educational material for 3 year olds

Preschool Worksheets PDF FREE Printable

Here is a list of free preschool worksheets pdf you can download and print from Planes & Balloons. You’ll find activities and worksheets that strengthen fine motor skills, early literacy and math skills, thinking and reasoning skills, focus and attention, and so much more.

Coloring pages

Language arts

Preschool math

Cut and paste

Same or different

free preschool worksheets age 3-4 pdf

Pre-K to Kindergarten Review

Grab this book full of engaging activities to prepare your little one for kindergarten!

Or use them in your nursery or preschool lesson plans throughout the year.

Preschool Number worksheets

You can easily turn a bunch of these worksheets into a cute preschool workbook for teaching numbers!

Tracing the numbers 1-20

Number flashcards 1-20

Halloween counting 1-20

Spring color by number

Christmas count and match

Preschool alphabet worksheets.

Check out these fun and educational alphabet activities for your preschoolers!

Spot and dot uppercase alphabet

Alphabet tracing worksheets printable

Tracing lowercase letters

Hot chocolate letter matching

Alphabet coloring book

Preschool shapes worksheets.

Free printable preschool learning materials free download pdf for your 3-4 year olds and 4-5 year old preschoolers!

Do a dot shapes worksheets

Frog shapes cut and paste

My shape book free printablE

Free Printable Shapes Worksheets

Tracing shapes worksheets

Nursery worksheets pdf.

Let your preschoolers practice visual discrimination with these fun same and different worksheets in your home or daycare!

Spring same and different

Same and different worksheets for preschool

Visual discrimination practice

Ocean same and different

CActus same and different

Preschool tracing worksheets pdf.

Tracing is a great preschool pre-writing activity , especially when you need one quickly and without much prep work. There are many tracing activities for preschoolers here, including tracing shapes, horizontal and vertical lines, and tracing pictures.

Tracing lines spring worksheets

Tracing fall pictures for preschool

Valentine’s Day number tracing

Alphabet tracing worksheets.

Transportation tracing pages

Preschool cut and paste worksheets.

Preschool cut and paste worksheets to practice scissor skills and fine motor skills.

Cut and paste Apple Worksheets

Cut and paste Easter eggs

Cut and paste For preschool

Cut and paste hearts

HALLOWEEN CUT AND PASTE

Preschool mazes printable.

These printable mazes will be a fun addition to your preschool playgroup activities.

Christmas mazes

Back to school mazes

Easter mazes

Mazes for preschoolers

Number mazes

Coloring is popular with little ones, especially if the coloring pages are in sync with their favorite topics such as bugs, cars, fall, Christmas, and more.

Preschool worksheet packet PDF

If you need a little bit of everything all in one printable, then these preschool packets pdf will help you out.

• Farm animals worksheets for preschoolers
• 4th of July worksheets for preschool
• Free printable days of the week bundle
• Halloween monster worksheets for preschoolers
• Circle time calendar template
• Berry picking learning pack
• Silly socks preschool learning pack
• Free printable Christmas worksheets for preschoolers
• Summer worksheets for pre-k and kindergarten
• Fall preschool worksheets packet
• Dental health preschool worksheets packet
• Preschool space activities learning binder
• Spring preschool worksheets printable pack
• Valentine’s Day preschool worksheets bundle
• Thanksgiving worksheets for preschoolers

Does My 3 Year Old Need Preschool?

I found preschool to be so beneficial for my daughter at this age. The socialization is one of the biggest benefits of a preschool program.

They’ll be exposed to so many new opportunities that may not be available at home like different toys and learning materials, daily structure and routines, learning to respect their teachers, various educational activities, much more.

I don’t believe that preschool at 3 years old is absolutely necessary and your child will be fine without it. However, I would enroll a 4 year old in some sort of program to get them prepared for Kindergarten.

Some schools or daycares offer full day or half day preschool and you can choose whether your child goes every day or a few times a week.

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What You Can Teach Your Three Year Old

If you’re not in the education field, you may be unsure of simple ways to teach your three year old or ways to incorporate new learning into everyday activities.

Below are a bunch of things that you can help your 3-year-old learn and understand. Practice and exposure is the best way to develop new skills with your child so try and make every opportunity a learning opportunity you can.

This list is for children in the 3 year old range up to 4. Not exclusively once they turn three.

Also, always remember that every child develops at their own pace so don’t worry too much if your child doesn’t have all of these skills yet. This isn’t a list of what they should know at this point, but rather a guide to help you understand what they are capable of learning at this age.

1. New Vocabulary

Your 3-year-old will probably be speaking in full sentences or at least long 4-5 word phrases by now. Three year olds should have at least 250-500 words in their vocabulary as well.

Although there are way too many words to give you a full list, here are some of the common words, phrases, and concepts that your three year old should be able to say and understand:

• Body parts , Animal sounds and names , Friends/Family Names (and their own first, middle, last), Vehicles , Household objects (food, utensils, furniture, clothing, etc)
• Colors and Shapes
• Direction words (below, above, next to, on top, underneath, etc.)
• Days of the week, Months of the year, Seasons, Weather (sunny, rainy, cloudy, windy, snowy, hot, cold, etc.)

If your 3-year-old isn’t talking much at this point or is not trying to speak in full sentences, mention it to your pediatrician. Here are more  tips to get your child to talk  here.

2. Conversational Speech

Your 3 year old should be able to ask and answer simple questions and tell simple stories or anecdotes. They’ll probably be asking a lot of WHY questions as they are curious to learn all about the world around them.

Be sure to answer them with the correct responses and not just ignore their requests for information. Every question is an opportunity to teach your child and you don’t want them to miss out on those experiences.

It’s also important to make corrections in their grammar. When they were 2, some of the things that they said wrong sounded pretty cute. However, now that they’re 3, you don’t want them to get into bad habits of the way they speak.

Whether they’re pronouncing a world wrong, using the wrong tense, pronoun, or grammar, the only way they will learn the right way is if you correct them. So let them know the right way to say the word or sentence and have them repeat it back to make sure that they understand.

In order to get your child to initiate conversation or answer your questions , you can:

• Ask them about their favorite characters/shows/books/toys. What easier way to get a kid to talk than to get them talking about their favorite tv show or super hero?
• Ask them about their day , ie. what did you eat for lunch? What did you play with in the bath tub?
• Ask them for their opinions
• Tell them to ask you about the above mentioned things

If they still tend to give you one-word answers, ask them more questions to get them to elaborate. The more you ask. the more responses you will get. In turn this will help them to realize that they need to add more detail in their responses.

3. Reading books

At 3, your child should understand the concept of “reading” a book. They won’t actually be reading the words , but they should know how to grab a book, hold it the right way, and flip through the page independently.

They should be able to get a good understanding about what is happening in the book by looking at the pictures . They should even recognize that there are letters and words on the page that mean something, but won’t know exactly what they say or mean.

Read to your child everyday to instill their interest in reading. When you are reading to them:

• Use your finger to follow the words on the page so they start to associate the letters with what you’re saying
• Read word-for-word what the text says on the page instead of making up words or describing what the pictures look like
• Ask them questions about what they see on the pages

Your 3 year old may even be able to answer some inferential (why) questions (although this is a tougher skill), but it can’t hurt to try and ask them some of the questions. These are questions that the book doesn’t actually give the answer to, but the child has to think about their own answer or reason. For example, Why is the girl sad in this story? Why shouldn’t the boy have crossed the street? Why did the dog jump over the bone?

Reading doesn’t have to begin and end with books; labels on cereal boxes, words on toys, printed words on street signs, text on the television, or signs at stores are some examples where you can point out words and letters.

Related Post:  The Outstanding Benefits of Reading to Babies and Toddlers

4. Promote Independence

Your three-year-old should be doing many things on their own now so be sure to give them these opportunities to learn, understand, and make mistakes (within limits, of course).

Of course they may not have perfected every skill yet, but the only way a child will learn is by doing it themselves. You can give them a hand completing the task once they’ve finished.

They should be increasing their independence in areas like:

• Dressing : choosing their own clothes, dressing for the weather (warm items or cool items), taking on/off a shirt, pants, underpants/pull-up, shoes, and socks, and learning the right way to put on items (backwards, forwards), and that shoes are on the right feet.
• Self-feeding:  using utensils without spills, choosing their own meals and snacks (check out these  veggie puffs ), opening containers, drinking from an open cup with some supervision, and why it’s important to eat healthy. I love these utensils as my 3 year old graduated from her “baby utensils” to wanting to be just like mom and dad- these look like our silverware but are a perfect size for preschoolers.
• Brushing teeth and hair:  Teach them how to brush correctly on their own (back and forth, top and bottom), putting toothpaste on (with help), and why it’s important to keep our teeth clean. My 3 year old LOVES using an electric toothbrush like this one , especially the ones with their favorite characters.
• Cleaning up:  wiping up messes, putting toys away, bringing dishes, cups, & utensils to the sink when done, throwing away their garbage, using handheld vacuum to clean, and putting away toys when completing activity
• Hygeine : Blowing their nose, washing their hands, using a washcloth to wash themselves in the tub. Make washing hands and standing at the sink much easier by using stools and sink faucet extenders .
• Transitions:  Getting in and out of the car on their own, going up and down the stairs, ending one activity and moving to the next without complaining, turning on/off lights when entering/leaving the room

Be sure to model and show your childhood to do these skills the right way so that they don’t keep practicing something the wrong way.

5. Pretend Play

Using their imagination opens up a world of fun and play for your 3 year old. This skill typically comes naturally as they copy and imitate what they see in the real world, in books, or on tv.

They will use a combination of imagination and reality to copy the things they see daily , like these:

• Cooking in a play kitchen with pots and pans
• Hosting a tea party for their dolls and stuffed animals
• Feeding, burping, and changing a baby doll with play spoons, bottles, and diapers
• Talking on the phone with a play cell phone
• Playing doctor with a doctor or nurses kit
• Going shopping with a shopping cart and fake food
• Driving a car
• Sweeping, mopping , and vacuuming the floor
• Dressing up as their favorite princess , super hero, or character

At 3 years old, your child should have moved passed scribbling and be able to make intentional marks on the paper. They should be able to draw a:

• straight line down
• straight line across
• cross ( + )
• other shapes such as a square or triangle come later, but they can still attempt these, but may need help or the angles won’t be perfect

You can also guide them into making drawings using those elements (lines and circles), for example to draw a sun, a person (stick figure), or a flower . Of course, these drawings won’t be perfect, but they’re gaining insight as to how to make their marks on the paper look like something real.

Imitation is the best way to have your child learn to draw at this age, meaning that you draw one line and have them watch and repeat the same thing . This as opposed to copying (where you just show them the picture and expect them to figure out how to draw it).

7. Coloring and Painting

At age 3, your child can start learning how to color a picture correctly. You can guide them by showing them how to:

• Stay within the lines of a shape, border, or object
• Finish coloring each section without leaving a ton of white spots
• Use correct colors for certain objects, ie. coloring a strawberry red and a horse brown, instead of just picking any color that they choose
• Use different colors for different sections of a picture, ie. Coloring a beach scene with blue for the water, yellow for the sun, green for the palm tree, etc. instead of jut coloring the whole thing one color

Be sure that they are holding their crayon with the correct grasp at all times. I highly suggest  these finger crayons  for the young ones.  They are perfect for little hands and promote a good grasp when holding the crayons.

If your child likes markers, but you don’t trust them being alone in a room with them, these Crayola Mess-Free Coloring Sheets are my absolute favorites!

The markers come out clear if they are used on any other surface besides the paper. On these special sheets, they’ll turn a color so your toddler sees the masterpiece that they are creating. They have so many characters available so I’m sure you can find a pack that your child will love.

Tracing is a great visual motor skill (hand-eye coordination). You can teach your 3 year old to trace lines and letters by:

• Having them use their finger first to trace the line on the paper
• Tracing straight lines first and then working toward shapes, zig zags, and curved lines
• Making sure that they know to stay on the line the best that they can
• Tracing letters in preparation for writing

Cutting is a skill that 3 year olds can begin practicing. They may still have a difficult time, but here are some tips to get your preschooler cutting:

• Be sure to use child safety scissors so they can’t hurt themselves.
• Teach them how to hold the scissor correctly with their thumb toward the ceiling on both the cutting hand and helper hand
• Position the paper in front of them  while they are cutting instead of holding it off to the side or way up high.
• Make sure that their  arms, shoulders, and elbows are down and relaxed  as they cut right in front of them. As they’re concentrating, children tend to hike up their elbows and cut up high.
• Once they are able to make small snips on the paper by just opening and closing the scissors, teach them how to cut on a straight line
• Use sturdier paper like construction paper to make holding and stabilizing the paper easier on them.

10. Numbers and Counting

Your 3 year old may be able to count up to 20 (with some errors at times) from memory and maybe even up to 30 with more practice. They can also work on recognizing and identifying numbers and counting objects.

You can practice counting with so many different, everyday objects :

• count each step while you’re walking up the stairs
• count the number of blueberries on their dinner plate
• count the number of toys in their toy bin

Numbers are everywhere so be sure that they are counting whenever they can.

The concept of one-to-one correspondence (one object is one number) should be emerging now. Just show them how to point to each object as they count it and correct them if they start saying 2 numbers as they count one object or skip over objects when counting.

11. Letters and Sounds for Beginning to Read

Your child may already know many of the letters of the alphabet. At this age, they should probably be able to recite the ABC’s from memory (with some errors and help as needed).

