20 Fun Preschool Activities Using Everyday Items
Being four years old is exciting and tough, and so is raising a four-year-old (or watching over many in a classroom). Finding activities to keep them engaged, learning, and having fun can be tricky – especially on a budget. So, without adieu, here are some of our favorite activities for preschoolers!
Chalk Rubbings
Required: Chalk or crayon and paper
Send the kids out to look for different and unique designs in their surroundings with one of the best preschool activities. Have them put several small textures on a large piece of paper by placing the paper on the object and rub across it with the chalk. Here are some ideas to give them – leaves, pavement, patio brick designs, corrugated lawn furniture, wood siding, and tile flooring. Make sure they know not go off the paper, which could cause damage to the house or other valuable materials. After they are done, discuss their findings.
This is a great way to keep them entertained both at home and on a nature walk!
R. Scheel, Fun-Attic, Inc.
Cotton Ball Snowman
Required: Paper, glue, cotton balls, pencil, cups to trace, macaroni, popcorn and paint
Find different size cups or mugs for preschoolers to trace – no glass. If you don’t have different size cups to use, try small round containers, lids, or unopened cans. You’ll need three different sizes. On paper, have preschoolers trace three circles in stacking order with the biggest on the bottom. Have them fill in the circles with cotton balls and a little bit of glue. You can simplify the gluing process by squeezing glue onto a plate and giving them a cotton swab to use. Paint macaroni and popcorn different colors to use for eyes, mouth, nose, and buttons.
Fruity Cereal Necklace
Required: Fruity Cereal, string, and transparent tape
This activity is great for developing fine motor skills!
Cut one piece of string about 20- 26 inches long for each child. Put a piece of transparent tape on one end of the string. This will be helpful for those nimble little fingers in stringing the cereal on. Have the kids string the cereal into the pattern of their choice (or just full of their favorite color).
You can attach the ends with transparent tape which, if pulled, would come loose quickly. Always monitor where and how long your child wears any thing around their neck. After making the necklace, the great part is eating the cereal off the string. Not recommend for toddlers under the age of 2.
R. Scheel, Fun-Attic, Inc.
Interactive Video
This is my go-to for bored kids – they can’t get enough of this stuff! There are so many interactive videos out there where kids follow along with the prompts. Some favorites in my house are Freeze Dance, The Floor is Lava, Bear Hunt, and The Ants Go Marching – all by the kiboomers on YouTube.
Junk Mail
Required: Junk mail, old labels, pencil, shoebox and stickers for stamps
This post by ikat bag has the cutest cardboard mailbox designs!
Start saving that junk mail, including forms to fill out and envelopes. If you don’t have a play mailbox, make one. Use a shoebox and cut one end so that it opens like a real mailbox after you’ve taped the lid to the box. Write the child’s name and address down on a piece of paper. Have them practice writing their name on the unwanted junk mail forms. On blank envelopes, they can learn how to address mail. For little ones, give them old address labels to stick on. Once the older children have mastered writing and addressing envelopes, have them write to someone. In the letter, have them include a self-addressed stamped envelope with a piece of paper for the recipient to respond with.
Lacing Cards
Required: Greeting cards, hole punch, tape or glue, and yarn
Use old or unwanted greeting cards for a fun craft! Punch holes around the outer edge with a hole punch while card is closed. Take pieces of yarn and make one end useable for young fingers. You do this by either one of two methods. Place a small drop of glue on the end of the string and let dry or place a small piece of tape on the end of the string. Have the kids weave string around the outer edge over the card for decoration. They can even take glue thinned out with water and paint the front of card and add glitter.
Make a Fort
Required: Blankets, sheets, chairs and books (for weights)
For a rainy day activity, nothing beats making a fort with blankets inside the house or basement. Grab a few chairs, maybe a card table; pull out those extra blankets, a sheet or two. A new habitat for those trapped inhabitants. It used to entertain us for hours, and we always included those family pets as prisoners of our imagination at work. Make sure you crawl in also to experience the fun of being little again, nothing beats a cool parent.
R. Scheel, Fun-Attic, Inc.
Marshmallow Toothpick Tower
Kids these days have all sorts of blocks and legos, but nothing beats a good old-fashioned tower made from marshmallows and toothpicks. Plus, it can be snacked on! You can use these ingredients to make other designs as well – like animals (extra points for creativity). This post by instructables has some fun design ideas that you can use.
Package Wrap
Required: Old wrapping paper or comics, safety scissors, bows, tape, and ribbon
Find items for little ones to practice wrapping like a toy or several small boxes. Supply them with old wrapping paper or what also works great is comics from the newspaper. If they know how to use scissors, instruct them on how to figure out what size to cut the paper. If they’re not trustworthy with scissors or have not mastered cutting skills, precut paper for them. Make sure you have an abundant supply of tape because, to a preschool, there’s never enough tape on a package. Decorate the package with bows, ribbons, string, and they can even make a small card or tag.
Picture Scavenger Hunt
Required: Small bag and paper
aboutamom.com has this free printable!
