Indoor activity for 4 year olds

87 Energy-Busting Indoor Games & Activities For Kids (Because Cabin Fever Is No Joke)

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Wondering what to do if you’re stuck inside with your kids all day? Our huge list of active indoor activities will keep your kids – from toddlers to teens – busy and burning energy!

It doesn’t matter where you’re located, or what the weather is like outside your window, there are always times when you have to be inside. And as Moms, I think we all understand that Kids + Energy + Inside is an equation that can equal chaos and inevitable disaster.

That’s why we teamed up with one of our favorite brands of all time, Tea Collection, to test out their all-new active wear line, and bring you an  epic list of active indoor games and activities that will get your kids up and moving, even on the gloomiest of days. 

These activities will not only fight boredom (which equals less whining, woohoo!) but will also challenge their minds and muscles – strengthening their bodies and releasing all that pent-up energy – ultimately leaving you with stronger kids (albeit a little sweaty), that won’t fight you when it comes to hitting the hay. A worthy outcome indeed.

Please note: this post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our disclosure policy.

Pin so you have this life-saving list at hand when snow or rain strikes:

TAPE GAMES

A simple roll of low-tack Painter’s tape (like this one for delicate surfaces) will be your new best friend once you try these genius ideas that get kids exerting their energy in all sorts of creative ways.

(editor’s note: just bringing out the roll of tape got Ooos and Ahhs from my kids – these activities were extremely well received and have now been added to my Boredom Buster bag of tricks!)

Tape Shape Game: Use this tape to put a variety of shapes, letters and/or numbers on your floor. Have your child stand on their favorite one then give them instructions to follow that will lead them to their next destination (for example: “bear crawl to the square”, “hop like a Frog to the T”, “Run to the rectangle”). We love that this game from Toddler Approved keeps your child moving, but also helps them learn their shapes, letters and numbers!

Tape Lines: Make 5-10 separate lines of tape, each about a foot apart, on your floor or carpet. Label the first one the “start” line and then give your kids simple instructions:

• Long Jump: See how many lines they can jump over. Have them try and beat their best score each time. Experiment with arm swinging vs. arms behind their backs.
• Run ‘n’ Jump: Now let them take a running start and see if they can jump even further!
• Long Jump Backwards: Increase the difficulty by performing the tasks jumping backwards.
• Hop: How far can they jump on one leg?
• Reach ‘n’ Stretch: How far can their leg reach with one foot on the “start” line?

Create a Race-Car Track: Use your painter’s tape (or opt for this super cool race-track tape) to make a huge road system for your kids’ matchbox cars. Think outside the box and have the track scale furniture and other obstacles (just make sure it’s something you don’t mind toy vehicles being “driven” over). The key to making it active is to make it large-scale, so they are engaging their core muscles while crawling all over. (Pic via PopSugar and Pinterest – source unknown)

You can even make it super-sized for ride-on vehicles like the pics here from Hands On As We Grow. 

RELATED: For our top tested picks for indoor ride-on toys see The Best Indoor Gross Motor Toys For Active Kids (To Get That Energy Out!)

Hopscotch: Make a simple hopscotch “board” and your kids will think it’s just the coolest thing that it’s  inside! (pic via Brit+co) Number Squares: Make a large square with your tape and then divide it into 9 or more small squares, marking random numbers in each one. Now ask your child to perform a specific movement to get to the next number like “jump to 10”, “zoom to 3”, “slither to 67”. (via DreamGYM)

BALLOON GAMES

Has your child ever received a balloon at a birthday party and been totally enamored by it? Take that fascination to the next level by adding in a few “rules” and they’ll be happily moving around developing their gross motor skills while burning off some of that rambunctious energy.

Try some of our favorite balloon games and always keep a few handy to pull out when the going gets tough.

**Just a reminder that pieces of burst balloons can be a serious choking hazard, so if you have younger kids, make sure they are supervised during these activities at all times**Don’t Let The Balloon Touch The Ground: This is the classic game that kids fall for every time. The rules are simple – hit the balloon up in the air but don’t let it touch the ground. To make it more challenging for older kids, have them juggle more than 1 balloon, or tie one hand behind their back. Time them to see how long they can do it for, or if you have multiple kids, have them count how many times they can hit it back and forth…then see if they can beat their time or score! This game is great for improving arm strength and hand-eye coordination.

Try adding stuffed animals to the mix for extra fun. Have your child pick their favorite stuffy and hold it in their hand so it is essentially the one hitting the balloon. You’d be surprised how this one simple variation can boost their engagement even further!

Penguin Waddle: Place a balloon between your child’s knees and have them waddle across the room without dropping it. Make it more challenging for older kids by having them go around a few obstacles. If they drop it, they have to go back to the start.

For multiple kids, have them play as a team with the balloon placed between their hips. Once they get the hang of it, get out your timer to see how fast they can do it.

Balloon Taps: Hang a balloon by a string from your doorway so it is a few inches higher than your child’s arm reach. Then challenge them to try and tap it with their hand. Count how many they can do in a row without missing (this gets tiring very quickly!). Up the ante by seeing if they can jump and touch the balloon with the top of their head!

Balloon Blow: Set up a “course” and see if your child can blow a balloon all the way to the finish line. They’ll have to do lots of army crawls working their upper body and core strength along the way.

Backhand Balloon Balance: Challenge your kids to balance a balloon on the back of their hand, and see how long they can do it before it falls to the ground. You’d be surprised how much they will move around with this one!Balloon Paddle Ball: Use a fly swatter, tennis/badminton racket or make your own paddle using a paper plate and over-sized popsicle stick (or use a paint stir stick or plastic spoon), then use it to play the games above.

These paddles are also fun for balancing your balloon. Have your kids try to keep their balloon on the paddle as they navigate through obstacles or run around the house. Not as easy as it sounds!Balloon Foot Balance: For a real challenge, have your kids lie on the ground with their legs up in the air and try and balance the balloon on their feet. It’s not an easy task and requires a lot of concentration. It’s also a great core workout!

Balloon Volleyball: Make a “net” by tying a piece of string between 2 chairs and then have your child hit the balloon back and forth by running from one side to the other, trying to keep it off the floor. If you have 2 or more kids, have them hit it over the net as many times as they can without it falling.Balloon Hockey: Use a small kiddy hockey stick or make your own out of cardboard (see full tutorial on Creative Connections For Kids) to navigate a balloon into a net (use a laundry basket or box on its side if you don’t have any smaller ones to bring indoors).

FUN/SILLY MOVING GAMES

Just a warning – you’re going to have a hard time deciding which of these fun (and often giggle-fit-inducing) games to play first. They’re so entertaining that you’ll be wanting to join in too!

Sticky Spider Web: Use painter’s tape to make a web-like design on a doorway opening (idea via Hands On As We Grow). Give your kids some newspaper to scrunch up and throw up at the web. Or get creative and use other light-weight objects like balloons. Have them count how many objects stick versus how many don’t for extra learning points.

Sticky Note Wall Bop: Attach 26 sticky notes to the back of a door and write a different letter on each one (in random order). Make a “start” line a few feet away from the door (more if you have older kids), and have your child stand behind it with a soft ball, bean bag, stuffed animal or pair of rolled up socks. Now instruct them to throw their object to try and hit the “A” or the “T”. Players with more advanced aim and spelling skills can try and hit all the letters in specific words (to make it even tougher, if they miss one of the letters, have them start all over again!).

Alternatively, write different point values on each sticky and give your child 10 throws. For each target they hit, mark down the number of points. At the end of the round, tally up to crown a winner (or if playing solo, have them try and beat their previous score).  (editor’s note: make sure your kids are retrieving their throwing object themselves…running and bending down to pick it up over and over again is all part of the exercise!)

Floor Bop: Take Wall Bop to the floor. Instead of aiming up high, your kids will now have to toss an object to land on pieces of paper on the floor. The same rules as above can apply.

Color Toss: Similar to Floor Bop, but with this game you’ll tape colored pieces of construction paper to the floor. Create your own point system where you get 1 point if you land a bean bag on any paper, but 5 points if you land on a paper that matches the bean bag color.

