Nutcracker Project for Preschoolers

Use a nutcracker craft for a preschool lesson on the history of the nutcracker or its place in culture. These projects can be implemented at any time of the year, but the nutcracker is often associated with winter months and holidays. Consider creating nutcracker crafts to give as holiday gifts or to decorate the classroom.

  1. Winter Holiday Cards

    • Create holiday cards with a nutcracker theme. Draw an outline of a nutcracker and reproduce so that every preschooler has one. Have them color their nutcracker drawings with crayons and cut them out. After the nutcrackers have been colored and cut out, glue them onto a piece of folded red or green construction paper. Have children write a winter holiday themed message on the front or interior of the card.

    Model Nutcrackers

    • Have preschoolers create a nutcracker out of a paper towel roll and other materials to use as a decoration or a prop in a performance. Paint the paper towel roll to look like a nutcracker. Paint a black stripe around the bottom of the roll to serve as the nutcracker's shoes. Paint blue pants, with a black vertical line to separate the legs. Paint a red upper body to indicate a jacket, a flesh-colored and a red top part to indicate a hat. Paint facial features, including two vertical lines from the mouth to the jacket to indicate a nutcracker. Add cotton ball hair and beard and gold rick-rack to the outfit to complete the nutcracker.

    Nutcracker Puppets

    • Give preschool children paper bags and art supplies to create a nutcracker puppet. Have children paint clothes onto the puppet using paint or cut the clothing out of construction paper. Add real buttons and other material for embellishment. Provide pictures of nutcrackers for the children to reference, but allow them to make their own creations. Draw a face on the nutcracker and use yarn or batting for hair.

    Other Nutcracker Projects for Preschoolers

    • Teach preschool children about the ballet "The Nutcracker" by helping them create finger puppets in the likeness of the characters. Cut the fingers off of knit gloves to create the puppets. Outline a drawing of a nutcracker and reproduce it for children to color. Have the children make masks that look like nutcrackers out of paper bags.

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