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35 Fun Activities for 3 Year Old Preschoolers

Fun pre k activities

September 27, 2022 //  by Eileen Zajac

Whether you're preparing a year or a week of activities for your 3 year old preschoolers, it can be challenging. Not only does one have to focus on the right curriculum but also on finding engaging activities for students of all levels and learning abilities.

Planning 3-4 activities lasting around 15 minutes each is the perfect way to incorporate the different education activities into the school day. A lot is happening throughout the preschool years, and being flexible should be #1 on the list! This list provides activities that can be used in a lesson plan and activities that can be used quickly during extra time or transition periods.

1. Rainy Names

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A post shared by Laura • Hey Preschool (@heypreschool)

Name learning is vital for kiddos throughout their preschool years. This simple activity is the perfect way to enhance students' name recognition, pre-writing skills, and much more! Did you know that learning and understanding names build both confidence and community in the classroom?

Learn more: Instagram

2. Baby Tubby Time

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Unlike some educational activities, working with dolls focuses on building social skills. Hands-on activities like this will help children to gain a better understanding of how to treat others. An awesome activity for sensory skills and building empathy.

Learn more: The Imagination Tree

3. Letter Fishing

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A post shared by Miss K (@misskteachesprek)

Finding engaging activities for preschool children that enhance their letter recognition can be challenging. Something like this will engage even the most difficult kiddos. Use the basket or fill a tub with water and let your little fishermen get to work.

Learn more: Instagram

4. Counting Caterpillars

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A post shared by Bhanushree (@my_mocktail_life)

Simple enough for any 3-year-old child, your students will love building their caterpillars. This activity can simply be created with a few pieces of paper and markers. Incorporating math and motor skills together is essential in the preschool classroom.

Learn more: Instagram

5. Magentiles Building Requests

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A post shared by Our Little Farmer (@our_little_farmer)

An activity for kids that fosters their motor skills and will enhance their creativity. Use Magnatiles (or blocks) and have your students copy the creations you've made or have them copy each other's creations. This is a great hands on activity for circle time or transitions.

Learn more: Instagram

6. Kids Busy Boxes

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A post shared by Our Little Farmer (@our_little_farmer)

Creating busy boxes has changed the way I run my preschool classroom. Having a quick activity for students is essential in an ever-changing classroom. These plastic bins are great, but using a shoe box or anything really will work just as well. Provide students with enough hands on activity options and watch their creativity grow.

Learn more: Instagram

7.  Mini Pies

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A post shared by @play4everyday

3-5 year olds love outdoor play! Outdoor play gives students the space to build their own observational skills. Providing them different opportunities to test their skills and learn where their place is. Having students create their own mini pies will provide a sensory activity that enhances community and creativity.

Learn more: Instagram

8. Color Sorting

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A post shared by Leigh (@tidymummaof3)

By preschool age, kids are usually pretty good at recognizing different colors. But that doesn't mean this activity for toddlers shouldn't be practiced throughout the preschool years. It's an activity for kids that supports early critical thinking and observational skills. It can be used primarily with lesson plans focused on categorization and memorization skills.

Learn more: Instagram

9. Obstacle Courses

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A post shared by Jenny (@jenny_hyejung)

There's no doubt that building students' motor skills is extremely important throughout the younger ranges. Activities for preschool children like obstacle courses will help to build so many different things: Muscle Strength, Balance, Problem Solving Abilities, Sensory Processing, Coordination skills. These are just a few of the objectives that these motor activities can foster.

Learn more: Instagram

10. Name or Letter Recognition

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A post shared by @tiny.happy.humans

This quick activity requires little prep and can be used for multiple things. Whether students are working on building names or letter recognition, some colorful stickers and letters will enhance their skills. It's the perfect exposure to letters and a great way to work with beginning sight words.

Learn more: Instagram

11. Boo Boo Counting

Screenshot 2022-09-27 171753

Boo Boo counting is a great way to enhance oral language development, math literacy and empathy. If you'd like to use this activity over and over, try using velcro stickers. It may also be beneficial to laminate or use strong cardboard for this activity for kids.

Learn more: Facebook

12. Logical Sorting

Screenshot 2022-09-27 171943

Add this to your week of activities focused on learning the relationships between objects. Educational activities like this are simple enough for any classroom but challenging enough for students. Specifically, this will help students to gain a better understanding of different patterns and their relationships.

