fun educational activities for preschoolers

• Grades 6-12
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56 Preschool Activities and Games for Learning and Fun

Simple and budget-friendly!

Preschoolers are all energy and curiosity, which is perfect because preschool is all about learning through movement and play. Here are our favorite preschool activities and games that will keep your preschoolers busy, engaged, and learning.

Preschool Activities for Reading

Reading in preschool is about exploring language, letters, and, eventually, words. Create opportunity for young readers and writers to explore on their own, as well as with you, every day.

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1. Read aloud every day

Read-alouds are perfect preschool activities you should do daily. Try reading aloud with the whole group, small groups, and one-on-one. Reading boosts students’ language and prepares them to learn to read and love it. Some of the best picture books were written with preschoolers in mind, including classics like The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson, and modern favorites like Everybody in the Red Brick Building by Anne Wynter and Boxitects by Kim Smith.

Here are our favorite books to read with preschoolers.

2. Create a letter parking lot

Create a parking lot with capital letters and write lowercase letters on cars. Students drive the cars to park so that the lowercase and capital letters match.

Learn more: ABC Parking Lot/Pre-K Pages

3. Make a book

Preschoolers will love to read books they write and illustrate. Start on the first day of school by having them make a book all about themselves. Then, record what they learn about anything and everything. At the end of the year, send the books home with students as a memento.

Learn more: Bookmaking/PreKinders

4. Play kick the cup

Write letters on cups, then have students use a ball to knock the cups over. This combination of gross motor and literacy skills is an activity that students can do during literacy centers or recess.

Learn more: Kick the Cup/Fun Learning for Kids

5. Do interactive writing

Use a writing prompt, which could be a question from a book or a general question that you want students to discuss. Then record students’ responses to create a bulletin board or book. Interactive writing—when you model writing students’ contributions—shows students how writing works and that they can be writers.

Learn more: Early Literacy Activities/Fun-a-Day

6. Play syllable Head and Shoulders

Help students practice breaking words into syllables by saying words and tapping their head, shoulders, knees, and toes for each syllable they hear. So, for the word banana, they would tap their head (ba), shoulders (na), and toes (na).

7. Practice rhyming with blocks

Rhyming is a cornerstone of phonemic awareness, a skill kids need to learn to read. Practice rhyming with activities like:

• Put rhyming words on blocks and have students stack the rhyming words together.
• Write rhyming words on the board or draw pictures of rhyming things on the board. You say one word and students use a fly swatter to swat the rhyming word or picture.
• Put images that rhyme in a row on the floor and have students walk along the row, saying the rhyming words as they go.

Learn more: Rhyming Activities/My Teaching Cupboard

8. Mail pretend letters

Provide students with paper, envelopes, and a mailbox and encourage them to write letters to you, each other, or characters they’ve read about.

Learn more: Mailbox Literacy Activity/No Time for Flash Cards

9. Explore an alphabet sensory bin

Fill a sensory bin with letters—form, magnet, paper—and other sensory items, like beans, beads, rice, or corn and have kids explore.

Learn more: Letter Sensory Bin/No Time for Flash Cards

10. Match magnetic letters

Put paper with letters on it on a cookie tray, then have students match letter magnets to the letters on the paper. When students have mastered matching letters, use paper with pictures on it and they can put the letter magnet of the first sound on each picture.

Buy it: Magnetic Letters at Amazon

Learn more: Magnetic Letter Activities/No Time for Flash Cards

Preschool Activities for Math

Preschoolers cover a lot of ground in math, including number sense, graphing, patterns. These activities give them important work in math foundations and let them work independently as mathematicians.

11. Match shapes and colors with blocks

Using the blocks in your block center, trace shapes onto butcher paper. Have students use blocks to match shapes and colors, and combine blocks into new shapes. Create patterns with the blocks and have students extend the patterns beyond the page.

Learn more: Block Shapes and Colors/Hands On As We Grow

12. Count patterns and numbers with bears

Counting bears are a must for every preschool classroom. Use them to teach for a number of preschool activities that focus on sorting, patterns, and number sense.

• Use counting bears (or any colored counters) to create and extend AB, AAB, and ABC patterns.
• With counting bears and number strips, students count out the number of bears to match the number on each card.
• Have students sort the bears by color, size, or another attribute they see.

Buy it: Bear Counters at Amazon

Get it: Number Strips at Fun Learning for Kids

Learn more: Bear Counter Activity/Teaching Mama

13. Sort pom-poms

Create space to sort by color, and have students sort pom-poms. Start with two colors and work up to six. Students are practicing basic classifying and fine motor skills.

Learn more: Pom-Pom Sorting/Teaching Mama

14. Use counting mats

Use play dough and a counting mat for students to practice making numbers and completing 10-frames. As they get more mature, students can use a marker to trace the number and complete the 10-frame.

Learn more: Free Dough Mats for Counting/Life Over C’s

15. Learn symmetry with LEGO bricks

A LEGO board and a pile of LEGO bricks are a great way to start teaching kids about symmetry. You can start them off with a pattern on one side and have them build the same pattern on the other side. Then have them create their own symmetrical sculptures.

Buy it: LEGO Building Board at Amazon

Learn more: LEGO Symmetry/Fun Learning for Kids

16. Practice geometry with Popsicle sticks

Put out a bin of Popsicle sticks and see what students will make—shapes, patterns, bridges. Point out the lines, angles, and other geometric features that they’re creating.

Learn more: Geometric Shapes/Little Bins for Little Hands

17. Teach numbers with mini eraser 10-frames

Ten-frames teach number sense, and mini erasers are fun. Use your favorite mini erasers or other counters (buttons, pom-poms, little LEGO bricks, Unifix cubes) to teach numbers starting with 0 to 10.

Buy it: Mini Erasers at Amazon

Learn more: Printable Ten-Frames/Fun-a-Day

18. Graph with dinosaurs

Using a graph and markers, students roll the dice 10 times and record which dinosaurs they get on a graph.

Learn more: Dinosaur Graphing Activity/Artsy Momma

Plus, get more graphing activities here .

19. Measure hands and feet

Trace students’ hands and feet, then have them measure them with Unifix cubes. Anything can be a unit of measurement in preschool, as long as it’s standardized. So, add Unifix cubes, Matchbox cars that are the same length, small Duplo blocks, and more to the measuring center.

Learn more: Measuring Activity/Little Bins for Little Hands

20. Compare weights

Provide students with a bucket balance and different things to compare. Which weighs more, dried blueberries or fresh? Corn kernels or sunflower seeds? Toy animals or LEGO bricks?

Buy it: Bucket Balance at Amazon

Learn more: Bucket Balance/Little Bins for Little Hands

Plus, get more math games for preschool here .

Preschool Activities for Social-Emotional Learning

Preschoolers need lots of teaching and support to learn how to make and keep friends, solve problems, and manage the big feelings that come their way.

21. Play friend bingo

Since your preschoolers will come to school likely not knowing anyone, use bingo to help them learn names and routines. Create bingo cards using images from around the school, friends’ faces, and teachers’ faces. Then, play friend bingo by having students put cubes or buttons on the pictures when you name them.

Learn more: Friend Bingo/PreKinders

22. Use your cozy corner

When preschoolers are having big feelings or need a break, a classroom cozy corner is a space to calm down. Once a child is calm, you can talk to them about problem-solving and rejoining the class.

Learn more: Cozy Corner/Preschool Inspirations

23. Toss a get-to-know-you ball

Spend some time getting to know students and helping them learn about each other with a ball toss game. Using a soft ball, throw or roll the ball from student to student. When each child has the ball, they say their name and one favorite thing. Repeat this activity as necessary throughout the year.

Buy it: Soft Soccer Ball at Amazon

24. Make choices with green and red boards

Preschoolers are learning a lot about the impact they have on themselves and others. Reinforce good and bad choices with “red” and “green.” Teach which choices are appropriate and not appropriate for school, then when students have made a red choice, talk them through which green choice they could have done instead.

Learn more: Green and Red Choice Boards/Pocket of Preschool

Preschool Activities for Gross Motor Skills

Use these ideas to help preschoolers develop body awareness, strength, and flexibility, while working on following directions and, of course, having fun.

25. Play with parachutes

Parachute games and activities help preschool students learn how to cooperate and work together. Have students hold on to the parachute and all lift at the same time to create a mushroom. When they stand around the parachute edges and walk in a circle, they can make a merry-go-round. Practice listening by playing fruit salad; give everyone a fruit name (apple, banana, etc.). Then lift the parachute and call out a fruit. The students who are that fruit must run under the parachute to the other side.

Buy it: Parachute at Amazon

Learn more: Parachute Games/Kid Activities

26. Exercise with dice

Roll a number die and a die with an exercise assigned to each side. Have children do the exercise the number of times shown. For indoors, try toe touches, arm flaps, jumping jacks, side-to-side jumps, twists, and star jumps, or choose movements that fit the physical needs of your students.

Learn more: Exercise Dice/Education.com

27. Do body bridge poses

For a fun, core-strengthening, and cooperative task, ask some children to hold poses like hands-and-knees, plank, or Downward Dog while other children drive cars and trucks under the “bridges” those poses create.

Learn more: Body Bridges/The Inspired Tree House

28. Walk on a homemade balance beam

Challenge students to construct homemade balance beams using spare boards. For an indoor option, use large wooden blocks. Can they walk all the way across? Can they go backwards? For students who might find it difficult to balance on a raised surface, use masking tape lines on the carpet or cut pieces of cardboard boxes they can use to make a path.

Learn more: Balance Beams/Hands On As We Grow

29. Cross the river

Arrange floor spots in a line that snakes across your classroom. Invite children to be “ants” who have to cross a “river of hot chocolate” by stepping on “marshmallows.” Have them hold hands in a line and work together to get across. Vary the activity by moving some marshmallows closer or farther apart, so children have to use different tactics.

Buy it: Poly Spots and Adventure, Play, Peace by Nancy MacPhee Bower at Amazon

30. Spend time in Savasana

Yoga is a way for students to slow down, move their body in different ways, and stretch. Use videos like Cosmic Kids Yoga or books about yoga to lead students through yoga sequences.

Learn more: Toddler Yoga/Yo Re Mi Kids

31. Play Yogi Benders

Another yoga idea: Call out two body parts and tell students that only those two parts can touch the ground. Try “one foot and one hand,” “two knees and two elbows,” “one bottom and one finger,” or “two knees and one head.” For an adapted version, have two or three students share a large exercise ball and work together to try to hold the ball still using certain body parts.

Buy it: Yoga for Children by Lisa Flynn at Amazon

32. Play Hula-Hoop Islands

Place Hula-Hoops around your classroom. Play music and ask children to move around the hoops. When the music stops, they must stand inside a hoop. Take away a hoop each time you stop the music. In the end, how many preschoolers can fit inside one hoop?

Learn more: Hula-Hoop Islands/Outdoor Movement Project

33. Do Hula-Hoop movements

Set up a line of four to six Hula-Hoops across the floor of your classroom. Have students wait behind the first hoop, then call out directions for how to move through the hoops. Try bunny-hopping, giant-stepping, tiptoeing, or scurrying like mice. Play music with different tempos to encourage students to move at different speeds.

Learn more: Hula-Hoop Games/Learn Play Imagine

34. Play Land, Sea, and Air

Designate one area to be the “land” and one area to be the “sea” using your rug and floor tiles or masking tape. Students must hurry to the correct area when you call out “land!” or “sea!” and jump as high as they can when you call “air!” Keep students laughing with surprise commands like “earthquake!” and “tornado!”

Learn more: Land Sea Air Game/What Do We Do All Day?

35. Do indoor relay races

Stuck inside because of the weather? Set up an impromptu relay race. Ask students to carry bean bags or other objects on different body parts across the room. Or try this partner relay activity in which two children must work together to hold a ball between themselves.

Learn more: Wacky Relay/The Inspired Treehouse

36. Play indoor tennis

Get some wiggles out and spark some laughs by setting up this “tennis” game with balloons and fly swatters. Students can try to pass balloons back and forth or work together to swat balloons into a bin, cardboard box, or across a masking tape line. For an adapted version, use large traffic cones as stands for the balloons.

Learn more: Balloon Tennis Activity/Little Bins for Little Hands

Preschool Activities for Fine Motor Skills

Preschool is all about working those pincer fingers, the small muscles in the hands that kids will use to write later on. This means activities are more about squeezing, pinching, grasping, and releasing than holding a pencil and writing.

37. Paint with pom-poms

At the painting station, pom-poms make a great tool. Have students pick them up with their fingers and paint, or create a pom-pom brush by using a clothespin or tweezers to pick up a pom-pom and dab it around. Let students make their own painting or give them tracing pages to “trace” with paint.

Learn more: Paint With Pom-Poms/Fantastic Fun and Learning

38. Squeeze tweezers

Tweezers or tongs are a staple in many early childhood classrooms. They’re great for strengthening pincer muscles, and they’re versatile. You can get them in any size, from large tongs to small tweezers, which works for all kinds of hands. Some ways to use tweezers:

• Sort objects into piles or bins by color (pom-poms, beads, etc.).
• Give students a pile of seeds or beans and have them sort them by type.
• Have students use tweezers to place objects (pom-poms, marshmallows, cotton balls) on a line or letter.
• Put a pile of yarn in a bin (not tangled) and have students pull out the “spaghetti” piece by piece.
• Have students use tongs and colored beads or pom-poms to cover designs.
• Using a Connect 4 game, have students play or fill the game using tongs.

Buy it: Learning Tongs at Amazon

Learn more: Ways To Play With Tongs/Mama OT

39. Write with shaving cream

A tray and shaving cream are all you need. Put a dab of shaving cream on each tray and have students spread it out. Then, they can write letters, numbers, and shapes and “erase” it each time. Add food coloring to the shaving cream to match a theme or mix it up.

Learn more: Shaving Cream Writing/Gift of Curiosity

40. Pinch water droppers

Water droppers (or pipettes) are another way for kids to use their pincer grasp and strengthen eye-hand coordination as they pick up the water and transfer it from one place to another. One center idea: Put out a cup of water, a water dropper, and a bunch of bottle caps. Students transfer the water from the cup to the bottle caps.

Buy it: Water Droppers at Amazon

Learn more: Water Play With Eye Droppers/Learning 4 Kids

41. Cut and cook

Preschoolers love to learn how to do everyday activities with real tools. Teach students how to safely use a knife to cut up soft, manageable fruit, like bananas. Then, use the bananas for snack time or a recipe.

Here’s a recipe for banana pudding.

Learn more: Slicing Skills/PreKinders

42. Make a mosaic

Cut-up squares of paper and a blank paper canvas provide another versatile way for students to practice pincer grasp and get creative. Provide cut-up paper squares for students to use to make a mosaic design, or have students cut paper into squares before they make their mosaic. Give students ideas for how to craft their mosaic, or let them do their own thing.

Learn more: Mosaic Pattern Art/Hands On As We Grow

43. Cut and Paste

Being able to use scissors is a skill that will serve kids well when they’re in kindergarten and beyond. Give your preschoolers lots of practice using scissors with tasks that ask them simply to cut, not necessarily on a line or with precision. For example, put pages from a magazine at a center and have students cut them any way they choose. They may cut out images or just cut the pages to shreds. For students who are learning to use scissors, loop scissors are a good starting place.

Buy it: Safety Scissors and Loop Scissors at Amazon

44. Try finger plays

Finger plays are beneficial for so many reasons. Once you have a favorite finger play, change it up so that students are using their thumbs, forefingers, and pinkies to act it out. Here’s a favorite finger play:

45. Hide-and-find items in modeling clay

Add small items to your modeling-clay station to encourage hide-and-find exploration. All that squeezing and pushing is great for fine motor development, as well as persistence.

Learn more: Play Dough Activity/What Do We Do All Day?

46. Add water beads to the sensory table

Mix up the water play table with water beads. Playing with animal toys and other fine motor toys in the water beads adds a sensory experience. (Note: Do not use water beads if any students still put things in their mouths as these should not be eaten.)

Buy it: Water Beads at Amazon

Learn more: What To Do With Water Beads/Artful Parent

47. Play finger soccer

Have pairs or small groups play “finger soccer” on the rug, using only their index and middle fingers as “feet” to move a small ball. You can even make felt jerseys!

Learn more: Finger Soccer/Your Kids OT

48. Feed a monster

Create a “monster mouth” out of a flip-top container and ask students to use clothespins or large tweezers to pick up puffballs or other small items to “feed” the monster. They won’t want to get their fingers nibbled!

Learn more: Feed a Monster/Therapy Fun Zone

49. Hang the laundry

String up a clothesline in your pretend play area and have students use clothespins to hang a doll’s laundry to “dry.” If you’re short on space, set up a tray clothesline like the one illustrated above.

Learn more: Hang Laundry Activity/PreKinders

50. Make snowballs or peas in a bowl with clay

These two preschool activities are perfect for mixing pretend play with fine motor skills practice. First, gather a collection of plastic animals and tell students they are preparing for a BIG snowball fight. Then show students how to roll small balls of modeling clay in between their thumbs, middle fingers, and index fingers and make a stockpile for each animal. Or set out a bowl and spoon and ask students to roll “peas” to make a bowl of pea soup.

Learn more: Playdough Snowball Fight/OT Mom Learning Activities

Preschool Activities for Science

Preschoolers are curious about the world and how it works. Science activities teach them how to ask questions, what happens in a process, and how to form and test hypotheses.

Check out these preschool science experiments .

51. Make bubbles

Are you looking for preschool activities for kids who love bubbles? Try making your own bubbles using dish soap and water and see how big you can make the bubbles, or how long bubbles will last before they pop.

Learn more: Make Giant Bubbles/Make and Takes

52. Do a penny boat challenge

One way to teach creating hypotheses is to build aluminum foil boats and test which sink and which float. Which boats do students think will float? How many pennies will it take to sink each ship?

53. Color flowers

Study how plants work with a classic experiment. Put white flowers (carnations, roses, and tulips all work) into cups, each filled with a different food coloring and water. Over the next few days, watch how the flowers change. Be sure to leave one cup without food coloring as a comparison.

Learn more: Color-Changing Flowers/Fun Learning for Kids

54. Make a water wall

Use everything from plastic bottles to toilet paper rolls along an outside wall or any vertical surface to create a water wall.

