• Spider in a webspider and spider web image by Larry Ye from Fotolia.com
  
  Preschoolers watch spiders with interest and often try to catch and hold them. Spider art activities help children learn about these creatures, as well as help develop skills such as fine motor skills, listening and remembering.
  
  Although many people cringe at the sight of a spider, they are helpful because they eat insects. Spider web silk has various useful qualities, although not all spiders spin webs.
  
  

Walking Spider

• Make walking spiders using preschoolers' handprints. You will need two handprints, without the thumbs, cut from construction paper for each child.
  
  By overlapping the palms of the hands, the "spider legs" will stick out to the sides, four legs on each side. Bend all eight of the fingers downward to form eight spider legs. The children may color or sponge-paint their spiders.
  
  Children may tape a string to the top of the spider's back for a leash. The spider will "walk" along the floor as the child pulls it along.
  
  

Spider Wall or Bulletin Board Border

• Spiders will march along a wall or bulletin board with this preschool art activity.
  
  Along a desired length of adding machine tape, preschoolers can press their fingers in an ink pad, and then press firmly onto the paper. Children may use markers to add eyes and legs to their spiders.
  
  

One-Finger Web Painting

• Preschoolers will practice using only one finger to draw spider web lines. Give each child dark construction paper. Display a picture of a spider web.
  
  Children can draw a spider web by dipping one finger into diluted glue. They may dip their fingers into the glue as many times as they need in order to paint their web.
  
  Before the glue dries, help children sprinkle glitter onto the page to make their spider webs glisten.
  
  

Pop-Up Spider

• Perch the pom onto the eraser end of the pencil with a dab of glue. Glue two craft eyes onto the pom.
  
  Place the other end of the pencil into the cup, and push the pencil through the bottom of the cup. Show preschoolers how to move the pencil up and down to make the spider hide in the cup and then pop up.