38+ Activities for 3 year olds (Printables + Reels)

As a mother, I understand the importance of activities to keep our little ones engaged and aid their overall development.

Toddlers (3-year-olds) can greatly benefit from engaging in playdough activities for preschoolers, which enhance their creativity and fine motor skills. Music and movement activities can also be wonderfully stimulating, promoting both physical coordination and emotional expression.

Furthermore, simple science activities can satisfy their growing curiosity about the world around them.

3 Year Olds Activities

Coloring Activity

“Coloring Activity,” is a wonderful opportunity for kids to express their imaginations by adding their own vibrant touch to the world!

Materials: Coloring sheets, and a set of crayons, colored pencils, or markers.

How to Do:

1. Set out the coloring sheets and coloring tools for your child.
2. Let them choose their favorite colors to fill in the outlined images.
3. Encourage them to color within the lines, but it’s okay if they go outside them too!
4. Watch our reel for better guidance.

Matching Colors Activity

“Matching Colors Activity” is a good way to improve kid’s recognition skills in a fun, hands-on manner. Where kids can mix and match colors to their heart’s content.

Materials: Colorful paper, scissors, glue, and matching colored sticks or tokens.

How to Do:

1. Cut the Strips from the colorful paper.
2. Scatter the colored papers randomly on your workspace.
3. Ask your child to match the sticks with the tokens of the same color.
4. They can stick the paper with the glue.
5. Celebrate each correct match and gently guide them if they’re unsure.
6. My kid has performed this activity, watch for better understanding.

Tracing Letters Activity

“Tracing Letters Activity” is a great way for children to become familiar with the alphabet while developing their writing skills in a fun and engaging way.

Materials: Tracing sheets with alphabet letters and a pencil or crayon.

How to Do:

1. Hand out our tracing sheets to your child, along with the pencil or crayon.
2. Show them how to trace over the dotted lines to form each letter.
3. Encourage them to say the letter out loud as they trace it.
4. Talk about the corresponding picture that begins with the letter they are tracing.

Letter Hunt Activity

Join the “Letter Hunt Activity” fun! As alphabet detectives, kids search for specific letters, circling each one they find. It’s a playful way to boost letter recognition skills while having a blast!

Materials: Letter Hunt Activity sheets, a pencil, and an eraser.

How to Do:

1. Hand your child our activity sheet and a pencil.
2. Assign them a letter to find and circle.
3. Have them search the sheet and circle all instances of that letter.
4. Once they’ve found them all, move on to the next letter on the list.
5. You can watch our reel to perform this activity better.

Play with Play Dough Activity

“Play with Play Dough Activity” is Perfect for little hands. It helps kids develop their creativity and fine motor skills as they mold and shape the dough.

Materials: Colorful play dough, various molds, and a rolling pin to flatten the dough.

How to Do:

1. Give your child a play dough to squish and knead.
2. Show them how to roll it flat with the rolling pin.
3. Help them press the cutters into the dough to make shapes.
4. Encourage them to tell a story with the shapes they create.

Easter Egg Coloring Activity

Explore the joy of coloring Easter eggs with our Easter Egg Coloring Activity! It’s a lovely way for kids to express themselves creatively while having fun with colors and designs.

Materials: Use the Easter Egg Coloring Activity sheet or simply use our printable, markers, or crayons.

How to Do:

1. Spread out the Easter egg outline and coloring materials.
2. Let your child choose their favorite colors to fill in the shapes.
3. Discuss the shapes and colors as they work, improving their recognition skills.
4. If available, use glitter or stickers to decorate the egg further.
5. Watch our reel for better guidance.

Feelings Emoji Matching Activity

Engage in our Feelings Emoji Matching Activity, a playful opportunity for children to recognize and understand emotions through fun emoji pairings. This hands-on activity is perfect for teaching children about different feelings using familiar emoji faces.

Materials: You’ll need printable emoji cards with various expressions, split in halves, safety scissors for cutting along the dotted lines, and a clear space to lay out the pieces.

