15 Best & Fun Activities for 4 Year Olds

As a parent, you want to give your child the best start in life. That includes providing plenty of opportunities for learning and play. After all, play is a child’s work!

There are endless possibilities when it comes to activities for kindergarteners. But with so many options, it can be tough to know where to start. We bring you 15 fun activities for 4 year olds that will keep your preschoolers busy and engaged. And they’re all perfect for at-home learning!

Indoor Activities for 4 Year Olds

1. The Sleeping Song

What do you need:

• A copy of the song lyrics (optional)
• Cards with names of animals, insects, or objects

Instructions:

Songs are always some of the favorite preschool activities for 4 year olds, and the sleeping song will surely be well-received.

The lyrics of the song goes “Sleeping, sleeping, all the children are sleeping. And when they woke up, they were all ______”. Fill in the blank with any name on one of the cards.

While you are singing, children act as if they are sleeping. And when you take the name, they have to ‘wake up’ and act like it.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

This is a great way to introduce your child to the names of animals, insects, and objects. It also helps them learn how to follow instructions and understand the concept of sleep.

2. Play Tape Games

What do you need:

• A roll of low-tack Painter’s tape

Instructions:

You can get creative with painter’s tape that’s easy to rip off and easily bust the boredom of your preschoolers on a rainy or snowy day when they are cooped inside the house.

Make shapes, letters, and numbers on the floor with the tape. Make your four-year-old stand on one of them and give interesting instructions like “Hop to Number 9” or “Crawl to B”. The options are endless.

Or you can make 5-10 lines that are a foot apart and help your child practice running and jumping forward and backward. You may add twists. For example, they may swing their arms or put them behind their backs while doing the activity. You can make them hop on one leg or stretch and try to reach the next line.

Creating hopscotch with the tape is yet another variation of the tape game to keep your little ones engaged.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

You can use this activity to teach numbers, letters, shapes, and colors. And also to help them practice their gross motor skills.

Related Reading: Best Running Games For Kids – PE Running Games

3. McDonald’s Sandbox Farm

What do you need:

• A sandbox or a tub of sand
• Some toy animals to hide

Instructions:

Perfect for kids who love the Old McDonald song, this activity will keep your preschoolers entertained for hours.

First, hide the toy animals in the sand. Then, have your child find them one by one while singing the rhyme. For example, on the line “And on his farm, he had some ducks”, your child has to find the duck in the sandbox. Make the corresponding animal sounds as they uncover each animal.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

One of the best learning activities for 4 year olds to teach them about word association and develop their sense of touch, the McDonald’s Sandbox Farm is perfect for building their vocabulary as well.

Outdoor Activities for 4 Year Olds

4. Ride to the Number

What do you need:

• A ride-on toy, a balance bike, or a mini-vehicle
• A chalk

Instructions:

Write large-sized numbers or letters on the driveway, pavement, or patio. Call them out and check how quickly preschoolers zoom or pedal to them.

You can also use colored chalk to draw circles or different shapes. Ask them to stop at a certain color or shape. This math game is bound to bring squeals of laughter and joy.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

This activity helps in the development of gross motor skills, improves balance and coordination, and recognition of letters, numbers, shapes, and colors.

5. Make a Paper Plate Sea Collage

What do you need:

• Paper plates
• Blue card to make the sea background
• Green tissue paper for seaweed
• Different colored cards for fishes
• Glue
• Scissors
• Cheerios for air bubbles
• Small pebbles

Instructions:

This is a fun indoors and outdoors game for kids that promote learning, but it makes the most sense when you are on a beach or camping near a river. For the sea background, cut out big blue rectangles from the card. Help your child glue it onto the paper plate.

Now, cut fish from different colored cards and seaweed from green tissue paper. Assembling the collage is the best part. Let your child glue fish and seaweed however they want. Add some cheerios for air bubbles, small pebbles, and shells to make it look more realistic.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

Creative and imaginative, this activity helps your four-year-olds hone their observation skills. It also teaches them about marine life.

Related Reading: How to Make Gardening With Children Fun and Educational

6. Investigate Your Yard with a Magnifying Glass

What do you need:

• A magnifying glass

Instructions:

This activity is perfect for those curious kids who want to know everything about the world around them.

Give your child a magnifying glass and let them explore the yard. They will be amazed at the things they see. Point out different bugs, flowers, and leaves. Help them identify them by name. This is a great activity to do on a nature walk as well.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

This is an excellent way to develop your child’s observation skills and also teach them about nature. During the activity, you can tell your toddler about various topics, such as different types of leaves, insects, or types of rocks.