Now you can work on recognizing letters, as well as the sounds they make. To make letter learning easier, try these tips to teach your 3 year old:

• Look at both uppercase and lowercase letters when learning . The lowers case letters are the ones that they will see more often when they read or see words.
• Point out letters to them everywhere : on cereal boxes, on street signs, on banners, and on snack bags
• When talking about a letter, always tell them the sound that it makes and a word that has this letter as its starter. For example M: say M says mmm for mom. Always have them repeat you to etch it into their memory.
• Use different sensory modalities to trace, write, or copy their letters . For example, writing them in sand, placing stickers inside the written letter, tracing the letter written in puffy paint with your finger, erasing the letters from a dry erase board , matching upper and lower case letters , etc. Here are some more fun sensory activities for letter learning .
• Sing songs that help them to remember the letters
• Use puzzles with letters for letter matching

These name puzzles from Bloom Owl are a great way to get your child learning the letters of their name. They’ll love playing with the puzzle as they start to recognize the letters they see all the time.

By far my favorite resource for having your child learning letters and letter sounds is the Leap Frog shows on Netflix . They include Letter Factory, Phonics Farm, and more. If you have Netflix you can access these shows! My 20 month old was reciting all of the letter sounds because he loves this show so much!

Once your child has a good memory of most letters and their sounds, you can teach them how to put them together to form short words. At 3 years old, a child may be able to start reading 2 or 3 letter words. Teach them how to use those sounds to read short words from the -at, -et, -it families, such as mat, rat, bat, get, set, let, sit, fit, kit, etc.

Related Post: Sticker Activity for Learning Letters

12. Building

Building helps to improve your child’s hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness. They’ll be able to use their imagination and creativity to create masterpieces and then knock them all down when they’re done.

This Melissa & Doug Alphabet block set  is great to stack and Bristle Blocks are also perfect for stacking, putting together, and taking apart at this age. My 3 year old is also obsessed with Magnetic Tiles – it’s the one toy that just never gets old!

Have them use blocks to encourage imaginative play and see what they can come up with. Building blocks let them problem solve and investigate the world around them. 

13. P uzzles

Puzzles are a great activity for fine and visual motor skills (hand-eye coordination). Having to fit a piece into it’s correct spot by turning and manipulating it is great for visual-spatial awareness.

Your 3 year old should have moved past inset puzzles and can do more complicated interlocking puzzles . Start them out with small interlocking puzzles like these or these , which only have 6-9 pieces per puzzle.

14. Physical Activity, Sports, and Getting Outside

Three-year-olds are known to be pretty wild so you probably won’t need much coaxing to get them active. However, make sure they’re getting plenty of physical activity to learn new gross motor skills . These include:

• Jumping and running
• Climb up and down playground equipment or a jungle gym
• Start learning how to ride a balance bike or a bike with training wheels
• Throwing/catching/kicking a ball
• Hop or stand on one foot for a short time
• Walk backwards

The best way to get them active is to give them lots of outdoor time . Take them to playgrounds to climb on the equipment as they offer so many opportunities for enriching gross motor skills. Take them for a walk and point out all the sights you see.

Your child can also start playing cooperative sports with peers and follow directions by watching someone do a movement. Activities like gymnastics, dance, soccer, swimming lessons, and tee ball are all great organized activities to practice all of the above skills.

15. Music, Dance, and Rhythm

Children love rhythm and music so get them singing, dancing, and exploring their bodies with music. Put on music for them to dance to, sing along to their favorite songs with a microphone , or make their own music with  toy instruments like maracas, xylophone, tamborine, etc .

You can also make musical ‘instruments’ with so many household objects , like shaking pill bottles, banging wooden spoons, or filling plastic Easter eggs or water bottles with uncooked beans or rice.

Do the Hokey Pokey to get them moving and learning body parts. Imitating movements that they see you doing is a great way to develop body and spatial awareness , as well.

Singing songs and doing dances are also a great way for your preschooler to learn and memorize new words and concepts like the days of the week song, months of the year song, head shoulders knees and toes, finger family song, etc. They’ll know their days of the week s quickly if you just put a tune to it!

16. Potty Training

Around 3, many children will be fully capable of using the toilet. If you haven’t started yet, give it a try! Your child may do better than you think.

If they’re already potty trained, make sure that they are fully independent with pulling their pants and underwear up and down, wiping themselves both back and front, and washing their hands afterward.

Be sure to wait until they’re ready and don’t force it on them. Here are some great tips on potty training your child here.

17. Sense of Time

Of course your three year old will not be able to tell time, however you can still teach them a basic sense of time, including:

• Understanding morning, afternoon, and night. They should understand the concept of when they wake up it’s morning, lunch time is the afternoon, and before bedtime is night. They can also understand this better by seeing outside when it’s light or dark.
• Recognizing the numbers on a digital clock . If they can identify numbers, they should be able to see the first number and say it’s 7 o clock. With my daughter, we tell her that 7 o clock is bedtime so when she sees 7 on the digital clock, she knows it’s time to go to bed.
• Knowing when they have 1, 5, or 10 more minutes left. They still won’t have a true sense of how long these increments of time are, but you can try to make them aware that 1 minute is quick, compared to 10 minutes or 20 minutes.
• Days of the week. They may be able to get a sense of what day it is today, what it will be tomorrow, and what it was yesterday

Before they fully have a sense of time, try setting an audio or visual timer when you need to show them when time is up. For example, when you say clean up in 5 more minutes, set a timer for 5 minutes to ring when it’s time.

We love the Time to Wake clocks for my little ones. They let them know when it’s time to call for mom or get out of bed by simply turning a different color when it’s almost time to get up or when they should leave their room.

This is a great visual way for them to “see” and understand time.

Of course, safety is a crucial lesson to teach your child. This is the age where they will probably have no fear or understanding of dangerous situations. The following practices need to be taught to your 3 year old as they may not just come naturally:

• not running away in public
• not running out into a parking lot
• stranger danger
• staying close to mom or dad
• being cautious when crossing streets
• holding hands when in public or outside
• sun safety: applying sunscreen, wearing hats
• being careful of hot items: kitchen appliances, flames, etc.

Speaking of safety for your little ones, the Whystle App is a great resource for all parents to have that tracks all safety information that’s important to your family. This includes product recalls for toys, food, and more that could promote dangers into your home. Download this app free on your phone and then there’s a free trial for the subscription so you never miss an important safety warning.

19. Manners and Respect for Others

Understanding how to properly treat others is a valuable trait to instill in your child. This goes for respecting both adults and other children. It’s important to teach your children how to use polite words and actions to show manners.

At this age, they are still testing their boundaries and exploring new ways of getting what they want. Instill rules for respecting others even through times of frustration.

• Saying  excuse me  when needing someone to move or get their attention
• Patiently waiting  for a parent to finish talking to another parent before chiming in
• Saying  please and thank you  shows consideration and appreciation
• Making  eye contact  when speaking to others
• Apologizing  when you do something wrong
• Ask questions  to others about how their day is or how they are feeling
• Compliment  others on their clothes, hair, or something they did
• Share  their toys or items that belong to them
• No pushing, hitting, biting, or pulling hair to hurt others in any way

20. Staying Healthy: Good Hygiene and Eating Well

Teaching your 3 year old to practice good hygiene and healthy eating is great to start young . Build-in their hygiene routine throughout the day and they will become accustomed to this regimen. Eating healthy foods early on to set them off for a healthy diet for the rest of their life. These include:

• eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins. Avoid: processed foods, unhealthy snacks, and sweets
• washing hands after meals and potty
• brushing teeth morning and night
• bathing daily or every other day
• keeping their clothes and body clean while they eat or play
• covering their mouth when they sneeze or cough
• blowing their nose into a tissue
• wiping their own privates after going potty

Complying with:

• brushing and combing hair
• cutting fingernails and toenails
• cleaning inside ears with a  child safety q-tip

Related Post:  How to Get Your Picky Toddler to Try New Foods

21. Acting Appropriately in Public and Understanding “No”

Preschoolers are very ego-centric (only care about themselves). It’s totally normal for them to only think about how things will affect them. This almost always leads to inappropriate behaviors as they learn what behaviors get them what they want.

Don’t always give in to every cry  and teach them that sometimes they can’t get everything that they want. Don’t always give them the cookie that they’re begging for or the new toy at the store. If they must get the object that they desire, make them earn it.

Teach your 3-year-old how to act appropriately to avoid tantrums in public. Try  putting rules in place  when you are out so they know what is expected of them. Always have a way to redirect or distract them when you see a tantrum starting (using something else they are interested in). Lastly, just avoid situations that could set them off.

This is a great article about  Tips for Cry-Free Shopping with Your Toddler

22. Empathy and Compassion

From a young age, you want to fill your child with compassion and empathy for others . Teach them about emotions and to be conscious of other people’s feelings.

• If they see someone crying, ask what’s wrong.
• If they see someone alone, go over and play with them.
• If they see someone that looks different than them, treat them equally.
• If they hurt someone, apologize and make it better

It’s never too early to talk to your children about race , ethnicity, disabilities, and recognizing differences between others.

23. Structure and a Routine

Your 3 year old probably already has some routine in place throughout their day . However, you want to ensure that they are consistently doing what is asked of them so that they could even do it on their own if needed.

The more structure that your child has in their day, the more they will start to understand time and a daily schedule.

I love using a  routine or responsibility chart (like the blue/green one on the right) so my toddler can have a visual cue of everything that is expected of her. Use  one with pictures  instead of just words, ( like this Mickey Mouse chart ), so your toddler actually understands what it’s for.

Here are some examples of day-to-day routines that you can create a specific pattern for:

• Bedtime: Brush teeth, go potty, wash hands, put pajamas on, read a story, go to sleep
• Morning: Go potty, wash hands, brush teeth, get dressed, eat breakfast
• Before naptime
• Pre-dinner wind-down time
• Cleaning time
• Getting ready for school/daycare : Packing their backpack, putting their jackets and shoes on, getting themselves into the car

Related Post:  Why Your Child Needs a Daily Routine and How to Make One

24. Staying on Task

A 3 year old’s attention span is still quite short, although it should have increased a lot since toddlerhood. It’s only reasonable to ask them to focus on a task for around 6-10 minutes at this age.

However, it is important for them to be aware that once they start a task they should finish it to completion. My daughter loves to grab a puzzle and put in 3 pieces and walk away or sit down and read 2 pages and then walk away.

The goal of teaching your child to stay on task is to complete what they start.  Here are some tips:

• While playing with your child, make sure that they complete the entire activity, ie. puzzle or read through the whole book, before they get up and run around.
• If they’re coloring or building a tower, keep them engaged in that one activity for as long as possible before you let them move on to the next.
• During mealtimes make sure they remain seated and finish their meal before getting up and playing.
• Make sure they clean up one activity before moving on to the next

25. Be a Helper and Doing “Chores”

Little kids LOVE to help grown-ups. They want to do everything that you’re doing because they’re starting to gain this growing confidence and independence. Invite them to perform tasks that they may not be able to do independently, but that they can help you with.

• Get the mail
• Take the trash out
• Refill the toilet paper roll dispenser
• Help with cooking: mixing, adding ingredients
• Carrying in bags or groceries
• Fill the dog bowl
• Entertain a younger sibling
• Cleaning up their toys
• Cleaning up after themselves: throwing their dishes in the sink garbage in the trash can
• Wiping down the table or floor when they make messes

26. Technology

Technology or screen time should be  limited  for preschoolers to no more than 2 hours a day, but it is still important for your child to learn how to use these devices. The fine motor skill of swiping, clicking, and sliding to nagivate through tablets and smart phones are something that your 3 year old can easily learn.

Ipad  educational games like  ABC Mouse are great to sharpen a lot of the educational skills listen above, as well as practice using a tablet or smart phone. There’s a great curriculum based on age and developmental level that teaches them so many new skills.

My 3 year old loves  ABC Mouse because of the wide variety of games and fun. She’s learning how to trace letters, numbers, make new sounds and words, etc.

Leapfrog Laptop  is also a fun interactive computer that little words can learn letters and typing on.

27. Sorting and Comparing

Sorting and comparing is a skill that you can teach your 3 year old. Make them aware of how objects are the same and different. Some of the criteria that they can use to sort is by:

• size (big, medium, small)
• categories (fruits vs. vegetables, farm animals vs. ocean animals)
• pattern (stripes, polka dots, solids)

This sorting pie from Learning Resources is a great way to practice sorting and categorizing objects by the features mentioned above.

28. Follow Multi-Step Directions

Your 3 year old should now have progressed from only understanding and following 1-step directions (i.e. put your shoes on) to following 2-3 step directions (i.e. get your shoes from the closet, put them on, and go wait by the car).

Practice with 2 steps at first to make sure they can focus on the direction given, process it, and carry it out. Then you can try adding in another step to see if they can still follow.

At times, your little one may be distracted to get all the distractions, and that’s ok since their attention span is still short, but as they approach 4, they should really be listening to you intently and follow your commands.

29. Rhyming Words and Opposites

You can teach your 3 year old some rhyming and opposite words at this age, as well. Short words that sound alike (ie. rat, bat and sky, tie) should be easy for them to catch on to.

Opposite words, for example in-out, up-down, should also be learned at this age as they use these words all the time. They should already know the words, but now understanding the meaning and how they are opposites of each other will really get their mind stimulated and understanding these concepts.

