It’s that time of year again. The holidays are approaching and we start thinking about all the fun crafts we can do with our little ones. Yes, crafts are fun and cute, but as with all activities, be sure to consider what makes crafting meaningful for young children and always consider the purpose of the craft (your learning objectives) before identifying a craft to create. That means thinking about what you want children to learn from the craft experience. For very young children the process of creating a craft is where the learning happens, it is not the end product that matters. If all your craft projects look the same, chances are the craft was more adult directed than necessary and the focus may have been on the product rather than the process. Craft products look different as children grow and their conceptual understanding develops. For example, if you create handprint turkeys and the paper/craft feathers are perfectly aligned, the paint handprint is smudge-less, the two googly eyes are in the right place and symmetrical, and the pompom beak is in the center of the face, think about how much child exploration and process actually happened. What did children learn from that experience? Conversely, if your handprint turkeys are different colors because children were able to choose the paint color (yes, even black!), the handprints look more like smashed pumpkins because the children were able to slap their hands and move them on the paper, the eyes (no eyes or lots of eyes) are at the bottom, sides, middle, or top of the page because that’s where children put them, and the pompom beak and paper/craft feathers are everywhere because the children were able to squeeze the glue and navigate where to put them using the entire canvas then they have likely had a completely different experience. If your learning objectives included fine
motor skill development, exploring different textures, and/or creating a product, which experience do you think the children learned the most from? Even if your learning objectives include following directions, you can provide directions without controlling the craft process or product. For this example, the directions may be something like “keep the glue and materials on the paper”, “first use the crayons/markers, then paint and then the glue” rather than how to assemble the craft. Similarly, we are often tempted to provide young children a model of what a craft product “should” look like. A more effective way is to provide children lots of contextual background knowledge instead. For this example, before doing a handprint turkey craft, have lots of conversations about turkeys (e.g., do turkeys fly? what is a beak?, and what is the wattle and why do turkeys have them?), read lots of stories with turkeys in them, and look at and listen to real turkeys using non-fiction books and video, first. You might even put a picture book or a picture of a turkey in the craft area for inspiration rather than having a completed handprint turkey to replicate.
Now that we understand more about meaningful “crafting” in early childhood, let’s explore how crafts offer a great opportunity to develop early literacy skills.
Crafts provide opportunities for children to engage in meaningful play while reinforcing language and literacy skills. Research shows that young children develop essential pre-literacy skills by engaging in activities like crafting because these experiences help build the neural connections necessary for later reading success (Neuman & Celano, 2020). Here are some examples:
Fine Motor Skills and Writing Readiness: Providing craft activities such as coloring, cutting, picking up small objects, tearing, and pasting help children develop fine motor skills, essential for writing. According to research by Defior and Serrano (2021), fine motor coordination is closely tied to early writing abilities, allowing children to practice holding
pencils and forming letters later on. Simple crafts strengthen children’s hand muscles and improve dexterity.
Example: Color and Shape Collages: Provide children with a variety of shapes and colors to create collages. While they work, ask them to describe what they’re using. Use this opportunity to introduce new vocabulary words (e.g., “triangle,” “rectangle,” “sparkly”). This boosts language development and print awareness as they learn to connect words with objects.
Language Development Through Conversation: Talking with children by describing the materials and process (e.g., “This is red paper. Let’s cut it into a circle.” or “Here is the turkey wattle, remember when we talked about that at circle time?”) introduces and reinforces new vocabulary and encourages language-rich conversations. According to Hoff’s (2021) research, children learn language through interactions that offer exposure to a variety of words and concepts. Crafting is a natural opportunity for these conversations. A 2023 study by Cameron-Faulkner and Harris emphasizes that vocabulary development in early childhood is heavily influenced by caregiver-child interactions during play-based activities, including crafts. Engaging children in conversations about their creations supports vocabulary acquisition, which is crucial for later reading comprehension.
Example: Homemade Storybooks: Guide children in creating their own simple storybooks. They can draw pictures to represent different parts of their story, while adults transcribe the child’s words. This promotes storytelling, vocabulary development, and narrative sequencing.
Storytelling and Narrative Skills: Creating craft activities that involve characters, like storybook animal scenes, encourage children to develop storytelling abilities. As they assemble the pieces, adults can guide them in dictating/narrating stories around their crafts (e.g., “What is the rabbit doing in the forest?”). This kind of narrative practice helps children understand story structure, an important precursor to reading comprehension (Paris & Paris, 2021).
Example: Storytime Puppets: Have children create simple paper-bag puppets or finger puppets, then use them to retell a favorite story. Not only does this develop narrative skills, but it also allows children to practice sequencing and comprehension as they recall the events of the story.
Letter and Sound Recognition: Making an alphabet book or creating letter-shaped collages can directly support early phonological awareness when adults guide conversations about letters and sounds during the activity. This can help children associate letters with their sounds. According to research by Lonigan et al. (2022), these early phonological skills are strong predictors of later reading success. Research by Whitehurst (2022) suggests that children who engage in print-rich environments, where they see words and letters in context, develop better print awareness. Crafting with letters or labeling their work with words can support this skill.
Example: Paper Plate Alphabet Pizzas: Use paper plates as a “pizza” base and cut out different “toppings” in the shape of letters. Children can place the letter toppings on the pizza and identify the sounds each letter makes. This fun, tactile activity reinforces letter recognition and phonological awareness.
Resources
- Zero to Three
Offers practical tips on early childhood development, including activities and ideas for promoting literacy through play and crafts. - PBS Kids for Parents
A resource for finding age-appropriate craft ideas that are educational and language-rich. - Reading Rockets
Provides research-based strategies, activities, and resources for early literacy development, with a focus on engaging parents and caregivers in hands-on learning.
Crafts offer a fun and engaging way to foster young children’s early literacy skills By combining hands-on activities with rich language experiences, caregivers support young children to build the foundational skills needed for future reading and writing success. Whether it’s storytelling, vocabulary development, or fine motor practice, being creative can play a significant role in a child’s literacy journey.
References
- Cameron-Faulkner, T., & Harris, M. (2023). The role of caregiver-child interaction in vocabulary growth. Early Childhood Research Quarterly.
- Defior, S., & Serrano, F. (2021). Fine motor skills and their relationship to early writing development in preschoolers. Journal of Educational Psychology.
- Hoff, E. (2021). Language development in early childhood: The importance of interaction. Developmental Review.
- Johnson, S., Martin, T., & Lewis, P. (2021). Parental engagement and early literacy outcomes: A longitudinal study. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy.
- Lonigan, C. J., et al. (2022). Phonological awareness and early literacy development: Insights from recent studies. Child Development Perspectives.
- Neuman, S. B., & Celano, D. (2020). Building the foundation for early literacy: What the research says. Reading Research Quarterly.
- Paris, A. H., & Paris, S. G. (2021). Narrative development in young children: Storytelling, comprehension, and literacy. Early Childhood Education Journal.
- Whitehurst, G. (2022). Early literacy and print awareness: Impacts of print-rich environments. The Reading Teacher.
Lynne Hall is a research associate at the Indiana Institute on Disability & Community’s Early Childhood Center. She holds a Master of Science in Education and an Indiana instructional teaching license (Early Childhood Education and Services; Elementary/Primary Generalist; Elementary/Intermediate Generalist). She formerly taught preschool in a variety of settings for over 15 years. Her expertise includes early literacy instruction, equity in early childhood education and inclusive classroom practices. Email her at hallma@iu.edu
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