10 Awesome Community Helpers Preschool Crafts

| Last Updated: December 16, 2022

Communities function well because of dedicated people that take their jobs seriously. Community helpers are vital in keeping our neighborhood a good place to live. These people’s jobs contribute to everyone’s safety, health, and well-being. 

Allow children to explore the importance of the roles of these community helpers through these ten awesome preschool crafts.

Vocabulary | Fine Motor | Art

1. Community Helper Paper Craft

Photo credit: messylittlemonster.com

Children can explore four different helper jobs that they might find interesting. These are a doctor, a nurse, a firefighter, and the police. Let them figure out their preferred job among the four and use their picture to make it personalized. 

This craft will teach children new words to improve their vocabulary. As they color the community helpers, they will have the chance to practice their fine motor skills. Older children may also cut out the pieces themselves. 

Download and print the community helper template from the site. Use white cardstock instead of regular copy paper. The cardstock will be able to withstand the ink from the marker without breaking. 

Let children color these before cutting them out. Once finished, glue the parts together and add the googly eyes. 

To personalize, ask the children about their preferred community helper. Instead of the printed head, use the child’s photo as an alternative. Carefully cut out the child’s photo and assemble the pieces. 

For this activity, you will need: 

  • Printed community helpers template
  • Googly eyes
  • Markers
  • Cardstock 
  • Child’s photo
  • Scissors 
  • Glue 

For more information on this activity, go to MessyLittleMonster.com.

Hand-muscle Strength | Fine Motor | Play Pretend

2. Community Helper Paper Bag Puppets

These puppets are fantastic for circle time, in pretend play areas, or as props for retelling stories. The site recommends using these puppets to go with the book “Whose Hands are These?” by Miranda Paul

This craft will challenge children’s cutting skills. No templates are provided for each community helper, but the pieces can easily be made by referring to the pictures on the site. 

As the children open and close their hands when playing with these puppets, their hand muscles will become stronger and more coordinated. 

Use different colors of construction paper to cut out the pieces needed for this craft. Cut out different sizes of rectangles for the body, legs, and arms. Cut out circles and half circles in different colors for the arms and feet. 

Cut a bigger half-circle for the hat. Once all the pieces are complete, assemble the craft by gluing them on the paper bag. Attach the googly eyes and use the marker to add details, such as the mouth and buttons. 

For this activity, you will need: 

  • Small brown paper bag 
  • Construction paper 
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Markers 
  • Googly eyes

For more information on this activity, go to FantasticFunAndLearning.com.

Sensory Motor | Creativity | Fine Motor

3. High Five to Community Helpers

Photo credit: supersimple.com

This adorable take on community helpers requires the child’s handprint and some cute printable hats that make each one unique. From the title of this craft, it salutes the community helpers by giving them a crafty high five. 

This craft provides a sensory experience for children. It also helps children improve their fine motor skills as they trace circles for the heads, cut out the hats, and draw the facial details of the helpers. 

Extend this activity by discussing the jobs these community helpers do, their workplace, and the tools they need. For example, a firefighter puts out fires, works in a fire station, rides a fire truck, and uses a hose and ladder to do his job. 

Start with squeezing some red paint on a paper plate. Use the paintbrush to paint the child’s hand. Carefully press the child’s hand on a construction paper. Let the handprint dry. 

Next, download the free hat template from the site. Cut these out and set these aside. To trace circles, use a small circle shape, such as a bottle cap. Cut these out and glue them on each of the fingers. Glue the hats on and use the marker to add facial details. 

For this activity, you will need: 

  • Community helpers’ hat template
  • Scissors 
  • Glue 
  • Red paint 
  • Paper plate
  • Paintbrush 
  • Black marker 
  • Construction paper  

For more information on this activity, go to SuperSimple.com.

Play Pretend | Social Skill | Fine Motor

4. Community Helpers Printable Hats

Photo credit: booksandgiggles.com

Give children a taste of life as they take on possible future jobs by wearing these hats. These crafts are great for role-playing, in pretend play areas, and as props for storytelling or stage play. 

The site suggests the use of paint instead of crayons to add color. This step will help children improve their fine motor skills. It also suggests laminating the hats to be reused for specific lesson units.

There are eleven hats to choose from. These include a firefighter, police officer, construction worker, chef, nurse, mail carrier, farmer, FBI agent, soldier, Air Force, and  Marine.

Download and print the free printable hats from the site. Have the child color the hat of their chosen profession. Cut out and glue the strips’ ends so they can be worn on the head.