Art and craft activities for 4 year olds

7. Foam Mosaics

What do you need:

• Colorful craft foam
• Recycled cardboard
• Glue
• Scissors
• Paintbrushes

Instructions:

Foam mosaics are fun and easy to make. Start by cutting recycled cardboard into different shapes. You can use cookie cutters to make different shapes like flowers, hearts, or stars.

Now, help your child cut the craft foam into small pieces. They can be of different colors and sizes. Glue the foam pieces onto the cardboard shapes. Once the glue is dry, paint over the entire mosaic with white glue. This will give it a shiny finish.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

Teach some essential abstract art to kids and nurture their creativity and help them hone their fine motor skills.

8. Stencil Process Art

What do you need:

• A large piece of paper
• Different shaped stencils
• Scissors
• Tempera paint
• Rollers and paintbrushes

Instructions:

This is a great activity for both outdoor and indoor game for kids. Place a large piece of paper on the ground or floor. Help your child choose differently shaped stencils. You can use geometric shapes, animals, or any other shapes that you have.

Now, let them choose their favorite colors and start painting. They can use rollers or paintbrushes to execute the painting ideas. As they paint, help them move the stencil around so that they can create different patterns.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

This simple process art activity helps in the development of fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination. It also teaches your child about colors, shapes, and patterns.

9. String Art

What do you need:

• Cardboard
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Tape
• Yarn or String
• Different colored paints

Instructions:

String art is a fun way to create different patterns and shapes. It’s also a great way to teach your child about colors and shapes. To start, draw a shape on a piece of cardboard. It can be a simple shape like a heart or star.

Dip the string in the paint and move it across the shape to color it. You can use different colors to create a multicolored design. Once the paint is dry, cut out the shape and display it proudly.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

This activity helps in the development of fine motor skills, color recognition, and hand-eye coordination.

Painting Activities for 4 Year Olds

10. Shape Stamps

What do you need:

• Foam or blocks of wood to make the stamp
• Paint and brushes

Instructions:

This is a fun and easy activity that results in beautiful paintings. Start by cutting different shapes out of foam or blocks of wood. You can use simple shapes like circles, triangles, or squares. Or you can draw insects and animals like butterflies, fishes, or bees.

Now, let your child choose their favorite colors and start painting. They can use one color or mix different colors together. As they paint, help them stamp the shapes onto the paper.

They can make different patterns or pictures with stamps.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

Kids love stamping. Almost as much as they love stomping. This activity helps in the development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It also teaches your child about colors, shapes, and patterns.

11. Marble Rolling

What do you need:

• Marbles
• Paints and brushes

Instructions:

Dip the marbles in paints and roll them on paper. You can use different colors to create a multicolored design. As the marbles roll, they will leave behind a trail of paint.

Kids can roll and slide marbles on the paper to create different patterns.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

When kids roll marbles, they may have to fold paper or tip it to different sides. This strengthens their hand muscles and develops fine motor skills. And they also learn about the cause and effect of their actions. As they see the paint trail left behind by the marbles, they understand how their actions can create different results.

12. Van Gogh’s Sunflower Painting with Spices

What do you need:

• Different colored spices
• Van Gogh sunflower painting template
• Water and brushes
• Yellow cardstock
• Glue
• Scissors

Instructions:

Are you a fan of Van Gogh? The artist is known for his beautiful paintings of sunflowers. You can recreate one of his iconic paintings with your preschooler. But instead of paints, you will be using spices.

Start by mixing different spices to create different shades of yellow, brown, and orange. Help your child paint the sunflower template with these colors.

Once the painting is done, let it dry. Then, cut the painting out and glue it onto a piece of yellow cardstock. Finally, display it proudly.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

The painting not only looks nice but also smells great. This activity is great for teaching preschool kids about colors and spices, and how to mix them. It also helps in the development of fine motor skills.

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Sensory Activities for Toddlers

13. Smell Bottles

What do you need:

• Small plastic bottles
• Cotton balls
• Items for smelling, such as spices, coffee, cocoa, dried fruits, vinegar, essential oils, dishwasher, etc.

Instructions:

Create solutions for different items and dip cotton balls in them. Place them in separate bottles. Make sure to label each bottle.