How to Do:

1. Cut the emoji cards into halves along the dotted lines.
2. Shuffle the halves and spread them out on a flat surface.
3. Ask your child to match the emoji halves to form complete faces.
4. Talk about each emotion depicted by the emojis as they find matches.
5. To know better, watch our reel.

Colorful Caterpillar Activity

“Colorful Caterpillar Activity” is an enjoyable and educational experience for young children to practice color recognition and hand-eye coordination.

Materials: You’ll need a printable template of a caterpillar with circles representing each body segment..for that use our printable, colored buttons or paper cutouts to match the caterpillar segments.

How to Do:

1. Provide your child with the caterpillar template and colored buttons or cutouts.
2. Instruct them to match the colors of the buttons or cutouts with the corresponding circles on the caterpillar template.
3. As they place each color, discuss the color name and encourage them to say it aloud.
4. Once the caterpillar is complete, count the segments together and have fun by giving the caterpillar a name!
5. You can watch our reel, which my kid performed.

Vegetable Stamping Activity

Discover the wonders of nature through our Vegetable Stamping Activity! It’s a perfect blend of art, sensory play, and natural exploration for kids of all ages.

Materials: You’ll need assorted vegetables cut into different shapes (e.g., okra, potatoes, bell peppers), paint in various colors, a palette or plates for the paint, paper for stamping, and aprons or smocks to protect clothing.

How to Do:

1. Cut the vegetables into shapes that will be easy for little hands to hold and dip into paint.
2. Spread different colors of paint onto the palette.
3. Show your child how to dip the cut side of the vegetable into the paint and then firmly press it onto the paper.
4. Encourage them to experiment with different colors and vegetable shapes to make unique patterns or pictures.

Sort Objects Activity

“Sort Objects Activity” combines fun and learning by encouraging children to classify objects based on various attributes like color, size, or type. It’s a hands-on way to improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Materials: You’ll need a variety of small objects in different shapes, sizes, and colors, construction paper or mats designated for sorting categories, and labels for each category (optional).

How to Do:

1. Scatter the small objects across the play area.
2. Assign or let the child choose the sorting categories (by color, shape, type, or size).
3. Explain the categories to the child and demonstrate sorting a few objects.
4. Let the child continue sorting the objects into the correct categories on their designated papers or mats.
5. Watch our reel for better guidance.

Movement Like Animals Activity

“Movement Like Animals Activity” is a super fun game that gets kids up and moving, as they pretend to be different animals. It’s not only great for their imagination but also for their physical health!

Materials: For this activity, you’ll need colorful picture cards of animals, a spacious play area, and lots of energy! 😄

How to Do:

1. Spread out the animal picture cards in the play area.
2. Have the children pick a card and act out the movement associated with that animal. For example, if they pick the frog card, they leap like a frog!
3. Encourage the kids to make the animal sounds as they move, to make it even more fun.
4. Keep the activity flowing by switching the cards after a few minutes to let them try different animal movements.

Clean Play Toys Activity

The “Clean Play Toys Activity” is not just fun, it’s also a great way for kids to learn about keeping things tidy! This activity involves little ones in cleaning their toys, which can teach them about responsibility and hygiene in a playful way.

Materials: You’ll need a small watering can or spray bottle filled with water, a bin or container to wash in, and dirty toys that are safe to get wet.

How to Do:

1. Set the bin on a surface that can get wet, like a kitchen counter or outdoor table.
2. Place the dirty toys in the bin.
3. Show your child how to gently pour water over the toys with the watering can or spray them with the spray bottle.
4. Let them have fun while scrubbing the toys with their hands or a soft brush.
5. Once the toys are clean, dry them off with a towel or let them air dry.

Practice Prewriting Activity

The “Practice Prewriting Activity” is a playful and educational exercise to help little ones develop their writing skills. It involves drawing shapes, letters, and lines in a tray of sugar or salt, which is a sensory delight for tiny fingers!

Materials: You’ll need a shallow tray or baking sheet, sugar or salt poured into the tray, and cards with prewriting shapes or letters.

How to Do:

1. Fill the tray with a thin layer of sugar or salt.
2. Place the cards around the tray for your child to see.
3. Have your child choose a card and use their finger to draw the shape or letter in the sugar or salt.
4. Shake the tray gently to smooth out the sugar or salt and try a new letter or shape.