You can also use these colored “mats” to instruct your child to do fun tasks such as “bounce like a bunny to green”, “tiptoe to yellow” and “high knees to red”.

Ping Pong Ball Catch: Get out those plastic red Solo cups and a few ping pong balls (or any small object that will fit in the cup) and have your kids toss the ball to a partner and try and catch it in the cup. Start out close together and then keep taking a step backwards to increase the challenge. For a single-player, they can simply throw the ball in the air and try and catch it.Alligator Alley: One of our favorite go-to inside games of all time. Simply scatter some “islands” or “boats” across the floor (use pillows, stuffed animals, books, etc) and then have your kids jump from one to the next without falling into the “water” and risk being eaten by a hungry alligator. Bonus points if Mom plays said hungry alligator and chomps after them when they stumble!

Crab Walk: Teach your child how to do the crab walk, then see how fast they can scurry across the room. Have races with siblings (or yourself!) and then increase the level of difficulty by having them balance a stuffed animal on their stomach. If it falls, they have to scramble back to the beginning and start again!

Cotton-Ball Crawl: This Cotton-Ball Crawl game (via Parenting) is tons of fun and involves moving a pile of cotton balls from one room to another using a spoon. The feather-weight cotton balls make it easy to fly off if they don’t balance it just right!

ABC Exercise Cards: Download these fun printable cards from Home School Share which outline an active task for each letter of the alphabet. Have your child do all the ones that make up their name, or simply pick at random. In addition to getting in some healthy physical movement, they’ll also be learning their letters!

Indoor Croquet: Make your own indoor croquet course using toilet paper rolls or pieces of construction paper (via Toddler Approved). Amp up the activity by writing active tasks on each “tunnel” that need to be completed once your ball makes it through like “do 15 jumping jacks as fast as you can” or “go run up and down the stairs 2 times”. 

Movement Chain: You need at least 2 players for this interactive game where the first person starts by performing a certain movement – this could be something simple like jumping 2 times, or more complex like holding a plank for 30 seconds. The next person has to perform the first movement, and then add on another, forming a chain. The following person does the previous 2 movements, plus adds their own. You continue in this fashion until the chain sequence is broken (usually forgotten!) and then that person is out. The last one standing is the winner.

Potato Drop: The Potato Drop (via Parenting) is another one of our favorites because kids think it is good ol’ silly fun (we do too). Have all participants place a potato between their knees and race to a finish line where they have to drop it into a designated bowl or bucket. If the potato is dropped, or if hands touch it, they have to go back to the start and try again. (editor’s note: this is actually a great party game for big groups of kids – split them up into 2 teams and relay race to see which one can get all their potatoes into the bucket first!)

Mirror, Mirror: Stand face to face with your child, about a foot apart, and have them attempt to copy all your movements. Reach up and stretch to the sky. Do 10 jumping jacks. Run in place. Act like a monkey. Make it fun and you’ll both be working up a sweat in no time. Then switch roles and copy your child – they won’t be able to hold back the laughter (and neither will you!).

Airplane Landing: Make paper airplanes and throw them. The catch? You have to collect it and bring it back to the start line without walking – this could be running, hopping, skipping, twirling, crawling…let them get creative!

Crib Mattress Slide: This is another one of our go-to activities when we’re stuck inside – it’s super simple but kids think it is a riot! Take a crib mattress and prop it up on a bed or soft chair so it creates a slide to the ground. Now your kids can climb on up and slide down over and over again (just make sure you keep a hand on it at the top so it doesn’t slip down).

Pillow Case Race: On hardwood or tile floors, sit on a pillow case (or a t-shirt) and use your arms and legs to scoot around a “race” course.

Target Practice: Set up some targets (empty water bottles or paper towel rolls work great) and have your kids try and knock them down with Nerf guns or throwing soft objects. The exercise comes in when they have to keep going back and forth between retrieving their objects and the start line.

Wiggle Jar: Print out these inventive activity cards from Home School Share and place them in a jar for whenever your child needs to let the “wiggles” out. These cards are packed with great movements and silly actions like “pretend you’re in a band for 2 minutes: play the instrument of your choice” and “push the wall (hold it up) for 30 seconds”. Discard the few cards that have outdoor activities for when you’re truly stuck inside!

HUNTS

Although we may hunt for things all the time (hello keys, wallet, phone!), your kids don’t always get the same chance at discovery. So set them up with a hunt all their own with these incredibly creative ideas:

Lego Color Hunt: You have to try this one, it is a kid-favorite and super easy to execute. Select 4 pieces of colored construction paper and then collect 10 Lego pieces that match each one (ie. 10 yellow Lego pieces for a yellow piece of paper). Now hide all of the Lego pieces in one room/area of your house and lay out the colored paper on a table or the floor nearby. Start the clock and have your kid(s) start hunting.

Once they’ve found a Lego, they need to return it to the piece of paper that matches in color. See how long it takes them to find them all (tell them there’s 10 of each color so they can count to see if they’re missing any themselves), and then re-hide so they can try and get a lower time. (editor’s note: for my 2 older kids I hid 5 Duplo Legos and 5 regular Legos of each color and then assigned them a size – that way they each had the opportunity to find the same amount…and big brother couldn’t sweep them all up leaving little sis with nothing!)

Once they’ve had enough of the game, challenge them to have a little quiet time and make a cool rainbow structure out of the Legos (while Mom drinks a cup of coffee…score!)

Puzzle Piece Hunt: This is a genius idea courtesy of No Time For Flash Cards.  Hide all the pieces of a wooden board puzzle and have your child search for them – returning each piece to the board as they go. This game gets them moving, and their brain working at the same time, and kids love having a goal to complete. They’ll beg you to hide them again! 

Paint Chip Color Hunt: Pick up some brightly colored paint chips from your local hardware store and ask your kids to find items that match each color as closely as possible (again, keep a timer going so they quicken their pace). Don’t have Paint Chips? Use colored construction paper instead like Simple Play Ideas! ABC Hunt: Have your kids go around the house with a basket, collecting items that start with each letter of the alphabet (A for apple, B for Barbie, C for Crayola, etc) – give them a checklist to mark off each one as they go. Time them so they run!Scavenger Hunt: Use this Scavenger Hunt Printable from Living and Life Designed to send your kids on a fun hunt around the house collecting various items that you’ve listed. Make it fun by including specific things like “your favorite bath toy” or “a pink sock” to more general categories like “something that begins with the letter T”. And yes, set that timer!

Flash Light Scavenger Hunt: If you have a room that can get sufficiently dark by turning off the lights and closing the blinds, send your kids on a Flash Light Scavenger Hunt where they have to find certain hidden items in the dark using a flashlight. Kids go crazy for this one! (via Hands On As We Grow)

MAZE + OBSTACLE COURSE

These incredible ideas for making your own DIY maze or obstacle course will test your child’s strategic skills while getting their heart pumping.

Mission Impossible Obstacle Maze: Using either Crepe Paper  or Flag Tape (held in place with Painter’s Tape), create an intricate maze in a hallway for your kids to navigate their bodies through. Put the tape up high and down low, forcing them to step over and crawl under at various points. The only problem with this one is that once you make it, your kids will constantly be begging you to make another! (Idea via Brassy Apple)Life-size Book Maze: This creative idea from Preschool Powol Packets uses books (but other household items: clothing, brooms, and sports equipment like bats and sticks would all work well) to create a large scale maze that will challenge your kids to find their way out. Once they have the hang of it, have them crawl, hop, or walk backwards through it! This one is great for preschoolers to work on their spatial awareness and problem solving skills – in addition to getting them up and moving.

Obstacle Course: This tried-and-true idea is always a huge hit with kids, and can be made different every time so it never gets old. Make sure to create an engaging course that includes a variety of motions (jumping, crawling, balancing, etc.) and uses a large area. Have your kids help make the course (which is half the fun!) using some of these creative ideas:

• Hula hoops to jump through
• Line of tape to balance on
• Couch cushions to hop between
• Table to crawl under
• Blanket over 2 chairs to crab walk through
• Tupperware containers to hurdle over
• Stuffed animals to roll over
• Plastic cups to run around

We love that obstacle courses are great for kids of all ages to participate in – the younger tots enjoy just being able to complete all the obstacles, while older kids can race against each other or the clock. You could even have them attempt it balancing a bean bag or stuffed animal on their head, or with 1 hand behind their back.

