Dump out all the crayons that your child has on the table or area that you usually color at. Enjoy a few minutes of quality coloring with your child taking the time to name each color that you choose as you create your own work of art along with your child.

When it is time to clean up make a game out of saying the color of each crayon that you put back in the crayon box. You may want to say the color in a silly accent or tone of voice to make it a more playful experience for your child. The more giggles you get the longer and more interested your child will be at joining you in naming the colors. She may even want to dump them all out again just to pick them back up and get a few more giggles.

This is great to do when you're cooking dinner and can't leave the kitchen anyway. Simply fill a dishpan full of soapy water for your child to play in and put it down on the kitchen floor. She will love putting her hands in the bubbly water and not to mention spreading it all over the floor. Add some bath toys for added splashes of fun. Clean up is a snap since all that is needed is a dry towel to wipe up the spills. Added bonus, the floor got washed… if only in a three foot square area!

If your child is too young to go out and play in the snow, try bringing the snow in for her. Lay out some towels on the floor. Fill a bucket with snow and then place it on your towels. Let her touch the snow and feel how cold it is. Describe the snow to her as cold, white, wet and so on. Pack the snow into three balls, each on a bit larger than the first. Assemble them on the towels to make a snowman. The snowman can then be decorated as desired with items that are safe for a toddler to handle such as a hat, scarf. Take a picture because this work of art is sure to melt soon being indoors.

Sure this is one of the messiest playtime activities that your preschooler can get into, but let's face it: preschoolers love to get messy! Do this activity in a controlled environment by making sure your child has on clothes that can take a stain or two and is in a place that is easy to clean up afterward. Then sit back and let her go. Her smile will be reward enough that this activity is worth any amount of mess and the work of art that she will create can be hung on a wall to show how her creativity is blossoming.