Learn more: Water Wall/Happy Hooligans

55. Make a rain cloud in a jar

During your unit on weather, or any time you want a cool experiment, create a cloud in a jar.

56. Raise and release butterflies

There so many different butterfly activities that are perfect for preschool students. In the spring, read about butterflies and raise your own. Then plan a party to release them.

Buy it: Butterfly Kit at Amazon

Get even more ideas with Tips and Tricks for Teaching Preschool.

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75 Awesome Preschool Activities

When planning learning activities for preschoolers, it isn’t one size fits all! Preschool teachers and parents like yourself need to have preschool activities for lesson plans that are easy for young students to understand, many who are not yet reading, and are FUN! Here are some simple and playful preschool activities your preschoolers will love!

How To Make Preschool Fun

Your time is limited, so your preschool activities for the school year and beyond must be easy to set up and provide valuable learning experiences for the youngest students.

Create a lifelong love of learning with these simple preschool learning activities! We have made it easy for you and divided the activities into STEM, including science and math, art, and literacy. Plus, you’ll find plenty of sensory-rich experiences.

Making preschool fun for kids involves engaging their curiosity, creativity, and natural desire to learn through play and exploration. Here are some easy tips to make preschool a delightful and enjoyable experience for young children:

1. Create a Colorful Environment

Use bright and cheerful colors in the classroom. Decorate walls with educational posters, art, and children’s work to create an inviting atmosphere. Colorful preschool art is fun to display!

2. Hands-On Activities

Incorporate hands-on activities like painting, crafting, building with blocks, playing with playdough, simple science activities or engineering projects, and sensory bins. These activities stimulate creativity and fine motor skills.

4. Thematic Learning

Plan lessons around fun themes like animals, seasons, outer space, or community helpers. This approach keeps children engaged and excited about learning.

5. Read Books

Regularly read aloud to kids. Use expressive voices and props to bring stories to life. Add books to different thematic units. Check out these preschool book activities.

6. Outdoor Play

Outdoor playtime is essential. Set up a safe and stimulating outdoor play area where children can run, jump, and explore nature. This helps develop gross motor skills and a connection to the environment. See our fun exercises for preschoolers.

What Is Playful Learning?

We have found many fun ways for kids to play and learn together! Playful learning is about creating joy, wonder, and curiosity. Developing this sense of joy and wonder starts at a young age, and adults are a big part of that.

Set up invitations to discover and explore!

• This fosters a huge sense of success in young learners when they make a new discovery. Undoubtedly, they will want to show it to you repeatedly.
• Many early foundations in literacy, science, and mathematics can be achieved through play instead of worksheets.
• Learning activities improve social skills and aid language development.

Set up preschool Science Centers for different themes and let the kids explore a new theme every 1-2 weeks! We have printable packs to help you get started.

Kids love to share what they are doing with you. If you listen and ask questions, they will too! If you encourage them to think about an idea, you will be amazed at what they can develop.

Questions you can ask…

• What do you think will happen if…
• What is happening…
• What do you see, hear, smell, feel…
• What else can we test or explore?

75 Hands-on Preschool Activities

Never run out of ideas for fun preschool activities at home or in the classroom. What do preschoolers learn? They learn about the world around them!

Sensory Bins

Sensory bins are a popular choice for sensory play in preschool! You can easily pair them with different themes or books to create a sensory-rich learning experience. Try one of these sensory bin ideas or create your own!

You can learn how to assemble a sensory bin, the best sensory bin fillers, including non-food fillers, and how to clean up the mess with our How to Sensory Bin Guide.

• Pumpkin Sensory Bin
• Apple Sensory Bin
• Tropical Summer Sensory Bin
• Dinosaur Sensory Bin
• Butterfly Sensory Bin
• Ocean Sensory Bin
• Dr Seuss Sensory Bin
• Spring Sensory Bin
• Garden Sensory Bin
• Rainbow Sensory Bin
• Space Sensory Bin
• Winter Sensory Bin

Sensory Activities

Besides sensory bins, kids can also explore a variety of tactile play materials and sensory play recipes that are on the messier side!

• Rainbow Spaghetti
• Kinetic Sand
• Cloud Dough

Playdough Activities

Engage your preschoolers in learning with our free printable playdough mats you can download! From weather, rainbows, flowers, bugs, and more, playdough mats are an excellent activity for improving fine motor skills, language development, as well as awesome sensory play for young kids.

Make up a batch of our favorite no cook playdough , or try one of these fun playdough recipes ! Kool-aid playdough, Jello playdough, fairy dough, super soft dough and more. Then pair it with one of these playdough mats below!

• Bug Playdough Mat
• Shape Playdough Mat
• Rainbow Playdough Mat
• Recycling Playdough Mat
• In the Garden Playdough Mats
• Weather Playdough Mats
• Flower Playdough Mat

Science Activities

We love playful hands-on science activities around here. Preschool science offers room for play and exploration without adult-led directions. Kids will naturally start to pick up the simple science concepts presented just by having fun conversations with you!

Below is a list of fantastic preschool activities and themes introducing chemistry, physics, earth science, and biology!

• Explore Shadows and Light
• Friction and Forces
• Bridge Building and Community Helpers
• Nature Exploration
• All About Me Collage
• 5 Senses Sensory Station
• 5 Senses What’s Inside Game
• 5 Senses Taste Test
• Baking Soda Science
• Seeds and Plants
• Weather Fun
• Sink or Float
• Dinosaur Fossils
• Is It Magnetic?
• Four Seasons Activities

Math Activities

Preschool math focuses on introducing young children to fundamental mathematical concepts in a playful and hands-on manner. The goal is to build a strong foundation for later mathematical learning by making math engaging, relatable, and fun.

Early math skills start with lots of playful opportunities that don’t have to be extensively planned ahead of time. Check out these simple preschool activity ideas using everyday items.

Read more about Preschool Math Concepts and Activities here. Our Preschool “I Can Explore Math” pack is done for you!

• Counting 1-10
• Snap cubes number recognition
• Transportation number mats and game
• Number pattern blocks
• Art with shapes
• Gingerbread I Spy Number Mats

Printable Math Games

Our printable board game pack is a fantastic opportunity to give it a try! Add a single die to the game. When kids roll and count spaces, they are having fun working on counting and one-to-one correspondence (as well as turn-taking).

Try a free Roll a Reptile game to get started (add your own die for math play).

Art Projects

Preschoolers need the freedom to explore and experiment. Art allows children to practice a wide range of skills that are useful not only for life but also for learning.

• Blow Painting with Straws
• Bubble Painting
• Cinnamon Salt Dough
• Corn Painting
• Finger Painting
• Fly Swatter Painting
• Edible Paint
• Handprint Flowers
• Ice Cube Art
• Magnet Painting
• Painting with Marbles
• Rainbow In A Bag
• Salt Painting
• Splatter Painting

Looking for more fun and easy preschool art ideas? Check out our process art activities , famous artists for kids as well as these easy homemade paint recipes .

Printable Preschool STEM Pack

Get ready to explore this year with our growing Preschool STEM Bundle !

What’s Included:

There are 12 fun preschool themes to get you started. This is an ” I can explore” series! This is also a growing bundle. Buy it now and receive all future updates!

Includes: Math, science, shapes, 5 senses, all about me, fall, apples, pumpkins, farm, winter, and more!

Each unit contains approximately 15 activities, with instructions and templates  as needed. Hands-on activities are provided to keep it fun and exciting. This includes sensory bins, experiments, games, and more! Easy supplies keep it low cost, and book suggestions add to the learning time. 

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Hands On As We Grow®

Hands on kids activities for hands on moms. Focusing on kids activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

100+ Fun Learning Activities For Kids To Do At Home

Learning Literacy & ABCs Math & 123s Kindergartners Preschoolers Colors Counting Letters Numbers Reading Shapes 7 Comments

Make learning for toddlers and preschoolers more exciting with hands-on activities. Try out these fun learning activities for kids to do at home as you get ready for school.

It’s almost time for kids to go back to school ! Learning doesn’t have to take place only at school, though.

Have fun learning about colors, shapes, letters, and words with these fun educational activities you can do at home.

These are all easy activities that you can do at home with your toddlers and preschoolers.

Which activities will you try first?

Download the Learn a Letter Week of Activities

Fun Learning Activities For Kids: Shapes

Have fun learning about squares, circles, stars, and more with these fun shape learning activities for kids!

•  Introduce toddlers to shapes with 10 fun shapes activities found on Hands On As We Grow.
• Create animals with shapes in a  zoo animals shape craft  found on A Blog From the Pond.
• Make more shape animals  as seen on The Educators’ Spin On It.
• Get active while you hunt for shapes with a  photo scavenger hunt , just like on Hands On As We Grow.
• Sort shapes with this simple card sorting activity  found on Hands On As We Grow.
• Make stars out of toothpicks with this experiment from Rookie Parenting.

Add in a little science fun with 50 easy experiments for kids !

Fun Learning Activities For Kids: Words & Letters

Have fun practicing ABCs, phonics, sight words, and spelling names with these easy and fun learning activities for kids.

No boring worksheets required!

• Check out these  12 fun phonics activities  from Hands On As We Grow to practice sounding out words.
• Use plastic Easter eggs for a   letter matching activity  with an idea from Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary.
• Practice sight words with these 12 sight word activities  found on Hands On As We Grow.
• The Imagination Tree uses a basket for their  phonics sounds sorting activity .
• Practice beginning letter sounds with this beginning letter sounds sorting game  found on Hands On As We Grow.
• Try  50 incredible alphabet activities for preschoolers , found on Hands On As We Grow.
• Discover 21 obvious and crazy ways to practice spelling words  found on Hands On As We Grow.
• Try some more spelling word practice with these homemade  spelling cards  found on Confidence Meets Parenting.
• Practice writing names with these 35 name activities  found on Hands On As We Grow.
• Find unique ways to write your child’s name with  12 name writing activities  found on Hands On As We Grow.
• Practice letters using shaving cream with this shaving cream activity  from Hands On As We Grow.
• Get active while learning words with this  bean bag toss sight words game  from Hands On As We Grow.
• Practice writing words with this triple name tracing fun activity , from Hands On As We Grow.
• Hands On As We Grow makes Easter eggs into a fun sight word scavenger hunt .
• Play hide and seek in this fun  spelling game  from What Do We Do All Day.

Add in a little counting and numbers practice with 40 number activities for preschoolers.

Fun Learning Activities For Kids: Colors

Colors can be found all around us. Have fun exploring and learning about colors with these simple color learning activities for kids.

• Sort colors with this color sensory bag  found on Hands On As We Grow.
• Experiment with  color mixing eruptions with an idea from Learn Play Imagine.
• Go on a color hunt  with your toddler, just like Busy Toddler.
• A DIY color matching mat  does double duty with fine motor skills practice, with a how-to from Hands On As We Grow.
• Make an  upcycled clock color matching craft  with a guide from Hands On As We Grow.
• Sort colors with this sticky window color matching activity  from Hands On As We Grow.
• Use fall leaves and a  color chart  to make learning fun, as seen on Hands On As We Grow.
• Go on a  preschool color scavenger hunt  as seen on Hands On As We Grow.
• Match colors while creating a beautiful rainbow with this Cheerios Rainbow craft  as seen on Hands On As We Grow.
• Don’t step in the lava  as you jump from color to color, with an activity found on Hands On As We Grow.
• Match colors across the house with this connect the colors activity  as seen on Hands On As We Grow.
• Make a  color matching collage  as seen on Hands On As We Grow.

With so many choices, which one of these at-home activities will you choose to do first? Share your favorite fun learning activities for kids with us!

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About Brigitte Brulz

Brigitte Brulz is a homeschooling mom of two daughters, wife of her high school sweetheart, and author of Jobs of a Preschooler and Pickles, Pickles, I Like Pickles. She offers free coloring pages and activity ideas on her website at BrigitteBrulz.com .

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Easy Play to Learn Activities and Printables for Little Learners

200+ Best Preschool Activities for Fun Learning

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Table of Contents

200+ Best Preschool Activities for Fun Learning 

Preschool activities are so much fun , the preschool years are a perfect time to incorporate educational activities that involve art activities, little bins, fine motor activities and more , they don’t have to contain many worksheets and a very exclusive set of activities , preschool learning folder pdf, an easy preschool activity can be as simple as a sensory base + a toy., sometimes you can even add a bit of water within a bin., then, add a drop or two of food coloring and some pouring cups , easy peasy , these kind of activities make for a fun sensory experience , we love simple printable activities to go along with a simple preschool curriculum. , another fun way to bring about easy and fun preschool lesson plans are to: , make learning fun with epic science experiments , scavenger hunts are a great way to include the benefits of gross motor skills  , letter recognition activities made simple, easy duple legos kids activity , dramatic play made fun, activities that work on fine motor development , a powerful tool to bring forth to make for some of our favorite activities for the whole family is an easy process art activity , you can never go wrong with a low prep set of hand-eye coordination and sensory exploration ideas to bring forth for your early learners. , free printable bug preschool theme: , great activity ideas for a rainy day , rainy days call for different ways to bring about preschool play for little hands. , here are some of our favorite things to bring forth if its too rainy for a nature walk: , fire truck and construction sensory bin, toddler approved sensory bottle, fine motor skill development ideas, a simple craft for a busy toddler, kindergarten activities , free sight words for preschool , fun learning ideas for preschool teachers, what are some creative ways you can bring forth a great time to young children , you can mix in learning to bring forth the learning through play activities specific to preschoolers. , here are some of the basic skills preschoolers are learning: , alphabet letters, letter sounds, literacy skills, preschool math, basic shapes, different color activities, color mixing, big and small, name activities, science activities , nursery rhymes, left and right, same and different, and more.. , these ideas are a perfect way to make all learning full bloom for preschoolers  , looking for year round preschool them e check these out: , these are some of the basic skills preschoolers are learning about , i will be sharing over 200+ play to learn activities for preschoolers in the following categories: , activities for preschoolers at home, preschool activity ideas teachers can use, printable preschool activities, easy activities for preschoolers, preschool crafts at home, and, if you’d like to check out our other preschool early learning activities, go here: , alphabet activities for preschoolers and for kids, math activities for preschoolers and for kids, shape and color activities for preschoolers and for kids, related: looking for a learning activity for preschoolers check out our preschool activity binder , free printable letter formation for preschool, fun preschool activities , whether you are setting up preschool learning activities within preschool classrooms or trying out homeschool preschool, here are some of the basic craft supplies we love to use: , tissue paper, paint brushes, cookie sheet, old magazines, and more , favorite book ideas for preschoolers : , free printable preschool worksheets, young kids will enjoy free preschool activities that are just plain fun. here are some ideas: , sight words for preschool, solar system preschool lesson plans, number match, fine motor strength freebie , literacy activities , ideas for kid activities at home : , what are some activities for preschoolers , there are many fun ideas you can try for learning through play for preschoolers whether at home, distance learning or in a school setting. , alongside the 200+ preschool activities i will share, here are some of our past preschool activities: , easy rubber band fine motor activity for toddlers and preschool, easy shape sorting activity for toddlers and preschoolers, apples sorting activity for preschoolers, our best busy book pdf bundle : , what activities are good for 4 year olds , activities that are wonderful for 4 year olds are ones that incorporate: , fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, sensory play, arts and crafts, early learning, these are just some ideas i can think of that are wonderful for keeping a 4 year old busy and learning through play , 100+ free preschool printables:  , how do you introduce activities for preschoolers , introducing activities to your preschooler doesn’t have to be hard. , it can be as easy as setting up a simple game out of a cardboard cutout , i will be delving more into how you can incorporate fun activities for preschoolers below. , related: looking for back to school activities for preschoolers check them out here , shape activities freebie below: , what are some activities for children , on top of sharing over 200 preschool fun activities below i will also share some wonderful activities we have tried in the past that my littles have enjoyed. here they are: , rock match activity , loose parts preschool activity , easy alphabet sensory bag , small items sensory bin, a creative way to make a mess free painting, now onto the best part.., let’s get into the fun pre k activities, shall we , 70+ play to learn preschool activities below , activities for preschoolers at home , apple sorting activity for preschoolers – active littles, easy dot sticker color match activity – active littles, rain cloud counting activity – active littles, montessori preschool learning box – active littles, zipper activity – active littles, loose parts preschool activity – active littles, post it note emotions – active littles, easy letter board sorting activity – active littles, montessori activity at home – active littles, preschool activity ideas teachers can use , shape sorting activity – active littles, easy rubber band fine motor activity – active littles, diy alphabet fine motor activity – active littles, preschool bug sensory bin – active littles, caterpillar pattern match – active littles, diy learning box for preschoolers – active littles, color matching activity – active littles, paper plate counting jellyfish – active littles, alphabet pasta sensory bottle – active littles, ice cream popsicle color activity – active littles, easy pipe cleaner magnetic play – active littles, shape sensory bag – active littles, blooming paper flower experiment – active littles, letter matching activity – active littles, magic paper towel experiment – active littles, water play using water droppers – active littles, fine motor activity using pom poms – active littles, paper roll activity for kids – active littles, printable preschool activities , construction task box printable – active littles, winter preschool task box printable – active littles, shape printable freebie – active littles, rainbow mats printable – active littles, early years basic skills learning binder – active littles, easy alphabet sorting letter activity + free printable – active littles, easy alphabet magnetic letters match + free printable – active littles, ping pong alphabet – active littles, rainbow color free printable – active littles, 110 color matching file folder game – active littles, easy activities for preschoolers , duck and pond sensory play – active littles, preschool name activity – active littles, color match activity – active littles, big and small activity – active littles, flower match activity – active littles, alphabet sensory bag – active littles, diy chickpeas sensory base – active littles, easy literacy activity – active littles, simple shaving cream letters – active littles, apple tree number matching – active littles, feather color sorting – active littles, lima bean letters – active littles, rainbow sprinkle writing tray – active littles, diy kinetic sand slime – active littles, alphabet diy letter match – active littles, ocean sensory bottle – active littles, paper plate sticker seek and find – active littles, garden sensory bin – active littles, mega blok color match – active littles, frog sensory bag – active littles, recycled color matching toy – active littles, rain cloud in a jar – active littles, insect fine motor sensory bin – active littles, preschool crafts at home , ice painting – active littles, simple apple craft – active littles, rainbow fish craft – active littles, simple sun craft fork painting – active littles, simple fish craft – active littles, diy color match crafts – active littles, cupcake liner craft – active littles, shaving marbling craft for kids – active littles, flower craft for kids – active littles, the very hungry caterpillar learning activity – active littles, rainbow craft using marshmallows – active littles, diy cardboard puzzle – active littles, related: looking for preschool interactive activities, check out our preschool busy book, thank you for being here 🙂 here is one of our fall free printables below:, related products, looking for free printables and activities.