Take 10 minutes to set-up a super engaging course, and you’ll benefit from happy, worn-out kids.

USE YOUR GARAGE

Sometimes the most obvious ideas don’t dawn on you until it’s too late. If you have a garage, why not move out your car and let your kids go wild in the open (but covered) space. Depending on its size, they could use their scooters, bikes and other outdoor ride-on toys, or play a game of tag, catch, soccer or street hockey. The best part about this is that your kids really feel like they’re getting outdoor play time, and are getting some fresh (well, fresh-er) air at the same time.

BRING OUTDOOR TOYS INSIDE

If using your garage isn’t a viable option (where are all the hoarders at?!), then consider bringing some of your child’s outdoor toys inside. These can be smaller items like jump ropes and soft balls, or larger items like scooters, ride-ons and our all-time favorite fold-up slide (editor’s note: this slide has been in and out of my house for years – it fits in our playroom in the winter and is used with a stuffed animal landing pit and in obstacle courses. It then goes outside in the summer as a fun slide into our blow-up pool!)

SPORTS GAMES

Another way to bring the outdoors in, is to adapt your child’s favorite outdoor sports games to be indoor friendly. Try out these variations for plenty of sweaty fun:

Basketball: If you have a Little Tikes basketball hoop or an over-the-door one, then you’re all set to play with a soft foam ball. But no worries if you don’t, just grab some laundry baskets or beach buckets and place them on the floor, stairs or hang from a door handle or hook. Make-shift your own balls with a wad of newspaper, bean bags, soft toys or rolled-up socks.

Play a game of HORSE or see who can make the farthest shot. Set-up lines of tape to see how many shots they can make from each one. Or set a timer for 1 minute and challenge them to make as many baskets as they can (running to retrieve the ball after each missed shot!).

Figure Skating: Clear an area on your floor (you can even “rope” off an actual “rink” if you’d like), grab you hat and mittens, and pretend you’re gliding across the ice. There’s several fun ways to make it feel as real as possible:

• Use dryer sheets – they provide just the right amount of slide and won’t scratch your floors!
• Paper Plate Skating from Hands On As We Grow: Simply grab 2 paper plates, step on them with bare feet (they’ll “stick” better) and then slide away. 
• Put a pair of wool-like mittens on your feet (kids think this is pretty silly which adds to the fun)
• Construct wax paper booties using string or tape
• Save old tissue boxes and kids can simply place their feet through the opening!

Lacrosse: Lacosse is a tough sport to safely practice inside, unless you have this genius training device. The CradleBaby is a regulation Lacrosse ball with a tether strap that attaches to the head of a Lacrosse stick. So your child can practice their stick skills all over the house without creating any damage!

Bowling: Set up your bowling “lane” with some painter’s tape and use plastic bottles or cups for pins. Use any type of ball to bowl, attempting to knock down as many pins as possible. Keep track of the score, or simply aim to knock them all down in one turn. Create a plastic cup pyramid to up the fun-factor even more.Soccer: Bring outdoor nets inside, or set up a goal using 2 cones (or plastic cups), a chair (score by getting it through the legs) or a simple piece of tape. Use any soft ball, or a super fun gliding ball like this one!

Mini Golf: If you already have mini-golf putters, all you’ll need are a few “holes” to start your round of golf. Tape some plastic cups lying on their side to the ground, or create tunnels with pieces of construction paper. If you don’t have putters, use long rolls of wrapping paper, hockey sticks, or pool noodles!   

Hockey: Create your own version of indoor hockey using balloons and pool noodles for young kids, or a knee hockey set like this one featured in our Gift Guide: The Best Indoor Gross Motor Toys For Active Kids

Dress the Part

If you’re stuck indoors for the long haul, pick several of the activities from our list and announce to your kids that you have some fun indoor activities planned. Instruct them to put on their favorite active wear and meet back at a designated spot in a few minutes. Just the act of getting into “special clothing” will snap them out of boredom and get them excited about what’s to come!

A big thank-you to our incredible partner, Tea Collection, for providing us with samples of their new Active collection to test. We’ve been avid fans of Tea’s globally inspired clothing for years, and their latest endeavor did not disappoint. Our kid-testers stayed cool in their colorful tanks, shorts and leggings thanks to the moisture wicking, made-to-move fabrics.

We love that you can mix and match pieces from Tea Active with their everyday collection, and bonus: they’re made with UPF 40 protection, so they’ll keep your kids comfy and protected both indoors and out.

Check out Tea Active and all their latest arrivals here.

CLASSIC GAMES + ACTIVITIES

Some games are classics for a reason: they’re just simple good ol’ fun. These ones are our favorites, updated for modern indoor play:

Egg ‘n’ Spoon Race: Grab a spoon and any small round object that will fit on top (or if you’re brave and have easy-to-clean floors, go ahead and use a real egg!). Create a course for your child to navigate through and see if they can do it without dropping it off the spoon. Once they’ve got the hang of it, go for speed!

“Potato Sack” Race: Update this classic by using pillow cases! Have your kids step in and hold it up around their waist, then hop to the finish. So simple, but they will be laughing like crazy and getting crazy tired all at once.

3-Legged Race: Tie your kids’ outside ankles together with something soft and stretchy like a long ski sock, PJ pants or bandage wrap. Now they’ll have to work as a team to coordinate their movements to get from point A to point B. This is one of our favorites because it not only builds gross motor coordination, but is great for sibling bonding too!

Wheelbarrow Puzzle Walk: Take your average Wheelbarrow race to the next level by having your child complete a puzzle in this brilliant idea from Stir The Wonder. Set-up a wooden puzzle board and scatter the pieces around a room. Grab your child’s ankles (or hips to make it a bit easier for little ones) and hold them up so they can walk on their hands to collect them. They have to bring each piece back 1-by-1 and fit it into the board until the puzzle is complete. (editor’s note: this is one of my kids’ favorites and is great for upper body strengthening!)Hula Hoop: If you have a Hula Hoop, now is the perfect time to dust it off and bring it back to life. Make it fresh by turning it into a game like who can do the most circles around their waist, arm or ankle. Try rolling it back and forth between 2 people, or see if your child can put some backspin on it and make it return to themselves. For little ones, put it on the floor and practice jumping in/out, side-to-side or have them pick it up and use it as a steering wheel to drive an imaginary car all around the house!

Jumping Limbo: Do the Limbo in reverse: instead of going under, have your kids jump over! Using something flexible like a stretchy exercise band, crepe paper or jump rope, have 2 people hold it (or attach it to something on one side) and start it on the ground. Have your kids run in a circle and then jump over it. After a few successful jumps, raise it an inch or two. Keep raising it until they can’t jump any higher!

Red-Light, Green-Light (Purple Light?!) Do your kids go nutty for this game every single time like ours? We like to add in a few different colored lights as the game goes on to keep it interesting:

• Yellow Light: Slow crawl on the ground
• Green Light: Jump like a frog
• Blue Light: Try and touch the sky
• Purple Light: Do a silly dance

Hide-and-Seek: Make it more active by having them hide on different levels of your house every time, that way they’re going up and down stairs every few minutes. Or, have the player that is found first perform a “penalty” that can include classic exercises like jumping jacks, burpees or sit-ups!

Simon Says: Get your child on board to play a game of Simon Says and they’ll do whatever active motions you dream up. But make sure you still make them a little silly – think animal movements, dramatic actions and anything on one foot.

Twister: Get in a good stretch by playing a game of twister. Don’t have the game? Make your own by taping construction paper circles on the floor. 

Bubbles! We’ve never met a child that doesn’t get excited about bubbles. Blow some with a wand and challenge your kids to pop them all before they touch the ground, prompting lots of jumping and diving. Better yet, create your own Bubble Machine with a fan! (via Kids Activities Blog)

Parachute: Grab a bed sheet and get your whole family involved – everyone taking a side and rapidly moving your arms up and down. Put some small balls or balloons on top and try and fling them off. Kids love this one!