Stack Building Block Towers Activity

It’s time to build high and mighty with the “Stack Building Block Towers Activity”! This engaging playtime is perfect for budding architects and helps develop coordination and motor skills as kids stack blocks to create towering structures.

Materials: You’ll need colorful building blocks of different sizes and shapes, and a flat surface to build on.

How to Do:

1. Start with a firm, flat base to build your tower.
2. Pick up blocks one by one and carefully stack them on top of each other.
3. Try to balance the blocks so that your tower can grow taller without toppling over.

Play with A Sensory Bin Activity

Sensory Bin Activity is a hands-on experience designed to engage young minds as they discover textures, shapes, and objects in a captivating play environment. This hands-on activity is a lovely way for kids to explore different sensations while playing.

Materials: You’ll need a large bin or container, rice colored with food coloring (or any sensory filler like beans, pasta, etc.), and various scoops, cups, and small containers.

How to Do:

1. Fill the bin with your choice of sensory filler, like the colored rice shown here.
2. Scatter different objects or toys throughout the bin for your child to find and scoop.
3. Let your child use the scoops and cups to pour, fill, and empty rice and objects.
4. My kid has performed this activity, watch for better understanding.

Catch the Fish Activity

Spend a good time with our Catch the Fish Activity! This engaging game is designed to improve your child’s skill and patience while offering a lovely challenge.

Materials: Colorfully illustrated paper fish with paper clips attached, a magnetic fishing rod, and a ‘pond’ setup such as a blue cloth or a container.

How to Do:

1. Scatter the paper fish across the ‘pond’.
2. Show your child how to hold the fishing rod and explain how the magnet works.
3. Encourage them to carefully lower the magnet near the paper clips to catch a fish.
4. See how many fish they can catch, or have them find specific colors or patterns of fish to refine their observation skills.

Role Play Activity

“Role Play Activity” is a fabulous way for kids to explore different careers and boost their imagination. Dressing up and pretending to be someone else can be a lot of fun and helps children understand the world around them.

Materials: You’ll need a doctor’s coat or any uniform matching the role, play stethoscope and other doctor’s tools, and accessories like a headband or a name tag.

How to Do:

1. Dress up in a doctor’s coat and use the stethoscope to check the heartbeat of a stuffed animal or family member.
2. Practice using different tools, like a reflex hammer or a thermometer, on your ‘patients’.
3. Remember to ask your patient how they are feeling, just like a real doctor would!

Number Counting Activity

The “Button Counting Activity” is a fantastic educational way, contributing to educational development. It also boosts your kids’ counting skills.

Materials: Worksheet with different groups of button illustrations or simply use our printable, pencil or marker to circle the numbers.

How to Do:

1. Look at each group of button illustrations on the worksheet.
2. Count the buttons in each group carefully.
3. Circle or color the correct number that matches the count of buttons.
4. You can watch our reel to perform this activity better.

Match Sticks Shadow Matching Activity

“Match Sticks Shadow Matching Activity” is the best way for kids to hone their observation skills by pairing each matchstick with its corresponding shadow.

Materials: You’ll need a sheet with printed matchstick shadows, real matchsticks

How to Do:

1. Spread the matchsticks next to the sheet with the printed shadows.
2. Look at the shadows and try to find the matchstick that fits each shadow perfectly.
3. Place the matchsticks on top of the matching shadow prints on the sheet.
4. Complete the sheet by matching all the matchsticks with their shadows.
5. Watch our reel for better guidance.

Paper Cutting with Safety Scissors Activity

Paper Cutting with Safety Scissors Activity is a hands-on opportunity for kids to develop fine motor skills and creativity while using child-friendly scissors to create unique paper art.

Materials: You’ll need colorful paper with printed lines and patterns, a pair of child-safe scissors, and a surface to lay the paper on.

How to Do:

1. Lay the colorful paper on your work surface.
2. Hold the safety scissors properly and start cutting along the dotted lines and patterns.
3. Follow the lines carefully to cut out the shapes or patterns.
4. Continue until all the patterns have been cut out neatly.
5. To know better, watch our reel.