30. Sight Words

The first sight word that your preschooler may be able to spell and recognize is their name. Teach them how to spell their name and how to recognize it when it’s written. Those name puzzles shown above are great for practicing this!

Although your child isn’t expected to know sight words until later on, it can’t hurt to expose them to it now. Sight words are words that may not sound the wya they are spelled so they will have to just memorize the way the word looks.

These are typically commonly used words, for example, like, the, and my. As you read to your child, you will probably come across these words several times.

Point out the words to them and tell them what they say. If you tend to read the same books over and over, they should quickly pick up on what a word looks like and say it as you read. Not only soul you point these words out in their favorite book, but wherever you see it whether it’s a cereal box or sign.

Flash cards are also great for learning sight words, however they are a bit young for this.

31. Days of the week/Months of the Year/Seasons

By going over the calendar daily or singing songs, your 3 year old can learn the days of the week and months of the year pretty quickly. They still may not get a true sense of how these time periods work, but they can memorize a list of these items.

Most of these skills listed above can be accomplished at some point while a child is between three and four, but every child develops at their own pace.

This article is not intended to skew your mind into thinking that your child MUST know these concepts. However, if you are looking for activities to do with your child, ways to engage their mind, or knowledge to teach them, these are some great tips. Your child is NOT behind if they can’t adequately do all of these things, but if you are concerned, please speak to your pediatrician.

Have fun teaching your three-year-old and enjoy watching them blossom this year. They’ll be growing and developing before your eyes so don’t blink! Here are some more great activity ideas to do with your little one.

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5 Fun Developmental Activities for 3-Year-Olds

5 indoor activities for 3-year-olds, 5 engaging art activities for 3-year-olds, how educational activities transform kids’ lives.

Toddlers are very active and always on the go! As a parent, it can be tough to keep up with their energy levels. However, it’s important to find ways to keep your toddler occupied and engaged and learning!

Here are 15 activities for 3-year-olds that are both fun and educational:

1. Recognizing Letters and Sounds

Learning activities for 3-year-olds are most fun when they are dressed up as family games, pretend plays, or become parts of our daily activities and observations. Recognizing letters and their sounds is one such activity that can be done in several ways.

Things you need:

A whiteboard or chalkboard, some colored markers or chalk. You can also use letter cards, board games, or online games for kids .

How to play:

You can play games where you write a letter on the board and teach your child to read it. Preschoolers can start learning both uppercase and lowercase letters . If they get it right, give them a point. If not, give them a clue and let them try again.

You can also play the “sound it out” game. Write a letter on the board and ask your child to make the sound it makes. Again, if they get it right, give them a point. If not, give them a clue and let them try again.

Pointing to letters written somewhere as you go about your day—a cereal box, a signboard, a magazine, etc.—is also an easy activity to help your child learn to read them. Children can also trace letters with their fingers on the sand, match uppercase and lowercase letters, erase letters on a chalkboard, etc. 

If you are busy, play some alphabet songs for your toddler to dance or let them play some online English games .

Skills your preschooler will learn:

Letter recognition, phonemic awareness, letter sounds

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2. Reading with Your Child

Reading books with your child is one of the best things you can do for their development. Not only does it improve language skills, but it also helps them learn sight words, develop their imagination, and understand the world around them.

Books that are appropriate for your child’s age and interests, such as picture books, easy readers, etc.

Sit down with your child and read a book together. You can take turns reading the pages or have your child read the whole book to you.

Books for toddlers should be short and have many pictures supporting the story. This will help keep their attention span, and they will be more likely to understand the concepts in the book.

Read word by word, pointing to each word with your finger, and ask inferential questions based on how, why, what, when, and where to encourage the thinking skills in kids .

Language skills, sight words , attention span, comprehension, memory, imagination

3. Making Up Stories

Children love to listen to and tell stories, and this is an activity that can be done anywhere, anytime. It’s the perfect thing to do in a car while traveling, at bedtime, or even while waiting in line at the grocery store.

None! Just your child’s imagination

Have your child make up a story, either on their own or with your help. Encourage them to use their imagination and be as creative as they want. If they get stuck, you can prompt them with questions or ideas. You may also correct their grammar along the way, but it’s important to let them be creative and have fun with this activity.

If your child is stumped, set an example by asking them for three or four words and make a story that uses all of them. For instance, if they give you the words “cat,” “green,” “ball,” and “tree,” you could make up a story about a green cat that climbs a tree to fetch a ball.

Eventually, you can give words to your child and have them make up a story using those words.

Creativity, imagination, storytelling, communication

4. Playing a Number Game

Offline and online, math can be fun for kids if it’s taught interactively and creatively. Playing the number sense games is one such activity that will help your child learn numbers, counting, and basic arithmetic operations in a fun and engaging way.

A whiteboard or a chalkboard, some colored markers or chalk. You can also use games focusing on numbers and counting, such as board games, card games, etc. Online math games are also available.

There are many games that you can play with your child to help him learn numbers and math concepts. One such game is the “guess the number” game. Write down a number between 1 and 10 on the board, and ask your child to guess it. If he gets it right, give him a point. If not, give him a clue and let him have another try.

You can also play the “greater than or less than” game. Write down two numbers on the board, such as 3 and 5, and ask your child which number is greater. If he gets it right, give him a point. If not, give him a clue and let him try again.

Numbers , counting , and basic arithmetic operations include addition , subtraction , multiplication , and division .

5. Sorting Activities

Sorting is a fun activity that helps children learn about different attributes such as size, shape, color, etc. It also helps them develop problem-solving skills.

Various objects can be sorted according to size, shape, color, etc. You can use blocks, balls, toy cars, berries, buttons, etc.

Let your child choose a few objects and ask him to sort them according to size, shape, color, etc. For example, they can sort blocks by size or toy cars by color. As they sort the objects, help them identify the attribute they use for sorting.

Sorting, categorizing, and problem-solving.

Check out the best sensory activities for 3-year-olds you can try!

One of the favorite preschool activities for 3-year-olds is drawing. At this point, the artistic skills of a child are not really important. Drawing is a fun activity for toddlers to express themselves, work on their fine motor skills, and have fun!

Paper, crayons, markers, colored pencils

Sit with your child and encourage them to draw whatever comes to mind. You can also give some drawing ideas to kids , such as “Draw a picture of your family,” “Draw a picture of your favorite animal,” etc. You may make a drawing and ask your child to trace it or copy it.

Creativity, fine motor skills, imagination, attention span

7. Building with Blocks

One of the easy, no-mess activities for 3-year-olds at home is to let them build with blocks. It is amazing how much fun and creative they can be with this simple activity.

Blocks are also a great way for children to learn about shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns.

Blocks of various shapes and sizes

Let your child play with the blocks freely or give him or her some challenges, such as “build a tower as tall as you can,” “make a house for your favorite stuffed toy,” etc.

Creativity, imagination, problem-solving, eye-hand coordination, shapes, colors, patterns

8. Paper Cutting with Safety Scissors

Children feel empowered with a tool in their hands. And they are so proud of themselves when they can cut the paper!

Paper, safety scissors, craft supplies like pom poms, googly eyes (optional)

Give your child a piece of paper and let him or her cut it any way they want. If you like, you can also give some challenges, such as “cut out a circle,” “make a snowflake,” etc. You can help your child decorate the cutouts with craft supplies if desired.

Fine motor skills, creativity, imagination, attention span

*Please note that only safety scissors should be used for this activity. Regular scissors are too sharp for little ones.*

9. Doing Daily Chores

You’ll be surprised at all the things your toddlers can do if only you let them try. Giving them some simple chores to do not only helps them learn some valuable life skills but also makes kids feel proud and accomplished.

Chores that are appropriate for your child’s age and abilities, such as making their bed, dusting furniture, setting the table, etc.

Choose a chore that you would like your child to help with. Then, show them how to do it and let them try it themselves. Some of the chores that a 3-year-old can do may require some assistance or supervision, but it’s important to let them explore their capabilities and try new things.

A toddler can easily be overwhelmed with too many chores, so it’s important to start small. Choose one or two simple tasks that you know your child can handle. As they get older and more capable, you can give them more chores to do. Remember to praise them for a job well done!

Daily living skills, responsibility, independence, pride, satisfaction

10. Role-playing

What’s funnier than seeing a tiny toddler acting like a fat aunt or an old grandpa? Role-plays are one of the best activities for 3-year-olds as they help them learn about different emotions, people, and situations.

None! Just your child’s imagination. A few props like a walking stick, a hat, a lady’s purse, or a wig could come in handy to help set the scene.

Have your child choose a character that he or she would like to play. It could be anyone—a family member, a friend, a cartoon character, an animal, etc. Then, encourage them to act out the part. They can speak differently, use props, and do whatever they want to bring the character to life. Children learn to observe people around them and understand their emotions in this way.

Creativity, imagination, emotional intelligence, communication, problem-solving

Check out the best outdoor activities for 3-year-olds here!

11. Playing Dress Up

Dress-up games are not gender-specific. Most children love them! This activity helps 3-year-olds use their imagination, learn about social norms and roles, and have lots of fun!

Old clothes, hats, scarves, jewelry, etc., can be used as dress-up items. You can also use old sheets or towels to make capes or skirts. You can also use actual costumes if you have them.

Let your child choose what they want to be, and then help them get dressed in the appropriate clothing. If you like, you can also act out a play or story together with your child in their new costume.

Creativity, imagination, role-playing, problem-solving

12. Making Music with Household Items

This is one of the fun activities for 3-year-olds that can be done with items that you already have around the house. It’s a great way to introduce your child to music and help them develop a sense of rhythm.

Household items that can be used as musical instruments, such as pots and pans, plastic containers, wooden spoons, etc. You can also use actual musical instruments if you have them.

Let your child choose what he or she wants to use as an instrument. Then, encourage them to make music with it however they want. You can also sing along or dance to the music!

Music skills, sense of rhythm, gross motor skills, creativity, imagination

13. Making Art with Thumb , Hand, or Foot Impressions

Most toddlers do not know how to go about making an art piece. But they love to play a role in helping make one! This activity allows them to do just that, resulting in a beautiful piece of art that you can hang on your fridge or wall.

Non-toxic paint, paper, and something to use as a stamp (such as potato, carrot, or eraser)

Let your child choose what paint color he or she wants to use. Then, help them make a thumbprint, handprint, or footprint on the paper. You can also make patterns with stamps by carving a shape into a potato, carrot, or eraser. Once the paint is dry, you can hang up the artwork!

Creativity, imagination, fine motor skills, color recognition

14. Creating a Collage

A collage is a great way for toddlers to express their creativity. They can make amazing birthday cards with photo collages, make wall-hanging art, or have fun tearing up paper and gluing it back together!

Paper, safety scissors, glue, and any other materials you want to use for the collage (such as tissue paper, construction paper, feathers, buttons, ribbons, etc.)

Let your child choose what they want to use for their collage. Then, help them cut out the paper or other materials into small pieces. Once they have a good pile of pieces, they can glue them down onto another piece of paper. You can help them with this if needed.

Creativity, imagination, fine motor skills, color recognition, pattern-making

15. Drawing with Chalk on the Sidewalk

If you live in a safe neighborhood, your children can display their artistic skills outside the home by drawing with chalk on the sidewalk or driveway. This activity is great for gross motor skills and allows you to teach your child about shapes, colors, and patterns.

Chalk in various colors

Let your child choose what color of chalk he or she wants to use. Then, help them draw a picture or make patterns on the sidewalk. You can also join in and create your own chalk masterpiece!

Educate children about different cultures where making art to decorate entrance gates and doorways is a tradition. Indians make rangoli, Chinese make a dragon or zodiac animal drawings, while in the Philippines, it is common to see people painting on bamboo mats called banig . In this way, you can introduce your toddlers to other cultures.

Creativity, imagination, gross motor skills, shapes, colors, pattern-making

A study on Chinese children found that organized extracurricular activities (EAs) are strongly associated with early reading, math, and social skills. Another study indicated that the involvement of parents in preschool children’s learning activities at home during the COVID-19 pandemic was beneficial to kids’ learning behavior and emotional health. 

These studies seem to suggest that any activity that encourages learning, socialization, and creativity would benefit our little ones and shape them into more confident, woke, and aware individuals. 

Some benefits of educational activities for 3-year-olds are:

• They help develop cognitive skills, including problem-solving, memory, and attention span.
• EAs also nurture social skills such as cooperation, empathy, and communication.
• These activities can also boost self-esteem and confidence in children.
• Fun and educational activities are also great for developing gross and fine motor skills.

So go ahead and try out some educational activities with your 3-year-old today! You might just be surprised at how much they enjoy it—and how much they learn from it too.

Explore more online educational resources for kids to aid their learning experience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to choose a good educational activity for my 3 year old.

When choosing an activity for your 3-year-old, it is important to consider their interests, abilities, and attention span. You also want to ensure the activity is developmentally appropriate and safe. If you are unsure whether an activity is appropriate for your child, you can always consult their pediatrician or a child development expert.

How can I get my toddler to sit still and focus on an activity?

This can be a challenge for many parents! One tip is to try to find activities that your child is interested in and that they enjoy doing. Also, make sure you provide plenty of breaks during the activity so that your child doesn’t become overwhelmed or frustrated. Finally, praise your child when they display good behavior so that they know that you are pleased with their efforts.

