3 year kids activities
75 Everyday Activities For 3 Year Olds
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What are your favorite activities for 3 year olds? These simple activities aren’t just for 3 year olds, they are great activities and preschool learning games for older kids too! Don’t miss my new book Everyday Preschool, it’s the best book for parents who want to make sure their child is learning every day.
Finding the right activities for 3 year olds should be easy… but it isn’t. This summer my daughter and I have had a lot of time to play. Extra time in fact because she decided when she turned 3 to give up naps. With her brother home from school for the summer, my attempts at forcing the issue have been met with refusal. I am going to try again in a month when her brother returns to school but in the meantime, she has quiet time, earlier bedtimes and lots of simple activities like these peppered throughout the day. For more specific games for 3 year olds check out our post here with our favorites!
If you have a younger child check out our similar list of 75 TV Free Activities For Toddlers. These 3 year old activities have been the bulk of what we’ve done this summer. Big projects are fun but day in and day out this is what we do.
This post contains affiliate links.
Fun Activities for 3 year olds
- Playdough sculptures with dry spaghetti.
- Fill a table with books and read, read, read.
- Doodle with smelly markers on cardboard from your recycle bin.
- Play doctor with dolls.
- Take a walk and hunt for colors.
- Play with puzzles.
- Look at family photos together.
- Create with peel and stick jewels.
- Read through catalogs.
- Build a fort.
- Play eye spy with a favorite book.
- Eat lunch outside.
- Play in a box.
- Paint with watercolors.
- Play with stickers.
- Play sports in the yard.
- Play-Doh and sequins.
- Play The Cupcake Game.
- Play Simon Says.
- Make a balance beam out of painter’s tape and walk it!
- Play in a kiddie pool.
- Color with Color Wonder markers and coloring sheets.
- Water some plants
- Play with Magic Nuudles.
- Play with Play-Doh and Duplo together.
What are some easy things to do with a 3 year old? Keep reading!
- Play with a light table ( easy DIY here ).
- Play with cold cooked spaghetti.
- Cook together.
- Play with water, rice, beans, gravel, etc… in your water table .
- Play with the hose.
- Dress up some dolls.
- Take silly pictures together.
- Play hide and seek.
- Cuddle.
- Play with stamps.
- Make some window clings .
- Paint your toenails with kid-safe nail polish.
- Run Through the sprinkler.
- Write in a journal with markers, stamps, and crayons.
- Go to the beach.
- Learn about emotions with Mr. Potato Head.
- Go to the library.
- Read with a sibling.
- Call Grandma ( or Aunty, Uncle… you get the picture.
) - Help clean.
- Play dentist with dolls.
- Finger paint.
- Draw with chalk on black construction paper.
- Go to a local elementary school and play at the playground.
What are the best activities for 3 year old ?
- Play dress-up.
- Take markers and paint onto the porch for art outside.
- Duplo
- Play School
- Mix sidewalk chalk and other toys for pretend play outside.
- Bubbles.
- Scrap paper collages. All you need is some paper and glue!
- Hunt for magnets with a magnetic wand in a bowl of uncooked oatmeal or rice.
- Jump in puddles. I don’t know of a better activity for a 3 year old than this one!
- Build a tower out of recycling.
- Wash the car.
- Backyard nature hunt. Tape painter’s tape sticky side out on a window or wall and have your child stick what they find on it.
- Take some pictures.
- Have a tea party.
- Practice cutting with playdough!
- Make a ramp with cardboard and drive matchbox cars down it.
- Read books outside.
- Play-Doh with pipe cleaners.
- Wash push cars, scooters, and bikes.
- Go for a hike.
- Play with Play-doh and egg molds.
- Play airplane or train with your kitchen chairs.
- Wash windows with water and vinegar.
- Turn snack bars into shapes and practice using a knife at the same time.
- Play alone. Yes, it’s more than OK, it’s awesome to let kids play alone. Let your 3 year old think up their own activities. We don’t need to entertain them 24/7 !
What is your family’s favorite everyday activity? Not listed? Add it in the comments and tell us why your kids love it!