Painting with Forks Activity

The “Painting with Forks Activity” is not just super fun, but it’s also a clever way for kids to create textured art. It adds a fun twist to your artwork, creating beautiful patterns that make each piece unique.

Materials: You’ll need a plain sheet of paper, non-toxic paint in various colors, plastic forks, and a palette or plate for the paint.

How to Do:

1. Pour a little paint into the palette or on a plate.
2. Dip the back of a fork into the paint.
3. Press the fork onto the paper to create petal-like impressions.
4. Use a different fork for different colors or to mix colors creatively.
5. Add stems and leaves with a paintbrush or draw them with markers.

Playing with Puzzle Activity

The “Playing with Puzzle Activity” is a fantastic way to get little brains thinking! It combines shapes and colors, helping kids to improve their problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination.

Materials: A set of puzzle pieces with various shapes and colors, and a puzzle board with pegs for fitting the pieces.

How to Do:

1. Lay out the puzzle pieces in front of your child.
2. Show them how each piece matches a peg on the board by shape and color.
3. Encourage them to pick up the pieces and place them onto the matching pegs.
4. Celebrate when they complete the puzzle, and then mix up the pieces to start again.

Watering Plant Activity

“Watering Plant Activity” is a great way for kids to learn about caring for plants and the importance of water in helping things grow.

Materials: A plant, along with a watering can or spray bottle for watering.

How to Do:

1. Give your child the watering can or spray bottle.
2. Show them how to gently water at the base of the plant or mist the leaves.
3. Let them take over, ensuring they evenly distribute the water.
4. Discuss why plants need water and what happens if they get too much or too little.
5. You can watch our reel, which my kid performed.

Orange Number Matching Activity

Our Paper Orange Number Matching Activity is designed to improve number recognition skills through playful matching of oranges with corresponding numbers.

This fun-filled game introduces kids to numbers and counting in a vibrant and engaging way.

Materials: You’ll need orange cut-outs with numbers on them, orange cut-outs with a corresponding number of seeds, child-safe scissors, and a glue stick.

How to Do:

1. Cut out the orange circles with numbers and those with seed dots.
2. Spread all the cut-outs on the table with the numbers and dots facing up.
3. Match the numbered orange with the orange cut-out that has the same number of seeds.
4. Use glue to stick each pair together on a separate sheet of paper.

Play with Nature Activity

“Play with Nature Activity” is a lovely adventure for kids to connect with the environment around them. It’s a fantastic opportunity to explore, learn about the natural world, and create cherished memories.

Things needed: Open space in nature, like a garden, park, or backyard.

How to Do:

1. Find a safe and green space where you can let your child explore freely.
2. Encourage them to touch the grass, smell the flowers, or listen to the sounds of birds.
3. Collect leaves, stones, or sticks and create a natural collage or art piece.
4. Engage with the surroundings by jumping over puddles, balancing on logs, or watching insects and birds.
5. Watch our reel for better guidance.

Fun Football Activity

Score some creative goals with the “Fun Football Activity“! With this activity, kids can practice their aim and coordination with a pencil and paper turtles as the ball. It’s a fantastic way to bring the excitement of scoring goals into your home.

Materials: You’ll need a shallow cardboard box as the football pitch, a goal post made from construction paper or cardboard, paper turtles or similar small objects to act as footballs, and a pencil with an eraser to use as a kicker.

How to Do:

1. Cut a rectangular opening in one side of the cardboard box to create a goal.
2. Cover the bottom with white paper or color it to resemble a football field.
3. Cut a small piece of cardboard, draw a grid on it for the net, and attach it behind the goal opening.
4. Cut small round pieces of cardboard, cover them with paper, and draw football patterns.
5. Mark a start line and place the footballs on the field.
6. Use a straw to blow the balls towards the goal from the start line.

Making Love Tree for Mom Activity

Craft a heartfelt gift with the “Making Love Tree for Mom Activity”! This project lets kids create a personal and loving keepsake for their moms. Using their handprint as the tree, it’s a special way to say “I love you” with a touch of creativity.