A picture scavenger hunt is one of the best preschool games and is great for exploring. For those little ones that cannot read yet, make a scavenger hunt list with pictures on a sheet of paper. For those that can read, this is a fun way to practice their literacy skills. Here are ideas that you could draw for them: a feather, small stone, acorn, maple leaf, oak leaf, various leaf designs in your area, small twig or stick, dead bug (draw him with legs up) pinecone, flower (only if they can pick one), worm, pieces of grass, clover leaf and any other ideas you can come up with.
R. Scheel, Fun-Attic, Inc.
Popsicle Fan
Required: Popsicle Sticks, thin cardboard, and crayons
Make a fan using Popsicle sticks and thin cardboard backing, perhaps the cardboard that comes out of the packages of pantyhose or use a paper plate. Glue or staple the cardboard to the stick and fan away. To entertain the troops further, let them color their fans with crayons before they’re attached to the Popsicle sticks. You could add glitter, beads or holes with a hole punch. You could also string ribbon through the holes.
Submitted by D. Wilson, Baltimore MD
Popsicle Puppets
Required: Magazines or newspaper, paper, glue, scissors, and Popsicle sticks
This post from honest.com shows you how to make the cutest barnyard popsicle puppets!
Some old magazines and popsicle sticks make a recipe for fun! Have the kids go through the magazines looking for pictures they like. If the picture is really thin and has a hard time standing straight up, glue to a thicker piece of paper first. Once the glue has dried, cut out and glue the picture to the popsicle stick. Have them come up with an idea for a play or story and use their newly-made puppets.
Popcorn Tambourine
Required: Paper plates, stapler and popcorn seeds
Optional: Hole punch, ribbons, markers, yarn and bells
Place one paper plate face up on table, pour in a tablespoon of popcorn seeds and then place another paper plate upside down. Staple around the edge of the plates while together, about every ½ to 1 inch to enclose the seeds. You can use other types of throwaway plates.
To decorate your tambourine, take a hole punch and makes holes in between the staples. Cut short pieces of ribbons and tie on bells or you can weave yarn through the holes for a decorative look. Kids can also decorate them with markers or crayons.
R. Scheel, Fun-Attic, Inc.
Pretend Painting
Required: Bucket or small container, water and house paint brush
A great past time when we were little – my mom used to give us a paintbrush and can of water. We’d go out and practice our painting skills for the future. They can paint the side of the house, garage or a nearby fence. Kids love water.
R. Scheel, Fun-Attic, Inc.
Rock Paintings
Required: Washable paint, paintbrushes and lots of rocks
If you have a lot of rocks, paint rocks so that they can be on display outside. You can use one rock for a body and smaller rocks for different parts of the body to create a rock person. Get those creative juices flowing!
R. Scheel, Fun-Attic, Inc.
Sensory Bin
Fill some different-sized containers with any sensory item of choice – water, beans, salt, rice, shaving cream, sand, etc. Have a big tray, pan, or plastic wrap underneath to avoid crazy messes. Also have some empty containers and tools to allow preschoolers to pour, scoop, and dig to their heart’s content. They’ll love this activity, and you’ll love it too!
Shaving Cream Sponge
Required: Shaving cream, sponges, and food coloring
This is one of the best sensory activities out there! Spray shaving cream into several small bowls, add food coloring and mix. Use regular sized house sponges, and if the sponges are totally dry, moisten them first. Allow participants to apply colored shaving cream to the sponges as if icing a cake.
Tape Vase
Required: Plastic 20oz pop bottle, masking tape, cloth, rubber gloves, brown shoe polish
Pre-schoolers can make a vase for those wonderful wildflowers that they have collected. Take a 20 oz plastic pop bottle and tear or cut 2-4 inch pieces of masking tape. Have the preschoolers completely cover the plastic bottle with masking tape pieces. Once this is complete, put on gloves and rub small amounts of brown shoe polish (or paint) onto the taped bottle. Wait about 10 minutes, then rub the excess off with a clean cloth. Now you have a unique vase to put your wildflowers in.
R. Scheel, Fun-Attic, Inc.
Toy Wash
Required: Washable toys, water, small bucket, sponge and lots of bubbles
On a hot day you can take outside all those washable toys and have them start cleaning them. What a fun way to do chores!
R. Scheel, Fun-Attic, Inc.
Wiggle Wiggle
Required: Large dark room
Let the kids stand in a room—preferably with lots of space—–. Turn out the lights & yell, “Wiggle, Wiggle”. They move about all they want, but when you turn on the lights, yell “Freeze!”. They then have to freeze where they are & wait until the lights go out again. You can vary this game by letting them act like animals (if you’re teaching an animal theme) or cars or whatever. Amp up the excitement by having someone play a monster or dinosaur who gets them if they don’t freeze. It’s so fun & easy to do almost anywhere. This is such a simple game for Preschoolers, but they love it!
Submitted by Kim Mariano
Try It!
Whether you’re a parent, preschool teacher, daycare employee, or any other adult who manages four year-olds, you can use everyday items to create great memories and fun activities for your kids. All of them can be adapted for playtime or lesson without an extra dollar spent!
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