If you are looking for fun 3D art for kids, these ideas are some favorites to try. Keep these handy along with my list of easy fun art projects, and you’ll never wonder what art to make with the kids again!
Below you’ll find over 20 three-dimensional art activities for children. They’re great projects to try with your preschoolers! Plus, elementary-aged kids will get a kick out of the art ideas too.
When kids make 3D art, magic happens. They get to explore beyond Lego and other 3D building toys, into a whole world of new materials, Children can get messy and expand their creativity in a different way than with 2D art.
3D Art for Kids
These 3D art projects range from crafty to experimental to process-based. And each one is an opportunity for preschoolers to use their imaginations in a way that goes beyond flat paper.
To find out more details about each of the art ideas, click on the individual links. But first, read through all of the activities to choose your favorites. If you’re anything like me, that’s going to be a tough decision!
3D Art Materials
Almost anything goes when it comes to making 3D art with preschoolers. You can literally borrow from nature, dip into whatever art supplies you have on hand, or use most items in your recycle bin. Here are some of the materials I like to have on hand for any impromptu 3d art-making sessions with kids. I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
- Recycled paper towel tubes, milk cartons, cardboard, etc.
- Glue
- Washable paint
- Paint brushes
- Yarn
- Colored paper
- Styrofoam
- Clay
- Pasta
- Popsicle sticks
- Pom poms
- Contact paper
- Chenille stems
- Pony beads
- Googly eyes
- Shells
- Buttons
Fun 3D Art Projects
Let’s kick things off with some super engaging 3D for the kids to get into. As I mentioned earlier, there’s a wide range of art techniques, topics, and materials. So you have a lot to choose from!
Your kids will have a blast getting messy with paper mache, especially when they get to make dinosaur caves with it and keep it as a toy for imaginary play!
African-inspired pasta necklaces can (and will) be taken in any painting direction your kiddos see fit!
This 3d art project is one for the middle of winter, and will give your kids (and you) a chance to experiment with encouraging color mixing icicles to form.
How about some robot art? These magnetic tin can robots are all about open-ended 3d exploration.
The perfect 3d art for kids this summer, these shell sculptures will delight all the kids.
Embrace the mess with this yarn bowl craft – the kids will no doubt love this sensory experience.
Stick people are an adorable and playful way for kids to create 3-dimensionally, and they’ll love playing with their creations afterward.
Wood pieces, glue, and paint are all that is needed for a highly engaging wood sculpture 3D art activity for any aged children.
It’s so much silly fun for kids to make pet rocks – especially when they play with them afterward!
Encourage 3D creativity in winter with these colored ice sculptures. Your kids might not want to go back indoors!
This planets and solar system 3D activity is a whole lot of learning and making rolled into one.
This 3 dimensional apple tree art will allow your kids to explore so many creative skills, and is perfect for adding to an apple lesson plan.
Even More 3D Art for Kids
I promise, I did try to keep this list shorter. But I just couldn’t help myself! Plus, this way you have more 3D art projects to choose from.
Preschoolers will love making these stick wind chimes made with pony beads, chenille stems, and jingly bells.
Collaborative art is so much fun for preschoolers, and they will adore getting to make art with unlikely materials with this pine tree art project.
When styrofoam and crazy straws come together, all sorts of 3d art magic is made!
Kids love rainbows and they’ll have a blast making these 3d paper rainbows. I can see this one going in a lot of different directions after the initial rainbows are made!
Gather up those plastic Easter eggs and let the kids make this super-cool 3D egg sculpture. It’s so much fun!
Break out the craft supplies and let your preschoolers create to their hearts’ content with this Halloween contact paper art.
Mother nature provides the materials for this very open-ended nature mobile project.
You’ll get to see imaginations run wild when you set the kids up with the materials to explore styrofoam 3D art.
Setting up an invitation to play and create is a fabulous way to let the kids engage in 3D art in a very process-focused way.
Cardboard castles big and small are the perfect 3D project for a group of kids, and you get to use recycled materials!
Your kids will get to create their very own 3D scarecrow art in this very fun project for fall!
This Very Hungry Caterpillar necklace is fun for a group of kids – even those of different ages – to string together. And they will look so cute showing it off after they make it!
Which of these 3D art for kids ideas are you going to try? Be sure to pin this post for future reference.
Learn About Process Art
When preschoolers make art, the focus is on letting them explore materials however they want. It’s about providing materials, giving them some direction, and not being too worried if they veer in a completely different direction! They are still benefitting from the creative process. While some will want to follow directions closely, others will get caught up in the act of creating, without a care as to any final product. This is what process art is all about.
So if you find your kids wanting to do something completely different than what you intended with any of these projects, let them go for it and enjoy their enthusiasm.
I’ve set up a free 5-day email series that walks you through process art and how to (easily!) use it with young children. You can sign up below:
If you can’t see the above form, click here to join the process art email series.
Done-for-You Preschool Resources
Planning meaningful lessons for students week after week, all while balancing other teaching responsibilities and a personal life, can be a daunting task. That’s where Preschool Teacher 101 comes in to save you time!
Preschool Teacher 101 is excited to share with you some amazing lesson plans, activity packs, and other resources made specifically for preschool. We offer a wide variety of themes that are frequently used in preschool classrooms as well as some less common (but super interesting) themes. Click on the image below to learn more about our STEM series bundle.
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Originally published: March 1, 2014
Thanks so much for featuring our stick wind chimes!!
Of course! We cannot wait to try them out!
What a super cool topic for a roundup! Thanks so much for sharing our caterpillar necklace!
The kids and I are IN LOVE with that necklace!
Look at all those amazing creations! Wow! Thank you so much for including our yarn bowls.
Those yarn bowls are such a creative piece!!!
Thanks so much for including our Color Mixing Icicles!
My son is so excited to try those out next winter!
Thank you so much for including our Dino Cave Mary Catherine! So many wonderful ideas! 🙂
How could I not? That is on my list for our next dinosaur theme!
Nice Ideas…looks like my kids will love this 3D Art ideas.
Thanks! Let me know if you try any out!
This popped up for me recently… So many fun, artistic ideas! As always, you are amazing at what you do and thank you for including our fun papier-mâché dinosaur play.
I love that dinosaur of yours, Heather!!! 3D art is so fun to try with kids, so I really enjoyed gathering a few new ideas too. 🙂