How to help my toddler express their creativity?

There are many ways in which you can help your toddler express their creativity. One way is to provide plenty of opportunities for them to explore different materials and mediums, such as crayons, paint, clay, etc. You can also encourage them to sing, dance, or act out stories. And finally, make sure to praise their efforts and creativity, no matter what the outcome may be.

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Preschool Worksheets and Printables

Key preschool skills :.

Preschool Worksheets Unlock the Door to Learning Success

Preschool Worksheets

Welcome to 123 Homeschool Me’s ever growing number of preschool worksheets! We provide teachers, parents, and homeschoolers with a huge variety of pre k worksheets that include no prep activities, hands-on practice, and varied activities to make learning FUN! All of our preschool printables are FREE and perfect for home preschool. Simply scroll below to find the pre-k worksheets you’d like to use and click on the text link to see the post page. On the post page, scroll to the bottom of the post, under the terms of use and click on the >> _ << to print the pdf file.

Plus don’t miss our small smaller smallest worksheets , free superhero worksheets , cute frozen worksheets , free preschool worksheets age 3-4 pdf download , how to make a lava lamp experiment explanation , printable preschool coloring pages , cute animal pattern worksheet , plus free pencil control worksheets

Free Preschool Worksheets age 3-4

Preschoolers learn best through play as they explore the world around them while having fun. So all our preschool activities are exciting, engaging, and playful. Make learning enjoyable to set-up pre-k students for lifetime of learning! Here are the skills preschoolers should master:

• Count out loud and write numbers from 1 to 10
• Say their ABCs and trace Letters of the alphabet from A to Z
• Work on letter recognition – recognizing upper and lowercase letters
• Learn new v ocabulary and literacy skills with books for preschoolers
• Develop fine motor skills – coloring pages help strengthen hand muscles that will need to write and cutting practice helps work on coordination
• Develop problem solving skills
• Encourage confidence, independence, and self-worth as they create crafts they do themselves
• Learn to follow directions
• Learn to recognize and spell their name with clever name activities.
• Identify and name shapes and colors
• Understand sequencing (first, middle, last)
• Demonstrate one to one correspondence.
• Understand opposites
• Retell a story

Free Preschool Printables

We have TONS of  prek worksheets ! If you keep scrolling through the bottom of the page, you will see all our  free preschool worksheets age 3-4  posts arranged by type for your convenience. But because I know it can be overwhelming, here are our most popular preschool activities to get you started!

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Work on a variety of preschool skill swith these super cute themed packs! Each pack has 50-80 pages of educational learning activities for you to choose from because preschoolers love learning with fun themes! So spend a week diving into a dinosaur preschool theme or a farm theme – we have 100 different FREE preschool themed packs to choose from!

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Play is learning time for preschoolers! They learn by trying, exploring, and experiencing. Try these ideas:

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• sensory bings
• simple science experiments

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Parent Resources for Learning > Core Skills > 7 Play-Based Learning Activities for 3-Year-Olds

7 Play-Based Learning Activities for 3-Year-Olds

by Dr. Jody Sherman LeVos | Aug 10, 2023 | Core Skills

Pop quiz: What’s a better way to get a 3-year-old to learn, pop quizzes or playtime? 

If you guessed playtime, you’re right! Play-based learning activities for 3-year-olds help them develop the skills they need for school and life by tapping into their natural love of play . It’s a lot easier to get a toddler to play a learning game than to sit down and study—plus, they’ll actually learn more!

The Short Cut

• Learning activities for 3-year-olds can help them develop Core Skills , Creativity , Critical Thinking , and the other 5 C’s that help them thrive
• Play-based learning activities work well because kids learn more when they’re doing something they’re interested in
• Many of the best activities are simple and use everyday items from around the house

We’ve put together instructions for seven of our favorite play-based learning activities for 3-year-olds, plus some general tips, to get you started.

Why Learning Activities for 3-Year-Olds Work

Three-year-olds have a lot of energy, and they’re often eager to have new experiences. You can take advantage of their natural Curiosity (one of the 5 C’s) to help them learn valuable skills and see where they are in reaching their developmental milestones .

When kids do an activity they’re interested in, their brains literally light up on researchers’ scans. They learn more and retain more of what they learn, including important abilities.

For instance, hands-on activities —in which your child molds, cuts, sticks, sorts, or manipulates objects—help them develop motor skills. They also help them learn to follow directions for precision and accuracy, improving their Critical Thinking. Similarly, activities like putting puzzles together and playing with building blocks help develop reasoning skills and Creativity (another of the 5 C’s).

All of these abilities will help them as they get older and start working on more complex skills like writing and tying shoelaces.

The first six years of a child’s life are a critical time for brain development. The things they learn in this period help them perform well in school, excel in work, build healthy relationships, and live happy, fulfilling lives.

How Should I Teach My 3-Year-Old?

Keep It Simple

Parents sometimes think early learners need an elaborate game or flashy toy to hold their attention. But three-year-olds are fascinated by lots of simple things—different colors and shapes , how these colors change when you mix them (e.g., red and blue make purple), kicking a ball, storybooks about dinosaurs, baking cookies, and so on.

You don’t need anything complicated to create engaging learning activities for 3-year-olds. In fact, you’ll often be more successful if you keep it simple and use everyday items you already have.

Allow for Creativity

Life is full of right answers for 3-year-olds (and a lot of them, like “Can I hit someone when I’m mad?” are important!). But focusing on process over the finished product when you’re playing helps kids maintain their natural Creativity. If they decide to paint a blue dog, that’s OK! And if they choose to create a 10-legged cat, that’s great too. 

Give them time to play with no “right answers” to strengthen this important skill.

Be Flexible and Patient

Not every activity you try is going to be a hit with your kids. That’s OK!

At this age, your child is learning who they are and what they’re comfortable with. Exploring their likes and dislikes (which can change quickly!) is part of their development.

7 Top Learning Activities for 3-Year-Olds

1. number hunt.

What You’ll Need

• A set of fun items—from teddy bears to building blocks to balls, anything goes!
• Hide the items around a room
• Ask your three-year-old to find a set number of an item or a group of items (for example, ask them to find one teddy, two socks, and three balls)
• If this is too easy and they lose interest, try turning it into a race against the clock (can they find the items in just one minute?)
• If they find the game a little tricky, ask your child to search for one item at a time (e.g., one teddy, and then one sock, and then one ball) and progress from there

We love this activity because it helps develop working memory and numeracy, important areas of both Critical Thinking and Core Skills.

2. Pasta Necklaces

• Dry, uncooked cylindrical pasta
• Sealable plastic bags
• Food coloring
• A cotton thread or string (you can also use an old shoelace)
• Paper towel
• Beads (optional)
• Place the pasta into the plastic bags, then add a few drops of food coloring to each bag
• After adding the coloring, seal each bag and let your kids give it a good shake
• Line the trays with paper towels, pour the colored pasta on top, and allow it to dry
• While the pasta dries, cut the string so it’s the right length to make a necklace for your child and tie a knot on one end
• Once the pasta is dry, your child can slide the pasta (and beads if you use them) onto the string to make a necklace. When they reach the end of the string, tie the two sides together and you’re done!

This is a fun way to help your child practice counting (“How many pieces of pasta are you adding?”), develop fine motor skills, and explore Creativity.

3. Trace Yourself

• Have your child place part of their body (like their hand) on a sheet of paper
• Show them how to trace around it using a crayon
• Let them take over tracing and finish
• Encourage them to decorate their tracing however they’d like—maybe their hand needs eyes and a mouth!
• The simplest body part to start with is your child’s hands. Once your child has mastered tracing out their hands, they can progress to their feet.
• For even more fun, use a very large piece of paper and trace your child’s whole body. They can then add features and clothes.

This activity requires little prep and can be great for an easy afternoon when you’re in the mood for low mess levels. And it’s an excellent way to help your child practice their fine motor skills!

4. Make an Ocean

• HOMER Sail the Sea printable coloring page
• Crayons, markers, or colored pens
• Help your child color in the printable and discover the interesting creatures that live in our seas
• As your child colors, point out the letters and say their names, the sounds they make, and creature names that start with them (“S” makes a “sssss” sound, for “seahorse”)
• Try to get your child to make the letter sounds too
• Lean into process over perfection. The goal is to introduce your child to letters, sounds, names, and the links between them—if all they want to do is say “sssssss” and color, they’re still learning!
• To make things even more fun, give the creatures silly names and make up stories about them

This is a great activity for developing Core Skills like letter-sound recognition and fine motor skills!

5. Build a City

• Building blocks
• Get out the blocks and start making things, giving each building a name (“This is a candy store. This is an apartment building. This is a playground.”)
• Invite your child to name their own creations as they build alongside you
• If they’re enjoying the game, ask them to copy buildings you’ve made (“This is a candy store. Can you make one too?”)

This quick, simple activity helps develop Critical Thinking (copying your buildings), Core Skills (fine motor skills), and Creativity, all at once!

6. Watch It Grow

• HOMER printable seed growth tracker
• Crayons or pencils
• Large jar (glass or clear plastic)
• Fast-growing seeds (e.g. peas or beans)
• Paper towels
• An old milk or juice carton
• A ruler or measuring tape
• Ask your child to fill the jar with paper towels, then pour water onto the paper towels until they’re slightly damp
• “Plant” the seeds in the damp towels, positioning them close to the jar’s edge so you can watch them grow
• Use the printable to decorate the “watering can” (the milk or juice carton) and add a tag with the plant’s name
• Each day, make a fun moment of checking the jar and asking your child to note any changes you can track in the field notes (“Oh! We finished breakfast! Time to check the jar!”)
• If the paper towels dry out, add water

This activity introduces kids to how plants grow, stoking their Curiosity (another of the 5 C’s) as they explore the way the seed changes day by day!

7. Create Your Own Color Hunt

• Five objects that match each color of crayon, located in or around the house
• Optional: HOMER Make a Color Hunt printable
• Draw a square in the center of a piece of paper (or use the optional Make a Color Hunt printable)
• After drawing the square, use just one color to color it in
• Hand your child the paper and ask them to find five items in or around the house that have the same color
• For kids who aren’t counting yet , you can place items in a bucket or box and ask them to find all the items inside that match the color on the paper

This is a great activity to help with sorting, learning colors, and counting!

Continue the Adventures with Begin!

There are lots of ways to help your child stay entertained, engaged, and learning at home! These activities should help your 3-year-old develop a wide range of important skills.

And if you need more, don’t worry—we’re here to help. Sign up for our emails or check out our award-winning products, from kid-safe learning apps to hands-on activity kits , or try our Early Learner Bundle to see how it all comes together to give your child their best start to achieving their fullest potential.

Jody has a Ph.D. in Developmental Science and more than a decade of experience in the children’s media and early learning space.

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Dr. Jody Sherman LeVos

Chief Learning Officer at Begin

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Preschool Worksheets Age 3-4

At the age of 3–4 children start to be extreme curious. They ask many questions and try to gain as much knowledge about the world around as they can. While playing they demonstrate rich imagination, and rapidly developing speaking ability.

This is a high time to develop the first skills and competences that will be very helpful for the future school achievements. At home or in kindergarten children can develop fine motor and speaking skills, sensory perception, logical thinking, memory, attention and concentration ability, using play-based learning materials WUNDERKIDDY.

Why is preschool education important?

A huge children’s curiosity makes them to learn something new. Their brain is able to learn and remember lots of information and gain numerous of new skills. At the age of 3 children can easily learn to count up to 10, recognize distinction between items and nature objects and point at certain objects (e.g. sun or sky, etc.)

Children’s speaking ability also develops rapidly at the age of 3 years old. Their vocabulary allows them to construct simple sentences and ask many questions about the world around .

How to get a child involved into learning

Remembering that preschoolers cannot sit still for a long time; all the learning activities are to be done in a play form. Keep watch what your child likes the most and find appropriate games for him/her. Then the learning activity will be done with a huge involvement and motivation.

You should also choose the right time for learning games. If you see that your child is not interested or tired, postpone the game for later or offer another activity.

Worksheets for 3 year olds

At the age of 3–4 years children have a good memory , gain new physical skills, can tell longer sentences and are developing emotionally. Proper learning activities for 3 year olds are:

• creative games
• outdoor and indoor plays
• cooking and everyday activities around the household

We have prepared a collection of play-learning materials for children of 3–4 years old to make learning interesting and fun. Download and print high-quality materials for free from our website.

Math games for preschoolers

At about 3–4 years old children know numbers and can count up to 10. To learn numbers and develop counting skills, you can count with your child everything around (fingers, trees, cars, flowers, etc.) To make counting more various and exciting, print free developing math games and cards and worksheets for 4 year olds on WUNDERKIDDY.

At this age children are to know basic geometric shapes and be able to find objects matching by form. They are also able to compare quantities and define «more» and «less».

Logic and memory development

Logic and memory are the basic skills necessary for everybody. 3-4 year olds can improve these skills by means of following learning activities for 4 year olds:

• To assemble simple puzzles
• To find differences between two pictures
• To complete logical chain and simple math patterns
• To repeat a gesture or body position
• To compare colors and find matching pairs
• To sort and group objects according to their common features

Speaking skill improvement by toddlers

The most easy way to develop speaking skills is to talk with a child. Even if he/she cannot speak yet, listening is the first step to speaking. At about 3–4 years old children can learn letters and can combine simple words from separate letters. They are to talk about general topics:

• Home and household
• Furniture and kitchen utensil
• Wild and home animals
• Doings and movements
• Seasons and their features
• Fruits, vegetables and berries
• Personal hygiene and day's routine

To learn new words on the topics above in a play form, we offer printable games and worksheets that are meant to enrich kid's vocabulary and improve their speaking ability.

