When you have a little one at home, you need a range of new and exciting games to play with them to keep them interested and engaged. We have carefully selected the games below to help pre-schoolers widen their vocabulary, practice their skills and develop their interaction skills, both with other children and with adults. An added bonus is that these games also help your little one to develop their understanding of early STEM concepts in interesting and exciting ways!
1. Apple Boats
Here’s an amazing seasonal activity that you can involve your little ones in. Help them learn more about floating, sinking, and wind-propelled movement with this incredibly simple craft. Engage them in putting together these adorable apple boats before letting them race their boats to see who has the best design.
Learn More: Here Come The Girls
2. Learning Resources Buddies Pet Set
This colorful game is great for helping your preschoolers develop their understanding of math concepts! With three games to choose from, you’ll have them building their color recognition skills with puppies, learning about shapes with cats, and counting numbers with bunnies.
Learn More: Bounceback Parenting
3. Gobblet Gobblers
Your kiddos won’t even realize that they’re developing crucial skills like critical thinking and spatial awareness with this fun-filled game. It’s a bit like tic-tac-toe, but with the added twist that they can gobble up their partner’s piece!
Learn More: Happy You, Happy Family
4. Numberblocks MathLink Cubes
Provide your learners with a range of ways to work with numbers with these MathLink Cubes. Task them with linking and unlinking cubes to manipulate each block into place as you introduce them to the basics of numbers and how numbers can be made in different ways.
Learn More: Good Housekeeping
5. Ride to the Number
Challenge your children to an outdoor number challenge! Start by drawing numbers on the ground before prompting them to roll some dice. They’ll then need to add up the dots on their dice before you have them use scooters and bicycles to ride to the correct solution.
Learn More: Made For Mums
6. Play Float or Sink
Introduce your class to the basics of science with this prediction game! Simply provide them with various items and then have them give their best guesses as to what objects they think will sink and what will float. You can even introduce some points to amp up the learning fun!
Learn More: Made For Mums
7. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game
This super cute squirrel game is perfect for developing your littles’ hand-eye coordination. Task them with spinning the wheel and using their squirrel squeezer to pick up the matching acorn. It’s a great way to engage them in developing their understanding of turn-taking and color matching.
Learn More: Amazon
8. Go Fish
Invite your class to play the beloved game of Go Fish! With multiple variations to choose from, you’ll always keep them engaged in educational fun while giving them the opportunity to develop recognition of numbers, quantities, pairs, and sorting.
Learn More: Happy You, Happy Family
9. Paper Butterfly Science Kit
Although this game is for kids aged 7+, with a little supervision your preschooler will gain so much from this creative activity. In the half-science, half-art game – you’ll engage them in learning about capillary action and how water moves through different materials as they make these vibrant butterflies.
Learn More: Good Housekeeping
10. Shaving Cream Clouds
Mesmerize your young minds with this colorful project. Start by having them fill a glass with water and then allow them to add shaving cream to the water’s surface. You’ll then prompt them to drop in food coloring and observe how the color starts to seep through their shaving cream clouds.
Learn More: One Little Project
11. The Spotting Game
Here’s a customizable game that you can literally play anywhere! Start by making a list of objects that you’ll then task your kiddos with finding. Make the list as long or short as you like depending on their needs or add in a math element such as looking for numbers or colors.
Learn More: Made For Mums
12. Balloon Toss
Engage your learners in this fun-filled outdoor activity! You’ll focus on their gross motor skills as you have them throw rice-filled balloons at targets. For an added challenge, encourage them to throw their balloons at certain numbers, colors, or words.
Learn More: Made For Mums
13. Code ‘n Learn Kinderbot
Transport your kids to the future with this futuristic Kinderbot! Guide them in using simple coding skills to control the Kinderbot’s movements, or have them play with a friend to practice different interactions and turn-taking too.
Learn More: Good Housekeeping
14. Dash Coding Robot
After your little brainiacs have mastered the Kinderbot, introduce them to The Dash Coding Robot. By using it with apps, you’ll step up their coding skills by challenging them to make the robot sing, draw, and move in patterns that they’ve programmed themselves!
Learn More: Baby Savers
15. Animal Upon Animal
Your students are in for a fun time with this hands-on game. Encourage them to stack different wooden animals on top of one another to try to see how high they can build their animal towers before it comes crashing down. It’s a fantastic way to stimulate their 3D visualization and develop their strategy and prediction skills.