Need a simple and effective set of hands-on, low prep printables? Here is one of my Early Learning Freebies just for you!

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March 23, 2022 at 11:21 am

This post is very Helpfull!!! Thank you

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13 Best Preschool Games for Ages 3 to 5

This post may contain affiliate links.

Our game closet is overflowing. We play a LOT of games . We always have. This is why I want to share the best fun and learning preschool games for kids ages 3, 4, and 5.

These preschool games are favorites from the classroom and home as a parent of two game obsessed children. I’ll share the games we’ve played over and over –and games that helped my kids practice and learn important skills, too.

What’s important to remember when choosing the best game for your child is that it’s FUN . As you’ll see with the games below, these choices are also playful, engaging, and interesting .

For us to stay as non-technology-oriented as possible, my family plays board and card games in the evenings. (Instead of watching TV or being on electronics.) I highly recommend this. It’s a great way to spend family time together. And I love that we’re building memories.

13 Preschool Games for Ages 3 to 5

The Super Sorting Pie Ages 3+ Not only is this a learning game for beginning math skills but my kids loved to pretend play grocery store with it, too. As a math game, it gets kids sorting and counting. Then, use it to make pies, play grocery store, and do other interesting fruit-related things. (And my kids won’t allow me to get rid of this — it’s just too much fun. Even now that they’re well beyond the preschool ages.)

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game Ages 3+ Practice matching, sorting, counting, and simple math skills with this entertaining, educational game for preschoolers.

Racoon Rumpus Matching Game Ages 3+ Raccoons are having a party in your closet. Roll the color and costume dice and search the cards until you find a match! The person with the most critter cards wins. Kids think this game is so much FUN!!

Feed the Woozle Ages 3+ Preschoolers use fine motor skills along with counting skills to feed silly snacks (like hairy pickles) to the Woozle in this playful cooperative learning game. Players also have to get up and move, too — so get ready!

Frankie’s Food Truck Fiasco Game Ages 4+ Get kids to practice shape-matching with foods! Talk about fun! Not only is this game a blast, but the lift-the-flap board book of the same name is also darling.

Sum Swamp Ages 4+ We played this addition preschool board game a LOT when my daughters were new to addition and subtraction. Get this board game to make practicing math facts fun!

Zingo: Bingo with a Zing Ages 4+ Help your preschoolers to develop language and matching skills with this exciting bingo game that’s not only easy and fun to play but very popular with kids, my own included. This is one of our favorite preschool learning games.

Guess Who? Board Game Ages 4+ My kids played this reasoning game from the time they were preschoolers until middle school. It’s a great parent-child game that kids love!

Mini Muffin Match Up Ages 3+ Play this preschool game with kids to learn how to recognize numbers and colors, then use the materials to pretend play later. Your kids will LOVE it!

Go Fish / Crazy Eights / Alphabet Concentration / Old Maid Ages 4+ These are the classic card games of childhood. Stick them in your bag and have them with you at restaurants. I used to take my kids out for game dates at a bagel store and have many happy memories of Go Fish and bagels. My suggestion for Go Fish is to start with pairs instead of fours — it makes it easier to win with preschoolers and shorter to play, which is also better for younger kids.

Outfoxed Ages 4+ Can you use the clues to eliminate suspects and figure out whodunit? This preschool game asks players to find the guilty fox to win.

Hoot Owl Hoot ages 4+ In this cooperative game for preschoolers, players help the owls fly back to their next. The game will help children practice color matching and decision-making.

Cootie ages 3+ Does anyone else have fond memories of playing this game as a child? Players choose a cootie bug body first and then begin to create their entire bug by adding legs, eyes, a mouth, and more.

Free Preschool Games Online

If you’re looking for a preschool game option on the computer or phone, here are the best learning game options for preschoolers.

Splash Learn

The Best Logic and Strategy Games for Kids

The Best Card Games for Kids The Best Books for 3-Year-Olds The Best Books for 4- and 5-Year-Olds Gifts for 4 Year Old Girls Gifts for 4 Year Old Boys Gifts for 5 Year Old Girls Gifts for 5 Year Old Boys

Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, former teacher & literacy trainer, and freelance education writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Penguin Random House's Brightly website, USA Today Health, Adobe Education, Colorado Parent, and Parenting. She is passionate about matching kids with books that they'll love.

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One Comment

Really important to remember when choosing a game for child is that it’s first and foremost FUN. I appreciate your work which you made to write this beautiful article. Nice to Read it. Thanks

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Ideas For Preschool Activities: Lessons And Resources For Every Skill Set

October 22, 2023 //  by  Rebecca Przy

Preschool is certainly a prime time for fun-filled learning activities. While your preschoolers may be too young for traditional lessons, games and activities can be some of the most effective ways for them to practice forming different skill sets. Here is a list of 52 fun and educational activities for them to get stuck into. In this list, you will find activities that can support sorting skills, counting skills, motor skills, creativity, and more! 

1. Color Sorting Train

This color sorting train is a great activity you can try to get your preschoolers to practice identifying and sorting colors. They can practice sorting the items into the correctly colored carts using whatever toys you provide. 

Learn More: Fun Learning For Kids

2. Sort & Count Bottles

If sorting by color alone is too easy, you could use this activity to practice sorting by colors and numbers at the same time! In this exercise, your preschoolers can try to sort the correct number of fuzzy pom poms into the matching colored bottle.

Learn More: The Imagination Tree

3. Counting Flower Petals

I love a good reason to play outside! This flower petal activity involves outdoor exploration and doubles as a great counting exercise. Your preschoolers can practice their number skills by counting the number of petals on the flowers they find.

Learn More: Hands On As We Grow

4. Number Activity With Grain Bins

This number activity is a great fit for a farming or transportation theme lesson. Your preschoolers could practice their farming and counting skills as they unload the correct amount of “grain” into each container. 

5. Clothespin Counting Wheel

Playing with clothespins makes a great motor activity. This activity has learners using their fine motor skills to pinch and manipulate the numbered clothespins to match the correct section of the counting wheel.

Learn More: Keep Toddlers Busy

6. Alphabet Clothespin Activity

Instead of learning with numbers, this task uses clothespins in a letter activity. Your preschoolers can work together to pin the letters in the correct alphabetical order. 

Learn More: What Do We Do All Day

7. Seashell Alphabet Activity

There are plenty of fun activity ideas that use these alphabet labeled seashells. While digging through the sand, your preschoolers can arrange the seashells into alphabetical order, practice pronouncing the letter sounds, or even practice spelling their names!

Learn More: Pre-K Pages

8. Fine Motor Pizza Shop

Who doesn’t love pizza? This activity may not be as satisfying as eating the real thing, but your preschoolers can still have fun making paper pizzas. This would also engage their fine motor skills whilst maneuvering the scissors to cut their toppings. 

Learn More: Frugal Fun For Boys And Girls

9. Fizzing Dinosaur Eggs

Sensory play is a favorite of mine! You can make these easy, homemade fizzing dinosaur eggs (bath bombs) for your preschoolers to play with. Watch them in awe as the eggs hatch before their eyes. 

10. Construction-Themed Sensory Bin

Sensory bins are an amazing preschool activity that can be designed to fit any theme. Through sensory exploration, your kids get to play and learn in a hands-on manner. This construction-themed bin is a great option for preschoolers who like to build.

11. Space-Themed Sensory Bin

This space-themed moon sand sensory bin is a great addition to your preschool classroom. Your preschoolers can explore the texture of the moon sand and try to describe how it differs from regular sand.

Learn More: Little Bins For Little Hands

12. Earl The Squirrel Book & Sensory Bin

It’s always great when you can pair play with a story. You can read Earl the Squirrel, during circle time, before letting your kids explore the matching sensory bin. The story will give your preschoolers a purpose for their bin exploration.

13. Edible Sensory Ice Cubes

There are many interesting ice activities for your learners to enjoy. This one fits great into a sense theme. Your preschoolers can enjoy the sensory experience of touching the melting ice, smelling the different aromas, and tasting the diverse flavors. 

14. Multi-Shaped Sensory Ice Blocks

You can create different shapes of sensory ice blocks to add to your preschooler’s experience. These might be a bit more difficult to make than the previous option, but it provides a good opportunity to start learning about shapes.

Learn More: Child’s Play ABC

15. Mixing Paint Colors

Mixing paint colors can be a simple yet fun and educational activity for preschoolers. This activity is the perfect opportunity to teach a brief lesson on color theory. Let learners guess what would happen when mixing specific colors together. 

Learn More: Preschool Toolkit

16. Shake Paint Rock Snails

Process art activities are great for introducing a painting theme. In this activity, your preschoolers will shake containers containing paints and rocks. And with the help of your hot glue skills, they can turn these painted rocks into pet snails.

Learn More: Kids Craft Room

17. Bounce Paint Process Art

This bounce paint activity can even double as a physical activity! Using paint and bouncy balls wrapped in yarn, your preschoolers can bounce the balls to create a beautiful art piece. This works best with a big canvas, such as butcher paper.

Learn More: Days With Grey

18. Salad Spinner Art

Salad spinners aren’t just for making salads. They can make beautiful abstract art too! All you have to do is cut out paper to fit the bowl, add paint, and then spin away to create a mixture of beautiful colors.

Learn More: Artful Parent

19. Marble Painting

Just like we’ve learned with the last three activities, we don’t need brushes to paint. Rolling paint-covered marbles on a blank piece of paper can create a wonderful abstract art piece. Be sure to have the paper towels ready for clean up afterwards!

20. Balloon Painting

Here’s another one. Painting with balloons! Painting with all of these various tools can provide a different sensory experience during each process. Simply dip inflated balloons into paint before dotting them onto a piece of paper. 

Learn More: Teaching Ideas

21. Car Track Painting

Do your preschoolers love playing with toy cars? Have they ever tried painting with them? This activity can be an interesting artistic experience as the wheels of the car create a unique texture on the piece of paper.  

Learn More: First Palette

22. Painting on Foil

This activity switches up the typical painting surface rather than switching up the tool. Painting on the foil can be a supplemental activity to your painting theme. Your preschoolers can enjoy a unique experience painting on a slippery surface like tin foil.

Learn More: Taming Little Monsters

23. Sandbox Imaginative Play

You don’t need to go to the beach to have a fun time with sand. You can get a sandbox for your preschoolers to build sandcastles, construction sites, or whatever their imaginations desire. Imaginative play is awesome for getting the creative juices flowing. 

Learn More: Nature of Early Play

24. Make a Stuffed Animal House 

Stuffed animals can be used in plenty of activities for preschool and fit great with a pet theme. Your preschoolers can use their building skills to construct and decorate a home for their stuffed pet animal. 

Learn More: Toddler Approved

25. Stuffed Animal Freeze Dance

You can add a twist to the classic freeze dance activity by adding a stuffed animal into the mix. Throwing and catching stuffed animals during the dance can help engage your preschoolers’ motor skills while they are also having a fun time.

Learn More: The Spruce

26. Popsicle Stick Farm Critters

Look at how cute these fun animal crafts are! If you want to add to this activity, you could run a show & tell activity and have your preschoolers present their decorated popsicle animals while mimicking the animal movements and sounds. 

Learn More: Make and Takes

27. Playdough Play – Roll a Ball or Snake

Developing fine motor skills is one of the many benefits of playdough activities. Rolling playdough into a ball or snake is a great beginner activity for your preschoolers who are just being introduced to the unique material. 

Learn More: Mama OT

28. Playdough Play – Build a Letter

Here is another playdough starter activity that doubles as an excellent letter craft. Your preschoolers can be challenged to build the first letter of their name. I encourage showing different examples before letting your kids do it themselves.

29. Playdough Cupcakes

If your preschoolers are ready to take their playdough skills to the next level, they can try their hand at making these colorful cupcakes! These can be great crafts to make at a preschool birthday party. Simply press playdough into muffin molds and decorate using short straws, beads, and other fun objects.  

Learn More: Childcare Land

30. Cactus Playdough Activity

Here is another more advanced playdough craft for your little ones to enjoy!  This build-your-own cactus activity pairs well with a fun preschool theme of plants and will generate cute crafts to decorate your classroom with. All you need is a flowerpot, green playdough, and toothpicks for the thorns!

Learn More: Homeschool AEC

31. Sort Stickers By Size

It’s no secret that preschoolers love stickers! Sorting by size is a wonderful activity to get your preschoolers engaging in their size recognition skills. Simply draw two circles on a piece of paper, one small and one large. Then have your learners sort their stickers! 

32. Sticker Sorting By Category

Size isn’t the only thing that your preschoolers can practice their sorting skills with. The categories you can sort with are almost endless! In an animal theme lesson plan, you can try having your preschoolers sort by animal type.

33. Snail Sticker Craft

This sticker activity is a bit easier than the others. Your preschooler’s goal is to simply fill their snail with stickers. For some added difficulty, get them to try to follow a specific color pattern.

Learn More: Messy Little Monster

34. Alphabet Sticker Matchup

This one uses stickers for a letter activity. Your preschoolers can exercise their letter recognition skills by matching the stickers (labeled with letters) to the correctly labeled stars on the worksheet. 

Learn More: Two Pink Peonies

35. Golf Tee Hammering

Golf tees can be used for various fine motor preschool activities. This exercise gets your preschoolers practicing their hammer skills using a mallet and modeling clay. 

Learn More: Montessori From The Heart

36. Hammering Golf Tees

Get pressing those fine motor skills with this next one. Give your kiddos a selection of golf tees and a styrofoam block and let them have fun hammering each of their tees in! You could also have your preschoolers work with a trickier shape and use an apple to increase the difficulty!

Learn More: My Baba

37. Parachute Play- The Hello Game

Parachute games make awesome physical activities for your younger kids. The Hello Game will familiarize your preschoolers with handling the parachute and only requires lifting the parachute and saying hello to each other!

Learn More: Teach Preschool

38. Parachute Play – Popcorn Game

This popcorn game would get your students shaking and wiggling while they attempt to get all the balls (popcorn) off the parachute. It’s the perfect opportunity to encourage collaborative action and teamwork! 

Learn More: Mrs. Carly Glanzman

39. Parachute Play – Cat & Mouse

This is a classic parachute activity for school. One kid can be the cat, and another can be the mouse. While everyone else is shaking the parachute, the cat will try to chase the mouse while atop the parachute as the mouse scurries beneath. 

Learn More: PhysEd Games

40. Parachute Play – Merry Go Round

This favorite activity will get your preschoolers moving and practicing following instructions. You can give instructions to change directions, change speed, jump, hop, or stop!

41. The Parachute Dance Song

This parachute game is similar to the merry-go-round activity but comes with a special song! Your preschoolers can have fun dancing along and following the instructions from the lyrics. Jump, walk, run, stop!

Learn More: Maple Leaf Learning

42. Parachute Play – Hair Stylist

Here’s a parachute activity that can teach your kids about static electricity. One kid can go under the parachute while everyone else pulls back and forth on the parachute against the kid’s hair. Then, everyone can lift the parachute and watch the kid’s fancy, upward hairstyle. 

Learn More: Kid Activities

43. Camping Banana Boats

Cooking is a basic skill that is never too early to start learning. If your kids have a sweet tooth, they could have a blast making these delicious banana boats. After they customize their toppings, you can give the boats a quick 10-minute bake in some aluminum foil.

Learn More: Create Kid’s Club

44. PB&J Bird Seed Ornaments

Here is another recipe-based activity that some lucky birds will benefit from. Your preschoolers can help combine the ingredients (peanut butter, birdseed, gelatin, & water) and press the mixture into cookie cutters. You could try this activity in a bird theme unit. 

Learn More: Sugar Spice And Glitter

45. The Toothpaste Lesson

Preschool is the perfect time to teach your kids about kindness. This lesson can teach them about the power of words. When you say something mean, you can’t take it back. Similarly, you cannot put the toothpaste back into the tube once it has been squeezed out.

Learn More: Inspired Elementary

46. Kind Words Sensory Activity

This is another activity about kind versus mean words. You can get your preschoolers to describe and compare the textures of the materials. The soft, fluffy cotton balls could be related to kind words, whereas the rough, gritty sandpaper could be connected to mean words.

Learn More: Preschool Powol Packets

47. Playdough Face Mats

Learning to be kind can go hand-in-hand with learning to be empathetic. A part of empathy is learning to recognize different emotions. These playdough mats can be great for getting your preschoolers to work with their hands and practice identifying emotions.

Learn More: Very Special Tales

48. Feelings Hop Game

This feelings hop game can also teach emotion recognition. As they hop to the different emotions, they will also engage their body awareness as they practice keeping balance. 

Learn More: Kiddie Matters

49. Rubber Glove Science Experiment

Science experiments are among my favorite activities for preschool kids . I love seeing the captivation of my students as they do their experiments. In this science activity, your preschoolers will watch the rubber gloves become inflated with air as they blow into their straws.

Learn More: Teachers Mag

50. Skittles Rainbow Science Experiment

This science experiment is super cool and can even fit into a colors-themed lesson. The candy colors will leak when the skittles are paired with water to create a beautiful rainbow pattern. 

Learn More: Fun With Mama’s Kids

51. Floating Foil Boat Experiment

This can be the perfect activity for teaching your little ones the concepts of floating and sinking. They can test how many stones it takes to make their foil boats sink. 

52. DIY Interactive Learning Board

Learning boards can be a great educational resource. You can make learning boards with the weather, insects, the arctic, or whatever beloved preschool theme best fits your lessons. Making them interactive can make them more engaging for your preschoolers.

Learn More: Everything AJA

fun & meaningful learning every day

200+ Activities for Preschoolers at Home & School

Shared by Mary Catherine 10 Comments

Are you looking for awesome activities for preschoolers at home AND school? If you’re a regular Fun-A-Day reader, you know I believe learning takes place everywhere, both in the classroom and out. So I put together this collection of classroom and at-home preschool activities to help both parents and teachers.

These simple preschool ideas can keep children engaged and learning while at school. AND they’re perfect for children at home during the summer, over holiday breaks, or homeschooling.