Pre-writing skills

At the age of 3–4 years old children are to prepare their hands for future writing. By means of colorful children friendly tracing worksheets and graphomotor sheets you can do pre-writing trainings in a fun and easy way. Just download them here.

3 year old activities or how to start teaching kids at home

You can start preparing children for writing at the age of 3. Train their hands using different tasks, for example, graphomotor tracks. Activities like sculpting, drawing, and painting help to train fine motor skills, creative thinking and imagination.

Print free educational games, illustrated cards and preschool PDF worksheets for your play-learning sessions with children at the age of 3–4 years old. On our website you will find everything you need for exciting play-based learning: nursery printable activities for toddlers, Montessori worksheets, printable games and educational activities in PDF for 3–4 years old that are well suited both for kindergarten and home preschool activities for 3 year olds.

Print, play and enjoy WUNDERKIDDY!

Videos for 3-Year-Olds

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Introducing our delightful collection of educational videos crafted specifically for the curious minds of 3-Year-Olds! Each video is designed to captivate and educate, blending vibrant animations with engaging storytelling to spark imagination and foster a love of learning. From exploring colors, shapes, and numbers to embarking on interactive story adventures, our videos promote critical thinking and creativity in a fun, accessible format. Perfect for preschoolers, this series encourages early learning milestones through playful content, tailored to the developmental stage of 3-Year-Olds. Dive into our educational videos and watch your little ones grow and learn with joy!

In today's digital age, where educational resources are more accessible than ever, children have an incredible opportunity to supplement their learning beyond traditional classroom settings. Our educational videos for 3-Year-Olds are specifically designed to tap into the vast potential of early childhood development, making learning not just effective but also genuinely enjoyable for young minds.

For 3-Year-Olds, every day is a new adventure, filled with endless questions and curiosities about the world around them. At this tender age, children are not just learning; they're embarking on a journey of discovery that will lay the foundational stones for their future academic endeavors and personal growth. Recognizing the importance of these formative years, our educational videos are crafted to cater to the unique learning styles and developmental needs of 3-year-olds.

One of the foremost advantages of our educational videos for 3-Year-Olds is their ability to capture and retain the attention of young learners. Through a blend of vibrant colors, captivating animations, and engaging storytelling, we transform learning into an exciting activity rather than a mundane task. This immersive approach not only enhances the learning experience but also fosters a love for acquiring new knowledge.

Moreover, our videos are meticulously designed to promote cognitive development, language skills, and basic numeracy in 3-year-olds. By incorporating interactive elements and repetitive learning techniques, children are encouraged to participate actively, reinforcing their understanding and retention of new concepts. This interactive approach aligns with the natural learning inclinations of 3-year-olds, who learn best through play and exploration.

Social and emotional development is another critical aspect of early childhood that our educational videos address. Through stories and scenarios that 3-year-olds can relate to, our videos teach valuable lessons about empathy, cooperation, and problem-solving. These lessons are crucial in helping children navigate their social environments, whether it's in the playground, at home, or in preschool.

In addition to fostering academic and social skills, our educational videos for 3-Year-Olds are designed with parental involvement in mind. We understand that parents are the primary educators of their children, and our videos serve as a tool to facilitate meaningful learning interactions between parents and their children. By watching the videos together, parents can guide their children through the learning process, discuss new concepts, and encourage questions, further enriching the educational experience.

Safety and appropriateness are paramount in our content creation process. Parents can have peace of mind knowing that our educational videos for 3-Year-Olds are free from any inappropriate content, ensuring a safe and conducive learning environment for their children.

In conclusion, our educational videos for 3-Year-Olds are more than just a learning resource; they are a gateway to a world of discovery and imagination. By leveraging the power of multimedia, we aim to nurture curious minds, inspire a lifelong love for learning, and equip children with the foundational skills they need to thrive in their academic journey and beyond. As we continue to innovate and expand our library of educational content, we remain committed to supporting parents and educators in unlocking the full potential of every child.

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Best Activities for 3-Year-Olds

Medical review policy, latest update:, what skills is your child developing at 3 years, social and emotional skills, language and communication skills, cognitive skills, gross and fine motor skills , best activities for 3-year-olds, string together pasta necklaces, rescue the toys, take care of the baby, introduce a board game, mix the colors, build with blocks.

Pasta necklaces, simple board games and gigantic block towers are just some of the easy ways you can make your 3-year-old's day both entertaining and educational. So find what sounds like fun and get started!

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Preschool Activities For 3-Year-Olds: Writing Practice, DIYs, Sensory Play, Art Projects, Counting Tasks, And More

April 15, 2024 //  by  Eileen Zajac

Whether you’re planning for a full term or just a week of curriculum, we know the challenge of preparing activities for your 3-year-old preschoolers! We also realize that finding learning experiences that meet the different abilities of your kiddos takes a lot of time and energy. Implementing three to four 15-minute activities is the perfect way to hold your little learners’ attention. Use this list to find a few activities that can be easily integrated into your lessons, or used throughout the day during mini-breaks and transition periods. Let’s dive in!

1. Rainy Names

Did you know that learning and understanding names can boost confidence and build community in the classroom? This activity has your students paste raindrops with the letters of their names in the correct order. It’s perfect for a rainy day and for enhancing your students’ name recognition, pre-writing skills, and much more! 

Learn More: Instagram

2. Baby Tub Time

Your little ones will adore using dolls to improve social skills in this engaging educational activity! Hands-on activities like this one where they’ll wash and care for their doll will help your children gain a better understanding of how to treat others appropriately. 

Learn More: The Imagination Tree

3. Letter Fishing

Engaging and challenging activities for your preschool children that also enhance their letter recognition skills? Where do we sign up? Use a basket or fill a tub with water and let your little fishermen start casting for letters! This fun learning experience will engage even your most lively kiddos.

4. Counting Caterpillars

Your kiddos will love practicing their motor skills and number recognition by building little caterpillars! Draw some circles to create a caterpillar and then write a digit from 1 to 10 in each circle. Your preschoolers will match these to numbered dots on other circles that you have made from construction paper. 

5. Building With Magnetic Tiles 

Get your hard hat ready and start building with magnetic tiles! This activity helps develop your children’s motor skills and creativity, and is simply a lot of fun! Use MAGNA-TILES (or blocks) and have them either copy your creations or create their own designs! 

6. Kids Busy Boxes

‘Busy boxes’ will be a definite game changer for your preschool classroom! For this quick activity, fill individual compartments of plastic containers with items such as markers, dried cereal, or anything else that will keep busy little hands and minds occupied! You don’t need to get fancy – even a shoe box will work! 

7. Mini Pies

Preschoolers love being outside! Outdoor play gives your students the space to observe nature while they test out their skills! Imaginations will soar as they make mini pies by filling muffin tins with natural objects like black walnuts, dirt, and a sprinkle of grass to top it off! Just hope they don’t expect you to try their creations!

8. Color Sorting

By preschool, kids are usually pretty skilled at recognizing different colors, but that doesn’t mean this toddler activity shouldn’t be practiced. Have your children sort colored objects into matching colored dishes to learn critical thinking and organizational skills. This is a great activity to supplement lessons focused on categorization. 

9. Obstacle Courses

There’s no doubt that building motor skills is extremely important for childhood development.  This fun obstacle course activity will be a hit with your youngsters! It will also help them develop muscle strength, balance, problem-solving skills, sensory processing, and coordination – all essential components of motor skills! 

10. Name or Letter Recognition

You’ll love this activity that requires little prep and has multiple uses! Whether your kiddies are working on building names or identifying letters, these colorful sticker dots will spark their interest and enhance their recognition skills. Get them to match the letters with those on paper or use the stickers to practice building sight words.

11. Boo Boo Counting

Boo Boo Counting is great for developing math skills and for practicing empathy. Your young mathematicians will relate to matching numbered band-aids to the owie spots on a cardboard cutout of a child. Consider laminating the cardboard and using velcro to make this activity last longer – it’s a keeper!

Learn More: Toddler Rat Play

12. Logical Sorting

Add this one to your week of activities focused on logical sorting. Your little ones who are ready for a challenge will love using a grid to sort colorful little houses into categories to match both the house color and the roof color!  This activity will go a long way in helping them understand the relationship between different patterns. 

Learn More: Teachers Mag

13. Arrow Matching

This is an adorable hands-on learning activity that will develop motor skills and increase your children’s curiosity about nature. They’ll love matching arrows to create paths for a caterpillar on its journey to become a butterfly and for a spider to get to its web! 

14. Elephant Ring Toss

Any animal activity is sure to spark even your most difficult students’ interest. Use a recycled box to create a cardboard cut-out of an elephant’s face with a 3D trunk. Next, construct three cardboard rings. Have your children help paint the elephant before they start the ring toss game! 

Learn More: Pinterest

15. Swing Painting

This was one of those activities that couldn’t be left out of this list!! It combines two activities that are particularly calming for children – swinging and painting. Have them hang from a swing, paintbrush in hand, and let their creativity shine! This art project is a super way to vary things up if you’ve got kids who struggle to stay focused all day! 

Learn More: Homegrown Friends  

16. Splitting Hairs

Scissor skills are pretty vital as your preschoolers move on to kindergarten and elementary school! They’ll love using scissors to cut the hair of little paper people in this fun activity that builds their motor skills. They can build up to more wavy or zig-zag lines as their skills develop.

Learn More: Facebook

17. Dot Puzzles

This one will be a good challenge for your little ones! Create a paper puzzle and puzzle pieces with a colored dot pattern and let your preschoolers work independently or with a partner to place the pieces over the matching part of the puzzle. This can be tricky so encourage them to ask for help if they need it!

18. Bubble Wrap Popping

Number recognition and bubble wrap? Now this sounds like a good time! Write numbers on the bubble wrap; the bigger the bubbles, the better! Next, read out a number and your children will pop the bubbles with a toothpick or even just their finger! Remember to mix up the numbers and spread them out when creating this exciting resource to boost their recognition skills.

19. All About Me Process Art

@art.is.smart All About Me process art with 3 year olds! #preschoolteacher #artissmart #teachersoftiktok ♬ Colors of the Wind – Instrumental – Vesislava

Sometimes slowing things down is the way to go! Have your kids participate in an artistic mini-portrait experience that focuses on the process of art more than the finished product. This project is great for getting them to understand the steps in making art, while also discovering different techniques, materials, and tools. 

Learn More: Tiktok

20. Playdough Shapes

@planningplaytime 70+ pages of Preschool Fun #preschoolmom #preschoolteachers #toddlermoms #preschoolathome #preschoolactivities #learningthroughplay #playtolearn ♬ Cute – Bensound

Everybody loves playdough, but using it for educational activities is a surefire way to get your class excited about learning! There are benefits to playdough free-play, but this tactile activity will also reinforce your kids’ knowledge of shapes. Simply print this template and watch your students mold their dough to match the shapes. 

Learn More: TikTok

21. Artsy Preschoolers

@carreyme Preschool teacher thangs. 3 year olds are amazing! Artist study 👩‍🎨 #pietmondrieaanstyle #preschool #preschoolteacher #preschoolactivities #earlychildhoodeducation ♬ Kyoto Flow – Official Sound Studio

Do you have an old art history book lying around? If not, track one down to inspire an early love of art in your preschoolers. Show them one of the masterpieces, open the fingerpaint jars, and let them get to work on creating their own interpretation of the painting! 

22. Spaghetti Play

Who doesn’t love a little spaghetti play? Add some different colored slimy ‘spaghetti’ noodles to your activity table and watch your students as they use their tiny hands to play with different tools to cut their noodles! They’ll have the time of their life with this super sensory activity!

23. Dancing Corn

@byemilylawson This is the number one preschool science idea on my blog for 5 years now #stemforkids #preschoolstem #prekstem #prekactivitiesathome #toddleractivitiesathome #activitiesfortoddlers #keepingkidsbusy #scienceismagic #scienceforpreschool #fallactivitiesforkids ♬ original sound – Emily | relatable mom life

It’s never too early to start experimenting with different science projects. This dancing corn demonstration is sure to be a hit with your preschool students! Place corn in a clear cup and then add baking soda and some vinegar to have your kiddos jumping with joy when the corn starts to dance! 

24. Painting Ice

@littlebirchpreschool #ice #preschool #earlyyears #tufftray #tufftrayactivities #heatwave #playingandlearning ♬ Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice

This activity is great for a hot summer day; the combination of ice cubes and paint is the perfect mix to cool little hands! Add plenty of ice and paint to your activity table, and have your students use paintbrushes to explore the melting ice and the changes in the water’s color! What a cool activity!

25. Race and Paint

@daynursery Racing the cars while making marks! #makingmarks #preschoolactivities #activityideas #fyp #viral #trending #earlyyears ♬ Roary The Racing Car Main Theme (From ""Roary The Racing Car"") – Geek Music

On your marks, get set, paint! Your kids will have a blast dipping plastic cars into paint and letting them race to the finish, creating beautiful streaks of color in the process! Whether you have them race each other or just drive the cars around,  this activity will surely result in smiling faces and some eye-catching artwork!  