Learn More: Happy You, Happy Family
16. Listening Lions
Help your little ones calm down after a busy day with this relaxing game. Simply ask them to listen to the sounds around them for 30 seconds and then have them tell you all the sounds they heard after the time runs out.
Learn More: Made For Mums
17. Avoid the Crocodile
Engage your tots’ coordination skills with this thrilling game. Start by placing colorful sheets of paper around your classroom that will be stepping stones. Then, challenge them to jump to each stone without touching the floor to avoid the crocodile!
Learn More: Made For Mums
18. Pete the Cat’s Cupcake Party
Involve your whole class in this cheerful cooperative game. You’ll prompt them to spin the spinner to see which action they need to perform to collect the colorful cupcakes. They’ll practice their literacy and numeracy skills while they’re engaged in active movement in this quick and enjoyable game.
Learn More: Bounceback Parenting
19. Colorama
Treat your kids to a versatile game of Colorama! The different options allow them to develop different skills that are focused on recognizing shapes and numbers as they roll dice, match shapes, and pick out colors.
Learn More: Bounceback Parenting
20. Cardboard Tube Marble Run
Here’s an iconic craft that will entertain preschoolers and adults alike! Task your pupils with creating a marble run that takes their marble from one place to another. You’ll work on their understanding of gravity and motion as you have them set up their maze and test it out to create a smooth path for the marble.
Learn More: There’s Just One Mommy
21. Balloon Rockets
It’s a race to the finish in this captivating balloon rocket activity. Begin by marking out lines on your classroom floor before inviting your kiddos to blow up balloons of all shapes and sizes. Then, line them up and prompt them to let their balloons go to see which one travels the farthest!
Learn More: YouTube
22. Balloon Tennis
Get your tots moving with some Balloon Tennis. Challenge them to rally a balloon between them to see how many times they can pass the balloon before it drops. They’ll fine-tune their counting skills as they count each catch and you can even crank up the fun by having them predict whether the next rally will be longer or shorter.
Learn More: Made For Mums
23. GeoSmart Mars Explorer
Here’s a futuristic activity that’s perfect for your older preschoolers. Guide them in building a Mars explorer out of magnetic pieces while you spark a discussion on magnetism. Then, prompt them to carry out context-specific challenges such as “Who can move the most space rocks?”.
Learn More: Good Housekeeping
24. Straw Rockets
In this engaging activity, you’ll introduce your little learners to the science behind forces and motion. Task them with propelling a rocket craft into the air using the power of their lungs before having them measure each flight to compare how high their rockets can fly.
Learn More: Taming Little Monsters
25. Charades for Kids
Charades can be easily overlooked, but it’s a fabulous game to involve your whole class in! With versatile levels to suit your little ones’ needs, you’ll engage them in playing this dramatic game as they work on presenting their ideas in a non-verbal way.
Learn More: Bounceback Parenting
26. Sequence for Kids
Develop your pupils’ understanding of strategy and memory with Sequence! Task them with using picture cards to create sequences of four on this animal-themed grid. It’s also customizable so you’ll be able to alter the game to fit their educational needs.
Learn More: Bounceback Parenting
27. Letter Dance Party
Digital games are as good for your preschoolers as real-world games, and they have the added benefit of helping your child use technology. With Letter Dance Party, you’ll engage them in learning the alphabet in a fun and interactive way that you’ll be able to access across a variety of devices.
Learn More: Sesame Street
28. Numberblocks Make and Play
Inspire a love for numbers in your kiddos with this stunning website! CBeebies is packed full of interactive activities, captivating videos, and educational games that you can play with your preschoolers to aid them in an early understanding of numbers, number patterns, and number sequencing.
Learn More: CBeebies
29. Scavenger Hunts
Treasure hunts are amazingly versatile and are also great for encouraging your students to explore the great outdoors. Simply put together a checklist for them using pictures or descriptions of objects that they need to find. You’ll then prompt them to explore your schoolyard or classroom, ticking off each item they discover.
Learn More: Made For Mums
30. Plastic Egg Submarines
These plastic egg submarines provide a fantastic way to spark a discussion with your kids about floating and sinking. Challenge them to fill plastic eggs with different objects before inviting them to place their eggs in water and predict which eggs will sink and which eggs will float.
Learn More: There’s Just One Mommy
31. Magnet Exploration
Here’s a great sorting game for your little learners that involves magnetism! Task them with using a magnet to separate objects into groups of magnetic and non-magnetic ones. Once they’ve discovered which ones are magnetic, invite them to predict and test which other objects are magnetic too.