Use the hat to discuss these community helpers’ different roles and responsibilities. Show children videos that show these people doing their jobs in real life. 

For this activity, you will need: 

  • Printed community helper hats
  • Crayon 
  • Paint 
  • Paintbrush
  • Scissors 
  • Glue 

For more information on this activity, go to BooksAndGiggles.com.

Shape Recognition | Fine Motor | Creativity

5. Easy Shapes Fire Truck

Photo credit: theottoolbox.com

This fire truck craft uses simple shapes to help children understand how shapes can form pictures and objects in real life. It will help children understand that shapes can come in different sizes and be placed in different positions or angles.  

Use this craft to go with the book “A Firetruck Named Red” by Randall de Seve. Discuss the fire truck’s physical characteristics, such as its parts, colors, and function. 

This craft will provide a good opportunity for children to practice their cutting skills. Although the shapes are simple to cut, their sizes will make it challenging. 

Cut out one red rectangle for the truck’s body, one small white square for the window, and one long white rectangle for the ladder. Use a bottle cap to trace three black circles for the wheels. Cut out three smaller white circles for the inner wheels. 

Have ten small black squares ready for the ladder’s steps. Once the shapes are prepared, assemble the fire truck by gluing the shapes together. 

For this activity, you will need: 

  • Cardstock 
  • Scissors 
  • Glue 

For more information on this activity, go to TheOTToolbox.com.

Color Recognition | Pattern Identification | Following Instructions

6. Paper Plate Police Car Craft

Here’s an easy police car craft that uses different shapes and a handprint making it adorable and personalized. It is simple and easy to make and can be a good conversation piece for children to discuss similarities and differences. 

Use big and small paper plates for children to compare sizes. Use different colors of hats for color recognition and patterns. Discuss the different parts of the police car that distinguish it from other cards, such as its color and the siren.  

Cut the paper plate in half and paint it blue. While waiting for it to dry, trace the child’s hand on a blue cardstock and cut this out. Use the remaining blue cardstock to cut out the hats and the car’s headlight. 

Cut out two black circles for the car’s wheels and five beige rings for the faces. Use a marker to draw the facial details and attach each one to the fingers on the handprint. Attach the hats on the heads. 

Glue the handprint of police officers to the back of the paper plate. Use embellishments like stickers, glitter, and buttons to make the craft look lovely. 

For this activity, you will need: 

  • Paper plate 
  • Paint 
  • Paintbrush 
  • Scissors 
  • Glue 
  • Cardstock 
  • Markers
  • Stapler 
  • Embellishments 

For more information on this activity, go to GluedToMyCraftsBlog.com.

Play Pretend | Hand-eye Coordination | Fine Motor

7. DIY Mail Bag

Photo credit: prekprintablefun.com

A mailman has a bag specifically designed to hold many letters and deliverables. Let children explore what it is like to be one as they make their mailbags. Children can use this during pretend play and role-playing. 

Threading the yarn through the holes will challenge children’s eye-hand motor skills. It requires patience and focuses as they secure the paper plates together. Extend the activity by placing some used envelopes for the children to deliver. 

Explain the nature of the mailman’s job and office. Ask children if they will consider taking on this job in the future and what they would like to deliver. 

Take one of the paper plates and trim a quarter off of it. Flip this and place it on top of the second paper plate. This step will create a pocket between the plates. Carefully punch holes on the ribbed part of both plates about an inch apart. 

If children are allowed to use the puncher, mark the areas for the holes as a guide for them. Next, take a long string and thread it through the holes. Pull tightly in every hole to prevent the plates from separating. Tie the ends of the yarn to secure. 

For this activity, you will need: 

  • Two paper plates
  • Hole puncher
  • Yarn 
  • Letter foam stickers 

For more information on this activity, go to PreKPrintableFun.com.

Fine Motor | Creativity | Creativity

8. Hospital Cardboard Craft

Photo credit: redtedart.com

Inspired by the book “Harry and the Robots” by Ian Whybow, this ambulance craft provides a glimpse of what first-aid responders do during an emergency. Use this ambulance craft to retell the story. 

The site also suggests using their version of toilet paper roll people. Head over to the site for the complete instructions for this craft. 

Let children explore other medical professions aside from doctors and nurses. Talk about first-aid responders such as paramedics and ambulance drivers. Discuss the importance of their roles in saving lives. 

As children add designs to their ambulance, their creativity and fine motor skills will improve. 