26. Alphabet Practice

@bigcityreaders #abcs #alphabetactivities #readingteacher #teachersoftiktok #teachertok #momtoks #preschoolactivities #preschoolathome #preschoollunch #preschoolmom #StJudeDadPhotos #fypシ゚viral #learningtoread #3yearoldbrain #alphabethack #letters #letterssong ♬ Face Dance – Funny Tok

Make learning the alphabet more fun with missing letters! Write part of the alphabet on a strip of paper, but cover a few of the letters with sticky notes. Then start singing the alphabet song and either have your children write the missing letter or let them reveal it by uncovering the hidden letter! 

27. Patterning

@play.inspire.grow Hands on patterning #earlymaths #simplemaths #preschoolmath #preschoolactivities #prek #teachermom #homeschool #earlyyearsideas #kindergarten #learningisfun #canadianmom #montessoriathome #learningthroughplay ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE – Queens Road, Fabian Graetz

Get creative by starting a pattern for your kids to practice ‘what comes next’! This activity uses a range of objects like stickers, dot markers, and manipulatives to teach them more about this important skill. Your little ones will love the variety in this task as they work to identify patterns and create their own!

28. Dressing Dolls

@mrs_burland Dress the dolls activity, encouraging children to strengthen their hand muscles and develop their fine motor skills. Also, encouraging independence. #earlyyearsactivities #finemotoractivity #earlyyearspractitioner #preschoolactivities #eyfsactivities #handandeyecoordination #finemotorskills ♬ Low Down – venbee & Dan Fable

Playing with dolls is always a great opportunity to help your students better understand themselves and others. You can gather a variety of small dolls and let your kids get creative by dressing them up! The small size will be more challenging for their little hands, making this the perfect practice for developing fine motor skills.  

29. Listen & Do

How good are your kiddos at listening and copying? Have them point to the body part they hear you say to increase movement and develop active listening and cognitive skills. Playing this game daily or a few times a week will reinforce important vocabulary and is a perfect break to get your active kiddos moving! 

Learn More: YouTube

30. Shake Your Sillies Out

Preschoolers have A LOT of emotions and brain breaks are vital to creating a positive learning experience. Your little ones need the time and space to express their feelings and  ‘Shake Your Sillies Out’ is the perfect song to make that happen! Play this video and let them go for it!

31. A Hole In the Bottom of the Sea

Are you planning a lesson about the food chain? This song is absolutely adorable, and the animation of the video provides a great visual for your little learners! They’ll love the repetitive lyrics that will help them better understand and remember the concept of a food chain.

32. Sight Word Surprise

Providing consistent exposure to letters and sight words is essential throughout the preschool years. This online learning game offers your kiddos this practice, and gives you the flexibility to use it for either in-person or distance learning!

33. Beginning Sounds

Your learners’ oral language development starts with an understanding of different sounds. This online phonics video is a great way to introduce initial letter sounds to them! Make this even more fun by projecting the video onto your whiteboard and having your children use magnetic letters to identify the beginning sounds of words. 

34. Guess the Fruit

By preschool, your students are probably familiar with many different types of fruit. This video can be used to assess what they already know while also giving them a chance to learn about some new delicious examples! Even your shyest kids will love showing off their knowledge on this topic!

Learn More: Youtube

35. Where Will It Land?

Making predictions in the early years is a great way to prepare your little ones for studying STEM subjects in elementary school and beyond!! This exciting activity introduces them to the concept of friction and to skills like problem-solving. Fast-track their interest in STEM by incorporating this into your preschool curriculum today!

36. Finger Painting

Foster creativity and sensory development with this messy art project! Give your students non-toxic paint and large sheets of paper, and let them use their fingers to create anything their heart desires! You can always rely on finger painting for a wonderful and relaxing tactile activity that enhances fine motor skills.

Learn More: Raising Children Network

37. Animal Yoga

No, it’s not yoga for animals! Your children will adore transforming their bodies into the shapes of different animals in this fun movement activity. It’s a playful way to promote physical activity, and flexibility, and introduce mindfulness and relaxation techniques to your young learners.

Learn More: Mother Natured

38. Puzzle Time

Puzzles never get old and are a perfect down-time activity! They’re a fantastic way to help your preschoolers develop problem-solving skills, hand-eye coordination, and persistence! Offer a selection of simple puzzles with large pieces and let them explore this challenge individually or in small groups.

Learn More: Amazon

39. Nature Walks

Take learning outside by going on a nature walk with your kiddos! Encourage them to observe their surroundings and collect leaves, stones, or sticks to use for art projects in class. Not only are these walks fun, but they also promote physical activity, observation skills, and an appreciation for the environment.

Learn More: The Artful Parent

40. Story Cubes

These story cubes are made with pictures and are perfect for your younger learners! Have them take turns rolling the dice to create a story based on the image shown. It’s sure to spark imagination, enhance language skills, and if done in a small group or whole class setting, increase collaboration skills!  

41. Playdough Creations

Playdough is an excellent choice for fine motor development and creative expression. This fantastic resource includes 16 activities with playdough to engage your preschooler in some hands-on fun! Your kids will love squishing, rolling, and molding playdough into figures, animals, and abstract shapes! 

Learn More: My Bored Toddler

42. Water Play

This activity is guaranteed to make a splash with your little ones! Set up a water table or fill a basin with water and add cups, sponges, and toys. It’s sure to be an enjoyable and soothing activity to introduce them to concepts like volume, buoyancy, and cause and effect.

Learn More: Kildare County Childcare Committee

43. Sensory Bins

This activity is a great addition to your preschool toolbox! Grab a few bins and fill them with items like rice, beans, or water beads, add scoops, small toys, or natural elements like twigs and leaves, and you’re good to go! Have your kiddies feel the items to explore textures and calm their active minds. 

Learn More: Sheeking Out

44. Rhyming Games

Engaging your preschoolers in rhyming games is a fantastic way to boost their phonemic awareness! Choose songs or storybooks to recite and identify rhymes, or have them create their own for an added challenge! Not only are the rhymes delightful, but they also serve as an important step toward developing reading and writing skills. 

Learn More: 20 Great Rhyming Activities for Preschool

45. Collage Making

Collages are an excellent way for your preschoolers to express their ideas in a visual way! With safety scissors, glue, magazines, and construction paper, your little artists will explore textures, colors, and composition. Have them share their stories about their creations to gain insight into their thinking and to give their oral language skills a boost! 

46. Obstacle Course

Obstacle courses can be tailored to any skill level, ensuring an inclusive experience for all! Design a course using cushions, ropes, and hoops to encourage movement and problem-solving. Your kiddies will navigate by crawling, jumping, and balancing to improve their gross motor skills. Watch as they overcome obstacles – both literally and figuratively! 

47. Dress-Up Play

A box full of costumes, hats, and accessories is a treasure trove for imaginative play! When your little ones dress up and start role-playing, they’ll delve into the world of make-believe, fostering creativity, empathy, and social skills! This activity will lead to spontaneous storytelling performances that will certainly showcase and celebrate your kids’ unique ideas.

Learn More: Healthline

48. Letter Hunt

Transform letter recognition into an adventure by hiding foam or magnetic letters around the classroom! Your children will love practicing their gross motor skills by reaching and stretching on their hunt for the hidden letters. This is a dynamic way to reinforce alphabet knowledge in a context that feels more like play than instruction!

Learn More: Hands On As We Grow

49. Parachute Games

Bringing out the parachute always sends the excitement sky-high! Your kids will love working together to lift and lower the parachute to make waves, bounce balls, or billowing mushroom shapes.  Games like this are not only fun, but also enhance teamwork, coordination, and gross motor skills. This activity is bound to captivate their attention!  

50. Bubble Popping

There’s something irresistible about bubbles! Blowing and chasing bubbles engages your children in a playful pursuit that enhances their hand-eye coordination while getting them to burn off some energy! They’ll soon tire themselves out trying to pop the bubbles before they float away!

Learn More: Red Ted Art

51. Matching Games

Matching games that use cards or objects are excellent cognitive exercises for your littlest learners. As they match pairs based on color, shape, or theme, they’ll be enhancing their visual perception, memory, and concentration. This simple social game encourages cooperation while also laying the groundwork for them to develop some more complex problem-solving skills.

Learn More: PBS Learning Media

52. Salt Tray Writing

It’s not just a tray of salt, it’s a tactile and sensory-rich experience for your preschoolers! You can guide them to use their fingers or sticks to practice writing letters, numbers, or shapes in the salt. This is a super way to encourage experimentation and reduce the pressure of perfectionism by having them just shake the tray to “erase” any mistakes! 

Learn More: Happy Hooligans

53. Balancing Beam

A balance beam is a great tool for developing coordination. Have your little tight-ropers walk across a real beam or a line of tape on the floor to practice controlling their body movements and strengthening their muscles. You could also integrate it with other learning, such as counting or reciting the alphabet while taking steps.

54. Homemade Musical Instruments

Creating musical instruments out of household items is a dual-learning activity! Your students will use their fine motor skills and creativity to craft their instruments, and use them to explore sounds, beats, and rhythms!  Have your mini musicians fill bottles with rice, or string rubber bands across a cereal box and start jammin’! 

Learn More: Playgroup NSW

55. Shadow Play

Shadow play is a totally captivating activity that blends art, science, and storytelling! Using a flashlight and a blank wall, let your children explore the properties of light and shadows by creating shapes and figures with their hands or with cutouts on sticks. This magical form of play invites them to use their imagination like never before!

Learn More: Koko Tree

56. Bean Bag Toss

This simple game is a great way to get your kids playing all together! Set up the targets and give them some bean bags for throwing; it’s a simple way to develop their hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills. Focus the play on cooperation or switch things up by adding some healthy competition! 

57. Gardening

Grow your little ones’ wonder with this hands-on activity! Have them plant seeds in cups filled with dirt or in a garden plot and watch their enthusiasm grow as they tend to the new sprouts! Along with learning about the life cycle of plants, this activity is a simple way to let them experience a little bit of responsibility.

Learn More: Baby Sparks

58. Cooking Simple Recipes

Get cooking with hands-on learning in the kitchen! Introduce your children to essential skills like following instructions and measurement using simple recipes to make sandwiches or fruit salads. These easy kid-friendly recipes are perfect to get them excited about cooking and they’ll love tasting their creations!

Learn More: Good To

59. Alphabet Fishing

This is the perfect activity to get your kiddos excited about the alphabet! Write letters on small squares with a paperclip attached, then have your learners use a fishing rod with a magnetic cast to reel in a letter! Fishing for the alphabet is a fun way to reinforce their learning around letter recognition and helps develop focus!

Learn More: First Palette

60. Mask-Making

This fun activity might result in an imaginative play or an outrageous costume party! Let your children make masks using a variety of materials like paper plates, feathers, sequins, and glue. Their creativity will come to life as they explore the world of make-believe and develop fine motor skills.

Learn More: Artful Parent

61. Puppet Shows

Puppet play is a great way for your preschoolers to explore drama and storytelling! They can use soft toys or even make their own puppets from old socks or paper bags. They’ll delight in the magical play and storytelling of puppetry that encourages creativity, language development, and even sharing their feelings!

62. Lacing Cards

These adorable cards will help your littles learn how to lace! This tricky skill makes for a quiet and calming activity that is also excellent for developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and concentration. Get going by printing these cards, cutting the holes, and gathering some old shoelaces! 

63. Recycled Material Building

No need for fancy materials with this creative activity! Collect recycled materials like boxes, tubes, and cartons, and have your little ones start building their structures. They won’t even notice that they are learning about physics and developing their creativity and problem-solving skills in the process!

64. Sorting Games

Sorting activities will help your kids to develop their foundational math skills like categorization.  Gather common items like coins, playing cards, and different types of beans and pasta, then challenge your learners to sort them by their shape, size, quantity, or category.

Learn More: Keep Toddlers Busy

65. Ice Cube Melting

This sensory experience is perfect for a hot day! Give each of your students an ice cube to hold and have them watch it melt; it’s a great way to teach them about temperature, states of matter, weather, and seasons. You’ll be surprised at how this simple activity can lead to such engaging student discussions!

Learn More: Stir The Wonder

66. Sticker Stories

This activity incorporates a little learning into your kiddos’ love of stickers! Give them some sheets of stickers and paper and let them go crazy!  Foster their creativity and narrative skills by encouraging them to create scenes or stories with the stickers. They will also practice fine motor control as they master peeling and placing the stickers.

67. Hopscotch

Sometimes classic games are just what you need and hopscotch is certainly one that never gets old! Draw a hopscotch grid with chalk outside or use tape indoors for a rainy day brain break. It’s a timeless game perfect for your little ones that promotes number recognition, balance, and coordination!

Learn More: WikiHow

68. Bubble Wrap Stomp

Your kiddos will love this activity if they can contain their excitement! Lay out a large piece of paper on the floor and set up some trays of paints. Next, wrap your little learners’ feet in bubble wrap and let them stomp out a colorful masterpiece! 

Learn More: Mess For Less

69. Shadow Tag

This fun twist on the classic game of tag is the perfect way to engage your children in an outdoor movement activity! Instead of tagging each other with touch, they’ll have to step on each other’s shadows! What a fun introduction to the concept of light and shadow! 

Learn More: Joyful Parenting

70. Kinetic Sand Play

Your learners will love this amazing sensory experience! Kinetic sand is less messy than traditional sand, but is still moldable; so they’ll still be able to make creative shapes and structures! This is a great way to encourage creativity while also keeping your classroom a little cleaner!  