ACTIVITY DICE

We love these fun, interactive games where your assign a get-up-and-move task to each side of a cube. Kids simply roll the cube to see what activity they need to perform, and for how long. You can create different themes like animal movements (think “run like a Cheetah”, or “Hop like a Frog”) or go for classic exercises (jumping jacks, sit-ups or planks anyone?) and scale them appropriately for your child’s age and ability.

Kids really love these simple yet silly games, and you can easily change them up with new tasks to keep it fresh. A few of our favorite variations include:

(1)  Lego Super Hero Action Dice: We love this free printable from Life Over C’s and so will any Super Hero loving kids. Simply print and roll and they’ll be soaring like superman, zooming like the Batmobile and Running like Flash!

(2)  Get the Kids Moving Game: Just print, cut and glue these colorful printable die (via Paperelli for iheartnaptime) and your kids will be performing silly (but strengthening) tasks like “Bunny Hops for 15 seconds” or “One-Leg Flamingo Balance for 45 seconds” in no time.

(3)  Animal Action Dice: This adorable printable dice from Playdoh to Plato features creative animal movements like “Wander like a moose” and “Scurry like a squirrel”.  

(4)  Movement Dice: Alternatively, use these printable movement dice from Pink Oatmeal which include classic movements and animals.

(5)  Animal Movement Activity Dice: Simply print and stick these engaging animal movements from Silhouette Blog onto a wooden block. This one is perfect for pre-schoolers who won’t be able to hold back the giggles whenever they roll “Waddle like a penguin”.

(6)  Move Like An Insect Gross Motor Dice: This printable dice from Life Over C’s features bugs and their movements. Your kids will be having a blast crawling like caterpillars and flapping like butterflies while burning off tons of energy! 

(7)  Moving My Body Gross Motor Dice: Another great printable from Life Over C’s features 2 dice – 1 with body parts and 1 with motions. Roll them both and put them together to do active motions like “wiggle your head” and “bend your elbow”. 

(8)  Snowy Winter Gross Motor Dice: For this game from 3 Dinosaurs there are two dice: 1 for winter-themed movements (think snow angel, skiing and shoveling) and 1 for speed (fast, slow and normal). A great active boredom buster for your next snow day! 

(9)  Animal Dice Game: Another fun option for animal movements are these free printable dice from Twitchetts which combine instructions on 1 die like “act like…” and “run like…” with different animals on another die. 

(10)  Gross Motor Action Dice: This easy printable from I Can Teach My Child will have your child hop, skip and jumping their energy away. 

BONUS IDEAS!

These may not be printable, but they’re super easy to execute and are still extremely engaging.

Assign-a-Dice: On a piece of paper assign each number from 1-6 a movement or action. Have your child roll a dice and perform the task assigned to the corresponding number. Make it active yet silly for best results. A few fun ones to try:

• Do 10 burpees…blindfolded!
• Crab Crawl backwards around the edge of the room
• Fly like a bird to the bathroom and back
• Army crawl for 20 seconds

For extra fun, use 2 dice and assign movements to one die (running, jumping, etc), and animals to the other. Roll them both and your kids will be “slithering like a monkey”, “hopping like a fish” or “skipping like an elephant” amidst fits of laugher.

Uno Movement Game: OK, so this Uno Movement game from Still Playing School isn’t technically an activity dice game, but it works in a very similar manner. Grab a deck of Uno Cards and assign actions to each number. Flip a card over and everyone gets up and completes the task.

GET DRAMATIC

This won’t be a problem for most kids, as drama is often a skill that is practiced daily (whether they realize it or not!). Have your kids channel that drama in these exciting activities that will also reduce their restless energy.

Movement Charades: Pretend to be your favorite animal, superhero or sports player by imitating their signature moves (no sounds allowed!). The rest of the players try and guess who they are – the first one to do so correctly, gets a point. If your kids have trouble thinking on the spot, write down some suggestions and place them in a hat to draw from when it’s their turn

Create a Show: Invite your kids to create their very own play (you’ll provide the audience!). The only catch is that they have to create it around an active prompt you give them – this could be a sport, activity (karate, dance, gymnastics) or our personal favorite, a Circus Show full of juggling (attempts at least) and jumping through hoops. Once they’re ready to perform, video tape it so it feels like a real production (plus kids love to watch themselves on tape so you’ll get a moment of rest while the replay airs).

Put on a Fashion Show: Kids love to dress-up, and this idea brings that love to the next level. Create a long runway out of tape or kraft paper and invite your fashionistas to perform their best walk while you pump the music. You can play the judge awarding points for style, creativity and their overall strut.

Choreograph a Routine: If your child is into dance, theatre or just loves to be the star of the show, challenge them to choreograph a one minute solo routine that they’ll have to perform in front of their loyal fans (ahem, you). Not only does this get kids thinking creatively and working independently (aka Mom gets a break), it also gets their blood flowing as they practice over and over again until it’s just right.

IMAGINATIVE PLAY

Exercise your child’s body and mind with these active imaginative games.

Snowball Fight: Create an indoor snow fight by creating your own snowballs with scrunched up pieces of newspaper, or buy a fun indoor snowball fight kit like this one. Make your own fort to take cover in between throws. This is a kid-favorite and they burn a ton of energy ducking and darting out of the way of incoming blizzards.

We’re Going On A Bear Hunt: Hide a bear (or other stuffed animal) somewhere in your house and have your child find it (use “hot” or “cold” for younger kids who may need a bit of direction). Bonus points if you read the book first. 

Make Elephant Feet: Stomp around the house with these inventive DIY Elephant Feet from Martha Stewart. Click here for the full tutorial. 

MUSICAL + DANCE

Time to pull out your best ‘90s dance moves and crank up the music. With these games your kids will forget all about the rain or snow outside, and instead they’ll dance up a storm of their very own.

Dance Party! Turn on the high-energy music and have a dance off! Make sure you have a large open space (clear of toys to trip on) and twirl, twist and shimmy your way around the room. Add in musical instruments or turn off the lights and break out some glow-sticks to prolong the party.

Freeze Dance: Add-in a game to your dance party where one person stops the music and everyone else must instantly freeze. If you catch someone moving, they’re out. The last one standing (or dancing in this case), wins.

Musical Letters: Make pieces of paper with big letters on them and spread them around the room. Play some music while they dance and then stop it and call out one of the letters. They have to immediately find the letter and sit down on it. If they pick the wrong one, have them do 15 jumping jacks (or whatever age appropriate movement you decide). Scale this activity to fit the level of your child – use colors, numbers or sight words to make it easier or harder. (Idea via Let Kids Be Kids)

EXERCISE VIDEOS!

Let’s face it, most kids would love to sit in front of their iPad on a rainy day for hours on end, but an explosion of pent-up energy at bedtime is not exactly our idea of fun. Instead, turn their “device” time into exercising fun by turning on some kid-friendly YouTube Exercise Videos.

Some of our favorite YouTube channels and videos for getting your kids up and moving include:

GoNoodle: This channel provides the greatest variety of get-you-moving videos for kids. Do a little exploring and you’re bound to find the perfect one for your kids (editor’s note: a current favorite in our household is this one from Trolls)

Whip/Nae Nae Elementary Cardio Workout: This genius cardio version of the popular Whip/Nae Nae moves performed by elementary school kids incorporates jumping jacks, lunges and push-ups in a workout that’s so fun, kids won’t even realize they’re working out.

Koo Koo Kanga Roo: If you can get past the kitchy mustache and fanny pack on this dynamic duo, you kids will be totally intrigued by Koo Koo Kanga Roo’s dance-a-long songs, including our favorite Dinosaur Stomp. 

Learning Station: This channel boasts “healthy music for a child’s heart, body and mind”, offering educational videos with lots of active participation geared towards toddlers, preschoolers and elementary aged kids. Some of our top selections: “Move and Freeze” and “Shake Your Sillies Out“. 

Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel: Jack Hartmann is another great channel with lots of videos to explore, and features educational themes (learn counting, numbers and more!) with dance and movement. Check out the short Brain Breaks and Physical Education songs, plus our favorites “Animals in Action” and “Top Dog”. 