Learn More: Taming Little Monsters
32. Shopping List
Shopping List is a Number 1 best-selling toy for a good reason – it enables your children to develop their memory skills using the familiar scenario of shopping for food. Simply have them follow their shopping lists as they race to find each grocery item.
Learn More: Orchard Toys
33. Letter Balloon Smash
Engage your learners in this super cool outdoor activity. Start by drawing letters on your pavement and then prompt them to throw water balloons at the letters by calling out a word or letter sound, depending on each child’s needs and stage of development.
Learn More: School Time Snippets
34. Tin Can Bowling
Turn discarded tins into tools for fun with Tin Can Bowling! Start by having your tots paint tin cans with different colors. Then, set up their tin can skittles before challenging them to use a ball to knock down as many cans as possible.
Learn More: A Girl and a Glue Gun
35. Follow the Line
Grab some chunky chalk and get squiggly as you create this quirky course for your kids! Invite them to untangle the lines by walking along the intricate patterns. It’s a wonderful way to engage them in how their body moves around smaller, more complex spaces.
Learn More: Raising Dragons
36. Shadow Play
Explore the effects of sunshine and shadows in this creative outdoor activity. Simply start by creating a shadow frame using cardboard and contact paper. You’ll then task your littles with inserting drawings on the contact paper before having them catch the correct angle of sunshine to create various shadows.
Learn More: Science Sparks
37. Alphabet Soup
In this sensory-based activity, your kiddos will embark on an alphabet discovery! Set up a bin that’s filled with water and then place some colorful letters inside. Prompt your students to then scoop out the letters before placing them on an alphabet sheet.
Learn More: Busy Toddler
38. Bug Hunt Adventure
Explore the diversity in your schoolyard by sending your children on a bug hunt! Provide them with pictures or names of little insects before sending them off into nature to find each little critter.
Learn More: Messy Little Monster
39. Drum Roll, Please!
Add a pop of musicality to your tots’ day with this percussion craft! Have them pick up their paintbrushes as you invite them to adorn tins of all sizes with colorful accents. Once dried, you’ll engage them in a lesson on rhythm and beats as you allow them to use different objects to create music with their homemade drums.
Learn More: Red Ted Art
40. Picture Charades
Amp up the classroom fun with some picture charades! Instead of words, you’ll challenge your kids to pick out a random card before acting out the displayed picture and letting their classmates give their best guesses as to what object they’re trying to portray.
Learn More: Teach Beside Me
41. Roadway Spelling
Put a spin on alphabet learning with this Alphabet Road sorting game. Task your young minds with sorting letter cars into different categories such as the “uppercase road” or “lowercase road”. They’ll navigate this maze of learning while they effortlessly absorb spellings and letter sounds with ease.
Learn More: No Time For Flash Cards
42. Recycled Building Blocks
Don’t let discarded household items go to waste, turn them into tools for learning! Develop your students’ spatial awareness as you have them build towers out of various objects like egg cartons or tissue boxes. Encourage them to build their tower as high as they can or challenge them to balance intricate designs.
Learn More: Busy Toddler
43. Bean Bag Balance
Have your kiddos wobble and weave with this balancing activity. Start by placing different-sized containers in a line before them. You’ll then challenge them to balance a bean bag on their feet while moving along the line of containers and dropping a bean bag into each one.
Learn More: Pink Oatmeal
44. Puddle Jumping
Introduce your tots to numbers and letters with this active game! Place paper cutouts of puddles on your classroom floor that have been labeled with either letters or numbers. Then, get your class involved by calling out a letter or number to prompt them to jump to the correct puddle.
Learn More: YouTube
45. Digging for Treasure
In this hands-on activity, your learners will dig for buried treasure! Place small objects like rocks, sea glass, or plastic toys in sand and then allow them to dig through the sand to find the hidden items. Have them use multiple tools like shovels, brushes, and sifters to diversify their search for each hidden gem.
Learn More: Childhood 101
46. Colorful Parachute
This versatile Kids Parachute is a fantastic resource that you can use to engage your pupils in so many ways! Task them with working together to carry out various movements such as moving it up and down, side to side, or have them make waves by shaking the sheet.
Learn More: Parenting Blog
47. Animal Imitation
Turn your classroom into a safari excursion! Your class will learn about different animal behaviors as you have them mimic different movements of their favorite creatures. From wiggly worms to majestic lions, you’re sure to broaden their knowledge of animal species from around the world.