Learn More: Access and Inclusion Model

71. Story Stones

There are no fancy materials required for this activity; just some stones! Have your children paint pictures on stones or do this yourself, and then encourage them to use the stones to tell stories. This fun activity encourages their creativity and is a great way to explore sequencing events. 

Learn More: Early Impact Learning

72. Color Mixing

Experimenting with paints is a sure way to hold your preschoolers’ attention! Provide primary colored paints and let them mix their own colors on paper or in containers, and use this printable sheet to record their results! It’s a hands-on way to learn about colors that can also feel like a magical experiment.

Learn More: Little Bins For Little Hands

73. Marble Run

There’s a reason marble runs have been around for generations! They help develop problem-solving skills, creativity, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness. Have your littles build a marble run using tubes, boxes, or a pre-made set. They’ll love predicting the path of the marble as they learn a basic understanding of physics principles like gravity and momentum.

Learn More: HABA USA

74. Stomp and Catch

Test out your kiddos’ stomping ability with this fun game! Create a launching board out of a wooden plank and a strong cardboard tube, then load it up with a beanbag on the end. Next, let your preschoolers stomp down, and then try to catch the beanbag as it’s thrown up into the air before it hits the ground! Is their hand-eye coordination up to the task?

75. Memory Tray

This fun activity will test your students’ memorization skills! Place several objects on a tray, let your children observe them for one minute, and then cover them with a cloth or piece of paper. How many objects can they remember?  

Learn More: Play To Learn Preschool

76. Nature Collage

Complete this collage activity after you’ve taken your class for a walk outside! Have them collect leaves, sticks, and flowers that they’ll use to create a beautiful collage. This is an artistic activity that ends up being a wonderful tribute to our wonderful planet!

Learn More: Mama Teaches

77. Alphabet Bingo

Shake up the classic game of Bingo by playing it with letters instead of numbers! Your children will love practicing letter recognition by identifying the letters they hear them called out and the excitement of calling out Bingo when their card is full! It’s a fun group activity that encourages active listening. 

Learn More: New Horizon Academy

78. Dance Party

There’s nothing like watching your little ones get their wiggles out by dancing to a good tune! Play some upbeat music and let them dance freely; we’ve even found the perfect playlist to get you started!  Dance parties are a simple way to encourage physical activity and rhythm, and to foster a little bonding during a joyful group activity! 

Learn More: Miss Nina

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• Accessibility

From building fine motor skills to introducing colors, shapes and numbers, these hands-on toys help your toddler get ready for life in the great big world. Whether it is a STEM tool you’re looking for as an educational toy for 3-year olds or simply the best educational toys for 4-year olds for both at home and for the classroom, look no further than the Learning Resources products.

If you’re an educator seeking out the best educational toys for your classroom that speak to different stages of learning for 3-4 year olds, Learning Resources covers them, from Color Recognition toys to Early Math toys. 

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3 Years – 4 Years

Recent activities.

Drawing and Sorting 2D Shapes Activity

Counting Collections Numbers 1-20 Activity

Early Years Fine Motor Colour Activities

Puffy Paint: There is something magical about Puffy Paint and it is a must try for any child or toddler to paint and play with. It is super easy to make with all the ingredients you need right in your pantry and after your child has finished painting, place it in the microwave for the magic to happen…….It is SO much FUN!! Read more……

Jelly Play Dough Critters : Recently I shared a recipe for Jelly Play Dough ; this is what we did with it! We created some funny Jelly Play Dough Critters, frogs, owls, funny faces, monsters and a little kitten. The ideas and the imagination are endless. Read more…..

What is Hiding in Our Jelly?:  Hiding items inside some jelly for kids to squish and squeeze to find them.  Fun sensory activity for finding numbers, alphabet letters and animals hiding in the jelly.  Read more……

Create a Spring Play Dough Garden : Here is a great spring theme activity for the kids, creating a Spring Play Dough Garden. The play dough has been scented with a herbal shampoo to smell like flowers and is textured with small coloured flower petals. It is a great activity for kids to explore their creativity and imagination as they create their very own spring garden. Read more…..

Pompom Hockey: Keep the kids entertained with Pompom Hockey. It is a super simple activity you can set up at home for the kids, that is fun, challenging and exciting. It also gets little bodies moving! Read more…..

Back Yard Water Park: We set a range of different theme stations for the kids to play and explore, some were more sensory play based and others were imaginative play based. Altogether we had seven water play stations in our Back Yard Water Park. Read more…..

Count i ng and Subitising : The aim of this activity to develop the skill of subitising by creating an environment (visual scene) to recognise the number associated with a particular pattern on the dice, with the clusters of circles on the paper and collections/groups of pompoms and tokens made to match that of the dice. Read more…..

Sensory Play with Ice World: Ice World is a sensory activity for toddlers and pre-school children involving playing with ice, water and sea theme props. The amazing thing about sensory play is that it opens the door to so many wonderful learning opportunities such as imaginative play, language exploration, fine motor development for pre-writing skills, coordination, social interactions and so much more. Read more…….

Sorting Colours with Pompoms and Cardboard Rolls : Making learning your colours fun with this interactive game using pompoms and cardboard rolls! It involves sorting and placing coloured pompoms into the matching coloured cardboard roll and catching them in a bowl. It was a great way to reinforce the learning of colours, checking for understanding and having some fun with colours. Read more……

Free Printable Number Tracing Cards : This is a great way for kids to practice writing their numbers!! The Number Tracing Cards are a free printable that can be laminated to allow kids to draw on with a white board marker as it wipes away easily with a tissue. Kids can practice writing their numbers correctly and wipe it away and try again. Read more…..

DIY Skittles & Games : Our Homemade Skittles would have to be one of the most played with toys in our house. My girls are continuously finding new and fun things to do with them. Read more….

Imaginative Play – Planting a Garden : Coming Soon!!

Play Dough and Buttons : Setting up an invitation to play with play dough, and buttons to inspire the imagination and creativity. Read more…..

How to make Gloop? If you haven’t made Gloop yet, then this is a must for any toddler or child to try. It is super fun and super messy, I am not sure who had the most fun, me or the kids!! Gloop is an interesting mixture with a unique texture to explore and play with. Playing with Gloop is a fabulous sensory and science activity to learn about the concepts of what a solid and liquid is. Read more…..

Number Sort : Number sort is a fun, hands on activity to play and learn with numbers. It sets a challenge of searching for specific numbers amongst a jumble of numbers. Read more…..

Homemade Alphabet Sponge Letters : So much fun for the bath…….and learning your alphabet too! A great tactile and hands-on activity for kids to play with while taking a bath. When wet, the sponges stick or suction slightly to the sides of the bath and tiles, making it a great canvas for creating endless ideas. Read more…..

Rainbow Salt Tray : Why would you need crayons, textas, pencils and paper to draw when you can have more fun with a Rainbow Salt Tray! Read more…..

Pasta Play Dough : Let your child’s imagination run wild as they create and explore play dough and pasta. Read more…..

Make Your Own Solid Numbers : Combining science and learning numbers together in the one activities. Read more…..

Nature’s Paint Brushes : With the weather warming up, I have been planning more activities to do with the kids outside and I thought these paint brushes would be perfect for textured painting on a large paper canvas fixed to the fence. Read more….

Alphabet Play Dough : We had so much fun playing with our Alphabet Play Dough! It is a fun activity to help kids learn their alphabet letters and build up their fine motor skills at the same time. This activity involves using play dough to create letters in the alphabet, using the FREE Printable Alphabet Play Dough Mats as a guide. Read more…..

Sensory Play with Jelly : Ooey, gooey, slushy and messy! A fun sensory experience playing with Rainbow Jelly. Read more…..

Name Collage : Making a name collage using pom poms is an activity that will help your child become interested in their name and the letters that make up their name. Read more….

Paint Pops: Making painting fun using frozen paint on a pop stick. Create endless paintings as the paint melts! Read more……

Strawberry Scented Rice : Exploring and playing with strawberry scented rice with all kinds of scoops, shovels and sifts. Read more…..

Washing a Toy Baby : Watching Mum and Dad washing a baby sibling is an example of an experience that children copy and re-enact. Watching and learning from this experience then practising, imitating and experimenting this through imaginary play. Read more…..

Homemade Street Traffic Bath Sponges : This will keep the kids busy while having a bath as well as stimulating their imaginations and developing their storytelling skills. It is a great hands-on sensory play activity that promotes creativity, storytelling and the imagination. The bath tub is a great canvas for creating stories! A free printable too! Read more…..

S traw Flowers: A cute little gift idea! Something so simple, fun and easy to make and you will find all the items you need around the home. Read more…..

Sensory Play Rice and Bottle Tops : Developing fine motor skills through sensory play with rainbow rice and bottle tops that will also inspire the imagination and creativity. Read more…..

Pipe Cleaner Maze : Exploring and playing with pipe cleaners and beads with the Styrofoam while exercising the fine motor muscles. Read more…..

Play Dough Cupcakes : There is so much fun to be had creating pretend cupcakes as kids have the freedom to explore the imaginary world. This is a great activity to introduce and sing the Pat-a-Cake nursery rhyme. Read more……

We’re Going On a Teddy Bear Hunt : We have a gorgeous book which comes with a CD that tells the story of the adventure of going on a bear hunt. My kids have played this CD over many times as I watch them pretend to walk through long, wavy grass and run away from a bear. So I thought I would bring this story to life some more by creating the different scenes in the book. Read more…..

Pillow Case Hoppers : this wonderful activity reminded me of how the simple things can bring so much fun, while being active. This game is an oldie but a goodie replacing the hessian sacks with a pillow case……simple hours of fun! Read more…..

Soapy Slime FUN: This activity was FUN, REALLY FUN!! Kids love to get messy, it comes with being a kid as they explore their natural curiosity about the world around them. Read more…..

Paint Me: Paint Me is a cute and quirky activity that kids will enjoy making!  I plan to use ours as keep sake to giggle at in years to come. It is a perfect snap shot of the size of your kids hands and feet to compare with when they get older. Read more…..

Play Dough and Cardboard Tubes : “Rolling play dough balls down a cardboard tube ramp!” Lots of fun with play dough. Read more…..

Colourful Pattern Collage : These Colourful Pattern Easter Eggs are a bright and colourful activity for the kids to do this Easter. They are super simple to make, don’t require a lot of materials and are lots of fun! Read more…..

Alphabet Hide & Seek: My kids get very excited when we play this game. The challenge and anticipation of searching for something brings so much fun to learning your alphabet letters! The Hide and Seek Letter Hunt involves hiding the letter pairs around the house and your child goes around finding them. Free printable. Read more…..

Great Places to Play at Home : There are so many wonderful places in the home where children can play imaginatively, creatively and get active indoors. Kids will create imaginary worlds to explore and play using the most inexpensive and simple things you can find right at home. Here are a few ideas for you to try! Read more…..

Indoor Camping : It’s raining, it’s pouring…..and we have been stuck inside a fair bit lately with the weather.

To entertain the kids and give them something to do we set up an indoor camping trip to beat the boredom and promote imaginative play. Here are a few ideas for setting up your own Indoor Campsite. Read more…..

Pompoms and Mini Tongs: In the early years, we often hear discussions about the importance of fine motor and gross motor development in kids. Here is a great activity that is fun and exercises those little muscles to develop strength! Read more…..

Bottle Top Leaf Boats: What I love about winter is that there are lots of puddles to play in. Recently after days of rain and being stuck inside, we put our rain coats and gum boots on for a splash about in the puddles. Read more….

Ima gi native Play Baby Care Corner : Encourage imaginative play by setting up a Babies Care Corner. This would be a fabulous imaginative play area to set up for families who are expecting or have a new baby and for children who have a younger sibling. Read more…..

Making Honeycomb, Exploring Bi-Carbonate Soda : After making our Homemade Volcano and watching the excitement on my kids’ faces as the vinegar and bicarbonate soda reacted together, I thought I would extend the fun, fizzing and frothing into the kitchen by making some simple homemade honeycomb. Read more…..

Number Cookies : An irresistibly yummy numeracy activity for kids! So much learning happens when we cook with our kids. The social interactions, processing information, following directions, problem solving and coordination. Read more…..

Bottle Tops & Bubbles : A simple unstructured and fun sensory play idea using water, bubbles and bottle tops. It was wonderful to see the creativity, imagination and fun happen just by adding bottle tops and bubble bath to the tub.

Read more…..

The Nursery Rhymes Box : The Nursery Rhyme Box is an activity developed to encourage and promote oral language development in young children. It is essentially a box filled with a number of props that will trigger a nursery rhyme song, such as a stuffed toy cow may trigger the nursery rhyme ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’ or ‘Old Mac Donald had a Farm’ because these nursery rhymes have a cow in their lyrics. Read more…..

Blackberry Finger Painting : An activity inspired by reading the children’s book Mr McGee and the Blackberry Jam by Pamela Allen. It had been a while since we have pulled out the paints so I thought we would get them out to do a little finger painting and incorporate it with our theme of blackberries. We made some blackberries using purple and black paint and our fingers. It is always so much fun painting with our fingers! Read more…..

C olourful Cellophane Sticky Art : Cellophane Sticky Art is a great activity to introduce kids to colours!! I believe it is never too early to start learning about concepts such as colour and that through setting up opportunities to play and learn will begin the journey of developing an understanding. Read more…..

