Diy activities for 3 year olds

21+ Crafts & Activities for 3 Year Olds

ByMichelle McInerney | MollyMoo Updated onAugust 17, 2022

It’s a few years since my daughter was a 3 year old, but the memories of her enjoying independent play and my eavesdropping on her playroom chats are happily fresh in my mind. Being 3 is all about playing, being curious, having fun and ‘more’ playing! – watch them get busy with these 21 handpicked activities for 3 year olds, from easy art projects to pretend play.

Let’s play some fun activities for 3 year olds!

Learning Activities for 3 Year Olds

FELT SHAPES BOARD

A great quiet, calm-down activity to help engage little minds.
via kidsactivitiesblog

STYROFOAM FISHIES IN A CARDBOARD BOX AQUARIUM

Making these creative little fishies is a really simple and fun craft “ perfect for home and the classroom.
via mollymoocrafts

MOON SAND MAKING

Brace yourselves because this is the most awesome activity – wonderful for sensory learning and the kids can get involved in making too.
via laughingkidslearn

VELCRO DOT CRAFT STICKS

Keep the kids busy while encoring creativity learning.
via powerfulmothering

BUSY FINGERS BRACELETS

Practicing fine motor skills with beads.
via Mom

Preschool Activities for 3 Year Olds

DIY T-SHIRTS

Kids love seeing their doodles explode with color
Just draw with sharpie markers, spray, air dry and wear.
via kidsactivitiesblog

EVERYDAY CRAFTING FUN – 4 REALLY FUN IDEAS

With fruit loops, paper bags, packing peanuts and pipe cleaners – Oh how I love the packing peanut teeth!!
via PinkStripeySocks

DIY TODDLER DOMINOS

Suuuuuper easie peasie made with craft sticks and sharpie markers. Place your sticks in a plastic bag until you’re ready to play again, and again and again!
via PinkStripeySocks

Things To Do With 3 Year Olds Indoors

SALT DOUGH MOSAIC TILES

Salt dough is such a versatile and fun material. You can never run out of activities to do with it.
via lifelessonplans

PRETEND PLAY CITY WITH PAPER BAGS

A simple way to create a pretend city for your child to act out their imaginative stories.
via kidsactivitiesblog

KID-DRAWN PLAY MAT

Fun for all with a roll of craft paper, a packet of crayons and the kitchen floor!
via mollymoocrafts

These crafts are perfect for 3 year olds!

Crafts for 3 Year Olds with Glue

YARN FAMILY PORTRAITS

Doodle a bald family on a piece of paper and let the kids get creative with yarn and a glue stick. Oh what fun!
via PinkStripeySocks

TOILET ROLL DOLLS

Incredibly cute, and incredibly easy to make with just toilet rolls and scraps of fabric. Crafts that inspire play – my favorite type of crafts.
via danyabanya

EGG CARTON RAFT

With egg cartons, lollipop sticks and a glue gun make a sturdy raft with a mast and crows nest for hours of imaginative play.
via mollymoocrafts

FREE PRINTABLE OWL PAPER CRAFT

Don’t stop at one – make a whole little owl family.
via kids activitiesblog

Painting Activities for 3 Year Olds

PAINTED STICK INSTRUMENTS

Kid painted sticks, decorated with yarn and a few beads and bells and your 3 year old will be making sweet music.
via Naturestore

FIZZY PAINTING

Painting and science fun all in one.
via taminglittlemonsters

WHAT’S ON THE TELLY?

Painted card box box with button remote control – let teddy read the news!.
via mollymoocrafts

Fun Food Activities for Three Year Olds

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM PLAY DOUGH

This homemade play dough recipe can jumpstart that journey to owning their own ice cream shop, becoming an ice cream pastry chef.
via kidsactivitiesblog

POTATO PRINT MONSTERS – FOR EVERYDAY FUN

With some potatoes, paint, googly eyes and a few cotton buds you have all the necessary ingredients for creating goofy, scary or pretty monsters ¦ potato printing is fun in the kitchen.
via mollymoocrafts

Mess-Free Fun Things To Do With 3 Year Olds

CARDBOARD BUNNY LACING CARD

A simple cardboard bunny lacing card template to keep little hands busy and engaged.
via kidsactivitiesblog

Time to get your crafty pants on!
Michelle xx

Here Is More Learning Fun:

What fun activity for 3 year olds are you going to start with first?

Michelle McInerney | MollyMoo

Michelle McInerney, an Irish based graphic designer and mum of one, is the craft designer behind award winning blog MollyMooCrafts.com - a fun and colorful online world of unique and cute crafts for children and their parents.