Learn more: Facebook

13. Caterpiller --> Butterfly

Super cute hands-on learning activities that follow along with a book are great for preschoolers. They will get the early literacy skills necessary for preschool years and enhance their motor skills. With this activity, though, students will work with different arrows to create patterns from a caterpillar to a butterfly.

Learn more: Facebook

14. Elephant Ring Toss

Any animal activity is sure to spark even the most energetic students' attention. Preschool learning games like this can quickly and easily be created out of a recycled cardboard box! Students will love to help work with paint brushes to create the elephant and paint the rings!

Learn more: Facebook

15. Swing Painting

This was one of those activities that couldn't be left out of this list! It's great because swinging has the power of calming children, and so does painting. Intertwining the two of these will surely engage your students. Especially those having a tough time throughout the day.

Learn more: Facebook

16. Splitting Hairs

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Using a piece of paper, engage your students in a serious hair-splitting experience. Students will love working their scissors skills into something engaging like this. It's so cute and fun for all students.

Learn more: Facebook

17. Dot Puzzles

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A color matching activity using puzzle pieces is challenging. This can simply be made using a piece of paper but may require some teamwork to solve. Encourage students to finish it independently or with a partner. But don't discourage them from asking for help.

Learn more: Facebook

18. Bubble Wrap Popping

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Educational activities and bubble wrap?

It sounds like an extremely good time! This can be played with almost any size of bubble wrap. But it is more fun with bigger bubbles, as with most things. Hands-on learning activities like this will promote students' mathematical skills to a new level.

Learn more: Facebook

19. All About Me Process Art

@art.is.smart All About Me process art with 3 year olds! #preschoolteacher #artissmart #teachersoftiktok ♬ Colors of the Wind - Instrumental - Vesislava

Process art is an art activity that focuses on student engagement and artistic experience. This type of art focuses on the process more than on the finished product. Making it great for students to really explore and discover different techniques, materials, and tools.

Learn more: Tiktok

20. Playdough Shapes

@planningplaytime 70+ pages of Preschool Fun #preschoolmom #preschoolteachers #toddlermoms #preschoolathome #preschoolactivities #learningthroughplay #playtolearn ♬ Cute - Bensound

Everybody loves play dough, but using it for educational activities enhances its value by about 100%. There are benefits to playdough free play, but students will love creating these shapes. Simply print this engaging template on a piece of paper and watch your students get creative.

Learn more: Tiktok

21. Artsy Preschoolers

@karrrishhhma Preschool teacher thangs. 3 year olds are amazing! Artist study 👩‍🎨 #pietmondrieaanstyle #preschool #preschoolteacher #preschoolactivities #earlychildhoodeducation ♬ Kyoto Flow - Official Sound Studio

Do you have an old art history book lying around? If not, you might want to look into purchasing one. Start your student's love for art early. Art appreciation will enhance so many aspects of student imagination. Simply find an artist and have students create their form of art from their own perspective.

Learn more: Tiktok

22. Spaghetti Play

@flyingstartfun #2yearolds #3yearsolds #preschoolactivities #mumsoftiktok #letsplay #finemotoractivity #finemotorskills #toddlersoftiktok #earlyyears #childhood ♬ Send Me on My Way - Guy Meets Girl

Honestly, even as an adult, I love spaghetti play! Feeling the slimy noodles does something for the brain. Add colorful spaghetti to your activity table and watch as students use the different tools to play. This is a great way to enhance their critical thinking, motor, and especially sensory skills.

Learn more: Tiktok

23. Dancing Corn

@sandboxacademy This is the number one preschool science idea on my blog for 5 years now #stemforkids #preschoolstem #prekstem #prekactivitiesathome #toddleractivitiesathome #activitiesfortoddlers #keepingkidsbusy #scienceismagic #scienceforpreschool #fallactivitiesforkids ♬ original sound - Emily | Preschool Activities

It's never too early to start playing around with different science projects. This dancing corn experiment will be super fun for all students in your preschool classroom. Give your student an early love and interest in science with educational activities like this.