Materials: You’ll need a sheet of white paper, non-toxic brown paint, red and green markers or paints, and a glue stick.

How to Do:

1. Give brown paint to your child to create the tree trunk and branches.
2. After the paint dries, take the green marker to draw leaves sprouting from the branches.
3. With the red marker, add heart-shaped fruits hanging from the leaves.
4. Optionally, glue on cut-out paper hearts or use a glitter pen for some sparkle.
5. You can watch our reel to perform this activity better.

Play with Pet Activity

“Play with Pet Activity” is perfect for teaching kids about kindness and care for animals. Whether it’s a fluffy puppy or a cuddly kitten, this heartwarming activity is sure to create bonds and smiles.

Materials: You’ll need a comfortable spot at home, your child’s favorite pet toy, and a soft blanket or mat for comfort.

How to Do:

1. Find a quiet and comfortable place where your child and pet can sit together.
2. Encourage gentle play, such as petting softly or rolling a ball for the pet to chase.
3. Teach your child how to care for the pet by brushing their fur or feeding them a treat.
4. Enjoy watching the special moments of friendship and care between your child and their pet.
5. Watch our reel for better guidance.

Brushing Teeth Activity

Make toothbrush time fun with our Brushing Teeth Activity! It’s an interactive way for kids to learn about dental hygiene and an excellent way for children to develop good brushing habits.

Materials: You’ll need a printed picture of a monkey with an open mouth showing teeth, a toothbrush (preferably a new one not for personal use), and a laminated sheet or a plastic sleeve to protect the picture.

How to Do:

1. Slide the monkey picture into a laminated sheet or plastic sleeve to keep it clean and reusable.
2. Show your child how to apply pretend toothpaste on the toothbrush.
3. Teach them to brush the monkey’s teeth, moving the toothbrush in small circles to clean each tooth.
4. Practice the correct amount of time to brush by singing a song that lasts for two minutes.
5. To know better, watch our reel.

Color Identification Activity

The “Color Identification Activity” is a vibrant and fun way for children to learn about colors. It’s a simple yet effective educational game that sharpens their ability to recognize and name different colors.

Materials: Colorful measuring spoons or cups.

How to Do:

1. Spread the colorful spoons out on the play mat or table.
2. Ask your child to pick up a spoon and name its color.
3. For a more advanced version, show them a color card or object and have them find the spoon that matches the color.
4. Continue the game by picking up spoons and naming all the colors.
5. You can watch our reel, which my kid performed.

Fruits Matching Activity

“Fruits Matching Activity” is a tasty way to teach kids about different fruits, improving their memory and recognition skills. With colorful fruit pieces and matching cards, this activity is a feast for the senses!

Materials: You’ll need fruit cards with images and names, realistic plastic fruit toys or pictures, and a table or flat surface for setup.

How to Do:

1. Spread out all the fruit cards face up on the table.
2. Place the plastic fruits or pictures next to the cards.
3. Match each fruit toy or picture with the corresponding fruit card.
4. Say the name of each fruit out loud as you make a match.
5. Watch our reel for better guidance.

Play with Paper Boat Activity

“Play with Paper Boat Activity” lets little captains create and navigate their own colorful paper fleet. It’s a great way to introduce them to basic origami and the concept of buoyancy.

Materials: You’ll need colorful sheets of paper, a basin or tray filled with water, and optionally markers to decorate the boats.

How to Do:

1. Fold the sheets of paper into boats using simple origami techniques.
2. Fill the basin with water and place it on a flat surface.
3. Gently set the paper boats on the water and watch them float.
4. Have fun racing the boats or blowing gently to make them sail across the water.
5. My kid has performed this activity, watch for better understanding.

Play with Pom Pom Shooter Activity

The Playing with Pompom Activity is a mix of color and fun! It is ideal for developing fine motor skills, color recognition, and breath control in a playful way!

Materials: Colorful pompoms, a straw for each child, and a fun target like cups or containers labeled with colors or numbers.