Michelle can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+ and one of her favorite places to hang out is on Pinterest.

100+ No-Prep Indoor Activities for 2 & 3 Year Olds

by happytoddlerplaytime

Inside: is your list of 100+ super easy no-prep or low-prep activities you can do at home with your toddler or preschooler or 2 and 3 year olds.

All in the same boat

Just like you, we are stuck at home and as soon as I realized that I would have three kids under 5 home for at least 3 weeks and possibly more, I knew that I needed a plan of fun and easy ideas to do every day.

I put this list together from the best kids activity blogs out there and I hope that it will help you through this time while at home. I will be updating this list periodically as I find more easy no and low-prep ideas. So keep checking back for new ideas. They will be at the top of the list.

Tips for working

parents

If you are a parent who is now working from home, finding ways to entertain your kids all day can seen very daunting but with this list you will have a resource you can turn to that will help you through this tough time.

The best way to use this list is to go through it the night before and choose 2 or 3 ideas you think your kids will enjoy and you feel comfortable setting up. Write them down on stick them on the fridge so you can refer to them the next day.

RELATED… Check out my new book Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids: 60 Easy Creative Play Projects

I also wrote another book coming out in the Summer 2021 called Super STEAM Activity Book! Stay tuned for more information!

Toddler Homeschool Program

I am currently developing a new Toddler Homeschool Curriculum called Play2Learn Toddler Homeschool Program. Be sure to sign up for my newsletters so that you get first dibs when it is released!

Supplies For No Prep Activities

(This post and list contains affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I may earn a commission. Please visit my disclosure policy for more information.)

Most of the supplies for these activities are things that you already have in your home and basic craft supplies like paint, paint brushes construction paper and scissors. The one thing you may not have is Pom Poms. You can get yours here.

For a quick guide to activity supplies check out my Amazon shop.

For more help on how to start to do activities with your kids check out this post for things to buy and save for kids activities.

These activities are things you can set up when your child comes to you and says, “I’m bored”. Most of them will take 5 minutes or less to set up. And although it’s hard to predict how long your child will play with an activities, it’s more than likely that they will play with these ideas for more than just 5 minutes!

No or Low-Prep Activities for 2 and 3 year olds

50+ Easy Things to Do at Home by Happy Toddler Playtime is a great list of 50+ super no prep activities to do at home with a 3 year old but can also be done with a 2 year old and even older children. That should be the first place you look for easy no-prep ideas. I created it when I was pregnant with my twins and I had a 3 year at home. It saved me on many many days. Click here to find the first 50 super easy and completely doable low prep activities for preschoolers here!
Pom Poms Mega Blok Colouring Sorting – Turn your Mega Bloks upside down and use them to colour sort with Pom Poms
Outer Space Sensory Bin – Happy Toddler Playtime sensory bin – Water, tin foil and stars and a single drop of black food colouring

Pillow road – Happy Toddler Playtime create a pillow road for your toddlers favourite trucks and cars.

Toilet Paper Rolling – Take a toilet paper roll, unroll is and place a toy at the end. Invite your little one roll is back up trying to keep the toy from falling off.

Sock Puzzles: Put wooden puzzle pieces inside a large sock and have your child put their hand in to find the pieces and complete the puzzle
Snack Names:

Snack Math

Free the Animals: Place animals in ziplock bags and invite child to open and free them.

Dinosaur Bath: Put dinosaur toys in the bath

Decorate your Diapers: Decorate diaper with permanent markers.