Learn More: Kids Club Child Care Centres
48. Feather Float
Gravity and aerodynamics are the theme of the day in this captivating game. Challenge your tots with blowing feathers to see who can balance these lightweight objects in the air the longest. They’ll chase them around the room as they perfect the timing of a perfect huff and puff.
Learn More: Christianity Cove
49. Time-Travel Adventure
Here’s a super cute online game that’s great for teaching your kids the basics of telling time. With four levels of difficulty to choose from, you’ll engage them in selecting analog or digital clocks before you task them with moving the clock numbers to display the correct time.
Learn More: ABCya!
50. DIY Marble Maze
Calling all your future architects and engineers! In this interactive project, you’ll engage their logic and dexterity as you invite them to craft marble mazes. Have them use straws to create an intricate maze inside a box before you prompt them to test their creations by rolling their marble from start to finish.
Learn More: Fun with Mama
51. The Smell Test
Sharpen your children’s senses as you have them explore different smells. Simply soak cotton wool in various aromas from cinnamon to vanilla before allowing them to take a whiff and figure out the smell.
Learn More: Make and Takes
52. Bubble Wrap Run
Deliver a dose of sensory fun to your little ones with Bubble Wrap Run! Begin by taping sheets of bubble wrap to your classroom floor before inviting them to run along each sheet to see who can pop the bubbles the quickest.
Learn More: Hands On As We Grow
53. Kitchen Band
Create a culinary orchestra right in your kitchen. Using objects like pots, pans, and jugs you’ll cultivate a culture of rhythm and creativity as you task your little musicians with using various kitchen utensils to create catchy beats.
Learn More: The Music Mommy
54. Cloud Watch
Stretch out under the open sky with your class as you invite them to gaze at the clouds. With each cloud that passes, you’ll ask them questions like, “What shapes or animals can you see in the clouds?” or “How many clouds can you count?” to keep them engaged in this relaxing activity.
Learn More: Toys In The Dryer
55. Pattern Play
Set the foundation for future geometry lessons with this vibrant activity. Using these colorful pattern blocks, you’ll challenge your kiddos to form patterns and sequences to provide them with an introduction to mathematical thinking.
Learn More: From ABCs to ACTs
56. Handprint Art
Here’s an artistic activity to enrich your learners’ day. Engage them in creating handprint dinosaurs by having them dip their hands in paint and then press down onto paper. Allow them to decorate their dino artwork by prompting them to give their dinosaur some personalized features.
Learn More: My Bored Toddler
57. Paper Plate Ring Toss
Test your kids’ aim with this simple craft. Simply guide them in cutting and painting paper plates before attaching to a paper towel tube. Afterward, challenge them to use their tossing skills as you have them take aim to accurately connect their paper rings with the target.
Learn More: KiwiCo
58. Story Stones
Weave together whimsical tales with these colorful story stones! Invite your kids to select a picture stone before encouraging them to come up with a short story that reflects the image displayed on their stone.
Learn More: Happy Hooligans
59. Ice Age Rescue
Dive into states of matter with this ice-cold experiment. Start by freezing toy marine animals and water beads in ice. Then, task your students with coming up with different ways that they can melt the ice to rescue the animals inside.
Learn More: Parenting Chaos
60. Mirror Me
Mirror Me is a wonderful game that’s great for teaching your class how to follow simple instructions using body movement. You’ll start by encouraging them to observe as you carry out movements using a scarf before prompting them to mimic your flow using scarves of their own.
Learn More: YouTube
61. Flashlight Tag
Treat your preschoolers to this energetic game of Flashlight Tag. In this twist to the beloved game, the person who is “it” will run around a darkened classroom trying to tag the rest of their peers with a flashlight. Once someone is tagged, they’re out for the round and it’s up to the tagger to locate the rest of the players.
Learn More: Outlighter
62. Rhyme Time
Instill a love for all things poetry in your tots with these creative games. Engage them in Rhyming Bingo where they’ll have to locate rhyming words or involve them in a picture match where they’ll form pairs of rhyming words.
Learn More: Fun-A-Day!
63. Magnetic Fishing
This interactive lesson in magnetism is guaranteed to keep your little ones entertained for hours! Challenge them to catch some fish using a rod that you’ll attach a magnet to. The aim of the game is to catch as many fish as possible by allowing them to reel in the catch of the day with their magnetic rods.
Learn More: Messy Little Monster
64. Hidden Colors
Mesmerize your class with a bit of visual magic! Start by filling a muffin tray with food coloring before covering each hole with a layer of baking soda. Afterward, encourage them to guess what color they think lies beneath before they squirt in some vinegar to reveal the fizzy hues.
