SHARED By: Max Stadnik, Director of Art at Gymtime, Early Learning Foundations and York Avenue Preschool

As the school year comes to an end, we are busy in the Art Room getting ready for the York Avenue Preschool Pre-K graduation. For the past few years, we have constructed buildings out of construction paper to hang behind the graduates during the ceremony. Each building is as unique as the child who makes it. Together, they make quite a skyline! Looking at tall buildings is part of everyday city living, whether it be a famous building, like the Empire State or our own apartment house. This is an activity that is fun for any preschool-aged child (or older) to do at home.

What You’ll Need:

  • Construction Paper 
  • Masking Tape
  • Glue stick
  • Markers

Make it Monday - Cityscape

What You’ll Do:

  1. Talk to your child about the different kinds of buildings they see everyday as they go about the city, including memorable landmarks and their own apartment building.
  2. Cut the construction paper into large architectural shapes, such as rectangles, squares, triangles for the buildings themselves. I use gray, brown and lavender paper for this. Cut into smaller squares, rectangles, and other interesting shapes for windows. I use contrasting colors for this, including yellow (lights are on in the building) and black (nobody’s home).
  3. Let them choose some larger paper shapes to construct their building by laying them out on the floor. When they are satisfied, tape pieces together. (Remember: anything goes!) Turn piece over.
  4. Now it’s time to add windows. Older children can cut their own creative shapes.  Using a glue stick, adhere windows to the building.
  5. What’s going on in this building? Using markers (washable), your child can draw a doorman or plants in front, bricks, people or pets looking out each window, or even elevators and stairwells with an X-ray approach.
  6. Have a party or make one each day to make your own skyline.