Painting Bread: paint bread with edible paint and then eat it!
Ice Sensory Bin – an easy idea that works in winter and summer
Snowman Towers – build a snowman using paper towel rolls.
100+ Low -Prep Activities you can Do in Your Backyard by Little Pine Learners are a great set of fun activities to do outside.
Paint with Kitchen Tools as Paint Brushes by Busy Toddler or with cotton balls.
Do a craft together using kitchen tools. Check out this post of super easy crafts using a potato masher.
Car bowling using bowling pins or toilet paper rolls and a car big enough to knock them over. Line the pins or rolls up and then use the car to knock them down.
Alphabet Match by Happy Toddler Playtime is fun activity using fridge magnets and can be set up in 3 minutes!
Tea Bag Water Play by Happy Toddler Playtime is a quick activity using herbal tea bags and water.
Paper Tunnels and Balls by Toddler Approved can be set up in minutes and is fun for little and big kids.
Pom Pom Number Sweep by Happy Toddler Playtime can be set up in 2 minutes and is fun for 2 and 3 year olds.
Pouring Station by Busy Toddler is fun water sensory bin that is sure to entertain for more than 5 minutes!
MegaBlok Names by Happy Toddler Playtime is a quick set up activity to practice name recognition.
Foil Puzzle Presents by Happy Toddler Playtime is a great way to use a puzzle and has lots of ways to extend the play.
Toddler Dot-to-Dot by What We Do All Day is a fun idea for Toddlers
Build a Book Rainbow by Happy Toddler Playtime is a great way to use your children’s library in a fun way. It will lead to reading a few current favourites and some forgotten favourites as well.
Sponge Letter Match by Happy Toddler Playtime uses sponges and letters and is fun for 2 and 3 years. It can also lead to lots of extending play.
Animal Tape Rescue by Busy Toddler is a fun fine motor activity that toddlers will love!
10 Salad Spinner Toddler Activities by Happy Toddler Playtime is a list of 10 super easy to set activities to do with a salad spinner using items you already have at home.
How to Make Paper Airplanes by The Best Ideas for Kids has a great full video tutorial. This idea is great for all ages.
Spaghetti Drop for Toddlers by Happy Toddler Playtime is a quick activity using dried spaghetti and cardboard tubes. You can set it up in minutes.
STEM Play Dough Building Challenge by Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds. This is a fun idea that you can set up in less than 2 minutes and great for 4-6 year olds as well.
Cloud Dough Kitchen by Happy Toddler Playtime uses a quick sensory recipe using flour and oil to create a taste-safe dough that is fun and easy to play with.
Coin Sorting by Rhythms of Play is a fun sorting activity using coins and can be set up in 2 minutes. Great for 3-5 year olds.
The Drop Anything Toddler Activity by Happy Toddler Playtime have your toddler drop markers, crayons or anything they can find that will fit down a cardboard tube! You can set this up in 2 minutes!
Towel Holder and Rolls For Toddlers by Powerful Mothering using paper towel rolls and is great for toddlers.
Feed the Animals by Little Ones Learn
Bean Beach Sensory Bin by Happy Toddler Playtime using navy beans and beach toys.
Cutting a Banana by Rhythms of Play is a great way to combine snack time and playtime. This is great for 2 and 3 year olds.
Pom Pom Picnic by Happy Toddler Playtime is a fun pretend play activity that lasted for days in my house.
DIY Sorter by Little Ones Learn is a fun diy activity using a cardboard box and random items in your house.
Lego Color Sorting by Lorena & Lennox is a quick set up colour sorting activity that has the potential to lead to lots of free play!
Colour Mixing Tea Party by Happy Toddler Playtime is a quick early colour mixing activity.
Water Play for Toddlers – Fishing for Colors and Letters by Active Littles is a fun and easy water play activity for toddlers.
Cardboard Box Wash & Paint by Happy Toddler Playtime for Toddler Approved is a great way mess free way to use a cardboard box.
Dinosaur Hunting with Paint by Powerful Mothering is fun for 2 and 3 year olds using water colour paints.
Pom Pom Water Transfer by Happy Toddler Playtime is an easy fine motor activity using Pom Poms and water
Cookie Sheet Sensory Play by Twin Mom Refreshed is a quick to set up sensory activity.
Stone Washing by Happy Toddler Playtime is a easy set cleaning activity using stones and shaving. Its not as messy as it sounds and will entertain for more than 5 minutes for sure.
Wine Cork Push by Happy Toddler Playtime is a great way to use those wine corks you might accumulate while working from home with your kids!
Sticky Pick Up

Paint Animals

Cutlery Sorting

53. Dinner Plate Counting

54. Backyard Toy Painting

55. Car Letters

56. Hand Sock Painting

57. Window Washing

58. Salt Painting

59. Stick Ladder: Gross Motor Activity

60. How to Make Oobleck for Kids

61. Feed the Animals: Puzzle Activity

62. Rain Painting: Easy Toddler Activity

63. Fizzy Shapes Sensory Bin

64. Prepared Playdough Kits

WILL YOU TRY ANY OF THESE NO & LOW-PREP ACTIVITIES WITH YOUR TODDLER OR PRESCHOOLER?

Activities, Age, Learning, Preschooler, Quick & Easy, Toddlereasy activities, easy peasy, Easy Toddler Activities, low prep, no prephappytoddlerplaytime

95 photos of the best ideas for developing children's creativity

The importance of early childhood development cannot be underestimated. As soon as the child begins to move independently, an endless process of learning and cognition begins, in which it will not be superfluous to help him.

Today our topic will be crafts for children 3 years old. We will talk about how needlework should be at this age, what is better to do and much more.

