Activities for Preschoolers
Games and activities are more than just fun for a preschooler —, they also help with physical development and early learning. Find creative activities for your preschooler in areas such as arts and crafts, cooking, music and dance, and basic academic skills.
Add-On Stories
Add-On StoriesDirections This is a good game at the dinner table or in the car. One person starts a story and each person takes a turn continuing it. You may want to have each person add a sentence, or choose a "pointer" to conduct the story. The pointer decides who goes next and can stop a person at any time, even in midsentence. You may want to choose a topic or theme for your story, or leave it completely open and see what kind of nonsense results. read more
Airplane Ride Coloring Page
Use all the colors of the rainbow to help make this airplaine picture come to life! read more
Alphabet Book
Alphabet Book Materials Small notebook or loose sheets of paper Crayons or markers Old magazines Scissors Glue Photos of friends and family (optional)Directions read more
Alphabet Playdough
Alphabet Playdough Materials Playdough or modeling clayDirections Help your child form letters out of playdough or modeling clay. Then, have her close her eyes, feel a letter, and try to identify it by shape. As a tasty variation, make some Alphabet Cookies and bake your alphabet! read more
Animal Charades
Animal Charades Materials Variety of stuffed animals PillowcaseDirections Place several stuffed animals in a pillowcase. Close your eyes while your child takes one out and looks at it. Have her put it back in the case and act out the animal, while you try to guess what it is. read more
Apple Shapes
Apple ShapesMaterials Apples Knife Metal cookie cutters Directions Peel apples and cut them into thin slices. Give your child small metal cookie cutters and let him cut shapes out of the slices. read more
April and Andy the Acrobats
Children will learn about the letter A with this coloring page. read more
Backyard Picnic
Backyard PicnicMaterials Blanket Picnic food Outdoor toys Directions You don't have to trek to the park to have a picnic. Set up a picnic in your own backyard: Spread out a blanket, set up the goodies, and bring out the balls and other outdoor toys to complete the fun. In warmer weather, turn on the sprinkler or fill the kiddy pool for some water play. read more
Beach Day Coloring Page
Have some sunny outdoor fun with this beach-themed coloring page. read more
Beanbag Toss
Beanbag Toss Materials 4-by-6-inch scraps of material Needle and thread Dried beans Ziploc bagDirections The Ziploc bag protects the beans even if the bag gets wet. read more
Bedtime Coloring Page
Color in the picture to help the teddy bear go to sleep. read more
Before Preschool
There are lots of fun, educational activities for children who have a year at home before entering preschool. read more
Berry Picking
Berry PickingMaterials Sunscreen Sun hat Bag lunch Juice Books Directions Every child should pick berries at least once in her life! Kids find strawberries the easiest to pick, as they are low to the ground, easy to see, and have no thorns. read more
Best Educational Apps for Kids of All Ages
Screentime doesn't have to be devoid of any educational value. These popular, award-winning apps for kids help your toddler, preschooler, and school-age child learn about science, reading, and more in a fun, interactive environment. And don't forget to check out our top picks for free apps too! read more
Billy Goat Coloring Page
Use all the colors of the rainbow to help this little goat come to life! read more
Bubble Painting
Bubble PaintingMaterials Newspaper Liquid dishwashing detergent Shallow dish Tempera paint Straw Construction paper or other paperDirections read more
Carpet Raceway Activity
Carpet Raceway Activity Materials Books or scraps of wood Matchbox cars or other toys with wheelsDirections Make a raceway or train track on a carpet by laying down books of equal thickness side by side to make a smooth lane, or use pieces of plywood or two-by-fours. (Your raceway can be any length and can be straight or have turns.) This will transform the carpet into a smooth surface for racing toys with wheels. read more
Chase the Pepper
Chase the PepperMaterials Pie plate or small sink Pepper Bar of soap Sugar Directions Your child will love to show off this neat trick. Fill a pie plate or small sink with water. Shake pepper on the water and dip a piece of wet soap into it. The pepper will run away from the soap. Now shake some sugar into the clear area and the pepper will run back. read more
Christmas Candy Countdown
Christmas Candy CountdownMaterials 25 small candy canes, individual pieces of candy, or candy kisses (for each child) 1 bowl, candy dish, or empty coffee can (for each child)Directions read more
Christmas Dough Ornaments
Christmas Dough OrnamentsDirections Make a batch of dough ornaments. Glue magnets to the backs for Christmas refrigerator decorations, hang from your Christmas tree as ornaments, give as Christmas gifts, or use as a finishing touch on wrapped gifts. read more
Circle Dances
Circle DancesDirections Circle dances are a great way to stress body movement. Whether you dance with several children or just one, circle dances can be a lot of fun. Try old favorites like Hokey Pokey, Looby Loo, Ring around the Rosie, Mulberry Bush, Skip to My Lou, or London Bridge. For more ideas, your local library will likely have song books, cassettes, or videos by many popular children's performers. read more
Cloud Watching
Cloud WatchingDirections Climate is an important part of a region's geographic character. On a warm and lazy afternoon, lay down in the grass with your child and watch the clouds drift across the sky. Talk about how clouds are formed (water evaporates from the earth and condenses into small droplets) and what happens when clouds touch the earth (fog). Help her pick out shapes in the clouds and, afterward, have her draw what she saw. read more
Connect-the-Dots
Connect-the-DotsMaterials Paper Pen or marker CrayonDirections Draw a large dot-to-dot outline of your child's name on paper. Have her use a crayon to connect the dots to spell her name. read more
Connect-the-Dots Alphabet
Connect-the-Dots AlphabetMaterials Paper Pen or marker CrayonDirections Draw a dot-to-dot outline of a simple picture. (Try tracing some pictures from your child's coloring books.) Starting with the letter A, place each letter of the alphabet at a consecutive dot. Have your child connect the dots by identifying each letter. read more
Count the Items in Outer Space
Let's count! Count all the items in outer space, and write the numbers from 1 to 20. read more
Count the Snacks
Let's count! Count all the snacks, and write the numbers from 1 to 20. read more
Counting Assignments
Counting AssignmentsDirections Give your child household counting assignments. Have her count all the doorknobs in the house, or all the cans in the kitchen cupboard, or all the knives, forks, and spoons in the silverware drawer. You can adapt this game for outside by counting cars as you go for a walk, birds that fly by as you play on the swings, and so on. read more
Crayon Melt Prints
Crayon Melt PrintsThis activity requires the use of a food warming tray or electric griddle. Close supervision by an adult is recommended. Materials Food warming tray or electric griddle Aluminum foil Crayons Paper Oven mitts Damp cloth Directions read more
Cup of Worms
Cup of WormsTime 5 to 10 minutes Materials Clear glasses or cupsChocolate puddingCandied jelly wormsCocoa powder Directions Here is a playful party treat perfectly suited to preschool humor. Make the pudding together and spoon it into clear cups before cooling it in the refrigerator.Top it with a few candy worms and sprinkle with a little cocoa powder (dirt) on the top for a very playful snack of dirt dessert. Extensions read more