You’ll find activities that cover a wide variety of subject areas – math, literacy, art, movement, science, sensory, music, and even messy play. Most of the preschool ideas shared below are also pretty simple to setup, so you have the kids engaged quickly and easily.

Related: Free Preschool Printables

Be sure to grab the free printable at the bottom of this post. Parents, use it with your children at home if you’d like. Teachers, send it to your students’ parents or keep the list on-hand when you need new inspiration.

Table of Contents

Activities for Preschoolers at Home

My goal here is to share simpler activities that you can try with the kids without too many materials.

This post is a bit of a work in progress, so I’ll likely come back over the course of the week to make changes and add more ideas.

Below you’ll find ideas for a variety of subject areas. Pick and choose which will work best with your kids and add them to your plans. Start slowly and give yourself a lot of grace. You don’t have to do everything at once.

Simple Math Activities

Use the items that you already have on-hand to create simple math lessons for your preschoolers.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Count all of the red things in your living room.
• Sort the groceries (by color, by food, etc.). Make a small graph of the groceries on the kitchen table.
• Go into your yard and find 10 natural items.
• Use rocks and acorns to make patterns.
• Staple blank paper together to create a little book. Write a number on each page. Add that many stickers. Keep the book to read and count.
• Play a homemade game of shape memory using index cards with shapes drawn on them.

Be sure to check out over 30 more easy math activities for preschoolers , too!

Science Activities for Preschoolers at Home

Science is all around us, so there’s no need to make it too complicated for the kids.

Here are a few simple science activities to try at home:

• Go for a nature walk.
• Explore what happens when you mix water and dirt. This one is better done outside if possible, but can be brought indoors if needed.
• Pour baking soda in a pan. Let the kids drop vinegar from pipettes (or spoons) onto the vinegar. Consider coloring the vinegar or adding scent with extracts.
• Freeze things in water. Some possibilities – flowers, LEGO mini figures, small toys, coins, etc. Then let the kids experiment with different water temperatures to “rescue” what’s been frozen in ice.
• Host a taste test. Use foods you already have at home. Some possibilities – chocolate, marshmallows, crackers, green foods, etc. Observe the foods with all five senses. How does it feel? Sound? Look? Smell? Taste?
• Keep a simple science journal about all of your scientific adventures.

Pop over and read about 30 more easy science experiments for kids at home or school.

Easy Preschool Literacy Activities

Don’t let the thought of teaching early literacy worry you. There are so many simple activities that pack a punch.

Some literacy activities for preschoolers at home to try:

• Read. Then read again. And read some more.
• Integrate literacy with everything else you’re doing with the kids! Science journals, writing about their favorite paintings, recording information about a graph of favorite apples, and so on.
• Talk. And then talk some more. Everyday discussions that take place during your routine can have a large positive impact on language development.
• Play a simple rhyming game using your child’s name. How many rhymes can you all make up?
• Practice stretching words slowly to hear all of the sounds. This is especially fun if you’re pretending to talk like a whale.
• Make a name puzzle for your child. Write her name on a piece of paper and cut it apart. Use that to work on letters and words.

You can read about 40+ more early literacy activities if you need more ideas!

Sensory Activities for Preschoolers at Home

Sensory play is a must at home! Young children learn so much as they explore through their senses.

Below are some sensory ideas to try at home. Please note that these are more appropriate for older preschoolers. If you have younger children who still put things in their mouths, you’ll want to steer clear of any choking hazards. For the littles, use taste-safe material or age-appropriate materials.

• Put some stale pasta in a plastic tub. Add a few scoops, spoons, and bowls to the tub.
• Run scrap paper through your shredder to create a paper bin. Add some scissors and let the kids cut too.
• Add water to a sensory bin. Then put a little bit of scented shampoo or soap in the water. Add whisks, bowls, funnels, etc. This could also be done in the bathtub.
• Put a variety of materials into a large bin (small toys, beads, bells, paper clips – anything really). Add containers that have tops. Let the children place the materials into the containers and explore sounds.
• Make a simple sensory bottle by adding pasta, paper clips, pompoms, etc. into a clean, empty bottle. Seal shut before giving to young children.

Head over and find more than 40 more simple sensory activities for preschoolers.

Preschool Songs

I couldn’t put together a list of activities for preschoolers at home without including a little section on songs.

Singing and dancing allow children to work on SO MANY early learning concepts. Vocabulary, rhyming, gross motor movements, fine motor skills, literacy, math, science, and so much more.

Here are some song collections your preschoolers might enjoy:

• Hand washing songs
• Rhyming songs and fingerplays
• Alphabet songs
• St. Patrick’s Day songs for preschoolers
• Winter songs for preschoolers
• Christmas preschool songs

I will, of course, come back and add more song collections in the near future.

Art Activities for Preschoolers at Home

No matter where your preschoolers are, at home or at school, creativity is a must.

Let the kids experiment with different techniques and materials as they get into art and crafts. They’ll be learning how to express themselves, use their imaginations, and they’ll even touch on more “academic” knowledge this way, too.

Some easy art activities for preschoolers at home:

• Let the kids use paper and markers to draw anything they want. If they need a prompt, ask them to create their own magical creature, draw their family, use all the colors of the rainbow in one picture, etc.
• Hand the children some chalk and let them at the sidewalk or driveway! To “spice up” this activity, have the kids see what happens when they draw with wet chalk.
• Use random items you have on-hand to create art – paper clips, cotton balls, leftover plastic Easter eggs, Post-It Notes, old CDs, etc.
• Grab spare kitchen utensils, paint, and paper. Let the kids paint using potato mashers, spatulas, whisks, and anything else in those kitchen drawers. If you have washable ink, that would work well too, as would using water to “paint” with the utensils on the sidewalk or a driveway.
• Have the kids create their own jewelry with beads and string/yarn. If you don’t have any beads, consider cutting straws into smaller pieces or using buttons.
• Draw or write a hidden message with a white crayon on white paper. Have the kids use watercolors to paint over the page and uncover the surprise.

Read about more than 40 more fun art projects for kids , too!

Movement Ideas for Kids at Home

And we can’t forget encouraging those kids to move, can we?! It is SO important to ensure that young children are moving their bodies a lot throughout the day.

Some ideas to inspire you:

• Have a dance party at home! Turn up a favorite song and just dance.
• Challenge the kids to run in the shape of a triangle or a circle.
• Hold a hop-off. Who can hop 15 times? 25 times?
• Play a simple game of tag outside.
• Have the kids race to pick up natural items in the yard (flowers, pine cones, acorns, etc.).
• Use items you have to create a homemade obstacle course. Some ideas might include tree stumps, big baskets, bikes, etc.

Do you have any favorite movement activities for the kids?

Messy Play Ideas to Do at Home

Don’t be scared to try messy play activities at home! Children can learn a ton through exposure to messy play fun. AND they get a chance to practice all of those cleaning up skills.

Check out some fun 25 messy play ideas at home activities.

Tips for Parents with Preschoolers at Home

If you’re a parent with preschoolers at home, these tips are for you. If you’re a teacher, feel free to share these suggestions with your students’ parents before long breaks.

Schedules and Routines

Children of all ages thrive with a routine, especially younger kids. This doesn’t have to be a strict down-to-the second schedule, by any means! You definitely don’t need to make yourself stick to a schedule you saw online just because you feel like you have to.

Take a look at your responsibilities, available times for the family, and come up with a flexible routine that works for you.

Some families need a specific schedule, some families prefer a gentle routine, and other families are happy with a more super laid-back approach. Decide what will help YOU the most and go with that. And work the preschool activities into it as you can.

Remember the Good You Do

I want you to remember that parents are amazing! Look at what you’re doing for your kids. You’re loving them, you’re on top of meals and, you’re spending quality time with your children. (And you’re here looking for activities preschoolers can do at home.)

You’re their safe space! Because that’s what children need the most – YOU! Many children are anxious about changes that happen around winter and summer break. Having you there to connect with and love on them is the most important thing.

I know you’re worried you might not be patient enough. I know you’re worried about not meeting all of their educational needs. But you are rocking the heck out of being there for your kids!

Parents ARE Teachers

Please remember that parents are amazing teachers. You might scoff when you read that, but it’s true. Parents are a child’s first teacher. Look at all of the things you’ve helped your child learn – how to tie their shoes, how to ride a bike, manners, kindness, potty training . . . and so much more.

You just don’t realize that you’re teaching them. But you are. Every single day, whether they are in school or out of school – they are learning from you. You have got this!

Learning Doesn’t Just Take Place in the Classroom

One more thing – children learn SO MUCH from things around them. Simple things. Cooking with you, playing a fun game, walking around the neighborhood, and so on.

Keep it simple! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stick with these five general activities for preschoolers at home:

• PLAY – Play games, play outside, play pretend, just play!
• TALK – Talk about the day, talk about your family stories, talk about the cooking you’re doing, talk about future plans.
• CREATE – Create art, create science experiments, create goofy games, create amazing LEGO structures, create memories.
• READ – Read picture books, read chapter books, read magazines, read comic books, read stories you write together.
• SING – Sing favorite songs, sing while washing your hands, sing while having a dance party, sing your own made up songs.

When you’re ready for more activities, I’ve got you covered above.

At-Home Preschool Materials

I know it can be overwhelming thinking of all the things you might need for your preschooler. So, I’ve created a list of the most basic things that you might need for your at-home preschool time. Here are my suggestions (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):

• Dramatic play supplies
• Art supplies
• Math manipulatives
• Books , books, and more books!

All of these things can certainly come in handy as your little one begins to learn a variety of preschool concepts. However, I think the most important thing you can give the children is your time and attention! Be sure to play with your children as often as possible. It is so important and there are so many learning opportunities to be had.

Done-For-You Preschool Resources

Below are a few of the resources from Preschool Teacher 101 . They would be great in the classroom, as part of a take-home pack you send home with your students, or for parents at home with preschoolers.

Click on each photo for more information:

Preschool Activities at Home Printable (Free!)

I put together a simple list of all of these starter activities for preschoolers at home. You can download it, print it out, and slap it up on your fridge. When you’re at a loss of what to do, try one of the items on this list! And when you have time, you can pop back over here for even more possibilities.

If you’re a teacher, make copies of the printable and send it home with your students! Or give their parents the link to this post so they can grab it themselves.

The printable is available to members of Fun-A-Day’s free email community. If you’re a member, add your information below and it will be sent to you. If you’re not a member yet, fill out the information to join and get the printable as a welcome gift!

What are some of YOUR go-to activities for preschoolers at home? Feel free to leave me even more ideas in the comments below.

Originally posted March 2020.

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March 20, 2020 at 11:35 pm

I noticed at the top of your article it says Teachers can send it to thier students but when you open it, it says to not copy it and post for our students.

Do I have permission to post this on google classroom for my preschool students?

Thank you for your response.

March 21, 2020 at 12:19 am

Oh rats, I forgot to change out the permissions for this particular time. Yes, feel free to email it directly to your students’ families. You can also put it in private groups or apps (like Facebook or Dojo) . . . but no public social media, public websites, etc. Thanks for checking in about it.

March 21, 2020 at 12:41 am

Hi! This is the most fantastic post I’ve seen so far since subscribing to your site! I’m a preschool teach her who will be starting the new adventure of teaching PreK from home this coming week! Love all the ideas! Please send more soon! Thank you!

March 21, 2020 at 1:00 am

Thank you so much for the kind words, Karen! I’m working on quite a few additional things to supplement this – hopefully they’ll be up in the week.

March 24, 2020 at 7:40 pm

Thank you for doing this for people all over the world. I just forwarded your link to my preschool families. Now the parents will see how their children’s creativity, imagination and energy unfold.

March 24, 2020 at 10:19 pm

Joy, I am so happy I can help in some little way. Your sweet words mean the world to me – thank you!

March 26, 2020 at 8:24 pm

Thank you sooooo much!! Your email really calmed me. Looking forward to more emails from you.

March 27, 2020 at 9:03 am

I’m so happy I was able to help a little bit! 🙂

April 3, 2020 at 12:32 pm

This is Amazing! Thank you!

April 3, 2020 at 12:54 pm

Happy to help!!!

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30 Fun Indoor Recess Games for Preschoolers

Need some indoor recess games and activities? Tired of musical chairs? You’re in the right place!

When rain, heat, smoke, or cold weather keep your preschoolers indoors, it’s important to have a plan in place for providing engaging and fun indoor games and activities. These games and activities are great for keeping active preschoolers entertained indoors while having fun.

Instead of dreading indoor recess, here are more than 30 fun indoor activities and games your kids will love.

Fun Indoor Recess Group Games

Indoor recess is the perfect opportunity to introduce hands-on activities that encourage teamwork, improve fine motor skills, enhance listening skills, and boost social interactions among young learners. This list includes various games and activities that preschoolers can play indoors. The goal is to ensure that they have fun and enjoy their playtime to the fullest.

Many of these indoor recess games also help develop important gross motor and social skills – yes, please!

Duck Duck Goose – This classic game is a great way to get in a little exercise. It also helps children develop self-regulation skills and pay attention.

Popcorn! Parachute Game – This whole group game is perfect for students to learn how to work together. It’s also a great game for developing important gross motor skills.

Bluebird, Bluebird Through the Window – The video will help you learn this classic song and movement game. Kids love moving and singing along with this fun game.

Chicken Dance – Who doesn’t love the chicken dance? Watch the video to learn how to do this super silly and fun dance that promotes listening and sequencing skills.

Limbo – An oldie but a goody! This video explains how to play this classic game.

Huckle Buckle Beanstalk – Watch the video to learn how to play this 19th century game that still packs a powerful punch today.

Indoor Recess Games to Improve Physical Activity

Freeze Dance – Everybody loves playing freeze dance! Choose a favorite kid-friendly song to play. When the music plays, children dance around the room, and when the music stops, they must freeze in place.

Freeze Dance is a fun game to play indoors during recess. It helps kids stay active, practice listening skills – by stopping when the music stops.

Use a variety of musical styles and tempos to encourage different types of dance and movement. Use your smartphone and a bluetooth speaker so you can pause the music without tipping off the kids.

Indoor Recess Ideas That Promote Listening and Cooperation

Silent Beanbag – Silent Beanbag is a quiet game ideal for indoor play. This game encourages children to stand in a circle and gently toss a beanbag to each other without speaking. The goal is to quietly catch the beanbag. As kids play this game they’re improving focus, hand-eye coordination, and understanding non-verbal signals.

Simon Says – A classic game that never loses its charm, Simon Says is perfect for indoor recess. The teacher or a child leads the game, giving commands that players should only follow if preceded by “Simon says.” This game helps preschoolers improve listening skills because kids must pay close attention to the instructions. It also encourages physical activity in a fun and controlled manner.

There are 2 different versions of Simon Says here for you to choose from: — Snowman Listening Game — Bunny Listening Game

Do your kids need a little extra help listening and following directions? Then you need these simple Simon Says movement games in your life!

What Time is it Mr. Fox? – The perfect fun game for developing important listening and self-regulation skills.

Red Light, Green Light – Students can work on their executive function skills with this preschool game.

Hot Potato – Your kids will have a blast with this fun, classic game while working on their listening and self-regulation skills.

Fun Indoor Recess Games

Zoo Animal Movement Game – This is a fun game that encourages physical activity, listening, and movement. Children imitate various animals’ movements, such as hopping like a frog or galloping like a horse, around the classroom.

London Bridge – This one never gets old! Watch the video to learn how to play this classic preschool game.

Farmer in the Dell – This one is fun to sing and easy to teach. Watch the video to learn how to play this classic preschooler game.

Bowling with Plastic Bottles – Save those plastic bottles for a fun bowling game!

Paper Plate Ring Toss – Recycle some paper plates and make your own ring toss game!

Musical Chairs – This classic game helps kids learn to wait and be active at the same time. It also teaches them how to handle frustration, which is an important skill for life.

Ring Around the Rosy – Watch the video to refresh your memory of how to play this classic memory game!

Head Shoulders Knees and Toes – Preschoolers love playing Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. Watch the video in case you need a refresher of how to play this preschool game.

Hokey Pokey – Your preschoolers will have fun with this classic simple song.

Indoor Music, Songs and Dance Activities

Cool Bear Hunt Movement Song – Students will learn work on their social skills and oral language skills as they go on a cool bear hunt.

Dr. Jean’s Banana Dance – Kids of all ages love joining in with the movements of this song!

What’s Missing? – Your students will love this game and it’s easy to set up. This game works well for toddlers at a restaurant too!

Glow Stick Hide and Seek – Did somebody say glow sticks? Grab some glow sticks and play this super fun version of hide and seek.

XO Hop – If you have a small space, but your preschoolers have lots of energy then your kids are sure to love this activity.

Animal Hide and Seek – This is the perfect rainy day activity!

Indoor Recess Games for Preschoolers

Jump the Candlestick – Move like Jack in the nursery rhyme or think of other ways to move over or around the candlestick.

Dinosaur Movement Game – Incorporate a favorite interest as preschoolers roll and move like dinosaurs.

Weather Movement Game – Can’t go outside? Talk about types of weather in this movement game.

Swatting Game – I guarantee your preschoolers will love swatting letters, colors, numbers, or whatever you choose in this DIY game.

Uno Movement Game – Use cards from a favorite card game to move around the room. Don’t have the game? You could easily create these color and number cards or adapt any type of number cards to use.

Dumpster Diving Game – No, don’t bring a dumpster inside. Fill a large box with recycled materials and a few toys. Kids will love searching for the “hidden” items in the box.

Block Basketball – Easily adaptable for younger or older preschoolers. Use materials on hand to create a fun adaption of basketball for preschoolers.

Indoor recess for preschoolers can be fun for kids, and easy to implement for adults. Young children can have a productive and enjoyable time indoors even if the weather outside is not the best.

These games and activities can keep children engaged and active while they are indoors. They provide a fun and stimulating way for children to spend their time during indoor recess.

Additionally, incorporating these games and activities into the daily routine can help children develop important skills and socialize with their peers. From hands-on activities that foster teamwork to quiet games that enhance listening skills. What are your favorite indoor recess games and activities?

3 thoughts on “30 Fun Indoor Recess Games for Preschoolers”

This is a great list, Vanessa. I always end of playing the same games, so this will add variety. Thanks! PS- I love the look of your new website and your cute picture!