Learn More: Busy Toddler
65. Sort the Laundry
Provide your students with an early lesson in responsibility with this sorting game. Simply print out these downloadable worksheets before tasking them with separating whites from darks, and colors from towels and sheets.
Learn More: Twinkl
66. Cookie Cutter Prints
Bring along your baking tools for this cheerful art lesson. Engage your kids in creating shapes from cookie cutters. They’ll create apples, hearts, little ghosts, and more as you encourage them to trace their shapes using colorful crayons.
Learn More: Days With Grey
67. Memory Tray
Here’s a mental workout that’s wrapped up in a fun-filled game! Begin by placing everyday objects onto a tray. Then, allow your tots to take a peek at the items for a few seconds before prompting them to turn around and name each object.
Learn More: Karmamatopoeia
68. Coin Sorting
Enhance your littes’ fine motor skills with a bunch of loose change! Task them with sorting through a pile of coins by grouping their cash according to different values, shapes, or colors.
Learn More: Make, Take & Teach
69. Simon Says, Draw!
Simon Says meets art class in this exciting combo! Just like the classic game, you’ll prompt your learners to carry out an action using the phrase “Simon Says…”. But in this art-themed activity, you’ll direct your little artists to draw simple shapes that’ll help them master listening and drawing skills.
Learn More: The Artful Parent
70. Cloud Dough
Your kiddos will embark on a sensory exploration with this Cloud Dough project! Assist them in mixing flour and baby oil together to conjure up this crumbly, moldable medium. Once made, encourage them to mold their dough in various ways to sculpt their fluffy masterpieces.
Learn More: Mrs. Plemons’ Kindergarten
71. Marble Painting
This action-packed painting exercise makes for a creative method of introducing your class to abstract art. Allow them to coat marbles in various colors before having them place their marbles in a tray and then roll them around to create a tapestry of colors on their canvas.
Learn More: Fun with Mama
72. Follow the Leader
Sharpen your children’s listening skills and develop their understanding of instructions in this interactive game! Have them take turns leading their friends around your classroom by prompting them to twirl and jump to mimic the leader’s motions.
Learn More: ABC’s of Movement
73. Water Transfer
Explore the properties of absorption with this hands-on outdoor activity. Engage your tots in soaking sponges in water to fill buckets and containers of various sizes. Once they’ve grasped these easy instructions, kick it up a notch by challenging them to predict how many sponges it’ll take to fill their containers.
Learn More: Live Well Play Together
74. Nature Collage
Inspire a love for Mother Nature with this collage project! Simply send your pupils outdoors to collect a bunch of natural items. Then, invite them to adorn their canvases with leaves, twigs, acorns, and more to create a nature collage.
Learn More: Inspire the Mom
75. Story Dice
Take storytelling to the next level with these story dice. Have your kiddos fill paper cubes with pictures of objects, animals, or elements before prompting them to roll their dice. Each roll will give them the inspiration they need to construct improvised stories.
Learn More: PBS Utah
76. Building Challenges
Immerse your classroom in architectural marvels with these building challenges. Inspire your little ones to create structures out of Play-Doh, straws, and more as you have them grapple with basic engineering principles.
Learn More: Little Bins for Little Hands
77. Sock Puppets
Transform your classroom into a whimsical puppet theater with this quirky craft. Invite your little performers to decorate socks with googly eyes and fuzzy features to create their charming characters. Then, prompt them to give their sock puppets unique voices and personalities as you engage their acting skills.
Learn More: Red Ted Art
78. Color Scavenger Hunt
Here’s a variation on a scavenger hunt, if you’re looking to incorporate some color into your kids’ day. Simply provide them with a paper bag that has a color grid displayed on the front. Afterward, challenge them to explore the schoolyard as you have them find natural items that match each color.
Learn More: I Heart Crafty Things
79. Musical Chairs
Around and around they go, where they’ll sit, nobody knows! With this musical chairs activity, you’ll add a harmonious element to quick decision-making while also teaching your class to act quickly as they scramble for a seat.
Learn More: The ASHA Leader
80. Magic Potions
In this fantastical activity, your little alchemist will brew magical potions. Begin by assisting them in placing dry ice chunks in glass jars. You’ll then invite them to fill their jars with different colored dish soap and water, before prompting them to sit back and watch as their jars begin to bubble over!
Learn More: Toddler Approved
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