• Crafts for kids provide hours of fun.jagged scissors image by Maxim Pimenov from Fotolia.com
  
  Hands-on projects keep preschoolers busy and stimulated. Crafts with paper-plate components are an inexpensive, simple and creative way to help children hone fine motor skills and develop an appreciation for art. Their masterpieces brighten bulletin boards in the classroom and refrigerator doors at home.
  
  

Pancake

• This craft gives a nod to “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” by Laura Numeroff. You can prepare materials ahead of time for a quick and easy project. Items needed include brown paint or a brown marker, a glue stick, a dessert-sized paper plate, a brown circle (the pancake) small enough to fit in the center of the plate and a yellow square (pat of butter) that is smaller than the pancake. Have the child glue the brown circle in the center of the plate and the yellow square in the middle of the brown circle. An adult can then draw a spiral over the top of the pancake with brown paint (the syrup). Write at the top of the plate, “If you give (child’s name) a pancake, he’ll probably ask for ____.” Ask the child what he would like, and be prepared for some entertaining answers.
  
  

Peek-a-Boo Bunny

• This is an ideal craft for springtime. You will need one paper plate, one piece each of green and pink construction paper, a black marker, glue and scissors. Draw two bunny ears on the pink paper, cut them out and glue them to the top of the plate. Trace the child's hands three times on green paper and cut out the handprints. Glue the handprints to the bottom of the plate (this will be the grass that "hides" the bunny). Draw two eyes above the hands and enjoy playing peek-a-boo with the bunny.
  
  

Wall Organizer

• Preschoolers accumulate a lot of artwork. This project will help contain smaller masterpieces. You will need two paper plates, a hole punch, scissors, yarn and stickers. Cut one paper plate in half and discard one of the halves. Hold the intact plate and the remaining half plate together and punch holes around the rounded edges (through both plates). The holes should be about an inch apart and must line up very closely. A gap will form between the half plate and the whole one--this creates a pocket. Help the child lace the yarn through the holes to bind the plates together. When the lacing is finished, an adult will need to tie the string, keeping the plates together. Let the child decorate with stickers. Punch a hole at the top of the plate and loop a piece of yarn through the hole to hang from a tack, nail or other means of support. Fill the pocket with smaller pieces of artwork to keep projects organized. Note: The paper plates could also be stapled together instead of using yarn, but the project will not look nearly as colorful and an adult will need to work the stapler.
  
  

Animal Mask

• Supplies for this craft include one paper plate, scissors, a hole punch, yarn and crayons or markers. Draw circles where the child's eyes will be on the back of the plate and cut around the outline. The child can then decorate the front of the plate to resemble her favorite animal. Examples include stripes for a tiger or a black nose, pink tongue and a dark circle around one of the eyes for a puppy. Punch a hole on each side of the face and tie the yarn through each hole. Adjust the yarn to fit the child’s head. Consider trimming the bottom half of the paper plate so that it does not cover the child's mouth, allowing him to breathe easily when wearing the mask.