Need more activities to do with 3 year olds?
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Filed Under: 75 activities for 3 year olds, Age Preschool, Age: Toddlers, Preschool Activities | 75 Comments
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7 Fun And Easy Learning Activities For 3-Year-Olds
Finding activities for 3-year-olds should be easy, but that’s not always the case.
Maybe you’ve planned a few fun games to keep your child entertained during the day. These were activities they loved last week, so surely they’ll still find them entertaining. Not today.
For some reason, these games no longer hit the sweet spot, and your child looks at you as if to say, “Is this all you’ve got?”
We’ve been there! So what can you do?
Fear not. We’ve compiled a list of creative and engaging activities to keep your three-year-old entertained (and learning!) at home.
Importance Of Learning Activities For 3-Year-Olds
Three-year-olds have a lot of energy, and they are often eager to try new experiences.
This is great because, while engaging in activities, your child has the opportunity to develop many valuable skills.
For instance, hands-on activities — in which your child molds, cuts, sticks, sorts, or manipulates objects — help them develop motor skills. They also help your child learn to follow directions for precision and accuracy.
All of these skills can be used later in life with important, daily actions such as writing and tying shoelaces.
Similarly, activities like putting puzzles together and playing with building blocks help develop reasoning skills and creativity, to name just two benefits for your child..
Different learning activities for 3-year-olds can also help your child exercise patience, perseverance, and logical thinking. These are all important for a young child’s development.
The first six years of a child’s life are a critical period for brain development. When children engage in activities that incorporate multiple skills simultaneously (like listening, talking, and using their hands), it activates more areas of the brain and helps enhance learning.
How To Approach Activities For 3-Year-Olds
Keep It Simple
So often, parents assume they have to find the most elaborate activities and games for their children. Of course, you’re free to do so, but it’s important to know that’s not always necessary.
Three year olds are fascinated by lots of simple things — different colors and shapes, how these colors change when you mix them (e.g., red and blue make purple), kicking a ball, storybooks about dinosaurs, baking cookies, and so on.
To create engaging learning activities for 3-year-olds, you don’t have to overwhelm yourself. Instead, you can use many everyday items you already have around the house.
Allow For Creativity
Life is full of rules, so, during these activities, why not just let your child be, well, a child? If they decide to paint a blue dog, that’s OK! And if they choose to create a 10-legged cat, what’s the big deal?
It’s essential to allow your child to do crafts in their own way and give them ownership over the experience.
That being said, always consider whether or not you’re up for a mess. Sure, the Pinterest images of children covered in colorful paint or glitter look like a blast, but we all know someone has to clean that up!
If you’ve had a long week at work, for instance, there’s nothing wrong with choosing activities for 3-year-olds that will not drain the little bit of energy you have left, and then leaving the messy ones for a less stressful time.
Be Flexible And Patient
While introducing different activities, it’s important to understand that your child might prefer some over others. That’s OK!
At this age, your child is learning who they are and what they’re comfortable with. Understanding their likes and dislikes is part of the learning process for us as parents.
7 Fun And Easy Learning Activities For 3-Year-Olds
1) Number Hunt
What You’ll Need:
- From teddy bears to building blocks to balls, any fun items can be used for this activity!
What To Do:
Ask your three-year-old to find an item or a group of items.
For example, ask them to find one teddy, two socks, and three balls. To add a little more excitement to the mix, you can also time your child. Can they find the items in just one minute?
If recalling all this information is a little tricky for your child right now, that’s OK. You can start by asking them to search for one item at a time (e.g., one teddy, and then one sock, and then one ball) and progress from there.
This is a great activity for an active young child. It helps to get those mental juices flowing as they will need to remember what items they need to find and the number they need for each.
2) Pasta Necklaces
- What You’ll Need:
- Dry, uncooked pasta (the tubed ones, to be specific)
- Sealable plastic bags
- Food coloring
- A cotton thread or string (you can also use an old shoelace)
- Tray
- Paper towel
- Optional: rubbing alcohol and beads
What To Do:
Start by placing the pasta into your plastic bags, and then add a few drops of food coloring and some rubbing alcohol.
