Yes, preschoolers CAN "do art", and by
themselves, too. There are a few rules of thumb, though. First, focus on
process not product. Second, it WILL be messy and that's OK. Art for
young preschoolers is all about experimenting and learning. The finished
product may not look like art, but be assured the whole creativity and discovery
process is a valuable learning process.
I firmly believe one of the basic success to preschool art is
having a well-stocked cabinet of art supplies. Mine is actually a cabinet, but the most important part is that it's easily accessible so when your
preschooler's creative juices start flowing, you can quickly grab the materials.
Another key to success is having a good collection of
ideas. I made a "Binder 'O Fun" to organize the various ideas I
find. A few tabs to categorize it and it's been a valuable tool for art
ideas.