The most important thing 3 year olds can do is to play. I am not talking about the 3 year old activities below; these are playful activities. I’m talking about play, where no adult has an agenda; if we are involved at all, we are the followers, not leaders. Just free play where they can engage in what they want, make the rules, and, more importantly, think creatively without us butting in. That said, I get it. Days are LONG, and whining kids who say they are bored or, worse, fix that boredom in totally the wrong ways are reality. So sprinkle some of these free activities for 3 year olds into your day to keep everyone happy. Oh, and yeah, of course, you could totally do these activities with older kids too! If you are looking for more structured educational activities for 3 year olds that are still easy to do at home, check out my popular book Everyday Preschool!
What activities can you do for free with 3-year-olds?
- Go for a walk.
- Play hide and seek.
- Read a book ( here are my favorites)
- Catch some bugs.
- Play dress-up with mom or dad’s clothes.
- Go on a backyard safari (instructions here).
- Grocery store alphabet hunt.
- Run through a sprinkler is great for hot days and one of the best activities for 3 year olds.
- Go on a puzzle hunt.
- Nature color hunt.
- Find out what sinks or floats!
- Nature walk ( use this free printable)
- Wash toy cars and bikes.
- Have a tea party.
- Play in the sink.
- Go on a book hunt and read them when you find them.
- Make a bubble bin and explore.
- Play at the playground; find a new one for extra unique fun!
- Make the tallest tower with Duplo or Lego.
- Make nature prints with play dough.
- Do the hokey pokey.
- Make up stories or a slide show with family photos.
- Make a blanket fort and read ( see how I’m pushing reading? Here’s why.)
- Play basketball with socks and laundry baskets.
- Play Simon Says.
- Play with stickers.
- Sing some songs ( need some to sing? Check these out.)
- Play grocery store.
- Go for a letter hunt in a book!
- Sort toys by color.
- Hide dinosaur toys in your garden and play paleontologist is one of my favorite activities for 3 year olds.
- Put on a puppet show.
- Play Vet Clinic with stuffed animals.
- Paint rocks.
- Paint with veggies they refuse to eat.
- Paint with water.
- Make an origami house.
- Practice cutting with nature.
- Have a bubble bath. This is a great time to read to kids too wiggly to stop and read at other times of the day.
- Make your own finger paint.
- Play scientist and experiment with ice!
- Make some crafts with TP rolls.
Nasma Abdulkhalik says
I want to learning to how to my students active. Young children need activities hands on hands