Move To Learn Channel: Pair educational songs with easy-to-follow exercise moves, and you’ve got engaged kids burning tons of energy. We love “King Shapes” for youngers kids and “Football Fractions” for slightly older kids (especially those sports-obsessed!). 

Saskia’s Dansschool: This incredible dance school in The Netherlands films their talented dancers performing high-energy dances to popular songs. Head to their “Kids Dances” section for choreographed routines danced by a group of skilled kids to hits from the likes of Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake and Meghan Trainer. These videos have millions of likes on YoutTube and your kids will love playing them over and over again to pick up all the moves (plus many of them even have their own choreography step-by-step tutorial videos!).

GROOV3Dance Channel: Professional dancer/choreographer Benjamin Allen leads this series of “how to dance” videos, and we think their mini workouts that last 3-5 minutes are perfect for kids – they feature hit songs and are all high-energy and super engaging. These are perfect for grade schoolers and tweens who want to learn some killer dance moves!

Make sure you check out the “Forget You” CeeLo choregraphed dance which features child dancers.  

Just Dance Kids: Simply search for “Just Dance Kids” on YouTube and it will pull up a whole selection of video routines pulled from the Wii U games. They feature great music that will make you want to jump in there and try to perform all the moves alongside your kids!

Cosmic Kids Yoga: This channel includes a huge collection of videos that focus on yoga and mindfulness wrapped in fun, interactive adventures – building kids’ strength, balance and confidence.

Steve Songs “Let’s Move”: You can’t go wrong with anything from Steve Songs, and this song (as cheesy as it may be) prompts kids to “get up, get up” and certainly has the right message with its “let’s move” chorus. It’s super catchy (just try and get it out of your head!) and kids think it’s silly fun.

Fit Factor Kids Exercise: Kids seem to love this fun 5-minute exercise routine led by a teenage girl who demonstrates a variety of different animal movements. Try it with yours!

CLEAN

Vacuum, Sweep or Swiffer: Open up your cleaning closet and have your child pick their favorite tool. The Swiffer always seems to be a highly coveted item, and having them work their push/pull muscles while cleaning the house is a winning combination for all.

PLAY WITH ACTIVE TOYS

Head over to our Gift Guide: The Best Indoor Gross Motor Toys For Active Kids (To Get That Energy Out!) for our kid-tested recommendations for the best ride-on, balance, swinging, climbing and jumping toys, plus active “board” games.

Armed with this list of indoor activities, we hope you’ll now be prepared for any type of weather or situation that forces you and your brood inside. What’s your go-to activity for a rainy or snowy day? We’d love to hear about it – let us know in the comments section below.Found this helpful? We’d love to continue to make your life (with kids en tow) easier and have you join our What Moms Love community. We’ll hook you up with all of our exclusive resources, including our popular 10 Screen-Free Toys For Guaranteed Quiet Time, our fun Holiday/Birthday Coupon Book for Kids and the inspiring 35 Food Subs & Swaps for Healthy Family Meals.

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25 Surefire Indoor Play Ideas from a Preschool Teacher's Bag of Tricks

Northwest kids are used to gearing up to go outside: hats, jackets, rain boots and gloves. But sometimes, staying inside is the only option, and you need a quick game plan for fun.

Here's a grab bag of easy kids’ activities. Any of them can also be the centerpiece for a preschool birthday party. 

Toys, technology and rules not required. Just add imagination!

Music and movement

Freeze dance

A classic! All you need is music, and the only guideline is to freeze when the music is paused. Encourage kids to "freeze" in fun poses or with funny faces. Use a variety of musical styles and tempos. Tip: An older child can do the music while you dance with younger ones.

The sleeping song

Here are the short lyrics "Sleeping, sleeping, all the children are sleeping. And when they woke up, they were all ---." Fill in the blank with various animals, insects, or even inanimate objects and lets their imaginations run wild. Kids love acting like cats, snakes and even robots or babies!

As soon as one thing has run its course, begin the song again in a quiet voice as the children stop and pretend to sleep until the next thing is called. Keep cue cards for yourself, or let the kids be the "caller." They can even help make the flashcards (ex. write "snake" on one side, and on the other draw a picture of a snake). Keep the cards handy; they’ll want to play again and again.

Indoor obstacle course 

Push aside some furniture, and practice gross motor skills without breaking any priceless antiques! Set out a laundry basket and use balled up socks to practice throwing and accuracy. Tape down some yarn or string for a makeshift balance beam. Do moves in place, like running, jumping and hopping. Add yoga moves, use a timer and cheer them on. There are an infinite number of possibilities here.

Scavenger hunt

Take any theme, such as patterns, letters or colors and hunt around the house. Make it official with a clipboard and check off items as you go. Crawl around, reach up high and get down low!

Yoga for kids

If you enjoy yoga, your kids probably do, too! Just remember, they won’t stay quiet and breathe; expect laughter at the names of animal poses and even make up songs as you go. For added literacy practice, make flashcards with the names of the poses and a picture. Classroom favorites are usually airplane (flying warrior), lion and table top. It’s incredible to hear a 5-year-old say, “Yoga calms me down!”

Copy dancing

I think a 4-year-old named this game that originated from a preschool dance party. This game can be played with two to 20 participants, and it’s as simple as it sounds. One person dances while the others copy their moves. Kids love being the leaders, and imitation is, after all, the highest form of flattery. So put on some dancing tunes and show off those moves!

Make up a dance

Five, six, seven, eight! Didn’t everyone do this as kids? I was constantly making up dances with my buddies, and now I do it in the classroom. My organized method is for each participant to choreograph eight counts of movement, and put them together, practicing them in sequence. You can really work up a sweat this way. If this sounds too complicated, just make a Soul Train; no counting required, and it only takes three people!

Story go-round

This is the same concept as the dance-making game. Make up a cooperative story by letting each person add one sentence. Start with characters and a simple plot, like “a dog and cat went to the beach,” and let the children take it from there. The sillier, the better!

Arts and crafts

Homemade collage with reusable materials

Simply provide a few items that can be rearranged again and again. Arrange them on a tray or placemat to make patterns, designs and objects. Since the materials are reusable, take a picture to commemorate each creation. Ideas: craft sticks, buttons, paint samples, fabric swatches, spare keys.

DIY stuffed animals

You really can make a lovable stuffed animal (or insect!) with only four things: markers, construction paper, a stapler and recycled newspaper. It’s so easy and gets the kids excited every time.

Put two pieces of paper together, draw your animal’s outline, and cut it out, making two identical shapes. Decorate, color and add as much detail as desired. Then staple the two pieces together about halfway.

Now for the fun part: Stuffing! Use pillow stuffing from a craft store, or just rip and ball up newspaper, and begin stuffing it into your creation. When fully stuffed, staple closed and you’ve got a keeper!

Self-portraits

Using a mirror, let the child draw themselves. Point out facial features like eyebrows and eyelashes. If they draw their whole body, add in some fashion design! Don’t be surprised if your child takes some liberties, i.e. “Yes, I do have rainbow hair!”

Shapes

Help your child learn their shapes by tracing common household items. Turn over a cup to make circles, and trace your cell phone for rectangles. Hunting is part of the fun. Kids may want to decorate their shapes, cut them out and glue them on to larger paper for fancy art projects.

Abacus

Use art supplies to practice math and fine motor skills. You just need string, scissors, tape, paper and beads. Cut a piece of string, tape one end of the string onto the paper and begin stringing the beads. String 10 beads on and tape down the other end of the string. That makes one row. Your child can make as many rows as they like.

Tip: Circle-shaped cereal (like Cheerios) or candies (like Lifesavers) can replace beads in a pinch. Keep the abacus for counting practice.

Ice cube tray sorting and pattern-making

Here’s another way to mix math, art and fine motor skills. You’ll need an ice cube tray, egg container or muffin tin, plus small items to play with, such as various dried beans, buttons, coins or marbles. Jewelry, like plastic rings or earrings have that lost their partner, makes it extra exciting.