Thanks for stopping by Shelli, I’m so glad you like the ideas on the list! You are too sweet 🙂

Thanks for sharing these fun game ideas! They’ll definitely come in handy during cold winter months but I know we can enjoy them year ’round!

Comments are closed.

25 Fun Activities for Preschoolers (for Home or School)

By: Author Tanja McIlroy

Posted on Last updated: 7 April 2024

Categories Activities for Preschoolers & Kindergarteners

The preschool years are a time of non-stop fun and learning.

The moments you get to spend with your children, getting your hands dirty or playing games , are priceless and will benefit them forever.

This post is a unique collection, made just for parents and teachers, so that you have a new set of ideas to try out at home to keep the learning fun and fresh.

I reached out to some of the most influential parenting and educational bloggers and asked them to share one of their favourite classroom or parent-child activities for preschoolers that is both fun and educational at the same time.

Here are all 25 responses and they’re as creative and varied as I expected.

These games and activities will help develop children’s:

• fine motor and gross motor skills
• body awareness
• sensory integration
• emotional intelligence
• visual perception
• listening skills
• problem-solving skills

1. Ice-Melting Fun

One of my favourite preschool activities (oh boy, I have so many favourites!!) is an ice-melting activity that has kids melting a block of ice with salt and water with tools and instruments like tweezers, pâté knives, turkey basters, spoons, etc.

You simply freeze lots of small objects in a block of ice and let the kids work away at melting the ice to extract the objects. You can choose from so many themes.

A few of our favourites are: freeze plastic dinosaurs in a block of ice for a “dino dig,” freeze plastic fish, marine life and seashells in a block of ice for a “frozen ocean dig” or freeze plastic gems and jewels in a block of ice for “diamond dig.”

Another favourite is to freeze various items in a rubber glove filled with water like we did for our Haunted Halloween Hands and our Elsa’s Frozen Hands activity.

Above, you can see a photo of my daycare children hard at work melting Elsa’s frozen hands to get to the treasures frozen inside.

Here are links to some of the ice melting experiments we’ve done here:

• Elsa’s Frozen Hands

Jackie –  https://happyhooligans.ca/

One of our favorite things to do when my daughter was younger was to get on the floor and do crafts.

I would make periodic trips to the dollar store and stock up on poster paper, stickers, pompoms, pipe cleaners, glitter glue, poster paint, pencils, erasers, tiny notebooks, felt sheets, sticky notes, crinkle paper rolls, paper plates and cups, plastic spoons, balloons, cupcake wrappers, googly eyes, tissue paper, foam stickers, yarn, aluminium foil and anything at all that could fit in our crafts drawers.

I would also periodically Google for “dollar store crafts for kids” and look on Pinterest to keep my head full of ideas.

Whenever we had some time, I would pull out a few supplies and we would craft away.

Or, I would ask her to “pick a drawer” to craft from (we have a colorful set of drawers to keep our craft supplies in) and she would get so excited!

Most of our “crafts” ended in the trash at cleanup time, and a few on her wall (which she still cherishes, even after 5+ years!), but making Pinterest-worthy crafts was never the goal.

We just both liked doing stuff with our hands and that was a great way to spend time together, creatively exploring whatever material we had at hand, and jabbering or giggling away throughout the process.

She is 10 now, and even to this day, “doing crafts” is one of her favorite ways to spend her free time. I join her when I can, and at other times she is happy to do it on her own. It’s been a great outlet for both connecting and de-stressing – for both of us!

Sumitha –  https://afineparent.com/

3. Letter Memory Game

We like to take matching capital and lowercase plastic letters and hide them under upside-down cups in an array. We do about 8 letters at a time for a total of 16 cups.

The children can then play memory, lifting up two cups at a time and peeking underneath to find if their letters are a match. It’s a fun way to practice letter recognition and includes some fine motor skills as well.

Amy –  https://planningplaytime.com/

4. Sensory Wall Mosaic Art

Sensory Wall Mosaic art is my favorite kids’ activity for this age range. It’s a great way to explore colors, textures, and shapes. It also makes a great collaborative project.

Maryanne – https://www.mamasmiles.com/

5. Fill the Square

Make a square on the ground using duct tape. Set blocks or Duplo Lego bricks next to the square and invite your child to fill the square using the blocks.

It can be challenging because you have to find pieces that fit, like a puzzle.

Angela –  https://teachingmama.org/

6. Play Dough

Play dough is probably our go-to activity for when we are busy and I need a breather.

Play dough is a very affordable option for kids that is extremely versatile. You can even make it at home with just a few common household items.

Play dough can be adapted to meet the child wherever they are developmentally, with just a little bit of creativity. Play dough is a fantastic way to incorporate any topic you want to work with your child on while having fun.

I discuss a couple different ways play dough challenges kids here .

You can check out some of my cool play dough mats on my website store !

Stephanie – http://parentingchaos.com/

7. Golf Tees and Pom Poms

Golf tees and pom poms are some of my favourite “OT tools”! Fine motor fun with busy fingers!

Cindy – https://www.yourkidsot.com/

8. Feelings Games

One of my favourite ways to help preschoolers develop emotional intelligence is through playing simple games that help them recognise different feelings.

For example, we might show a face, make a pose, draw a picture, or choose a colour that represents different emotions such as sadness, happiness, anger, loneliness, or jealousy.

As children learn to name and identify different emotions, they are able to recognise these emotions in themselves and others.

Chelsea – http://www.momentsaday.com/

9. Language Play

Preschoolers need lots of opportunities to play with language to build their phonological awareness. One of the best ways to do this is through lots of back and forth conversations. The other way is through reading aloud to them and talking about the books.

A few of my favorites for building phonological awareness include  The Rhyming Dust Bunnies  by Jan Thomas and  Frog on a Log  by Kes Gray.

Jodie – https://growingbookbybook.com

10. Sticker Activities

I love quick activities with stickers. Match the foam stickers, trace them and match the outlines, or cut them in half to complete each shape for an extra challenge.

Visit The Activity Mom  for free printable sticker puzzles to get started.

Nicole – https://activity-mom.com/

11. Paint with Spaghetti Brooms

My favorite activity is “ Paint with spaghetti brooms ”

This activity blends sensory and art into one and kids love that! It is such a sensory and visual treat.

Suja – http://www.funlittles.com/

12. Handprint Art

One of my favourite arts and crafts activities for preschool kids is creating handprint art. It’s great to get kids creating and using their imagination and there are so many different things you can add to a printed handprint.

In fact, we recently shared a fantastic piece of handprint art. It’s a fire truck and quite simple to make.

Handprint art is a great sensory activity for young ones, inspires creativity and can be a great conversation starter and means to get kids talking and practicing language skills as they chat about their art.

Painting can give little ones a real sense of accomplishment and is a simple and fun task.

I hope you enjoy this fun fire truck painting idea . 

Angela –  https://www.theinspirationedit.com/

13. Farm Themed Yoga

Farm themed yoga is the perfect way to include gross motor skills and body awareness into your farm unit .

Kids get to learn about farm animals as they move their bodies just like the animals on the farm! 

Chanda –  https://www.pinkoatmeal.com/

14. Invitations to Play

My favorite activities for preschoolers are invitations to play. I like to set up a tray with playdough and add other elements for them to play with. These usually have a theme of some sort.

Recently we did something similar called Spaghetti Bead Towers. This is a great activity for fine motor skills.

I put the playdough in the center of the tray and an assortment of beads in the compartments around the tray. Then I added dry spaghetti noodles to the playdough.

I had my preschooler add the beads to those noodles to create towers. You could even ask the child to thread them on in a pattern to make it more challenging.

Heather –  http://www.glitteronadime.com/

15. Scavenger Hunts

I absolutely love scavenger hunts! You can do them indoors or outdoors, they can be easily tailored to any season or subject, and children of all ages can participate.

There are so many things that children learn while searching for objects included in a scavenger hunt. They learn to pay attention to the world around them and use their memories to recall where they may have seen specific items in the past.

Scavenger hunts are perfect opportunities to reinforce basic skills such as colors and shapes or letter recognition. They also encourage children to get up and move! Here is a link  to download my free Autumn scavenger hunt pdf (shown in the pic above)! 

Erin –  http://preschoolponderings.blogspot.com/

16. Matching Pairs Memory Game

A simple but engaging little activity that Adam and I have kept going back to is a Matching Pairs Memory Game.

It’s great because it challenges him to be focused and stretch his memory muscle, both of which are super beneficial to overall cognitive development.

There is even an element of strategy in how you pick the cards, which keeps the game fun as the child gets older. It is quick and difficulty can easily be adjusted by increasing or reducing the number of pairs on the table.

It can be played as single player or competitive. We like to also take the opportunity to talk about the pictures on the cards, to develop vocabulary and help memorization.

Emil –  https://www.adam-mila.com/

17. Pinecone Owls

I think for this time of year it would have to be these Pinecone Owls – they are super simple to make, look great, but even better are incredibly tactile.

Such a fabulous contrast between the soft cotton wool and the almost prickly pine cone! Great for fine motor skills too!

Maggy –  https://www.redtedart.com/

18. Dessert Pizzas

I love to make dessert pizzas with preschoolers. The thought of making a cookie crust and adding all kinds of yummy toppings gets preschoolers smiling and their mouths watering. Mine too! This activity can be done as a group or one-on-one with mom or grandma.

It is an excellent activity because of how easy it is to create a dessert pizza. All you need is a premade sugar cookie tube rolled out onto a pizza pan lightly sprayed with cooking oil. Cook the dough and let cool completely. Slice up the pizza and give each child a slice.

The “sauce” can be icing, jam, chocolate sauce, or flavored cream cheese. Then add any toppings you like. This can include fruits, chocolate candy pieces, sprinkles and gummy candies. A preschooler can help in every aspect of this delicious treat.

Use dessert pizza for almost any theme you are teaching, including making shapes out of the dough with cookie cutters, using toppings to make a face for a unit on “I am Special.” Try a Christmas tree shaped cookie dough or an Easter egg shape dough. The possibilities are endless!

Baking with preschoolers covers a multitude of lessons, including learning to listen, following directions, working on fine and gross motor skills, and creativity.

Denise – Grandmateachesme.com

One of our all-time favorite activities to do with children is to make slime . Not only is it really easy to make with items you probably already have at home but it is also so simple to customize each batch to your child’s interests!

Some of our favorite recipes are making  scented slime  and slime with texture like  Pom Pom slime . But you can add glitter for children that love sparkle, color dye to match their favorite color or scents like lavender to help create a calming and anxiety-reducing effect while they play.

The benefits of slime are numerous and pretty extraordinary for such a simple activity. Making the slime helps develop fine motor skills as well as developing listening and problem-solving skills.

It can also help create a fun learning experience as they experiment and use scientific processing to explore different ingredients.

Playing with the slime is also fantastic for fine motor skills and is the perfect sensory activity. Not only do they experience touch but if you make your slime scented, colored and textured you are adding a whole new level of sensory experience.

Kirsty –  https://merakimother.com/

20. Completing Drawing Prompts With Crafts

A popular activity in preschool is to give the children a drawing prompt of anything they want and then let them complete the picture with any craft materials they have at hand.

I usually ask them what they want to make this time and draw it on the spot, but if more than two children start asking for the same drawing prompt, then I make a “master one” and photocopy it for everyone to save time.

For anyone who wants to do this without having to draw the prompts, I have a few drawing prompts available on my website – a set of  incomplete animal drawings  and a  Christmas themed set .

Both sets of printables are free to download as PDFs and I will add more from time to time since the children always come up with new ideas (unicorn requests seem to be very popular at the moment).

Rodrigo –  https://boxofideas.uk/

21. Invitations to Play

I love invitation to play activities where preschoolers can freely express their imagination. Their creative minds can come up with the most amazing and unexpected ideas!

I did one such activity with my three-year-old daughter. We called it the Christmas tree decoration party.

For this one, we made creative use of aluminium foil as the wrapping base for a cardboard Christmas tree and let my daughter loose on it for decoration.

Check out the amazing outcome of our Christmas tree ornaments .

This is also a fun activity to help develop fine motor and scissor skills in preschoolers.

Shikha –  https://www.thejoysharing.com/

22. Body Bridges

One of our favorite activities for preschoolers is called  Body Bridges .  In this fun activity, kids use their bodies to create “bridges” for toy cars by moving into different positions. We’ve tried plank pose, downward dog, crab walk position, and more!

This gross motor activity is great for building core strength, shoulder and wrist stability, and hand strength!

Claire and Lauren –  https://theinspiredtreehouse.com/

23. Sorting Box Play

I am fortunate to be able to spend my days learning through play with my students who are ages three to five.

One of the biggest challenges for me as a teacher is to come up with things that my students can explore all by themselves.

Whatever I choose has to be simple to prepare and yet bring value to the learning process.

A recent favorite activity of our students is our sorting box. We change up our sorting box all the time to keep the process interesting.

To prepare this simple matching game, we fill one compartment with colorful loose parts and then put matching colored stickers in the other compartments.

The children sort the colorful loose parts by matching them to the colorful dots. Super simple but lots of learning going on!

Deborah –  https://teachpreschool.org/

24. Letter Crafts

Preschool is a wonderful age to do letter crafts and activities. It’s a great time to encourage early literacy by helping them discover letters and their sounds in fun and creative ways.

For a number of years, I hosted the  31 Days of ABC , a collection of letter activities and crafts from bloggers all over the web.

Letter crafts don’t have to involve a lot of prep work or materials. In fact, some of my favorites involve  using found materials from nature . And, they are easy to adapt to other languages, which is important in our bilingual household.

For example, Q can be for “Question” or “¿Qué?” in  this easy craft  that encourages investigation.

Leanna –  https://alldonemonkey.com/

25. Playdough

My favourite activity for preschoolers would be playdough. A great, big batch of homemade playdough does the trick!

Playing with playdough can help a preschooler build many skills without even realising. The cutters and gizmos that come with playdough in the shops are fun to use, but my most effective activities come from using just the dough on its own.

You can work on coordination skills by squishing the dough into one big ball, pounding it flat, or rolling it out on the table using both hands to make a sausage.

Rolling small balls between both hands is also great for  bilateral coordination .

Working with playdough also strengthens the muscles of the hands, and if you use the fingers to roll little balls, you are working on fine motor skills as well.

I outline some of the benefits of playdough activities here and I also have a great  homemade playdough recipe .

I usually spend some time playing with my kids with just the playdough, seeing what we can make together. Then once we have done lots of bilateral and fine motor work, I let them play with the cutters, rollers and other playdough toys – usually keeps them entertained for ages!

Tracey –  https://www.ot-mom-learning-activities.com/

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading all these new activity ideas!

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20 Educational Activities for Preschoolers

As we approach a new school year, I will have a 7th grader, 3rd grader, and a preschooler (plus a toddler to keep things interesting!) and I am very excited for all the new activities, curriculum, and learning adventures. Fun educational activities for preschoolers is at the top of my list!

Educational activities for preschoolers should be fun and feel more like play. No need to plan a lot of seat work. This age is on the move and learning is embraced every step of the way.

How Can I Teach My Preschooler at Home?

It is not uncommon to see curriculum containing expensive preschool packages. I feel these are unnecessary. Your preschooler will learn more through daily interaction with you than from workbooks. When surrounded by colors, letters, and numbers, learning takes place naturally.

My four year old wants to sit and do school with his older siblings so I have rounded up some cute preschool learning activities to keep his mind and hands busy and hopefully his mouth at an inside volume!

I’ve put together a list of learning activities for preschoolers at home which will hopefully keep your child engaged and interested in “school” without it actually being school.

Our Preschool Routine

This preschool routine works well with our family. I go through the alphabet, one letter a week, with my preschoolers. We learn to recognize each letter as well as its sound. Exposure is key here with very little pressure to master. Writing/tracing is done with an assortment of tools- crayons, markers, paintbrushes, fingers etc.

Each week, activities are planned with words that begin with the designated letter. Including food makes this fun so once a week we eat a lunch prepared with only foods that begin with our letter. For example, during “a” week we will eat a lunch of apples and almond butter along with ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins on top).

I have created a low prep, flexible preschool curriculum based on this letter of the week program. It has worked so well for us! Click the image to check it out!

We read a Bible story with a matching page to color from Christian Light Education.

Numbers are practiced through reading books and games. Again, at a casual rate with exposure being key.

A preschool routine is necessary in my house as my four year old becomes uh, naughty when not engaged in constructive activities. Often times guided play is necessary to keep his volume and energy levels a little lower while the older kids are doing school.

To give you more ideas for educational activities for preschoolers, I’ve put together a list. These are all free. I hope they are helpful to you!

What Activities are Good for 4 Year Olds?

Or 3 or 5 😉 I have compiled a list of creative learning activities your preschooler will enjoy.

Not to sound repetitive, but I do want to emphasize that preschool is about exposure and not necessarily mastery. If your child can’t sit still than embrace this! There are endless hands on activities for preschoolers that teach while giving allowance to that inability to slow down.

Printable Reading Activities for Preschoolers

Here is a great list of printable reading activities for preschoolers. They are fun and entertaining and yet perfect for a time when they need to be a little more still.

Phonemic Awareness Activities for a Strong Start in Reading by Wonder Filled Days

Printable Short Vowel Phonics Game by Wonder Filled Days

Fairy Tale Themed Syllable Counting Cards by The Busy Mom Club

Alphabet Hide and Seek by The Busy Mom Club

Construction Race by Preschool Powol Packets

Fall Literacy Pack by Only Passionate Curiosity

Kindergarten Worksheets and Games has great letter recognition coloring pages. They are free but you do have to sign up for their newsletter.

I am forever amazed at how little preschoolers need formal learning. Your little ones will pick up a lot from these simple printable reading activities.

Preschool Math Activities

Preschool math activities are fun. They are cute and simple and so much more enjoyable than the higher math! I hope these preschool math activities give you some ideas.

Free Printable Caterpillar Number Match by The Busy Mom Club

Free Printable Preschool Math Mini-Pack by The Busy Mom Club

Learn to Count with this Adorable Llama PreK Math Pack by In All You Do

Counting Fun with Jelly Beans by In All You Do

Free Shape Tracing Worksheets by Preschool Mom

Shapes Worksheet by Preschool Mom

Dolphin Dots by Preschool Powol Packets

Train Patterns Printable by Preschool Powol Packets

What kinds of preschool math activities do your kids enjoy? Manipulatives can be anything from hotwheels to blocks to candy!

