Looking for preschool activities? Take this opportunity to boost cognitive, emotional, and motor skills while creating a safe and healthy environment for development and learning.
The preschool period is a stage of rapid discovery and cognitive, emotional, and social development. We know that children learn best when they are engaged in playful and fun experiences that awaken their natural curiosity and promote effective learning.
With that in mind, we have selected some activities specifically designed for children in preschool, aiming to provide an engaging and inspiring educational environment for them.
All of these activities have been thoughtfully created to support the holistic development of children in this crucial stage and are part of the Kinedu app‘s activity catalog.
In the app, you will find over 1,800 activities created by experts for each stage of child development. Additionally, Kinedu has an exclusive platform for educators!
5 Preschool Activities for 2-Year-Olds
1. Putting the Tail on the Chicken
This activity will strengthen children’s language comprehension for giving and following instructions.
Materials:
- Drawing of a chicken without a tail
- Drawing of a chicken tail
- Tape
Instructions:
To carry out this activity, prepare the environment by sticking the drawing of the chicken without a tail on the wall. Then, explain the rules of the game to the children, making sure that everyone understands the instructions. To begin, blindfold one child and give them the cut-out of a chicken tail with tape. Instruct the child to find the chicken figure and stick the tail in the correct place, providing verbal guidance. Encourage other students to participate by giving their own instructions, ensuring that everyone has a chance to actively engage.
During the activity, stimulate the use of different words, promoting the enrichment of students’ vocabulary. The aim of this game is to strengthen language comprehension and expression skills, encouraging students to give and follow instructions during the game.
2. Traffic Lights
This activity will reinforce safety rules with a fun activity.
Materials:
- One green paper circle
- One red paper circle
- One yellow paper circle
Instructions:
Explain to the students the importance of traffic lights on the streets to ensure safety. Show them the three paper circles, explaining that each color has a meaning. Green means “go,” yellow means “slow down,” and red means “stop completely.” Explain that this is a way to regulate traffic, establish simple rules, and help drivers maintain a safe speed.
Access more preschool activities on the exclusive Kinedu platform for educators!
Now, explain that you will play “traffic lights”. Hold up the circles and demonstrate to the students what they should do for each color: when you hold up the green circle, they should run; when you hold up the yellow circle, they should slow down; and when you hold up the red circle, they should stop completely.
Throughout the activity, it’s important to pay attention to the students, encouraging them to follow the rules and providing a safe environment. At the end, you can discuss the importance of traffic lights and how they help maintain safety on the roads.
3. Body Race!
This activity will stimulate your students’ running abilities while reviewing the names of different body parts.
Materials:
- Printed or drawn images of body parts (such as head, arms, and legs)
- Tape
- A spacious area for students to move freely
Instructions:
Find a suitable space in the classroom or outdoors where your students can run. Prepare the images of body parts by drawing or printing them on colorful cardstock or paper. Place the images on the walls or floor, spreading them out throughout the space.
Explain to the students that they will run from one image to another, pointing or saying the name of the body part represented in each image. Encourage them to practice this activity, exploring different body parts.
You can conduct this activity indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather conditions and available space. Be sure to supervise the students during the game and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate.
This activity will not only stimulate the children’s running abilities but also promote learning about their own bodies and naming different body parts.
4. Magic Drawings! II
This activity will strengthen fine motor skills and stimulate the creativity of your students.
Materials:
- White sheets of paper
- White crayons or white wax candle
- Washable paint
- Paintbrushes
- Containers with water for cleaning the brushes
- Towels or cloths for drying the brushes
Instructions:
Distribute a blank sheet of paper to each student and explain that they will create a special drawing using the white crayon or white wax candle. Instruct them to freely draw on the paper, covering the entire surface.
Next, prepare the washable paint in containers. Ask the students to take a paintbrush and dip it into the paint. Explain that they should paint over the paper, completely covering the drawing made with the white crayon. Encourage them to make vertical brush strokes while painting, observe their reactions, and assist them if needed.
As the paint dries, the hidden image from the white crayon drawing will be revealed. Encourage the children to observe and comment on what they see in the image.
After the activity, let the sheets dry completely. You can display the students’ artwork in the classroom or have a discussion where each student shares their discovery.
5. And Then, What Happened? II
This activity will stimulate children’s ability to talk about everyday events from an emotional perspective.
Materials:
- Blank sheets of paper
- Colored pencils or crayons
- Guiding questions (optional)
Instructions:
Give a blank sheet of paper to each student. Explain to the students that they will draw a story with at least two scenes involving themselves and a friend. Instruct them to draw the scenes of the story in order, starting with the first and moving on to the second scene.
Once they have finished their drawings, help them label the order of the events by writing “1” and “2” on the corresponding drawings. Now, ask the students to tell the story using the drawings as support. Encourage them to talk about the people involved, actions, places, colors, and other elements present in the drawings.
Use guiding questions to encourage conversation, such as: “How were you feeling during this part of the story?”, “What is your friend’s name?”, “What happened next?”. Help the students include words about feelings and relationships in their storytelling, encouraging them to express emotions and describe the characters and events in detail.
As the students tell their stories, listen attentively and provide support and encouragement. At the end of the activity, praise the students for their effort and creativity.
5 Preschool Activities for 3-Year-Olds
1. Cube Games! III
This activity will stimulate cognitive and spatial abilities by introducing new concepts.
Materials:
- LEGO blocks (6 for each child)
- Space for children to move freely
Instructions:
Begin the activity by asking each child to take 6 LEGO blocks. Have them identify the different colors of the LEGO blocks. Encourage them to mention the colors out loud.
