Marble painting
One challenge of keeping a preschooler happy is to regularly introduce new craft projects that are appropriate for her level of dexterity. But they can't be too boring either.

In my search for a St. Patrick's day craft that wasn't too hokey, I googled some preschool teacher sites and found a pretty fun craft that I think even a 2-year-old could do and enjoy. This activity could be adapted to any holiday or season.

You will need:
-construction paper
-scissors
-tempera paint
-a box or baking dish (I used an 8x8 aluminum pan)
-a marble or small ball
-tape

Prep:
-cut construction paper into desired shapes (I made 8 shamrocks)
-tape one of the shapes into the center of the box (tape circle on back works well)
-pour dollops of paint, the size of a half-dollar, in each corner

With the child:
Have the child drop the marble into the box. Let her roll the marble all around the box by tipping it left and right, forwards and back. The marble will pick up bits of paint and leave trails across the shape.

When one paper shape is covered, remove it, tape in another and continue until the child loses interest.

The completed paintings have fun, random line patterns with swirled-together hues. Theoretically, this is a low-mess craft, provided you can keep the child gripping the box rather than grabbing the marble or dabbling in the paint.