Your child can sort the items (by color, size, pattern or any way they like), make patterns with them or invent their own game. There are tons of possibilities and no right answers; this type of play blends logical thinking and mathematical reasoning with creativity.

For extra fun and challenge, use tweezers or clothespins to pick up the items.

Dyed paper

Art, science or interior design? This project is so versatile and produces such attractive results you may want to use it as decoration. Similar to tie-dye, but without the tying, just use paper towels and a few colors of either diluted food coloring or liquid tempera paint to make fantastic designs.

What to do: Fold a paper towel until it’s the size of cracker, then dip it into the paint until saturated, dipping each corner into a different color. Then carefully unfold it and let dry, preferably on a tablecloth or anything you don’t mind staining. Be prepared for repetition as children experiment with different ways to fold the paper and marvel at the lovely results.

When dry, the paper towels can be strung together and hung up, or taped to windows for a stained glass-like effect.

Squiggle art

Each player gets a piece of paper, makes a squiggle on it, then trades with someone. Then make a picture out of the squiggle. The beauty is in the simplicity, as children see that you can turn any mark into art. It’s fun for the adults to see what kids come up with, too!

Bookmaking

Yep, just make your own books. Children have so many stories to tell, and only need help writing it all down. Fold paper in half and staple at the crease to make pages. After the story is written, go back and read it to the child so they can illustrate each page. This simple activity builds confidence, self-esteem and literacy skills.

Collage

Recycle your old magazines and exercise the imagination, all in one! Let children choose and cut their favorite pictures out of magazines (or help them). Then they glue them on paper, then draw and decorate all around it.

Scissors and glue are a must; markers, crayons, oil pastels, stickers and glitter are optional. In addition to magazines, recycle wrapping paper, postcards (you know, like the ones for take-out pizza), tissue paper and (clean) cotton balls to make even grander creations.

Melted crayons

If you have old, broken crayons hanging around, then you have an instant craft project! Reuse those old crayons by making them new again. Unwrap the crayons, arrange them in a muffin tin in a single layer, and cook in the oven on 200 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Let cool, then stick them in the freezer to make it easier to pop them out. Just turn the pan over and you’ll have new cool, round crayons.

Note: When the crayons are fresh out of the freezer, they may not color well. Warm them up in your hands to get them going.

Masks

Homemade masks are fairly easy to make, yet are highly covetable. There are so many possibilities for characters, from animals to superheroes, and lots of variations in how to make them.

Children’s masks can be made out of different types of paper or fabrics, and either tied with elastic or glued on to a craft stick to hold up. The adult will probably need to measure where the eyes should be cut out of the paper or fabric, and how long the elastic should be to go around the child’s head.

No matter how it’s done, it’s likely to get a big smile when the child wears it and peeks in the mirror.

The kitchen sink

Drama

Put on a play using puppets, dolls or just yourselves! Use a favorite book, classic tale or make up your own story. Find props and costumes and play dress-up with younger children, or put on longer plays with preschoolers. Just act it out and have fun.

If your child has a flair for the dramatic, they’ll take charge of this one and it can easily last an hour (“Okay, pretend I’m the queen. Now you say…”). They love it when you just play along and let them be the director.

Cooking

When you have some extra time, make up an easy, hands-on cooking project for your next snack or meal. For children, cooking can mean sensory exploration, logical ordering and confidence boosting. Let them do as much of the work as possible.

The easiest recipes are ready-to-eat foods like sandwiches, wraps or rollups and salads. Even sophisticated kale chips are kid-friendly; kids wash the kale and pat it dry, tear it off the stem into bite-size pieces, toss it in olive oil and spices and spread the pieces on a tray. Adults work the oven then everyone crunches away!

Gardening

Kids love doing grown-up work, like watering plants, and they excel at playing with dirt. Want some new indoor greenery? Let the kids help you plant, pot and water them! They also love learning plant and flower names.

Music

Try free play with instruments real, found or homemade. Have you noticed your child can make sounds with anything? This is the time to let them bang away! Utensils, hands, or feet can drum a beat. Put dried beans, paper clips, or coins in paper, plastic or cloth bags to make shakers. Make a drum out of an old coffee can.

And don’t forget to sing along! Older kids may enjoy learning beats, following along to favorite songs or making up their own songs. Record their music and play it back for added delight!

Water play

Most preschools have a water table that children use for sensory exploration, dramatic play and more. You can make your own using any sized plastic tub. Let kids use cups or pitchers to fill it with water.

Add natural materials like rocks or crystals, household items like spoons, measuring cups and bowls or any little plastic toys they like. Then let the fun begin! It’s amazing to see the stories children build from just these few items. Sensory play is open-ended, engaging and can also be surprisingly calming for kinesthetic learners.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in December 2012 and was updated in October 2021.

Educational games for 3-4 year olds with parents at home

For a 3-4 year old child, play is the main way to interact with the world. In the game process, the child develops logic and thinking, trains memory, expands communication skills, and strengthens physically. We have collected games that will appeal to both the baby and his parents, because they will be not only fun and interesting, but also useful.

Article content:

• Outdoor games
• Educational games
• Educational games
• Tips for parents
• Terminals

Outdoor games

Active games are aimed primarily at physical development. The kid improves coordination, attention, endurance. Regular activity strengthens the immune system and is the best prevention of diseases. Find out what you can play with your child at home or on the street.

1. Keeping balance. The parent lays out a rope or a long rope (such as a linen rope) on the floor. The child should walk along it, spreading his arms to the sides. The game can be made more difficult. For example, a child can carry a glass of water in his hands (of course, plastic) or hold a small book on his head.

2. Collecting flowers. For this game, you will need several squares of colored paper, as well as a path, which can also be made from paper or, for example, a long scarf. The track is placed on the floor, pieces of multi-colored paper are scattered around it. We imagine that we are walking along a path, on both sides of which flowers grow. The facilitator (parent) periodically says how many and what flowers need to be collected. For example, 3 yellow or 5 red. The child stops and collects the right flowers. This game not only teaches coordination, but also distinguishes colors and recognizes numbers.

3. Sly fox. A mobile game that children love very much. It is more interesting to play it when there are many participants, but you can also play it together. The participants stand in a line, and the leader moves a few meters away and turns his back. The task of the player is to reach the leader. But you can only go when he is not looking! And when the leader turned, the participant must freeze, or they will have to go to the start.

4. Traffic light. For this game, you need to prepare red, yellow and green circles that can be made from colored paper. Each color represents a specific action. For example, the host shows a green circle - the child is running, yellow - jumping on 1 leg, red - crouching, etc. The game can be started with three signals, but when the baby remembers them, complicate and add new ones.

Educational games

All games are educational for a child. But adults by developing games usually mean those that are aimed at studying any objects, phenomena. Such games develop intelligence, broaden horizons, improve memory, attention and speech.

On the development of motor skills

The development of fine motor skills directly affects the formation of speech, self-service skills, thinking, memory. At home, you can use various household items for games: buttons, clothespins, colored pasta, pencils, etc. On the street you can take cones, chestnuts, sticks. Consider several options for games for the development of motor skills.

1. Piggy bank. Let's take 2 cans. Pour beans into one of them, and leave the other empty. A cover with a small slot is put on the second. The task of the child is to shift the beans from one jar to another. Alternatively, you can use the steam container from the multicooker (with small round holes). You can put pasta in them.
2. Groats drawing. PVA glue is applied to a sheet of paper, cereals are poured on top in a certain order. You can use semolina, wheat groats, buckwheat to create multi-colored patterns.
3. Beads. The child is given a fishing line on which objects must be strung. It can be beads, buttons and even drying. Objects should not be too small, otherwise it will be difficult for the child to cope with them.
4. Flower. Cut out a circle from paper - this will be the base of the flower. We will give the child colorful clothespins. He should attach them in a circle as if they were flower petals. In parallel, you can memorize colors and lay them out in a certain sequence.

For the development of logic

Logical connections are a very important part in the development of a child's thinking. To understand why and why, simple and exciting tasks will help.