Demonstrate how to build a cube using the 6 LEGO blocks. Show each step slowly and explain the relationship between the pieces. Now, allow the children to try building a cube on their own. Encourage them to experiment and explore different ways to fit the pieces together.
Ask them to lift the cube over their heads and then place it on the table. Demonstrate how to do this and encourage them to imitate the movement. Then say, “Let’s take our cube and put it under us!” Show them how to place the cube between their legs, emphasizing the concept of “under.” Check if the students understand these concepts so far. If necessary, review the instructions and movements with them.
Restart the activity, and this time, allow them to follow the instructions without your demonstration. Ask them to stand on one foot while holding the cube and instruct them to try jumping forward. Teach them to jump with both feet at the same time and reinforce the importance of balance during the jump.
Now, ask them to exchange the cube with the person next to them. Encourage them to make the exchange and identify the colors of the cubes during the process. After that, choose only one of the cubes and ask the children to form a line. Instruct them to pass the cube to the friend behind them, over their heads, emphasizing the concept of “over.” Observe if the students can understand the concept and assist those who have difficulties.
Encourage the active participation of all students, and remember to adapt the activity and instructions according to the students’ level of comprehension and abilities. Make necessary interventions to ensure engagement from everyone and create a fun learning environment.
2. Run and Sit I
This activity will stimulate the children’s awareness, attention, and cognitive flexibility.
Materials:
- Books (one for each child)
- Music
- Chairs (enough for the number of players)
- Spacious area for the children to move freely
How to play:
Give each student a book. Explain that they will use these books during the activity.
Start the activity by asking the students to try balancing the book on their heads. Demonstrate how to do it and encourage them to practice several times until they feel comfortable.
Arrange the chairs in the middle of the room, placing a book on each chair. Make sure there are enough chairs for all the players. Ask the students to position themselves in different corners of the room.
Explain that they will walk around the room when the music starts playing. Start the music and encourage the students to walk around the room, staying aware of their surroundings.
Pause the music at random moments and instruct the students to run to a chair and balance the book on their heads. Explain that the goal is to balance the book on their heads as quickly as possible. Announce that the first student to successfully balance the book will be the winner of the challenge.
Celebrate the winner and encourage the other students to continue practicing and having fun. Reinforce the idea that it may be challenging to balance the book at first, but the important thing is to keep practicing and enjoying the activity.
In this activity, the children will practice their concentration and balance, which require focus and awareness of their surroundings. These skills will promote their cognitive flexibility.
3. Yoga Tree Pose! II
This activity will stimulate the children’s awareness, attention, and cognitive flexibility.
Materials:
- Spacious area for the children to move freely
How to play:
Ask the students to take off their shoes and explain that they will practice the Tree Pose. Show them how to shift their body weight and slowly lift one foot to rest above the ankle, forming a “four” shape with their legs. Instruct them to stretch their arms out for balance. Practice several times, making adjustments and corrections if needed.
Explain that they will play a game. Choose one student to stand to the side with their eyes closed. The other students will stand behind them. Instruct the person with closed eyes to count slowly to five, saying “one tree, two trees, three trees, four trees, five trees!” The other students should do the Tree Pose during this time. If anyone is not in the Tree Pose, they will be the next one to count.
Continue the game, allowing different students to take turns being the one to count while the others do the Tree Pose.
This activity develops focus, body awareness, balance, and mindfulness in children. These skills benefit cognitive and physical flexibility.
4. Imitating an Animal III
This activity will stimulate the children’s imagination through pretend play.
Materials:
- Small sheets of paper
- Colored markers or crayons
- Printed drawings or figures of zoo animals (optional)
- Container to hold the folded papers
How to play:
Distribute the sheets of paper to the students and have them draw different animals. Help them if needed or provide printed figures of zoo animals. Once the drawings are complete, have the students fold their papers and place them all in a container.
Randomly distribute the folded papers so that each child receives a different animal than the one they drew. Each student will then imitate the animal they received, taking turns one by one. Encourage imagination and storytelling, prompting them to follow a sequence.
Observe the children’s participation, encourage them, and offer praise. At the end, discuss the experiences and encourage them to share ideas and stories.
With this activity, you will be stimulating your students’ imagination and their ability to engage in pretend play.
5. Like a Crab I
Improve children’s balance with a playful activity that strengthens their hands, arms, legs, and core.
Materials:
- Open space to play
- Flag or object to mark a finish line
How to play:
Choose a suitable location for the activity, whether it’s in the classroom or an outdoor space. Explain to the students that they will be playing like crabs, sitting on the floor with their feet touching and their knees bent towards their chest.
Show the students how to assume the crab position, with their hands behind their backs and weight distributed between their hands and feet. Provide individual assistance if necessary to ensure everyone maintains the position correctly.
Once they are familiar with the crab position, explain the next step: walking like crabs. Demonstrate the crab walking motion, moving the left hand forward, followed by the right foot, and then the right hand and left foot.
Mark a finish line on the floor and encourage the students to practice crab walking towards it. You can even have a fun race among them if you’d like.
Throughout the activity, observe their progress and enjoyment. At the end of the activity, allow them to share their experiences and sensations about playing as crabs.
This activity aims to develop muscular strength, motor coordination, and the children’s enjoyment.
These activities for the preschool level are a powerful way to promote child development by combining affection and fun. So, download the Kinedu app or access our exclusive platform for educators and explore all the available activities to foster your students’ development!
