best for your children to transition successfully at home or at school.
If you want to be prepared at all times with art projects for kids and make your life a lot simpler, keep an art caddy ready and ensure that it’s stocked at all times with art supplies. Keep it at a place that can be easily accessed by kids. It can be truly amazing how creative kids can get when they have access to art materials and independence to be creative with it. For more information on transition art projects and other transition activities, access the EuroKids website for the latest updates.