Now, it’s time for a smelling game. Give your child one bottle at a time and let them guess what’s inside.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

This is a great activity for developing a child’s sense of smell. As they play the game, they will learn to identify different smells. They will also learn about the properties of each smell, such as whether it is strong or weak.

14. Draw & Guess Game

What do you need:

• Nothing!

Instructions:

Use your finger to draw a letter, number, or a basic object on the child’s back and let them guess what you drew. They can take turns to be a ‘drawer’ while you play the ‘guesser’.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

This game is a great way to teach your child to develop their sense of touch. They also learn how to communicate non-verbally and guess what others are trying to communicate.

15. Food Taste Test for Preschoolers

What do you need:

• Child-safe foods to taste, such as:
• Salty: popcorn, pretzels, chips
• Sour: lemons, oranges, grapefruits
• Sweet: candy, chocolate, cookies, marshmallows
• Bitter: coffee, tea, dark chocolate
• Hot: peppers, ginger
• Food cards or flavor cards (optional)

Instructions:

Give your child a small piece of each food item to taste. As they taste each item, ask them to describe the flavor. You can also give them food cards or flavor cards to help them identify the flavors.

As they get better at the game, you can blindfold them and see if they can identify the flavors just by taste.

Skills your preschoolers will learn through this activity:

This is a great activity to help kids develop their sense of smell and taste. They also learn to identify different flavors. And as they get better at the game, they learn to use their other senses to figure out the flavors.

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Important Skills That Your Kids Will Learn Through These Activities!

As your kids engage in these activities, they will learn a range of important skills, such as:

• how to follow instructions,
• how to solve problems,
• how to express their creativity,
• how to communicate with others, and
• how to develop their sense of smell, taste, and touch.

They learn new words and practice their numbers and alphabet. They also develop their gross and fine motor skills. You can also use alphabet game and number sense games for kids to make this activity even more fun!

Benefits of Educational Activities for 4 Year Olds

When you consciously engage your kids in activities that keep them learning and growing, you’re not only setting them up for success in school but also in life. Here are some benefits of educational activities kids engage in:

1. They develop a love for learning: When kids engage in activities that are enjoyable and stimulating, they develop a positive attitude toward learning. This love for learning will stay with them throughout their lives.
2. They learn to think outside the box: When kids are allowed to be creative and explore different concepts, they learn to think outside the box. This is a valuable skill that will help them in all areas of their lives.
3. They develop important life skills: Through educational activities, kids learn important life skills such as problem-solving, communication, and critical thinking. These are skills that they will use throughout their lives.
4. They learn to be independent: As kids engage in activities that require them to think independently, they learn to be more independent. Nurturing independence early in life will help them in all aspects of their lives.
5. They build self-confidence: When kids are successful in their educational activities, they build self-confidence. Confident toddlers grow into confident adults.
6. They develop social skills: Educational activities provide kids with the opportunity to interact with their peers that promotes social emotional learning. This is a great way for them to develop important social skills such as teamwork, communication, and cooperation.
7. They learn to be patient: Many educational activities require kids to be patient and persistent. And who knows better than a parent how even a little patience in a toddler can go a long way?
8. They develop fine motor skills: Many educational activities require kids to use their fine motor skills. This is an important skill that helps them have a better grip on the pencils and crayons, which in turn helps them write and draw better.
9. They develop gross motor skills: Many educational activities require kids to use their gross motor skills. This is an important skill that helps them run, jump, and play.
10. They learn to follow instructions: It’s not easy to get toddlers to listen to you. But if they are having fun, they are more likely to listen and follow instructions. This is an important skill for preschoolers to learn as it will help them in school and beyond.

Related Reading: Best Educational Games for Kids by Subjects & Grades

At the age of four, kids discover new things every day. They’re also growing physically, emotionally, and cognitively. It’s important to provide them with activities that will help them learn and grow.

Engaging your kids in educational activities is a great way to ensure that they are learning and developing important skills. These activities also have the added benefit of being enjoyable for both kids and parents!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can four year olds do something unsupervised?

At this age, it’s important to provide supervision for your child as they explore and play. Preschool kids are prone to accidents as they are still learning about their bodies and the world around them.

How much should I be helping my four year old with their activities?

It’s important to let your child take the lead in their activities. This is a time for them to explore and discover new things. However, you should be there to provide guidance and support when needed.

What if my four-year-old doesn’t want to do any of these activities?

It’s important to let your child choose the activities they want to do. If they’re not interested in one of the activities, that’s okay! There are plenty of other options to choose from.