Are you looking for preschool worksheets? These fun letter identification worksheets are perfect for quiet time activities.

Preschool Fine Motor Activities

Preschool fine motor activities come in a variety of shapes and sizes. From squeezing clothes pins to beads to weaving, these activities should be fun and engaging and not feel like work.

Fall Fun Coloring Pages by Preschool Powol Packets

Weaving for Preschool by Kids by Prekinders

Favorite Fine Motor Activities for Preschoolers by Fun Learning for Kids has wonderful ideas with a great variety.

Educational Activities for Preschoolers Should be Fun

Just a reminder that educational activities for preschoolers should be fun! There is a lot of variety here so you will undoubtedly find something your preschooler will enjoy, but keep in mind that play is your child’s greatest teacher.

Colors, numbers, and patterns can be practiced while building blocks. Refrigerator magnets can teach letters while you are making supper. Reading good quality books develops vocabulary, word recognition, and imagination.

I have one more link for you. This one isn’t free but it is an excellent post about preschool games. Many great ideas here! Beyond Candyland: 5 Preschool Games your Kids will Love by Homeschool Gameschool

You might also enjoy these posts!

How to Create a Homeschool Schedule that Works

4 Strategies for Improving Reading Skills

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Hi, I am Heather! I am a mom of five, homeschooler, homesteader, and lover of all things chocolate. I am excited to share your faith and parenting journeys with you. Whether you are here looking to grow your faith, heal from loss, find homeschool resources, or hope to find inspiration in raising godly children, you are in the right place. So, grab your favorite hot beverage, curl up in your comfy chair, and stay awhile.

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20 Fun Learning Activities for Kids to Enjoy at Home

These exciting educational activities will keep your children plenty busy .

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From practicing sight words to simple coding activities, these projects cover literacy, STEM, and social studies, among others, so you can focus in on your kids' particular area of interest (or subject where they need the most additional practice). The one thing they have in common is that there's some kind hands-on component to all of them, so kids can get really involved in their own learning. As they get older, they can even help set up the activities for themselves, too. These are mostly geared for elementary school students, but if you have a toddler or a preschooler, you can check out these fun toddler activities , since even the tiniest students deserve a brain workout.

Sunflower Word Family

Kids just learning to read can explore different sound combinations with a word-family sunflower. Write word endings on the petals, fill a paper-plate center with all the letters of the alphabet, then let kids spin and read the results.

Get the tutorial at Happy Tot Shelf »

RELATED: These 50 Fun Activities for Kids Will Keep Them Entertained for Hours

Pipe Cleaner Constellations

Lots of classrooms make students create dioramas of the solar system, but what about mapping out other celestial bodies? This activity uses pipe cleaners and beads to give kids a hands-on way to learn how stars connect to form different consteallations.

Get the tutorial at 123 Homeschool 4 Me »

Chromatography Flowers

This is a science experiment that turns into something you'd want to display on a desk or table. Draw stripes on coffee filters with markers, and then fold them up into triangles and dip the pointy end in water; the water will travel up the filter and separate the marker into different pigments, making a cool pattern on a flower-shaped filter.

Get the tutorial at Steam Powered Family »

RELATED: Easy Science Experiments for Kids You Can Do at Home With Everyday Items

Sight Word Craft-Stick Puzzles

If you're practicing sight words , go beyond the run-of-the-mill flash cards with a craft-stick matching puzzle. You can tailor the words by grade level , and add more pairs as your kids become stronger readers.

Get the tutorial at And Next Comes L »

LEGO Coding Maze

You don't need screens or apps to show kids the foundations of coding. Set up a simple LEGO maze, and give kids commands to get a minifigure to go through it. The mazes and concepts can get more sophisticated as the child gets older.

Get the tutorial (plus printable commands and maze templates) at Research Parent »

Backyard Treasure Hunt

One way to sharpen those map-reading skills? Hide a treasure in the backyard and have the kids use a map to find it. It's even better if they can hide something from you and draw the map themselves.

Get the tutorial at Life Over C's »

RELATED: The Best Learning Activities for Toddlers to Get Them Ready for Kindergarten

Fraction Flowers

Not only will these beautiful blooms help kids visualize their fractions, it'll teach them equivalents: Two one-eighth peals will be the same size as a one-fourth petal, for example. Not into flowers? Try pizza slices.

Get the tutorial at Teach Beside Me »

Sidewalk Chalk Letters

Get their brains and bodies working at the same time! Hop from letter to letter to spell out different sight words.

Get the tutorial at Buggy and Buddy »

Decoder Wheel

Ready for some spy missions? An easy decoder wheel lets kids write and decipher secret messages. From there, you can move on to other types of codes , or talk about how cryptography has been used in history .

Get the tutorial at Dabbles and Babbles »

Word/Definition Memory Game

Practice two skills at once: Write new vocabulary words on one card, definitions on another, and then play a traditional Memory game. You can also do this with synonyms and antonyms.

Get the tutorial at Diary of a Not-So-Wimpy Teacher »

Color-Mixing Experiment

The classic vinegar-and-baking-soda experiment becomes extra exciting when food coloring is added to the mix. In addition to using an eye dropper or baster to make more "explosions," kids can also see what happens when different colors combine.

Get the tutorial at The Best Ideas for Kids »

Pop Top Math Game

This game is so simple to set up: Stick math equations on the top of a bottle cap, and write the answers inside. Then, if a student answers a math fact correctly, they get to keep the top. If not, it stays in the pile. The player with the most caps at the end of the game wins!

Get the tutorial at Crofts' Classroom »

If kids are going to grow up to be writers, it helps to know how stories are put together. A story map lets them dissect the parts a book. They can either make one for tales they know well (something like "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"), or use them as an outline for an original creation.

Get the tutorial at Mrs. Byrd's Learning Tree »

Marshmallow Shapes

A delicious lesson in geometry, you can use mini-marshmallows and toothpicks (or small pretzel rods) to build different shapes. As kids get more advanced, they can move from 2D to 3D creations.

Binary Code Jelwelry

Another coding-related activity that doesn't require a screen, this craft uses different colored beads to represent the 1s and 0s in binary numbers. Kids can convert letters into binary and "code" their names into a necklaces or bracelets.

Get the tutorial at Mama Smiles »

Fingerprint Forensics

Forensics 101: Leave a fingerprint on a drinking glass — it helps if your fingers are a little greasy, so pizza night is the perfect time to try this out — then have your kids use flour and a paintbrush to "dust" the glass for prints. You can even try to "lift" the fingerprint with a piece of tape and transfer it to a piece of construction paper. You can talk about the common patterns found in fingerprints , and how prints are used by law enforcement.

Family Flag

Tell your kids they're going to become vexillologists — it sounds super impressive! Vexillology is the study of flags, so talk about the symbols on the flags of different countries and what they represent. Then, they can design their own flag — show them the North American Vexillological Association's " Good Flag, Bad Flag " guidelines — or you can come together and create a flag for your family.

Mental Math

The great thing about this activity is that kids can do it independently, whenever they have a few minutes (like in the car): Write out a series of math problems on craft sticks to give kids a chance to practice doing math in their heads. See how many sticks they can get through in a certain period of time.

Get the tutorial at Lesson Plan Diva »

Star Crystals

By growing crystals in a Borax solution, kids can learn science and make a new decoration for their rooms. (Just use extreme caution with the Borax, and make sure they know it's not sugar.)

Get the tutorial at One Little Project »

Pasta World Map

Give the world map a 3D twist with this crafty learning activity. You can paint coffee filters for the oceans, or use different colors and shapes of pasta for different regions or geographical features.

Get the tutorial at Parenting Chaos »

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30+ Fun Educational Shape Activities for Kids

Shape Activities

2D Shape Activity

Circle Art Painting

Kandinsky Shape Art

2D Shape Painting

Road Shape Mats

Pattern Block Mats

Masking Tape Shapes Activity

Farm Themed Shape Mats

Wooden Shape Puzzles

Shape Slime

DIY Cardboard Shape Puzzle

I Spy Shapes Book

Marshmallow STEM Shape Activity

Shape Bubble Wands

Touch and Find Shape Game

Shape Sensory Bottle

Pet-Themed Shape Playdough Mats

Shape Crafts

Under the sea shape craft.

Shape Monsters Craft

Woodland Animal Shape Craft

Shape Buddies

Rocket Shape Craft

Owl Shape Craft

Sponge Geometric Art

Holiday Shape Crafts and Activities

Bat Shape Craft

Vampire Shape Craft

Shape Turkeys

Pumpkin Shape Matching

Shape Christmas Tree

Santa Shape Craft

Shape Printables

Shape Playdough Mats

Shape Coloring Activity

Feed the Monster Shape Game

Printable Shape Crafts

Printable transportation shape crafts.

Printable Animal Shape Crafts

Printable Dinosaur Shape Crafts

How to Draw Shape Animals

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15 Best STEM Activities for Preschoolers

1. Homemade Sundials

2. online math games, 3. diy lava lamps, 4. gummy bear osmosis, 5. crystal shapes, 6. pattern play with nature, 7. color changing flowers, 8. making rain clouds, 9. build a bug hotel, 10. slinky sound waves.

Introducing STEM activities for preschoolers is a fantastic way to spark curiosity and enthusiasm for learning from a young age. These activities lay the foundation for problem-solving skills and a deep understanding of the world’s workings. By starting early, we help children develop a love for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics that can last a lifetime.

SplashLearn: Most Comprehensive Learning Program for PreK-5

SplashLearn inspires lifelong curiosity with its game-based PreK-5 learning program loved by over 40 million children. With over 4,000 fun games and activities, it’s the perfect balance of learning and play for your little one.

15 Fun STEM Activities for Preschoolers

Materials Needed: Stick, stones, sunny day

Concepts Learned: Sun’s position, time-telling

How to Do It: Place a stick vertically in a flat, sunny area. Use stones to mark the shadow of the stick every hour. This is one of the simplest pre k STEM activities to teach kids how to tell time and understand the sun’s movement across the sky.

Teaching time-telling can be challenging. Try these fun math worksheets that make learning time telling a breeze:

If you’re looking for mess-free ways to explore math STEM activities for preschoolers, online math games are a fantastic start. SplashLearn offers an engaging and hands-on approach to learning that brings STEM concepts to life. It turns mathematical concepts into hands-on learning experiences through interactive games that teach counting , basic arithmetic, pattern recognition , and more. 

Children manipulate virtual objects to solve problems, making abstract concepts tangible and engaging. SplashLearn effectively introduces preschoolers to essential math skills in a practical, interactive format that feels more like play than education.

Begin with these activities:

Materials Needed: Water, oil, food coloring, Alka-Seltzer tablet

Concepts Learned: Liquid density and chemical reactions

How to Do It: Fill a clear bottle about halfway with oil. Add water until the bottle is nearly full. Next, add a few drops of food coloring. The color will sink through the oil and mix with the water. Finally, drop in an Alka-Seltzer tablet and watch your lava lamp come to life. This activity is a great introduction to preschool STEM activities focusing on scientific observations.

Materials Needed: Gummy bears, water, salt water, vinegar

Concepts Learned: Osmosis and properties of solutions

How to Do It: Place gummy bears in three separate cups filled with water, salt water, and vinegar respectively. Leave them overnight and observe the next day. Children will see how gummy bears expand or contract, demonstrating osmosis in a fun and easy STEM activity for preschoolers.

Materials Needed: Epsom salts, water, containers

Concepts Learned: Crystal growth and effects of temperature

How to Do It: Dissolve Epsom salts in hot water and pour the solution into different containers. As the solution cools, crystals will form. Observing the crystal shapes teaches about how temperature affects the growth of crystals.

Materials Needed: Leaves, flowers, pebbles

Concepts Learned: Symmetry, patterns in nature

How to Do It: Gather natural items like leaves, flowers, and pebbles. Arrange them on the ground or a flat surface to create symmetrical patterns or simple mosaics. This activity is perfect if you are looking for STEM crafts for preschoolers helping them recognize natural patterns and symmetry.

If you are looking for more fun ways to teach kids pattern, here are some activities to try:

Materials Needed: White carnations, colored water

Concepts Learned: Capillary action and water absorption

How to Do It: Fill multiple jars with water and mix in different colors of food dye. Place a white carnation in each jar. Over several days, the flowers will absorb the colored water and change color, showing how plants drink. This visually engaging demonstration is perfect for STEM activities for 3-4 year olds .

Materials Needed: Jar, shaving cream, food coloring

Concepts Learned: Water cycle and precipitation

How to Do It: Fill a clear jar with water nearly to the top, then spray shaving cream to form a cloud layer. Drop food coloring onto the shaving cream and watch the “rain” filter through to the water below. This simple setup is an excellent STEM activity idea for teaching the water cycle in a tangible way.

Materials Needed: Natural materials like sticks, leaves, hollow STEMs

Concepts Learned: Insect habitats and ecology

How to Do It: Collect various natural materials and pile them into a structure that provides spaces and tunnels. Place your bug hotel in a garden and observe which insects check in. This activity is a great way to engage kids in hands-on STEM activities that explore insect life and environmental impact.

Materials Needed: Slinky

Concepts Learned: Sound waves and vibrations

How to Do It: Stretch a slinky between two people, then quickly push and pull one end to create waves. Watch how the waves travel through the slinky. This is a fantastic demonstration of sound waves and vibrations.

11. Static Electricity Butterflies

Materials Needed: Paper butterflies, balloon

Concepts Learned: Static electricity

How to Do It: Cut butterfly shapes out of paper. Rub a balloon against your hair or sweater to build static electricity, then hold it near the butterflies. Watch as the butterflies move towards the balloon. This activity demonstrates static electricity in a magical way that delights young learners.

12. Ice Excavation

Materials Needed: Colored water, toys, small tools

Concepts Learned: States of matter and physical changes

How to Do It: Freeze small toys in layers of colored ice within a container. Give children small tools to chip away at the ice and excavate the toys. This activity teaches about states of matter and the properties of ice as a solid.

13. Marble Run Maze

Materials Needed: Cardboard box, marbles

Concepts Learned: Gravity, angles, and physics

How to Do It: Cut sides from a cardboard box to create various slopes and paths. Assemble these pieces inside the box to form a maze. Place marbles at the top and watch them navigate the maze, teaching concepts of gravity and angles through playful experimentation.

14. Cotton Ball Catapult

Materials Needed: Popsicle sticks, spoon, cotton balls

Concepts Learned: Force, simple machines

How to Do It: Attach a spoon to a stack of Popsicle sticks to build a simple catapult. Place a cotton ball in the spoon, pull it back, and release it to see it fly. This demonstrates the principles of force and trajectory using simple machines.

15. Plant Growth Observation

Materials Needed: Seeds (such as beans or sunflowers), soil, pots, water, sunlight

Concepts Learned: Plant biology, growth processes, and environmental needs

How to Do It: Help the children plant seeds in pots filled with soil. Water them regularly and place them in a sunny spot. Over time, observe and record the growth of the plants, noting changes in height, number of leaves, and any flowering. Discuss the importance of water, sunlight, and soil nutrients in helping plants grow. 

5 Benefits of STEM Activities for Preschoolers

• Engaging with STEM activities helps preschoolers develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities from an early age.
• These activities spark interest in how things work, fostering a natural curiosity about the world around them.
• STEM introduces basic concepts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, laying a strong educational foundation.
• Many STEM activities involve hands-on tasks that improve coordination and motor skills.
• Completing tasks successfully can boost self-esteem and confidence in young learners.

Integrating STEM activities into early childhood education can greatly enrich a preschooler’s learning experience, making it both fun and foundational. These activities prepare them for future educational challenges and cultivate a lifelong love for learning and exploration.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a stem project in preschool.

A preschool STEM project is designed to introduce young children to the concepts of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics through play-based learning. These STEM activities for preschoolers are typically hands-on and exploratory, catering to preschoolers’ developmental levels .

What are the 5 C's of STEM education?

The 5 C’s of STEM education are Creativity, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Curiosity. These skills are essential for successful STEM learning, helping students solve problems, work together, and explore new ideas.

How do you incorporate STEM in preschool classrooms?

Incorporating STEM in a preschool classroom can be done by integrating simple, age-appropriate experiments and building projects that encourage exploration and inquiry. STEM activities for preschoolers should utilize everyday materials and focus on playful learning, such as constructing simple machines or exploring natural phenomena.

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Outdoor Activities for Preschoolers

Are you a preschool teacher looking for engaging themes to enhance your classroom experience? Look no further! We'll explore the importance and benefits of outdoor activities for preschoolers, including physical, cognitive, emotional and social development. In the process, you'll discover practical tips on how to plan fun outdoor activities for kids based on their age and abilities and discover 10 fun, educational outdoor activities you can incorporate into your curriculum. Let's get started creating memorable learning experiences for your preschoolers!

Table of Contents

Why are outdoor activities important for preschoolers, how to plan outdoor learning activities for preschoolers, 10 fun and educational outdoor activities for preschoolers, get 70+ editable and printable templates for almost every preschool situation.

Engaging toddlers and preschoolers with outdoor play and activities is crucial for their overall development and well-being. Preschool learning outdoors offers unique opportunities for children to explore the natural environment, engage in physical activities and develop important skills.

Here are key reasons why toddler and preschooler outdoor play is important:

• Boosts physical and mental health: Preschool o utdoor play encourages kids to move their bodies, improving coordination, strength and overall fitness. ( Pathways )
• Enhances cognitive development:   Exploring nature helps children learn about their environment firsthand, stimulating curiosity and knowledge about plants and animals. ( University of Tennessee )
• Develops important skills:   Activities like scavenger hunts or gardening is a great way to get outside and help your children refine senses, use their problem-solving abilities and develop a sense of responsibility for the environment. ( Harvard )
• Builds a foundation for learning:   These experiences create a love for exploration and discovery, setting the stage for lifelong learning and environmental stewardship by developing skills like comprehension of instruction. ( National Institutes of Health )
• Helps promote literacy: The storying and re-storying of the children’s encounters outdoors invite infinite possibilities for literacy teaching and learning. Educators can foster these relations with an openness toward what the forests might teach students. ( Brock University )

Planning outdoor activities for preschoolers requires careful consideration of the children's age, abilities, learning objectives and gathering necessary materials and resources to create enriching experiences. It's important to choose activities that are not only fun but also safe for the children. 

