You’ve made it past the terrible twos! Now you have an energetic 3-year-old on your hands. Invoke her imagination with new, age-appropriate activities that exercise her body and her brain.
Here are 16 fun activities for 3-year-olds:
Outdoor Activities
- Pretend Paint
Children this age love to play with water! Give your child a bucket of water and a paintbrush, and ask her to “paint” the fence or the deck. The act of painting improves your little one’s gross and fine motor skills.
- Bubble Chase
Ask your child to blow bubbles for you to chase and pop. Then switch roles so that your little one can get some exercise as he runs around popping the bubbles. This activity requires your toddler to use hand-eye coordination.
- Dance Party
Turn up the tunes and dance like crazy. Dancing encourages creativity and boosts gross motor skills.
- Pool Party
Fill up a plastic pool and toss in some waterproof toys, such as plastic animals or small balls. Give your child a net and watch him hone his gross motor skills as he tries to scoop up each object.
- Play Kitchen
Save clean recyclables, such as plastic bottles, and have your child open up a pretend kitchen. She can fill the bottles with water or sand as she prepares different types of ‘food.’ Old dishes, cookie cutters and spoons will make the kitchen even more fun.
- Back in Time
Some of the best activities for 3-year-olds involve using your imagination! As you walk around your yard, pretend to be explorers trying to find a new land or scientists on the hunt for dinosaur bones.
For more outdoor activities, check out 101 Outdoor Activities and Games for Kids.
Indoor Activities
- Cutting Paths
Draw wavy lines on a piece of paper. Then, give your child a pair of toddler safety scissors and have her cut along the paths. This activity hones fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Pretend Zoo
Gather up all of your child’s stuffed animals and set up a zoo. You can work on your 3-year-old’s observation skills by asking him simple questions about each animal.
- Craft Dough
Get out the dough and let your little one squish it between his fingers. To make this activity even more fun, you can give him spoons, craft supplies or plastic animals. Your 3-year-old can use these supplies to create different shapes. You’ll be amazed at where his imagination takes him!
- Make Some Calls
Power up your smart phone or computer and call grandparents, aunts, uncles or friends! This is a fun way for you to help your tot build communication skills.
- Truck Time
Gather up some recyclables, such as toilet paper tubes, milk lids or cardboard boxes, and let your child create a pretend construction site. He’ll love using his toy truck to carry the different materials around!
- Match It Up
Print out pictures of items you have in your home, such as socks, pillows or books. Then, show your child a picture, and see if she can find the matching object in your house. This activity teaches your little one to pay attention to detail.
For more indoor activities, check out 101 Indoor Games and Activities for Kids.
On-the-Go Activities
- Hunt For…
When you’re in a new environment, ask your child to find an object that is a particular color or shape. In the process of hunting for an item that meets your specifications, your child will build up her observation skills.
- Photo Shoot
Have an impromptu photo shoot as you run errands! This will help you keep your little one interested and entertained while at the supermarket or pharmacy.
- Follow the Leader
Instruct your child to mimic your actions while you’re out and about. Hop on one foot while going down the cereal aisle at the grocery store or pretend to be dogs at the pet store. This fun activity will help your child become a better listener and learn how to follow directions.
- Dress Up and Play a Role
Inspire fantasy play by donning princess dresses or pirate patches before you leave your house. Incorporate new names and silly accents, and try to stay in character the whole time you’re out!
Sara Ipatenco is a former elementary school teacher turned stay-at-home mom and freelance writer. Ipatenco holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, both in elementary education and child development. Ipatenco has been published in “Teaching Tolerance” and “Family Fun” magazines.