Note that you don’t have to use rubbing alcohol, but it helps to dry the food coloring faster.
After adding the coloring, seal the bag properly and give it a good shake. Now pour the colored pasta out on your trays (which you’ve lined with paper towels) and allow them to dry.
While waiting for the pasta to dry, you can cut the desired necklace length for your child out of the thread and string and tie a knot on one of the ends.
Once the pasta is dry, your child can then string the pasta and the beads (optional) to make a necklace. When they reach the end of the string, remember to tie the two sides together.
This is a fun way to help your child practice counting (“How many pieces of pasta are you adding?”), continue developing their fine motor skills, and tap into their creativity.
3) Trace Yourself
What You’ll Need:
- Crayons
- Paper sheets
What To Do:
This activity requires the least amount of prep and can be great for an easy afternoon when you’re in the mood for low mess levels.
The simplest body part to start with is your child’s hands. Once your child has mastered tracing out their hands, they can progress to their feet.
(For even more fun, use a very large piece of paper and trace your child’s whole body. They can then color features and clothes.)
This is an excellent way to help your child practice their grip on items (fine motor skills, anyone?), as they will need to firmly hold onto the crayons throughout.
4) Make An Ocean
What You’ll Need:
- HOMER Sail The Ocean printable coloring page
- Crayons, markers, or colored pens
What To Do:
Help your child color in the printable and discover all the interesting creatures that live in our seas!
This is a great activity to help familiarize your child with ocean creatures. You can encourage them to give the fishies silly names and even make up stories about them.
This activity helps kids express their creativity and continue practicing their coloring.
5) Build A City
What You’ll Need:
- Building blocks
What To Do:
Help your child discover their inner architect by building their own city. The city can have high-rise buildings, a community park, and even a local candy store. There are no limitations!
This activity will help your child channel their creativity and problem-solving skills. They will also learn important life concepts, like understanding that for a building to be solid, they’ll need to create a firm foundation.
6) Watch It Grow
What You’ll Need:
- HOMER printable field notes template
- Crayons or pencils
- A large jar (glass or clear plastic)
- Fast-growing seeds (e.g. peas or beans)
- Paper towels
- An old milk or juice carton
- A ruler or measuring tape
What To Do:
Start by asking your child to fill the jar with paper towels, and then pour water onto the paper towels until they are slightly damp.
Proceed to “plant” the seeds into the damp towels. Remember to position them near the edge so you can see them grow! You can then use the printable to decorate the watering can (the milk or juice carton) and add a tag with the plant’s name.
Over the following days, ask your child to note anything they observe from the seeds. They can also measure the growth and log field notes to track the changes. Remember to add some water if the paper towels dry out.
This is a great activity to help your child practice using a measuring tool. They will also learn how plants grow, as well as the importance of water, sunlight, and patience!
7) Create Your Own Color Hunt
What You’ll Need:
- Crayons
- Five objects that match each color crayon in or around the house
- Optional: HOMER Make a Color Hunt printable
What To Do:
Draw a square in the center of a piece of paper (or use the optional Make a Color Hunt printable). After drawing the square, use just one color to color it in.
Lastly, hand your child the paper and ask them to find five items in or around the house that have the same color.
For young kids who aren’t counting yet, you can place items into a bucket or box and ask them to find the items from inside that match the color in the box.
This is a great activity to help with sorting, learning colors, and counting.
Let The Adventures Continue!
There are lots of ways to help your child stay entertained, engaged, and learning while at home! Whether you choose all or some of the above activities for 3-year-olds, remember to incorporate a mixture to help your child continue developing different important skills.
If you’re searching for more learning activities for kids to try at home, check out THE HOMER Blog for inspiration!
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KudaNizhny Novgorod collects information about the best entertainment and events in Nizhny Novgorod. This page lists places to go with a child in Nizhny Novgorod that take place today or will take place soon: for example, tomorrow, this weekend, etc.
KudaNizhny Novgorod is aware of 172 events for children that will be held in Nizhny Novgorod.
If you know of an event that is not on the site, let us know!
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