1. Find the extra. For this educational game, you will need special cards or sheets that can be found on the Internet and printed. The task for this age usually contains four simple subjects, one of which does not fit into the group for a certain reason. These can be color, shape, skills (for example, flies - does not fly), the purpose of the object (clothes, dishes, etc.) and other signs. It is important to allow the child to think independently.
2. Divide into groups. A similar task, but here you need to select from the abundance of objects those that belong to a certain group. For example, vegetables, fruits, pets, toys, etc.
3. Say the opposite. A child at 4 years old already understands what antonyms are, that is, words with the opposite meaning. The parent says "hot" - the child answers "cold", etc. Use understandable words: quiet-loud, white-black, sad-cheerful, deep-shallow, wet-dry.
4. Who needs what. This game requires a ball. The facilitator says the profession, for example, "doctor", and throws the ball to the child. He must answer what the doctor may need (thermometer, syringe, white coat) and throw the ball back.

For the development of speech

It is important to develop speech from birth. Talking even with a baby who is still silent seems strange, but in fact it is an investment in his future. Often, already studying at school, children cannot connect several sentences into a logical text, retell what they read, or talk about some event. To prevent this from happening, at 3-4 years old you can offer such home games with children.

1. Describe the item. For this game, you need to collect several toys and put them in a box. The child takes out a toy and describes it. For example, the girl took out a doll. She can tell what size the doll is, what color her eyes and hair are, what clothes she is wearing, and come up with a name for the doll.
2. Tell me from the picture. For this game, you will need an illustration of some popular fairy tale (again, you can find it on the Internet and print it out, or just show it on the screen). The child must tell what he sees in the picture, what happened first and what happened later, how the story ended.
3. Everything is messed up. For this game, you can take the plot of a fairy tale that the child knows well. In telling it, you need to make mistakes. For example, the animals did not let the fox into Teremok, or Little Red Riding Hood went not to her grandmother, but to her friend. The kid must understand what is wrong in the fairy tale. You can dream up and compose your own fairy tale, in which the end will be different.

Educational games

At the age of 3, you can introduce your child to letters and numbers. The number is average, sometimes more developed children show interest in letters even at 2 years old. But there is no need to rush and force the baby to study - this will only discourage the desire to learn new things.

For learning to read and write

A popular technique for learning letters is to hang cards in different places in the apartment/room. And you can do this without even waiting for the age of three. Cards with letters should be bright, arouse the interest of the child. If the baby does not ask what kind of letter it is, you should sometimes pronounce them on your own. You can hang a card with a letter on an object that begins with it. For example, hang the letter L on a chandelier, and the letter T on a TV. Periodically, cards need to be changed, outweighed in other places.

The following ideas are useful for learning about letters.

1. Application. Cut out large letters from paper. For decoration, you can use cereals (motor development!), Cotton wool, fabric, beads, sparkles - whatever you like. When decorating a letter, be sure to pronounce it many times so that the baby remembers what it is called.
2. Find the letter. Print the letter in several copies. Keep one for yourself, hide the rest in the children's room. Show the child a picture with a letter: "This is the letter O. Find 3 more such letters." At the same time, the letters should be hidden so that they are not difficult to find, you can give the baby hints.
3. What's in common? Place items (or images of items) that begin with the same letter in a bag. The child must take them out and pronounce the names aloud, and then guess which letter was guessed.

When the child knows all the letters of the alphabet, you can move on to the study of syllables and words. To do this, write syllables or simple words of 3 letters on cardboard squares. These will be houses. Then take small toys, for example, from kinder surprises, and find a house for each toy. At the same time, pronounce: the horse lives in the “MA” house, the squirrel lives in the “CO” house, the bunny’s house is called “KY”, etc.

For teaching math

Educational games with numbers are the basis for learning mathematics for a child of 3-4 years old. They teach not only to memorize numbers, but also to compare, solve simple problems.

1. Construction site. This game is suitable for both boys and girls. Build a brick house with your child. In this case, you need to determine how many floors there will be in the house, and how many apartments (cubes) on each floor. For example, on the 1st floor - 4 cubes, on the second - 3. To complicate it, you can take cubes of different colors and give tasks not only with numbers, but also with color (2 yellow cubes for the third floor).
2. Train. Make cards with numbers from 1 to 10 and invite your child to make a train out of them. Only for this you need to arrange all the cards in order, from 1 to 10. If everything is done correctly, the train will go on a journey.
3. Count the candies. Take two dolls (bears) and put them at the table to drink tea with sweets. Give one doll 2 candies, and the other 3. You can ask: "who has more candies", "how many candies do two dolls have in total. " Then more dolls can come to visit, while the hostess will have to share the sweets equally among everyone. This game teaches not only to count, but also to think logically.
4. One-many. Play a mindfulness game. You can ask the child: “What items are many in the room? And what subject is one? For example, in the kitchen there are many plates, but there is only one table.

Tips for parents

In conclusion of the article, we will give some important recommendations.

1. For a baby, the game process itself, the action, and not the final result, is important. You should not be upset and even more so scold the child if the elephant you made looks more like a snowman.
2. The rules of the game must be simple and clear. At the same time, it is necessary to leave room for creative improvisation. It develops imagination and initiative.
3. Not all games may appeal to a child. You need to feel the mood of the crumbs and, if necessary, stop the game.
4. Exercise regularly with your child. Try to set aside at least 15 minutes a day for joint activities.

Conclusions

Games at home with children are interesting and cool, but there is not always time and ideas for this. In order not to deprive the child of the opportunity to fully develop, you can take him to a specialized children's center or kindergarten "Baby Club", where the child will receive the necessary skills in a playful way and will develop all types of intelligence. Specially equipped and safe rooms for classes are suitable for children of different ages: from 8 months to 7 years. Professional educators support the natural curiosity of children, directing it in the right direction.

Games for children 3-4 years old ✅ IQsha.

Children 3-4 years old are like little nimble rockets who are always ready to play and have fun! It is very important to be able to direct this seething energy in the right direction and keep the kids busy so that their games are not only fun, but also educational!

We offer you 25 different and useful games for the development of coordination and fine motor skills, memory and speech, attention and imagination, logic and thinking. In the article you will find both active games for the street, and calmer ones for indoor activities. We are sure that children will appreciate your desire to diversify their evenings!

Let us remind you of an important condition for developing games - a good mood of the child and his desire to participate in them. Always praise the baby for success, encourage if something does not work out right away. Remember that at the age of 3-4 years, it is still difficult for children to keep their attention on one lesson for a long time. Therefore, if the child is tired, let him rest or change the activity from active to more calm.

Games for children 3 years old

Game 1. "Trap"

Take a skein of thick thread and together with the child build a "trap" - threads stretched in different directions, like a web. You can attach small bells in different places of the “network”. The task of the players is to get through the trap without touching the threads and the bell. If this task seems easy, make it harder and play fast! Prepare a small prize for the fastest and smartest participant.

Children really like this game, it does not require careful and long preparation, it can be played both at home and on the street.

Game 2. "What's in the palms?"

You will need 15-20 small objects (chips, sticks, badges, cubes, circles) in three colors that are already familiar to the child.

The task is simple - having hidden a thing in the hand, we ask: “Not yellow and not blue, which one?”. If the kid answers correctly, the subject goes to him, if not, it remains with the host. The one who collects the most trophies wins. You can deliberately confuse the baby, name other colors and signs, for example, shape and size, use not three, but 4-5 colors. Focus on your child's knowledge and be sure to switch roles so that the baby is the leader.

This game helps to consolidate the knowledge of colors, develops attention and observation, teaches analysis.

Game 3. "Who has it?"

A good game for the development of speech, observation, and consolidation of knowledge. The adult lists the items, and the child names to whom they may belong. For example: “Who has a ladle, an apron, a knife and a cap?” (cook) or “Who has a big shell and small paws that can’t run?” (turtle).

Game 4. "Trains"

This fun outdoor game is suitable for children who don't like competition.

Have them pretend to be a train lined up one behind the other. The essence of the game is to repeat all the movements of the first player, who can walk smoothly, jump from place to place, turn in different directions, step backwards, dance, and so on. Make sure that everyone can become a helmsman.

This game is best played outdoors, but if there are few children, it can also be played at home.

Game 5. Monkeys

Another game of movement repetition. But it is more involved in facial expressions, and not the body.