Review content:

Office
kindergarten
thematic crafts
Crafts aged 3-4 years
Class
Photos for 3 years

at this age should be trained only in the game form. This is because the baby should be interested in the process itself, he should be interested, and boring activities at this time do not attract them at all.

That's why crafts for 3-4 year olds should include an interesting workflow along with the right environment.

The preparation of the environment lies entirely with the parent, and it must be done in advance. The fact is that if you are distracted by various organizational details during the process itself, the child will be less focused on the lesson. As a result, we get a restless child, whose attention is also distracted by third-party things.

Scissors should be purchased with child protection. Paints should be natural, because we know how kids love to taste everything.

The same story applies to the adhesive base - bad adhesive can harm not only by direct contact, but also by airborne droplets.

If you want a child at the age of 3 to perceive children's crafts as a regular activity with their own rules, you need to allocate a specific place for this, which he will associate with the appropriate mood.

A small table in the nursery is fine for this, but you will find it more comfortable to do it in an armchair or sofa. A good choice would be a place on the floor, on a rug, especially if you do not want to stain the furniture.

If you plan to work with paint, it will not be superfluous to find or buy a simple film with which you will not constantly worry that the baby will now paint not only paper, but also his favorite carpet.

Let's go back to the moment where children love to try everything. If you want to make, for example, an application with different details, and you know that your child loves to put everything in his mouth, immediately make sure that small, especially hard objects, like buttons, are not involved in the workflow.

Kindergarten

Depending on the kindergarten, the school may start practicing creative activities such as needlework from an early age. Sometimes children try to make some of them at home, and then they bring them and show them to friends.

Since 3-4 years of age, when children are already quite active in talking, there is an advanced communication between children, which also concerns what they do.

If you are doing crafts with your child in kindergarten at 3 years old, do not forget that you should not expect very fast results, even if other children do everything a little faster.

Themed crafts

One way to get your child's attention is to make crafts that will be associated with the coming holidays or the weather outside.

Therefore, many parents try to make crafts for the New Year with their children at the age of 3. Depending on what happens, they can decorate the New Year tree, which will be very important for the child.

In this way, the child will learn to do something with his own hands to please himself or make a gift to another person, including you.

Crafts at the age of 3-4 years

You already know that at this age the child learns in a playful manner. This applies to both mental development and physical development, because fine motor skills of the hands are very important in life.

Do not forget that if you do crafts with your child at the age of 3, you not only help him learn to do something, but also develop your relationships, including trust.

To do this, you must make sure that the child likes the activity, and if he does not like it, choose a new one.

Choice of activity

If you don't know what crafts to do for kids 3 years old, then you should gradually try everything - applications, drawing, working with plasticine and much more.

Each lesson will have a positive effect on the development of the baby's memory, just like fine motor skills of the hands, but most importantly - you can find what he likes the most.

Another interesting activity that attracts almost any child is just finger painting.

Partly because the process turns out to be especially interactive, and the child immediately sees the result of his work, which is why there is a special involvement.

Photo crafts for 3 years old

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Crafts with children 3-4 years old

Activities with children 3-4 years old

Author admin Reading 2 min Views 4. 7k. Posted by Nov 20, 2016

All small children are close to creativity, they will be happy to make crafts from any material. The task of an adult is to support the little artist, to guide him during work, but not to suppress the initiative. Encourage your child to be creative in every possible way. The creative process, like nothing else, perfectly develops artistic taste, imagination, fantasy, and also perfectly stimulates fine motor skills of the hands.

You can make from any material: paper, napkins, plasticine, covers, fabric, thread, yarn, cereals, as well as from natural and waste materials. For classes with children 3-4 years old, it is necessary to think in advance what will be needed for work, prepare the necessary material: the base, ready-made parts for the application, templates, glue.

A kid at this age does not yet use scissors, so an adult cuts out the details, and the child can place the image on the base, find the place of the part on a sheet of paper, smear the part with glue, stick it in the right place.

Despite the fact that the ideas for creativity with children 3-4 years old are quite simple, the result is interesting, so it will please both the kid and the adult. And the little artist, having seen his work, will be happy to continue creating.

Contents

Crafts from cotton pads

For work you will need: colored paper for the base, cotton pads, glue, additional blanks from colored paper or fabric, buttons.

Application from napkins

will need colored cardboard, napkin of different colors, flumster. Use a ready-made template or draw a figure or pattern yourself that you will stick with napkins. Glue the cut piece to the cardboard. Show your baby how to tear napkins into small pieces and roll them into balls with your fingers - this activity is useful for developing fine motor skills. When the multi-colored balls are ready, you can stick them on the picture.