Play ideas for 3 year olds

17 things to do

• Living room obstacle course15 min · you need cushions, a table to crawl under, tape · Following a course in order means remembering steps as well as moving.
• Story bag10 min · you need a bag, three or four things from around the house: a spoon, a sock, a toy car, a key · Making up stories builds the language children will later meet in books.
• Hop and count6 min · nothing to get · Matching a jump to each number joins counting to something real.
• Play restaurant15 min · you need paper and crayons, plates and cups, a notepad · Playing roles means using new words and taking turns.
• Draw your family10 min · you need paper, crayons · Drawing and then talking about it links pictures to words, and seeing names written links words to print.
• Red light, green light10 min · nothing to get · Stopping and going on a word is practice in listening and self-control.
• Sort the buttons10 min · you need a jar of buttons, a muffin tin or egg carton · Sorting the same things in different ways is flexible thinking.
• Shadow puppets10 min · you need a flashlight, a blank wall · Shadows are fascinating, and turning them into characters makes a story.
• Picture-list nature hunt15 min · you need paper, a crayon · A picture list teaches your child that marks on paper can stand for things.
• Rhyme or not?5 min · nothing to get · Hearing rhymes is one of the first steps toward hearing the sounds inside words.
• Animal doctor12 min · you need stuffed animals, strips of cloth for bandages, a spoon for a thermometer · Caring for pretend patients helps children practice kindness and talk about how bodies feel.
• Pouring station10 min · you need a small pitcher or measuring cup, a few cups, a tray or towel, a little water · Pouring without spilling takes control, and it's a real skill they'll use at the table.
• Box car20 min · you need a big cardboard box, crayons or markers, paper plates · Making something to play with, then playing with it, is creativity from start to finish.
• Chalk hopscotch15 min · you need sidewalk chalk · Jumping and saying numbers in order joins counting and balance.
• Set the table5 min · you need plates, spoons and napkins · Giving one to each person is real-life counting, and it's a job that helps the family.
• Homemade memory game12 min · you need index cards or squares of paper, crayons · Remembering where a card was is a workout for memory and patience.
• Find your first letter8 min · you need paper, a marker · A child's own name is often the first word they recognize in print.