Start with choosing a box that will fit a toilet paper roll inside. If a box with a flap is unavailable, cut out a piece of cardboard and attach it to the box to act as the ambulance door. 

Paint the box white and add a red cross on each side using red construction paper strips. Use a black marker to add windows, wheels, and wipers on the windshield. Add other details and markings using colored markers. 

For this activity, you will need: 

  • Cardboard box
  • Puncher 
  • Paint 
  • Paintbrush 
  • Construction paper
  • Scissors
  • Glue 
  • Markers 

For more information on this activity, go to RedTedArt.com. You may also want to check out our list of doctor activities for preschoolers.

Health Consciousness | Play Pretend | Fine Motor

9. Cotton Ball Tooth Craft

This tooth craft is perfect for Dental Health Month. Let children understand the importance of oral hygiene as they explore what dentists do to help children and other people keep their teeth and gums healthy and cavity-free. 

Use this craft to go with the book “Just Going to the Dentist” by Mercer Mayer. It can also be used as a prop when singing toothbrushing and flossing songs and rhymes. Discuss the different ways dentists keep their patient’s mouths clean and healthy. 

Download and print the free tooth template from the site. It can be directly printed on white cardstock. Have children color the toothbrush. Next, cut out the tooth and the toothbrush. 

Squeeze a generous amount of glue on the tooth. Spread the glue well and have children stick cotton balls on the tooth until it is fully covered. Let this dry, and glue the toothbrush on the cotton balls.

These can overlap each other to create a fluffy-looking tooth. Glue the googly eyes on the tooth. Finally, stick the tooth on a green cardstock.  

For this activity, you will need: 

  • Printed tooth and toothbrush template 
  • White and green cardstock 
  • Cotton balls
  • Glue 
  • Scissors
  • Googly eyes 

For more information on this activity, go to PreschoolPlayAndLearn.com.

Math | Creativity | Fine Motor

10. Community Helpers Crown

Photo credit: firstpalette.com

This crown features different community helpers joined together to show solidarity. Use this crown to talk about the different jobs these people have and how vital their roles are in the community. 

This craft provides good practice to improve children’s fine motor skills as they cut, color, and assemble the crown. 

Use this craft to teach math concepts by having children choose their five favorite community helpers. Teach children how to tally to find the most popular choices in class. 

Let children have their choices represented in the crown. They can also write numbers to rank their favorites. 

Download and print the free crown template from the site on an A4 size paper. Cut out and trace on construction paper.

The template shows two persons holding hands. Trace this template several times until the exact size of the child’s head is reached. Cut out and have children color and design this based on their favorite community helpers. 

Use pictures for children to copy the uniforms and details on these workers. Next, add facial details. Cut out hair from different colors of construction paper to complete the craft. Add embellishments such as stickers if available. 

For this activity, you will need: 

  • Printed crown template 
  • A4 size paper 
  • Construction paper 
  • Crayons or markers
  • Scissors
  • Glue 
  • Embellishments 

For more information on this activity, go to FirstPalette.com.

Conclusion 

Community helpers are essential in our society. Help children show appreciation and honor their hard work as they explore these workers’ different jobs. 

These crafts will also help children explore future careers. It will increase their interest in these helpers as they learn more about their work, workplace, and responsibilities. 

Thank you for reading! 

People Also Ask

Young children need to learn about community helpers. Children will learn to value these workers’ contributions as they know more about their jobs and responsibilities. 

Some of these helpers risk their lives to save others. Help children appreciate the sacrifices they make to make our communities a better and safer place to live in.

How Do You Teach Community Helpers to Preschoolers?

Use different activities to help children engage in the lessons. Incorporate songs, rhymes, and poems about the community helper in the spotlight. Use fun crafts and projects to develop their creativity as well. 

Teach children critical thinking skills as they try to compare community helpers’ jobs. They can find similarities and differences in their uniforms, tools, and workplace. Show videos of these workers in the field for children to associate them with real life. 

Discuss the possible ways children have to encounter them and talk about the help they have provided. If possible, invite a real-life community helper to talk about the job or take a field trip to their workplace. 

For example, children may visit a fire station. They can explore the different tools firefighters use and their uniforms and discuss what happens in a day if they are on duty. 

Children may also try out being a mailman by going to the post office and understanding the process of sending and delivering packages and letters. 

As children become aware of these different jobs, it allows them to think about their possible careers in the future. 



Hi, I'm Amanda! Welcome to Education Outside! Im passionate about educating young minds and helping parents/teachers by providing easy and effective teaching resources. Check out all of my teaching resources on my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

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