Make sure the area is free from any hazards, such as sharp objects or dangerous plants. Select activities that match the developmental stage of the preschoolers, such as simple sensory activities like exploring different textures or colors in nature.

Consider the Age and Abilities of the Children

When planning outdoor activities for preschoolers, it's essential to consider their age and abilities to ensure that the activities align with their developmental stage and provide optimal learning and engagement opportunities.

Children between the ages of 3 and 5 have varying levels of physical coordination and cognitive skills. For younger preschoolers, simple activities like building sandcastles or playing with water tables or even spray bottles can help develop fine motor skills. On the other hand, older preschoolers may enjoy more complex activities such as nature scavenger hunts or basic team sports to enhance their social interaction and physical abilities.

Choose Activities That Are Safe and Appropriate

Selecting outdoor activities that prioritize safety and appropriateness is crucial when planning for preschoolers. Ensuring a safe environment and suitable activities is key for a positive outdoor experience.

Incorporating risk assessment also helps in identifying potential hazards and taking preventive measures and proper supervision helps preschoolers safe while they explore and play outside. Create a secure outdoor space by checking for any sharp objects, ensuring the playground equipment is age-appropriate and fencing off potentially dangerous areas.

Incorporate Learning Objectives

Incorporating learning objectives into outdoor activities for preschoolers enhances the educational value and promotes skill development across various domains, fostering a holistic learning experience. By blending educational goals with outdoor experiences, children can engage in active learning that stimulates their cognitive, physical and emotional growth.

Exploring nature provides a sensory-rich environment that ignites curiosity and encourages conversations about the natural world through activities such as scavenger hunts or leaf rubbings. Kids can develop observation skills, learn about different plants and animals and practice critical thinking while building teamwork and communication.

Gather Necessary Materials and Resources

Preparation for outdoor activities involves gathering necessary materials and resources to facilitate smooth implementation and enhance the overall experience for preschoolers. 

• Art supplies and other creative resources help them unleash creativity and express themselves using natural materials.
• Gardening tools facilitate hands-on learning experiences, nurturing plants and understanding the natural world.
• Safety equipment (helmets, knee pads, first aid kits) create a secure environment during outdoor activities.
• Educational props (magnifying glasses, binoculars) enhance outdoor exploration and learning.

Engaging preschoolers in fun and easy outdoor activities that are also educational is a fantastic way to enhance their learning experiences and foster a love for nature and exploration. Here are 10 exciting learning activities that combine the great outdoors and learning ideas for young children.

• Nature Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of items for preschoolers to find in the outdoor environment, encouraging them to observe and identify different plants, animals and textures. For older children, encourage them to keep nature journals.
• Sensory Nature Walk: Take a leisurely walk in a natural setting, engaging the senses by touching tree bark, smelling flowers, listening to bird calls and feeling different types of leaves.
• Outdoor Art Station: Set up a designated art area where children can explore painting with natural materials like leaves, sticks and flowers to unleash their creativity.
• Planting Seeds: Teach kids about growth and responsibility by allowing them to plant seeds in a small garden or pots, nurturing their green thumbs.
• Bug Exploration: Introduce children to the world of insects by observing bugs in their natural habitats through magnifying glasses and gentle interactions.
• Obstacle Course: Design a simple obstacle course using natural elements like logs, stepping stones and ropes to encourage children to get moving and boost physical coordination and gross motor skills.
• Outdoor Storytime: Select engaging nature-themed books and read aloud to the children under a shady tree, creating a tranquil yet educational setting.
• Cloud Watching: Lie down on a blanket and gaze at the shapes and movement of clouds, sparking imagination and fostering mindfulness in the young ones.
• Water Play: Provide opportunities for water play with buckets, sponges and toys, allowing children to experiment, splash, squirt and learn about the properties of water. It's also a fun way to cool down on a hot day.
• Bird Feeding: Hang up bird feeders and observe different bird species that come to feed, teaching kids about wildlife observation and kindness toward animals.

1. Nature Scavenger Hunt

Organizing a nature scavenger hunt for preschoolers can ignite their curiosity and foster a deeper connection with the natural world. Setting the stage for the hunt involves creating a list of items for the children to find, such as colorful leaves, pinecones, acorns, twigs, bird feathers or even animal tracks. This  free printable can provide a helpful tool to guide the hunt.

Before starting the hunt, it's essential to emphasize the importance of respecting nature by observing without disturbing the environment. Encourage the children to use all their senses to engage in a hands-on exploration of the wonders of nature.

2. Water Play

Water play is a fun, sensory experience for preschoolers. It cools them down, improves their motor skills and sparks creativity. Activities like pouring and splashing help develop hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. Caregivers can tailor water play to different ages and abilities to promote well-rounded development. It's a great fit on days when the temperatures rise and the sun is shining.

3. Sensory Walk

A sensory walk immerses preschoolers in a multi-sensory outdoor experience, allowing them to explore nature through touch, smell and observation, enhancing their sensory perception and connection to the environment.

To organize a successful sensory walk for preschoolers, it's essential to plan engaging activities that appeal to their senses. Incorporating natural textures like smooth rocks, rough bark or soft leaves can provide a tactile experience that stimulates their sense of touch. Aromatic scents from flowers, herbs or pinecones can captivate their olfactory senses, encouraging them to explore their surroundings with curiosity. Encourage children to interact with different materials, textures and scents, prompting them to express how each element makes them feel. For example, tools like this free winter sensory walk printable can help facilitate an outdoor experience in the colder months.

4. Outdoor Art Projects

Outdoor art projects enable preschoolers to unleash their creativity, develop fine motor skills and express themselves through nature-inspired artistic endeavors, fostering a love for art and exploration.

Engaging children in nature-themed art activities not only stimulates their imagination but also enhances their appreciation for the environment. By incorporating natural elements like leaves, flowers and stones into their artwork, children can forge a deeper connection with the world around them. Encouraging little ones to experiment with different mediums such as watercolors, clay, mud or even shadow art can spark their curiosity and broaden their artistic horizons. Through these outdoor experiences, preschoolers learn to observe, create and innovate, setting a strong foundation for a lifelong passion for art.

5. Gardening

Gardening offers preschoolers a hands-on experience in plant care, fostering environmental awareness, responsibility and an understanding of growth cycles, while also promoting a connection to nature. Engaging children in gardening activities not only teaches them about the importance of taking care of living things, but also instills a sense of pride and accomplishment as they watch their plants flourish. Create child-friendly gardens by incorporating colorful flowers, easy-to-grow vegetables and tactile plants that appeal to their senses. To help students plant and track their garden's progress, try a  free garden planting printable .

6. Obstacle Course

An obstacle course is a dynamic outdoor activity idea that engages preschoolers in physical challenges, promotes motor skills development and enhances coordination and balance through fun and interactive play.

Setting up an obstacle course for preschoolers involves creativity and strategic thinking to cater to varying abilities and interests. You can incorporate balancing beams, tunnels, hurdles and stepping stones to provide a mix of challenges. For younger children, focus on simple obstacles like cones to crawl under or stepping stones to jump across. As children grow older, you can introduce more complex elements such as rope climbs or monkey bars to enhance their problem-solving skills and physical strength. It's crucial to maintain a balance between difficulty levels to ensure every child can participate and enjoy the course.

7. Nature Walk and Exploration

During a nature walk, teachers play a vital role in guiding young explorers through an immersive experience. They can encourage children to closely observe plants, animals and various natural elements they encounter along the way.

By prompting open-ended questions and discussions, educators can stimulate the children's curiosity and critical thinking. This interaction fosters a deeper connection with nature and helps to build a foundation for environmental stewardship.

8. Outdoor Music and Movement

Children benefit greatly from outdoor music and movement activities as they engage both their minds and bodies, promoting cognitive development and physical fitness simultaneously. Incorporating music-based games such as musical chairs, freeze dance or instrument exploration can enhance their listening skills. Motor activities also promote coordination in a fun and interactive way. Dancing to different beats, melodies and rhythms of play under the open sky not only boosts their mood but also strengthens their muscles and balance. Interactive movement exercises like  Simon Says or simple obstacle courses can also encourage teamwork and social interaction among the preschoolers, making outdoor play a holistic learning experience.

9. Bubble Play

Bubble play offers preschoolers a sensory-rich experience that stimulates visual and tactile senses, promotes hand-eye coordination and fosters imaginative play through the magical world of bubbles.

This fun activity benefits preschoolers in many ways:

• Sensory play:   Stimulates sight and touch
• Motor skills:   Improves hand-eye coordination and grasping
• Imagination:   Encourages storytelling through bubbles

If you're looking for a fun bubble activity for kids that also encourages STEM learning, you can create an experiment. One fun experiment is to create pop-resistant bubbles from regular materials you can find at home. Such an experiment can teach children about the key elements of a bubble and let them have fun outdoors. Here's a how-to for an anti-pop bubble experiment. 

10. Outdoor Storytelling and Dramatic Play

Engaging in outdoor storytelling and dramatic play provides a myriad of benefits beyond just fun — it encourages cognitive growth, social interactions and physical activity. The combination of fresh air, physical movement and imaginative play fosters holistic development in young children. Outdoor play helps enhance language skills as children verbally express their ideas, engage in dialogue with peers and create narratives based on their surroundings. By immersing themselves in nature, children's storytelling becomes enriched with sensory experiences, stimulating their creativity and broadening their worldview.

You can even use  free nature storytelling cards to help in the creative process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some fun outdoor activities for preschoolers.

There are many fun and engaging outdoor activities for preschoolers, such as scavenger hunts, nature walks, water play and obstacle courses. Even something as simple as time on the playground, going down slides and climbing can be a blast. You can also try sensory activities like finger painting with mud or playing with sand and water.

How can I incorporate outdoor activities into my preschool curriculum?

You can incorporate outdoor activities into your preschool curriculum by planning specific lesson plans or themes around nature and the outdoors. You can also use your outdoor space for free play and exploration during class time.

What safety precautions should I take when planning outdoor activities for preschoolers?

When planning outdoor activities for preschoolers, it's important to consider safety first. Here are a few guidelines to follow ( ECLKC ).

• Maintain appropriate staff-child ratios at all times outdoors, such as 1:4 for infants and toddlers. Position staff to see and hear all children.
• Develop weather-related policies defining acceptable conditions for outdoor play. Monitor factors like air quality and avoid taking children out in extreme weather.
• Provide shade, sunscreen, protective clothing and insect repellent as needed. Store any necessary medications like EpiPens in an accessible location outdoors.
• Regularly inspect the outdoor space and equipment for hazards, wear and tear. Ensure proper drainage to avoid standing water.
• Provide protective shock-absorbing surfaces like mats or wood chips under climbing equipment. Ensure equipment is age and developmentally appropriate.
• Create separate spaces for different activity levels, for example, place swings and bike paths away from quiet play areas. Allow adequate clearance around equipment.
• Shield play areas from excessive wind and direct sunlight using shade structures, trees, awnings, etc.

Can I use outdoor activities to teach academic concepts to preschoolers?

Yes, outdoor activities can be a great way to teach academic concepts to preschoolers. For example, you can use a nature walk to teach about different types of plants and animals or use an outdoor scavenger hunt to teach counting or color recognition. Even physical activities like running, jumping and playing games can teach science and math concepts to preschool students.

We know daycare providers like you are busy. That's why we made dozens of templates to help you manage the various aspects of your organization. From billing and invoicing to marketing materials, we have it all. Download all 70 today!

"Playing in Nature." Pathways.org, https://pathways.org/playing-in-nature/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw_LOwBhBFEiwAmSEQAfYf36IjW4O7KhEbAtYh_YKLvqUYb9xte5T3eFMIGcxp3qVjdlh17hoCF5IQAvD_BwE. Published 2023.

"PMC Article 9291496: Supporting preschoolers’ cognitive development: Short‐ and mid‐term effects of fluid reasoning, visuospatial, and motor training," PubMed Central, National Institutes of Health, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9291496/. Published 2022.

"6 Reasons Children Need to Play Outside." Harvard Health Blog, Harvard Medical School, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/6-reasons-children-need-to-play-outside-2018052213880. Published 2020.

[Cara Megan King McClain]. "SOCIAL CONTEXTS OF DEVEL S OF DEVELOPMENT IN NATURAL OUTDOOR TURAL OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTS." University of Tennessee. Published 2017.

[Debra Harwood and Diane R. Collier]. "The Matter of the Stick: Storying re stor(y)ing." Published 2017, https://www.academia.edu/36060585/The_matter_of_the_stick_Storying_re_storying_children_s_literacies_in_the_forest

Office of Head Start. (n.d.). A Closer Look: Safety Considerations for Supporting Outdoor Play and Exploration for Infants and Toddlers. ECLKC. Retrieved from https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/learning-environments/supporting-outdoor-play-exploration-infants-toddlers/closer-look-safety-considerations

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110 fun trivia questions for kids (and answers)

Trivia questions for kids can be brain-bending fun for the whole family.

According to Laura Linn Knight, the author of “Break Free from Reactive Parenting,” asking kids thought-provoking questions is a great way to engage their critical-thinking skills. 

“Put away distractions ... and make trivia a fun, playful and educational fit for whatever age your child is," Knight tells TODAY.com .

Ready to test your family’s knowledge?

Start with these kid-smart trivia questions — on history, geography, sports, science and more — to get everyone thinking deeply.

105 trivia questions for kids with answers

These stumpers fluctuate from easy to tricky.

Trivia Question: How many colors are in the rainbow?

Answer: Seven.

Trivia Question: Where is Big Ben located?

Answer: London, England.

Trivia Question: Where is the Eiffel Tower located?

Answer: Paris, France.

Trivia Question: Where is the Taj Mahal located?

Answer: Agra, India.

Trivia Question: What country is the Leaning Tower of Pisa in?

Answer: Italy.

Trivia Question: What country are the Great Pyramids of Giza located?

Answer: Egypt.

Trivia Question: Where is the Great Wall of China located?

Answer: Beijing, China.

Trivia Question: Where is the Golden Gate Bridge?

Answer: San Francisco, California.

Trivia Question: Where is the Acropolis?

Answer: Athens, Greece.

Trivia Question: What is the capital of the United States?

Answer: Washington, D.C.

Trivia Question: Where is the Great Barrier Reef?

Answer: Australia.

Trivia Question: Who gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States?

Answer: France.

Trivia Question: Where is Disney World located?

Answer: Orlando, Florida.

Trivia Question: In what city is Disneyland located?

Answer: Anaheim, California.

Trivia Question: Simone Biles is an athlete known for which sport?

Answer: Gymnastics.

Trivia Question: Michael Phelps is an athlete known for which sport?

Answer: Swimming.

Trivia Question: Mickey Mantle is an athlete known for which sport?

Answer: Baseball.

Trivia Question: Travis Kelce is an athlete known for which sport?

Answer: Football.

Trivia Question: What is a famous movie about a park with dinosaurs?

Answer: Jurassic Park.

Trivia Question: Does Peppa Pig have a sibling?

Answer: Yes, a brother named George.

Trivia Question: Who lives at Number 4 Privet Drive?

Answer: Harry Potter.

Trivia Question: Who is Simba's dad?

Answer: Mufasa.

Trivia Question: Do elephants have tails?

Answer: Yes.

Trivia Question: What is the largest bird?

Answer: Ostrich.

Trivia Question: What are the three main primary colors?

Answer: Red, blue and yellow.

Trivia Question: What ocean is between California and Hawaii?

Answer: The Pacific.

Trivia Question: Where does Winnie-the-Pooh live?

Answer: The Hundred Acre Wood forest.

Trivia Question: Which vegetable is believed to help you see better?

Answer: Carrots.

Trivia Question: Which U.S. state is the largest?

Answer: Alaska.

Trivia Question: Which U.S. state is the smallest?

Answer: Rhode Island.

Trivia Question: Which astrological sign is a lion?

Answer: Leo.

Trivia Question: What's the biggest human organ?

Answer: Skin.

Trivia Question: What is the 50th state?

Answer: Hawaii.

Trivia Question: Who is the cowboy in the movie "Toy Story"?

Answer: Woody.

Trivia Question: At what temperature Fahrenheit does water freeze?

Answer: 32 degrees.

Trivia Question: What is the tallest land animal?

Answer: Giraffe.

Trivia Question: Who is Mickey Mouse's girlfriend?

Answer: Minnie Mouse.

Trivia Question: What does a thermometer measure?

Answer: Temperature.

Trivia Question: How many planets are in our solar system?

Answer: Eight.

Trivia Question: How do raisins start?

Answer: As grapes.

Trivia Question: In what U.S. state is the Hollywood sign?

Answer: California.

Trivia Question: Where does the U.S. president live?

Answer: The White House.

Trivia Question: What type of fruit "keeps the doctor away"?

Answer: An apple a day.

Trivia Question: What do bees make?

Answer: Honey.

Trivia Question: What do you put on an envelope before mailing it?

Answer: A stamp.

Trivia Question: What is the yellow part of an egg called?

Answer: A yolk.

Trivia Question: What color is spinach?

Answer: Green.

Trivia Question: Where does Santa live?

Answer: The North Pole.

Trivia Question: What color are the spots on ladybugs?

Answer: Black.

Trivia Question: What is the base of guacamole?

Answer: Avocado.

Trivia Question: What is the largest continent?

Answer: Asia.

Trivia Question: What is the fastest land animal?

Answer: Cheetah.

More educational fun for kids!

• 85 brainteasers for kids (with answers!)
• 101 questions for kids to get to know them better
• 125 riddles for kids that will keep them busy and entertained

Trivia Question: What was the first animal to be cloned?

Answer: A sheep named Dolly.

Trivia Question: How many branches comprise the federal government of the United States?

Answer: Three — legislative, executive and judicial.

Trivia Question: Which planet in the solar system is the largest?

Answer: Jupiter.

Trivia Question: What is the Sunshine State?

Answer: Florida.

Trivia Question: What is the closest planet to the sun?

Answer: Mercury.

Trivia Question: What year did World War II start?

Answer: 1939.

Trivia Question: Who invented the telephone?

Answer: Alexander Graham Bell.

Trivia Question: Who invented the lightbulb?

Answer: Thomas Edison.

Trivia Question: What company invented the iPhone?

Answer: Apple.

Trivia Question: What sport does Serena Williams play?

Answer: Tennis.

Trivia Question: Who was the first president of the United States?

Answer: George Washington.

Trivia Question: Who painted the Mona Lisa?