How to Do:

1. Spread out the pompoms on a flat surface.
2. Give your child a straw and show them how to blow through it to move a pompom.
3. Set up the targets at a short distance and ask the kids to blow pompoms into the matching containers.
4. They can race to see who can sort their pompoms first, or they can practice aiming at different distances.
5. You can watch our reel to perform this activity better.

Jar Filling Activity

“Jar Filling Activity”is a good way to kids about categorizing and matching. With various small items and corresponding jars, kids can practice identifying where each item belongs, refining their motor skills and cognitive recognition.

Materials: You’ll need cut-outs of jars with different colored lids, small items or pictures that match the jar themes, and a flat surface for the activity.

How to Do:

1. Spread out the jar cut-outs in front of the child.
2. Scatter the small items or pictures around the jars.
3. Ask the child to match each item with the correct jar, based on the color or category.
4. Place each item onto the corresponding jar cut-out.
5. Watch our reel for better guidance.

Story Book Reading Activity

“Story Books Reading Activity” helps them develop kids language skills, imagination, and a love for stories by listening to and reading aloud from storybooks.

Materials: A selection of age-appropriate storybooks, a comfortable reading space.

How to Do:

1. Choose a storybook that interests your child.
2. Sit together in a comfortable reading spot.
3. Read the story aloud, pointing to words and pictures to engage your child.
4. Encourage your child to describe the pictures or predict what will happen next.

Egg Matching Activity

“Egg Matching Activity” is designed to help kids recognize patterns and colors. They’ll have a great time matching colorful eggs with their identical halves, improving their concentration and pattern recognition skills along the way.

Materials: You’ll need egg cut-outs with various patterns and colors, matching patterned tokens or stickers, and a laminated sheet or a clear plastic folder to place the egg cut-outs.

How to Do:

1. Draw or paste different patterns of eggs on the white sheet.
2. Now, place different color stickers below the eggs.
3. Scatter the matching bottle caps near the eggs.
4. Match each bottle cap with its corresponding eggs.
5. Place the bottle cap on the matching egg to complete the pattern.

Play with Soft Toys Activity

The “Play with Soft Toys Activity” is a cuddly and creative way for kids to engage in storytelling and role-play. This activity improves their imagination and emotional development.

Materials: A variety of soft toys, such as stuffed animals and plush characters.

How to Do:

1. Set the soft toys in the play area.
2. Encourage your child to choose a toy and create a story around it.
3. Let them use the wall decorations or other backdrops to set the scene for their story.
4. Act out the stories with the soft toys, giving each one a voice and a role to play.
5. To know better, watch our reel.

ABC Pairing Activity

“ABC Pairing Activity” is a great way to help kids get familiar with letters in a fun and interactive way. By matching colorful letter cards, kids’ll build their knowledge of the ABCs, all while playing and enjoying themselves.

Materials: You’ll need a set of cards with pairs of letters from A to Z, a board or surface to arrange the cards, and colored paper to make the activity more vibrant (optional).

How to Do:

1. Lay out all the letter cards on the board or table, spaced out so each can be seen clearly.
2. Mix up the cards so that the pairs are not together.
3. Have the child find the matching letter pairs and place them together.
4. Go through the alphabet together, pronouncing each letter as its pair is found.

Colorful Turtles Activity

“Colorful Turtles Activity” is perfect for teaching kids to recognize and match colors through adorable turtle shapes. It’s a fun, engaging way to give kids a shell of a time with colors!

Materials: You’ll need a worksheet that has different shape of turtles (by legs) or draw like show in image, colored discs or tokens that match the turtle shells.

How to Do:

1. Place the worksheet or board as per your comfort.
2. Place the colored discs or tokens next to the board.
3. Put each respective colored disc on the turtles, and that shape matches the reference shape as shown in the image.
4. Attach the disc to the corresponding other turtle’s shell too.

Conclusion 

I remember when my son enjoyed these activities a few years ago as a tiny and curious three-year-old boy. I cannot wait for my daughter, who is barely two, to engage in these activities soon.

I hope you enjoyed reading the above list of activities and found a few activities to do with your 3-year-old.

Please comment below if you have anything more to add to the list or any doubts that you have, I would love to hear your feedback! 😁