Learn more: Tiktok

24. Painting Ice

@littlebirchpreschool #ice #preschool #earlyyears #tufftray #tufftrayactivities #heatwave #playingandlearning ♬ Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice

Ice cubes, ice cubes, ice cubes. Just the word itself is inviting. Just picture them clinking around in your drink on a hot summer day. Okay, feels good, doesn't it?

Now picture hours of endless paintings that your students can create with paint brushes! This is the perfect activity for a summer day. Then watch the water change colors as the ice melts.

Learn more: Tiktok

25. Race and Paint

@daynursery Racing the cars while making marks! #makingmarks #preschoolactivities #activityideas #fyp #viral #trending #earlyyears ♬ Roary The Racing Car Main Theme (From "Roary The Racing Car") - Geek Music

Using a piece of paper, some paint, and a car, is a great way to get your students racing and creating different art pieces! Whether you have them race each other or just drive the cars all over! This activity will surely get you some cute decorations for your classroom and some smiling faces.

Learn more: Tiktok

26. Alphabet Practice

@heymissbeth #abcs #alphabetactivities #readingteacher #teachersoftiktok #teachertok #momtoks #preschoolactivities #preschoolathome #preschoollunch #preschoolmom #StJudeDadPhotos #fypシ゚viral #learningtoread #3yearoldbrain #alphabethack #letters #letterssong ♬ Face Dance - Funny Tok

Surprise alphabet letters! This activity may surprise you as your students will quickly be able to recognize the next letter in the alphabet pattern. Incorporating different alphabet activities into your classroom will help students to gain better literacy skills for later in life.

Learn more: Tiktok

27. Patterning

@play.inspire.grow Hands on patterning #earlymaths #simplemaths #preschoolmath #preschoolactivities #prek #teachermom #homeschool #earlyyearsideas #kindergarten #learningisfun #canadianmom #montessoriathome #learningthroughplay ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE - Queens Road, Fabian Graetz

Creating caterpillar patterns is always fun for students. Starting the pattern and watching as they work to:

Know and understand what comes next
Make logical connections between past pattern and the next pattern
Enhance their reasoning skills and quickly learn what makes the most sense

Learn more: Tiktok

28. Dressing Dolls

@mrs_burland Dress the dolls activity, encouraging children to strengthen their hand muscles and develop their fine motor skills. Also, encouraging independence. #earlyyearsactivities #finemotoractivity #earlyyearspractitioner #preschoolactivities #eyfsactivities #handandeyecoordination #finemotorskills ♬ Low Down - venbee & Dan Fable

Again, playing with dolls helps students understand themselves and others better. Small dolls are slightly different, considering they're much more challenging on little hands. Making it the perfect practice for their experiences.

Learn more: Tiktok

29. Listen & Do

Playing games like this daily or a few times a week will not only give students a break but also command their attention. Using cognitive skills to connect their hearing with what they should be doing will enhance their overall active listening skills.

Learn more: Youtube

30. Shake Your Sillies Out

Brain breaks are vital to preschool. Preschoolers have ALOT of emotions. They need time to get them out and take in some positivity. Shake Your Sillies Out is the perfect song to make that happen.

Learn more: Youtube

31. A Hole In the Bottom of the Sea

Teaching about the food chain?

This song is absolutely adorable, and the animation of the video will provide visual learners with a better understanding while they sing and learn! This is a great way to teach about the food chain and fosters the development of memorization skills from repetition.

Learn more: Youtube

32. Sight Word Surprise

Building exposure to letters and sight words is essential throughout the preschool years. Preschool learning games online are great because they can be used in the classroom and for distance learning.

Learn more: Youtube

33. Beginning Sounds

Oral language development starts with an understanding of different sounds. This video is a great way to initially introduce the different sounds of letters. Use magnetic letters on the whiteboard projection to help students gain a better visual of the letters being taught.

Learn more: Youtube

34. Guess the Fruit

By preschool, students probably have a pretty good understanding of the different fruits out there. Use this video to assess what students already know while also working on their communication skills. Even shy students will love to show their knowledge about the different fruits.

Learn more: Youtube

35. Where Will It Land? 

Making predictions in the early years is a great way to prepare your students for their future in STEM. STEM builds trajectory in students starting from a very early age and should definitely be incorporated into your preschool curriculum.

Learn more: Youtube

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