Answer: Leonardo da Vinci.

Trivia Question: What year did the Titanic sink?

Answer: 1912.

Trivia Question: How many people are there in the world?

Answer: More than 8 billion.

Trivia Question: Who was the first person to visit the moon?

Answer: Neil Armstrong.

Trivia Question: What is a Honeycrisp?

Answer: A type of apple.

Trivia Question: What is a Porcini?

Answer: A type of mushroom.

Trivia Question: What is the smallest breed of dog?

Answer: Chihuahua.

Trivia Question: What body part do snakes use to smell?

Answer: With their tongue.

Trivia Question: What's the deepest known point in the ocean?

Answer: The Challenger Deep.

Trivia Question: What are the "five senses?"

Answer: Sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.

Trivia Question: Why do things fall if you drop them?

Answer: Gravity.

Trivia Question: What kind of tree has acorns?

Answer: Oak tree.

Trivia Question: What do you create if you boil water?

Answer: Steam.

Trivia Question: If you freeze water, what do you get?

Answer: Ice.

Trivia Question: Who was the 16th president of the U.S.?

Answer: Abraham Lincoln.

Trivia Question: Are tomatoes fruits or vegetables?

Answer: Fruits.

Trivia Question: Where do the Flintstones live?

Answer: Bedrock.

Trivia Question: What is the only flying mammal?

Answer: Bats.

Trivia Question: Who is considered the world's fastest man?

Answer: Usain Bolt. 

Trivia Question: How many inches are in a foot?

Answer: 12.

Trivia Question: How many feet are in a yard?

Answer: Three.

Trivia Question: How many feet are in a mile?

Answer: 5,280.

Trivia Question: How many legs does a spider have?

Trivia Question: What is the most popular lucky number?

Trivia Question: What is a century?

Answer: 100 years.

Trivia Question: A touchdown in football is how many points?

Answer: Six.

Trivia Question: What is a 90-degree angle called?

Answer: Right angle.

Trivia Question: What does Roman numeral “V” mean?

Answer: Five.

Trivia Question: What are pickles made from?

Answer: Cucumbers.

Trivia Question: Who is the main character in Disney's "Encanto?"

Answer: Mirabel.

Trivia Question: How many hours are in a day?

Answer: 24.

Trivia Question: How many minutes are in one hour?

Answer: 60.

Trivia Question: How many minutes are in a day?

Answer: 1,440.

Trivia Question: What is the "Sunflower State?"

Answer: Kansas.

Trivia Question: What is 5 x 5?

Answer: 25.

Trivia Question: If you double 100, what do you have?

Answer: 200.

Trivia Question: If there are nine pieces of candy and Amy eats three, how many are left?

Trivia Question: There are 38 pages in a book and Sam reads 14. How many pages does he have left to read?

Trivia Question: How many bones are in the human body?

Answer: 206.

Trivia Question: How many days are in a year?

Answer: 365.

Trivia Question: How many days are in a leap year?

Answer: 366.

Trivia Question: What is the "Lone Star State?"

Answer: Texas.

Trivia Question: What is the hottest place on Earth?

Answer: Death Valley, California.

Trivia Question:  What is the federal holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the United States?

Answer:  Juneteenth (June 19)

Trivia Question: What animal can learn to talk?

Answer: Parrot.

Trivia Question: What country is known for its pizza?

Trivia Question: What's the name of the Disney movie about a family in Columbia with magical powers?

Answer: “Encanto.”

Elise Solé is a writer and editor who lives in Los Angeles and covers parenting for TODAY Parents. She was previously a news editor at Yahoo and has also worked at Marie Claire and Women's Health. Her bylines have appeared in Shondaland, SheKnows, Happify and more.

Kait Hanson is a former lifestyle reporter for TODAY. A graduate of Penn State University, she began her career in collegiate sports communications.

Number Sense Worksheets – Number Activity Worksheets

Grab this set of free printable number sense worksheets and give the kids a fun way to learn numbers, number formation, counting and more!

Number Sense Worksheets

Learning numbers is very important, but it can be time consuming to find engaging resources for teaching them. These number activity worksheets are just the thing!

Students will learn number recognition, counting, number formation and build fine motor skills too!

Use them to teach numbers 0-20 in a fun way! Students will say the number name, decorate the number, trace the number, find the number and count out that many to color in a ten-frame or base-ten blocks.

With so many ways to engage with each number, these number sense worksheets are jam-packed with learning. Add them to your plans or centers in preschool or  kindergarten .

Low Prep Number Learning!

These number sense worksheets are super easy to prepare for your students! Just print and use! These fun number practice pages will be ready to use in no time.

You are going to save so much time planning lots of fun number learning for your students! Just put then in your number centers or writing centers, or send home for extra practice.

Setting Up the Number Worksheets

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Supplies Needed:

• Number Worksheets (button to access the resource at the bottom of this post)
• Markers, crayons, pencils, dot markers, etc.
• Write and wipe pockets  (optional)

Instructions:

• Print the worksheets.
• Gather all of the supplies you would like students to use on the worksheets.
• The worksheets are now ready to use!

How to Use the Number Activity Worksheets

To begin, they will say the name of the number and then decorate it. They might color the number, draw designs on it or add drawings to it. Then they will trace the number using the number formation font. Next, they will trace the number with the dashed font.

Then they will find the number and color it, circle it or dot it. Finally, they will color in the ten-frame to match the numbers 0-9 or color in the base-ten blocks to match numbers 11-20.

As you can tell, these number worksheets are jam-packed with number learning opportunities! Students will build so many important number sense skills.

Use these worksheets for:

• Morning tubs
• Math centers
• Early finishers
• Tutoring resource
• Small group activity
• At-home practice

These number worksheets are fun to use, easy to prep, and have so many educational benefits.

Don’t stress about teaching numbers to your students. Add these number worksheets to your plans to make learning numbers and a fun, hands-on experience!

Click the button below to get the Number Sense Activity Worksheets and incorporate them into your lesson plans!

Here are some more number sense math activities!

Dot the Numbers Worksheets

Numbers Four in a Row Board Games

Number Activity Strips

Number Formation Cards

Printable Number Matching Clip Cards

Dot Number Activity Mats

Number Match and Cover Mats

Roll and Dot the Numbers

List of Fun Number Sense Activities

Printable Number Sense Resources

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15 Heartwarming Mother’s Day Crafts & Activities for the Classroom

Make moms and other maternal figures feel loved this Mother’s Day! Use these fun and educational Mother’s Day crafts and activities during your classroom celebration, Mother’s Day party, or at home.

Mother’s Day Activities and Crafts for Kids

Happy almost Mother’s Day to all the fantastic moms out there! As teachers, we can guide our young learners in expressing their love and appreciation for their moms and other caregivers in the most creative and heartfelt ways.

Mother’s Day isn’t just another day on the calendar; it’s filled with emotion, love, and the perfect chance to dive into crafts and activities that leave lasting memories. We’ve assembled 15 exciting activities and crafts that kids will enjoy creating and sharing with their moms!

These activities aren’t just about creating beautiful gifts; they’re fantastic opportunities to incorporate educational elements. Work on fine motor skills, literacy, and math while having fun! So grab your scissors, paint, and glitter—it’s time to make some Mother’s Day magic that moms will treasure and kids will be proud of. Let’s create, learn, and spread a little love!

Why is Mother’s Day Important?

Mother’s Day is vital in the classroom because it allows children to express their appreciation for their mothers and maternal figures. It’s an excellent chance to celebrate moms’ nurturing and supportive role in their lives. By adding Mother’s Day crafts and activities, such as handmade gifts and special events, children learn to show gratitude and acknowledge the efforts of those who care for them.

Handmade gifts and crafts hold a special place in a mother’s heart. I have my collection of keepsakes from my children over the years, and they are special like none other. They carry a personal touch that only a child can create. These gifts represent time, thought, and love invested by the child, making them meaningful and cherished!

Mother’s Day Crafts & Activities for the Classroom

Have a mother’s day tea time or picnic.

Invite your students to host a little tea party or picnic for the moms in their lives. Send a parent invitation and set up decorations to make this a special event for everyone. Have students help set out light snacks and refreshments and present moms with their gifts during the celebration. This is a wonderful opportunity for kids to play games, share their work, and present the special gifts they have made!

Reading With Mom Bookmark & Recording Sheet

Reading together with Mom is so meaningful! Encourage students to read with their moms and keep track of the books they’ve read together. They will look forward to reading at home while creating a space for quality time. Use the bookmarks as a keepsake and memory of the time spent together reading!

Flower Craft

This flower craft makes a cute little keepsake. Decorate a colorful flower, attach a child’s face to the center, glue it to a popsicle stick or tongue depressor, and then plant it in a small pot with dirt. Mothers and mom figures will love placing these on their desks or counters to brighten the room.

Mother’s Day Cupcake Craft

Let kids decorate this adorable cupcake by writing things they love about their mom on sprinkles. It’s always so much fun to see what kids come up with. Moms usually get a good giggle from their responses and cherish these gifts.

World’s Best ____ Ribbon Award

Have students draw a picture or portrait of their mom in the center of the page. On the back, they can add details about their mom to make the award more meaningful! Mothers will be proud to display their ribbons!

Mother Day Cards

Invite kids to get creative and make a personalized Mother’s Day Card! Model a list of qualities that make a great mom, and then have students write about why their moms are amazing, or let them write a sweet note to their mom.

MOM Writing Topper

Use this MOM Writing Topper to showcase students writing about their moms. They can write down their favorite qualities, favorite things to do with their mom or best memories with their mom underneath. There’s plenty of space to write a story or just a few sentences.

Why I Love My Mom Mini Book

Every mom wants to know why their child loves them. Let each child create a mini-book to read with mom. They will detail why they love their mothers and draw pictures to match their words on the pages. Moms will love seeing all the reasons they are loved written down.

Mother’s Day Survey

This simple activity allows students to complete a survey about their parents. Kids can recall their mom’s favorite colors, age, what they like to do, and more. It’s a fun way to see what kids think they know about mom.

All About Mom Poster

Kids will write down everything they know about their mom and add a picture. Once it is complete, use it for your Mother’s Day celebration display and send it home. Mothers will proudly display it in their homes.

Games to Play With Mom

• Tic Tac Toe – Instead of Xs and Os, kids will use flowers and cards to mark their spaces in the classic game.
• Mother’s Day Charades – The cards included invite kids to act out things they might see their mom doing. Some activities include gardening, cooking, or playing a game with the family.
• Blooming Actions Card Game – This card game is a great way to start the day or transition to a new task. They also serve as great brain breaks. Each card details a simple task for kids to complete!

Mother’s Day Acrostic Poem

Using the word MOTHER, kids will write about their moms. They will think of words or sentences that remind them of mom using those six letters.

Coupon Book

This coupon book is a sweet gesture for mothers. It encourages students to help their parents around the house in a fun way. Print the booklets for kids to share with their moms and help out at home. Moms will love cashing in coupons for help around the house or some much-needed rest and relaxation!

Crystal Flower STEM

Use a simple STEM activity to create a gift for mom or complete it with mom. Before completing the science experiment, have kids make predictions. Once the activity is done, they will have learned tons and a sweet gift for mom. Add the gift with a card for a unique gift!

Mom Directed Drawing

Following these simple instructions, kids will love drawing a picture of their mom. They can decorate and add details to the drawing to match their mother.

For an even more extensive gift, try the Monthly Directed Drawing Calendar . It makes a cute gift for parents any time of year.

All the the activities above make wonderful gifts for a mom or mother figure on Mother’s Day. They will cherish them forever! Which activity or craft do you plan to have your students complete for their moms?

Mother’s Day Fun Pack

Want to use the activities above to make your Mother’s Day celebration come to life? Try the Mother’s Day Fun Pack by Proud to be Primary. It includes crafts, writing prompts, games, and more to celebrate the moms in the classroom. Use it in the spring to create gifts for Mom before the holiday arrives.

Free Mother’s Day Survey & Poster

Try the FREE parent survey and poster in your classroom! Use it to collect information about mom or as a little gift for mom to make her feel special!

Click the image below to grab a copy.

More Spring Ideas for the Classroom

celebrating mothers day classroom

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Monster Math : Kids Fun Games 9+

1st, 2nd & 3rd grade learning, makkajai edu tech private limited.

• 4.5 • 12.6K Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description.

Join Maxx, the mighty monster, and explore new worlds in a fun math adventure! Monster Math learning games help your child practice addition, subtraction, multiplication or division in a quest to save Maxx’s friend Dextra. Monster Math has specially-designed, new math games for kids to help your child be the best in their grade while having fun. Monster Math games walk through basic arithmetic for 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade math explorers. They are designed to give maximum number, multiplication tables, and basic long division practice. Unlike flash cards or other math apps, our learning games for kids are designed to test multiple skills at once and guide kids toward answers. Monster Math provides a brand new story and a new kind of adaptive gameplay to keep math practice at the right place for kids. Let your kids advance their learning through fun math games with Monster Math today! With Monster Math your child can learn: Addition & Subtraction - Addition up to 5, 10 and 20 - Subtraction up to 5, 10 and 20 - Two-digit addition without carry over - Two-digit subtraction without borrowing Multiplication & Division - Tables of 1 through 10 - Divide by numbers 1 to 10 - Multiply single-digit numbers by multiples of 10 Monster Math Features Tons of Free Educational Games for Kids - Your children can learn math in this exciting story with engaging voice-over narration - Watch them play through math learning games as Maxx in their quest to save Dextra - Kids will test their math skills in learning games to defeat enemy Troggles and Minions! Common Core Math Practice - Kids can learn simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division - Monster Math’s multiple level math app is designed to help lead struggling kids toward the right answers - Math games for 1st grade, 2nd grade and 3rd graders available in Monster Math! - Multiplayer Mode - Play kids math games with your child or have them play with others online through GameCenter! - Monster Math games ignite your child’s motivation to compete and win while learning. - Math games for kids can help them improve alongside peers and reach the top of their class Math Practice Mode - Your children can also learn math without the pressure of saving Maxx’s friends! - Practice addition, subtraction, and more through random levels of your choosing - Train specific skills in your math practice routine with skill filtering for each child In-Depth Reporting - Kids math progress is easily viewable on Monster Math - See how your child progresses through math games with a quick snapshot - Snapshots will provide a skill-by-skill analysis and let you know where they need help Monster Math concentrates on Common Core Standards: 2.OA.B.2, 3.OA.C.7, 3.NBT.A.2, 3.NBT.A.3 "It is simply one of the best maths apps we have seen." - PCAdvisor UK "This kind of programming really enlivens play, and keeps kids ready and alert." -TeachersWithApps "One of the best features of this app is the data collection." - funeducationalapps Feed your child’s imagination in this ad-free kid-friendly math adventure. Download Monster Math today for the best fun free math game available for children. Subscription info: - Monster Math can be purchased standalone, or as part of a Makkajai subscription. - Makkajai subscriptions are auto-renewable and annual. (Genius - $59.99/yr) - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase - Cancellation will not go into effect until the end of the monthly billing cycle For support, questions or comments, write to us at: [email protected] Our privacy policy can be found at: http://www.makkajai.com/privacy-policy Our terms of use can be found at: http://www.makkajai.com/terms

Version 114.2.0

Exciting Update! -Meet Logik, our cute new hero. -Introducing the all-new ADHD Mode.

Ratings and Reviews

12.6K Ratings

Fun and Great math app

We got this an year back on another account and our child still loves this app - so much so that we bought it for this new device as well! The story really is simple and it keeps him motivated to keep solving the problems. I really love that we can customise the exact problems he needs to work on in a very granular way. It also flips the question and answer format so really tests my sons mental math and challenges him to be better. There were a couple of glitches but an email to customer support and they were fixed real quick! The monsters could be a bit cuter and the story could be a little less cheesy, however it works and that’s better than most other apps I’ve tried. The other apps in the subscription - esp multifly and Math balance are also really good. There they also can solve puzzles and visually see how math works so in some ways it’s even better than this app which is mainly about practice. I wish they were all in one app though so it was easy to navigate for my son. All in all, a great package, could be even better, but better than whatever else I’ve tried. Thank you, developer, for making this app and I hope you keep making it better for my younger one too!

A fun math game with some room to grow

Finding something that keeps my kid interested in math practice has been a bit of a struggle. Tried a couple of other programs but they just couldn’t hold his attention. Monster math was a recommendation from another parent that turned out to help. The adaptability feature is nice. It keeps my son on his toes without pushing him to the brink of frustration. The app adjusts as he goes and that’s been helpful. The variety here is also a plus. Especially for days when he gets bored easily. He’s all in on the way the characters interact and it keeps him entertained. Sure some parts get a tad repetitive but it’s not enough to throw him off the math track. Progress reports are helpful for me to see how he’s doing. Seeing the improvement is great but a bit more detail in those reports wouldn’t hurt, just saying. It’s become a regular part of our routine and I’m not complaining. Cheers to finding an app that actually gets the job done without the math tears.

Don’t be Hoodwinked

I was searching out educational apps for my grandkids impending visit. Little did I know it was a paid annual subscription. That is stated NOWHERE in reading about the app and it has the ‘get’ button as if it’s free. Once it downloads it lets you know you have a 7 day trial and can cancel anytime, but when you’re ready to cancel your trial the cancellation instructions are nowhere to be found. I wrote a poor review giving the developer one star, within 24 hours I received a very kind and helpful email along with an explanation that I may actually not be subscribed at all. My 6 grandchildren were with me for the weekend and clamored to use the app the entire time. Their parents LOVED it and did subscribe. I definitely want to change my review for a company that seems to have a wonderful educational app. I apologize that they had to come up against a person like me who really only knows the basics of tablets and computers and has little patience. I am very sorry.

Developer Response ,

Thank you for the kind words, and I'm glad the confusion is resolved.

App Privacy

The developer, Makkajai Edu Tech Private Limited , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

• Contact Info
• Identifiers
• Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• Fun Math Games - Annual $59.99
• Unlock Full Version $9.99
• Monster Math - Expert Annual Subscription $59.99
• Monster Math - Genius Annual Subscription $59.99
• Genius Quarterly Subscription $29.99
• Genius 6 Month Subscription $44.99
• Developer Website
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

Family Sharing

Some in‑app purchases, including subscriptions, may be shareable with your family group when family sharing is enabled., more by this developer.

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Math Duel: 2 Player Kids Games

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