Tell the little ones that monkeys are very fond of making faces and repeating movements one after another. Invite the children to be these animals and play! Let one child repeat the movements for an adult or come up with grimaces himself, and all the other players repeat after him. Do not forget to change the leader or play in pairs if there are a lot of children.

Game 6. "Height"

Great idea for indoor and outdoor play. Prepare a rope or cord and lay it out in a line. This will be your road over the abyss. At the end of the cord, place a plate or box that will contain a prize (an apple, a lollipop, a ball, or any other pleasant surprise). The task of the baby is to carefully walk along the rope, keeping balance and not falling. While the child is trying to pass the test, encourage him with words, let him feel the support of the fans! It is even more interesting to play with teams at speed. If everyone copes easily, make the path over the abyss not a straight line, but a winding one.

This game develops the coordination of toddlers' movements and brings a lot of fun and good mood!

Game 7. "Magic Threads"

This is a great game for developing imagination, as well as strengthening knowledge about colors and shapes. Show how to lay out the contours of various objects and shapes using threads or laces of different colors. And then offer to lay out the sun, a flower or a house, a cloud or a bird outline on your own, first in one color, and then in several.

Game 8. "Rain"

Another variant of the game with threads or laces. Together with your child, draw clouds on thick cardboard. Under them, using scissors or an awl, make small holes through which the child must thread the thread or cord to make short stitches-strips of rain.

Game 9. "Funny grains"

An excellent option for developing fine motor skills, and imagination, and sensory perception. The task is simple - pour semolina or any other small cereal into a flat dish or tray with a thin even layer.

Then invite the child to draw familiar figures and drawings on such a “canvas” with their finger. In the beginning, these will be simple images: a house, the sun, a cloud, and then you can complicate the task.

When your baby is a little older, learn letters and numbers with this game.

Game 10. Gossamer

Take a cardboard box and make a few holes in each of its sides. Then invite the baby to weave a cobweb, threading multi-colored threads through the resulting holes. Use threads or laces of different thickness, color and length. You can diversify the game by simply putting small objects on the bottom of the box. When the web is ready, use tweezers or fingers to remove the remaining things from the bottom of the box.

Game 11. “Guess”

The essence of the game is to guess with closed eyes what the presenter has put in his hand. Pick up small objects of different shapes and different materials. If the child speaks well, invite him to voice his thoughts, for example: “This is something wooden, rough, hard and with sharp corners. I think it's a cube."

Memorize the picture

Guess the sound

Game 12. "Shape search"

The task is simple - to cut out paper of different textures (plain, cardboard, velvet shapes, metallized newspaper): , triangle, rectangle, oval. Then blindfold the baby and ask to feel with your fingers to find all the circles or other shapes. For children 4 years old, you can prepare more complex options (polygons, trapezoids, rhombuses).

Games for children 4 years old

Game 13. "I can't see and I can't hear"

This is an excellent outdoor game for two or more players, which is very popular with children. Rules: when the host says “I don’t see”, the players run, jump, frolic, but in absolute silence. If someone makes a sound, he loses. If the host says “I can’t hear”, then the players can and should make noise, shout, sing, laugh, but stand in one place. Who moved - lost.

The game is more suitable for the street, so that children can run and scream to their heart's content without disturbing the neighbors.

Game 14. "Colored paints"

This is a wonderful game to reinforce the knowledge of colors and their shades. It requires a minimum of three participants.

We are sure that many parents will remember the rules! You need to draw a line (or lay a rope or string), on one side of which stands the leader, and on the other, the players. The host turns his back, calls any color and turns back. Whoever has this color on their clothes easily crosses to the other side, while the rest of the participants must run across until the leader grabs them. Which of the players he caught takes the lead.

Game 15: Obstacle course

This game will require a little preparation, as you need to create "difficulties" for the children to overcome. It is best to play in a company or even in teams for speed.

Focusing on the interests of the baby, create an obstacle course (chairs to crawl under, a tunnel of pillows, leaves that will save you from the lava river, and so on). The theme can be different, for example, hunting for dinosaurs, rescuing a princess from a dragon, jungle, a pirate island and any other fantasies.

If teams are playing, you can prepare the main prize for the winners and incentive for the losers. But the most important reward in Obstacle Course will be a great mood and a boost of energy!

Game 16. Again and Again

An excellent game that develops classification and analysis skills.

You will need cards with pictures of animals, plants, furniture, flowers, vehicles, and things that can be classified.

The essence of the game is to lay out all the pictures in front of the child, for example, with furniture and ask them to separate small objects from large ones, then wooden ones from plastic ones, and so on. The more you find options for analysis and comparison, the better.

Game 17. What's on your mind?

Purpose of fun: fun and interesting to develop attention, auditory perception, speech.

Prepare some simple pictures with different content and ask the child to choose one, but do not say which one. Then the adult asks questions to guess which image was chosen, and the child answers either yes or no. For example: “Is there a person in this picture?”, “Is there a yellow color in a person’s clothes?”. Then switch roles - who will complete the task faster?

Ready-made pictures or animal pictures can be purchased at any bookstore or made by cutting them out of magazines.

Game 18. "Mysterious actions"

Two or more people play, who need to understand what the leader is showing with his gestures or actions. For example, an adult pinches his nose, closes his eyes and crouches - this is diving into the water. You can guess any real objects or activities: writing, swimming, sleeping, hammering, and so on. The facilitator can prepare possible options in advance and write them down on cards. The winner is the participant who named the correct answers faster than the rest.

Game 19. "Who can do that?"

Another interesting game for the development of speech. The task is simple - to quickly guess what the other players are talking about. The facilitator describes an object, person or character, for example: “This is a small metal object that makes a thin sound. Such small objects are often hung around the pet's neck” (bell).

The game helps to consolidate any acquired knowledge: about professions, transport, plants, animals, seasons and many other objects and phenomena.

Game 20. "Comparisons"

An adult shows two objects to a child and asks them to tell what their similarities and differences are. For example: “Here is a ball and a balloon of different colors, compare them!”. Similarity - both objects are round in shape. Differences: color, material. The more signs the baby names, the better. Gradually make the task more difficult by matching similar objects, for example, cubes of the same color, but slightly different in size. You can also increase the number of compared items.

This game is great for developing attention and improving classification and analysis skills.

Repeat pattern

The same pictures

Two identical items

Game 21. “Questions-fasteners”

The essence of the game is to answer a variety of questions that the adult asks. These can be both funny questions, and cognitive and reinforcing. For example: “Are there thunderstorms in winter?”, “What color is the sun?” or “Why do you need to eat?”.

The game develops speech and memory, as well as generalization skills and is suitable for quiet family evenings.

Game 22. "Teams"

An interesting calm game for the development of speech. The host prepares funny commands in advance: “Sit down, those who love compote”, “Close one eye, those who drank juice today,” and so on. Fun is suitable for dating in a new company, because it allows you to find out the interests of new friends and create a fun atmosphere.

Game 23. "Signals"

A very interesting game that develops attention and concentration, as well as improves memory. The task is simple - the host prepares “signals” in advance (any cardboard figures of different colors) and shows them to the children. Each color denotes some kind of action, for example, yellow - stand still, red - sit down, blue - raise your hands up. Show these signals to the players in random order. Gradually complicate the task and say commands, showing cards of a different color. The winner is the one who did not get confused and correctly followed the signals.

Game 24. "Collect toys"

Educational games for children 4 years old: an excellent active game that helps not only develop attention and memory, but also quickly clean the room! It is desirable that there are at least two participants in the game in order to get a competition.

Take a few items and spread them around the room in different places (or just voice out what to look for). Children need to find all the things as soon as possible and put them in a drawer or basket. The one who comes first wins.

Then make the task more difficult and offer to continue the search, standing on one leg, flapping, walking in single file or crawling.

What objects were in the picture?

Game 25 "Pattern cover"

Classes for children 3 years old can be carried out using available items. Make a few holes on a sheet of cardboard and invite the baby to make a patterned cover with multi-colored threads or lace. It can be a spontaneous pattern or pre-prepared images that are easy to repeat.

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