Play Dough – Bottle Tops and Straws: It is always fun to watch and see what kids will come up with when you give them simple props to promote play in an open-ended and unstructured way.

Here I have set up our activity table with play dough, bottle tops and straws to inspire the imagination and creativity. Read more….

How to make a Homemade Volcano ? Watching a homemade volcano erupt is a very exciting experience for young children as they watch and learn about the amazing power of these geological formations.

Making your own homemade volcano is really simple and requires basic material that you can find around the home. Read more…..

Paper Plate Rainbow : Using simple craft materials to create a Paper Plate Rainbow! Kids will enjoy swishing the rainbow through the air while listening to their favourite rainbow songs. Read more…..

Imaginary World of Felt : Felt is a sensory toy, brightly coloured, hands on playing, creative and great for storytelling. It brings so much imagination and learning to play times. Read more…..

Water Balloons : A fun sensory play experience for kids in the bath tub by adding balloons filled with water. Read more…..

Autumn Play Dough Leaf Prints : We have been celebrating the new season and the changes in the colours of leaves with making leaf prints and patterns using real leaves in a Nutmeg Scented Autumn Play Dough.  The play dough is lightly scented with spicy nutmeg and cinnamon, with brown colouring and red and gold glitter bringing together all the wonderful elements of autumn. Read more…..

Number Play Dough : We had so much fun making numbers with our Orange Scented Play Dough . It is a fun activity to introduce or reinforce learning about numbers for kids and develop an understanding of ‘how many’ to make a number. Free printable number play dough mats. Read more…..

Imaginative Play Wet Washing : Imaginative play washing line is so simple to put together but yet so effective for kids to pretend, engage and make sense of their world. Practising and experimenting with the various skills they will take into adulthood. Read more…..

Bubble Wrap Painting: Kids never get bored with bubble wrap, there is so much fun to be had and so much to explore with it. One of these things to explore is the interesting patterns and shapes it creates with paint. Here we have incorporated bubble wrap painting with a Valentine’s Day theme using cut out heart shapes with bubble wrap. Read more…….

Sensory Play with Sand : Sand is a toy! The less a toy does the more a child will learn! Sand is such a great sensory toy for kids as they explore their sense of touch and play and discover the wonderful texture of sand! Read more…..

Painting with Homemade Number Stamps : These Homemade Number Stamps will make learning your numbers FUN for kids as they can make endless paintings of numbers prints and sing-a-long as they learn and play! The Number Stamps are low cost, require very little materials and are super easy to make! Read more…..

Homemade Guitar : An empty shoe box + elastic bands + a cardboard tube = Homemade Guitar and endless hours of fun! These guitars are such a simple homemade instrument to make and will bring so much fun to kids play times! Read more…..

Let’s Make a Play Dough Cake : Kids love birthdays, blowing out candles and cake! Why not incorporate all these wonderful things with oral language development, strengthening fine motor skills, developing numeracy concepts and most importantly FUN! This activity involves making a play dough cake, adding candles and singing one of my favourite children’s song; 10 Little Candles. Read more…..

Imaginative Play Vet Hospital : Imaginative play would have to be one of my most favourite kinds of play. Today I am sharing with you our imaginative play Vet Hospital and some simple ideas for setting one up in your home to encourage this play. Read more…..

How to make Hanging Crystals?: Stalactites and stalagmites are formed in caves by water dripping or flowing from fractures on the roof of the cave. To try and imitate this we set up an experiment to grow salt crystals hanging from a string of wool. Read more…..

Invitation to Play with Paint & Sponges : Setting up an invitation to play with paint and cut up sponge pieces. It is always interesting to see the difference each child thinks creatively as they explore the paint and sponge pieces. Read more…..

Rainbow Collage : Adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that to create a rainbow collage! Read more…..

Chocolate Play Dough: This Chocolate Play Dough really looks and smells just like the real thing! YUM!! This play dough is great for an Easter Theme Activity! Read more…..

Sorting Buttons : Buttons are amazing as there are so many different shapes, sizes, colours, materials and styles. Kids love to run their hands through buttons, sort through them and explore the differences. Buttons are a great sensory toy and are also great to assist in learning about colours. Read more…..

Ice Boats : Water and ice are great for sensory play with kids as it engages children into a world of exploration and wonder. To make our water and ice sensory play experience a little more fun we turned the ice blocks into boats with a few simple materials. Read more…..

Marble Painting : Create some fun masterpieces with paint and marbles. Rolling marbles through paint on top of a sheet of paper creates some fun and interesting patterns. Read more……

Where is the Green Sheep? Extending the learning from the wonderful book for toddlers written by Mem Fox and making our very own Green Sheep Puppet!! Read more…..

Tin Can Music Makers : Make some homemade Tin Can Music Makers with your toddler to shake and play with as they bop along to their favourite songs. Read more…..

Imaginative Play Ice Cream Shop : The fun and joy of exploring the imaginary world of an ice cream shop.

Today I am sharing some ideas for setting up an imaginative play ice cream shop. My girls had so much fun with this (and Dad) and took part in adding their own ideas of what they thought an Ice Cream Shop should have. Read more…..

Giant Drawing: A giant drawing is an over sized piece of paper that is stuck down using sticky tape. Over a period of days the drawing grows and develops, sometimes a bit of a theme or story grows with it. Read more…..

Coloured Felt Ice Creams : This is such a fun hands on activity for kids to promote the learning of colours while playing creatively and making felt ice creams. This activity involves kids to creatively stack coloured felt ice cream on top of felt cones and then label the colours with Velcro cards. Read on to find out more and print your own! Read more…..

Little Toilet Roll People : Making these little characters is so much fun as they can be brought to life in imaginative play games. They are so simple to make and are made out recycled materials that you will find around the home. Read more…..

Sock Puppet : Creating a character or a new friend out of a sock brings hours of fun for kids. It’s fun for kids to make their own sock puppet and then the enjoyment of bringing it to life in their imaginative games. Read more…..

Sorting Coloured Bottle Tops : Sorting bottle tops into groups according to colour using paper plates to group them. Read more…..

Painting with Toy Cars : Rolling toy cars into paint and creating pictures with the patterns transferred from the wheels. Read more…..

Mini Pompom Cupcakes : Mini cupcakes are a simple, colourful and creative craft activity for kids! There are so many fun games and imaginative play times to be had with them. Read more…..

Stand Up Alphabet : The Stand Up Alphabet is one of my favourite activities here on learning4kids! Once you have made your own set, you can use them for a range of literacy activities Read more…..

Counting Octopus: Octopus Counting is a fun and creative way to introduce numbers, learn to count, or for the older kids skip counting. Read more…..

Alphabet Archaeologist : Taking on the role of an archaeologist looking for artifacts and bones in the sand or in this case searching for alphabet letters. It is a great activity to promote the learning of letter names and the sounds that they make. Read more…..

Imaginative Play Baker’s Shop : Imaginative play bakers shop was inspired by our mini cupcakes which we made previously. They make a brilliant prop to encourage the imaginary world in a bakers shop. Read more…..

How to make a Foaming Monster?: Why does it bubble? The reaction between the vinegar and bicarb soda makes carbon dioxide, which causes tiny bubbles to form. Why does it come out its mouth? The dish liquid mixed with the vinegar/bicarb combination causes a reaction that makes the foam pour out of the monster’s mouth. Read more…..

4 thoughts on “3 Years – 4 Years”

Nice tutorials

Good day very intresting and helpfull

I do this with my girls after school even thought they are older. There is nothing more educational then hands on interactive games. I modify playing for different skills but kids like having fun. I like whey they are happy and they like to learn. It is a win-win situation.

Thanks so much for well written, well explained activities. I do activities with my grandkids in the USA (I am South African however) and love your ideas (and seeing things named as I knew them growing up!!)

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Hi and welcome to Learning 4 Kids!

My name is Janice and I am an Early Childhood Teacher in Australia.

I have a strong passion and love for teaching and creating meaningful learning experiences for my students. What I love most is watching children discover in those amazing light bulb moments. I hope Learning4kids brings you some useful ideas.

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Curriculum and Activities for Homeschooling Preschool – 3-year-olds

Preschool at Home: An overview

It is now widely accepted that the work of the early years is PLAY (thank goodness!). However, there is still an overwhelming amount of advice out there, often conflicting, about what you should focus on at this age, whether you should use a curriculum or not, as well as social pressure and traditional expectations to deal with.

Play should be the vehicle for all learning. It is now understood that if a child is given certain opportunities through high-quality, imaginative and enriching play, we can ensure the long-term growth of their academic abilities and motivation for learning.

From 50+ years of research into brain development, high learning capabilities and giftedness , we can tell you with 100% certainty that there are 3 critical areas to focus on before the age of 5/6 (through play), to ensure your child’s success in education and life. 30+ years following the progress of children exposed to this approach confirms and proves this.

And the rest of what you should do with your 3-year-old preschooler depends on you and your chosen style of parenting/teaching/learning, what is developmentally-appropriate for your unique child and what their interests are. Click here to see our top tips for homeschooling preschool!

The 3 pre-requisites for general success with learning and for creative and intellectual achievement are:

The abilities to build effective mental models of how the world works, in order to give context and relevance for all learning

COMMUNICATIVE ABILITIES

The abilities to understand others and be able to make themselves understood

SELF-REGULATION  

The ability to plan and manage their own attention and behaviour

Starting with developing these 3 ‘learning abilities’ with your 3-year-old or in the preschool years means that your child will develop and then continually strengthen the neural pathways needed to ensure success in the 3 areas above.

These are the general learning and mental abilities needed for all future learning, and the sooner your child begins to maximise on the brain’s potential for these 3, the better.

Because of the way our brains develop, there is a window of opportunity up to the age of 5/6 to give children this gift for life as a person’s learning abilities are 90% determined during those early years.

Let us repeat that: A person’s learning abilities are 90% determined during the early years!

A play-based curriculum of activities for your 3-year-old

In spite of increasingly good curricula for teaching knowledge and skills in the preschool years, many children still struggle with the acquisition and application of necessary knowledge and skills later on in their education, and this can easily affect their love of learning.

So why do preschools/parents and educational curricula not specifically teach ‘learning abilities’ in addition to knowledge and skills?

Because until recently, it wasn’t clear how to. No systematic and complete approach existed that teachers and parents of children as young as 3-years-old could use easily. If you’re lucky, the learning materials your child is exposed to may accidentally teach them some of those learning abilities, but in most cases they won’t.

Developing your child’s general learning abilities before the age of 5/6 is an invaluable hack that will make everything they learn and do later on easier for them (and for you, your time, your patience and your wallet).

And Key to Learning at Home makes this as easy as possible for you, the parent. It is a unique and proven curriculum of activities and games for homeschoolers and other parents, that does exactly that starting from approximately 3 years old and up – they lead to the exceptional development of children’s learning abilities.

And as you can imagine, achieving the maximum development of a child’s ‘learning abilities’ through imaginative play is the crème-de-la-crème of a preschool education, the gold standard of curricula – whether you are homeschooling or you work on these with your child in their free time.

An overview of what is included for this age in our curriculum

The Key to Learning at Home approach provides kids with these learning abilities via engaging play, game and story-based activities that also cover typical, more traditional learning topics for 3-year-olds.

For example, the activities are full of stories and games involving animals, jobs, art, movement, colors, shapes, role-play, sorting, sequencing, and so on, and in particular, all pre-reading, pre-writing and pre-math skills are thoroughly covered. There’s something for every type of learner.

Our pre-school curriculum is divided into two levels, Caterpillars and Butterflies. 3-year-olds start with the Caterpillars level.

The following 8 modules from Key to Learning at Home are covered in the Caterpillars level:

SENSORY MATHEMATICS

Develops the ability to analyse the external, visual qualities of objects using sensory standards such as colour, shape and size. It also builds the foundation for the development of mental abilities.

ARTOGRAPHICS

Cultivates the essential skills required both for writing and creative artistic expression. Develops 'art vision' and introduces different symbolic tools, composition, rhythm and colour.

DEVELOPMENTAL GAMES

Develops productive imagination, symbolic literacy, language and communication skills, flexible thinking, creative problem solving, self-regulation and self-esteem.

STORY GRAMMAR

Develops a love of story, ownership of story language and a profound understanding of story structure by following a specific set of procedures known as 'visual modelling'.

CREATIVE MODELLING

Through shared activity, children discover symmetry and pattern by manipulating geometric shapes to create artistic compositions of the world around them. Develops co-operative and social skills.

CONSTRUCTION

Develops mathematical and goal-directed behaviour. Children analyse the structure of objects, plan, explain their plans and execute them using wooden modular building blocks.

EXPRESSIVE MOVEMENT

Develops emotional intelligence, non-verbal communication skills, creativity and productive imagination through body movement, gestures, facial expressions and music.

YOU – ME – WORLD

Using symbols and visual models, children learn about themselves as physical, emotional and social beings, and about the natural and material world – about living things and inanimate objects.

There are 286 short and focused sessions of activities within these 8 modules in the Caterpillars level, which are ideal done at an average pace of 5 a week when starting with a 3-year-old.

This is a steady approach that takes about 14 months and so covers some or all of the preschool and pre-K years.

After that, children go on to the Butterflies level which takes approximately 16 months at the same pace, in order to complete the program.

This covers them for some or all of the pre-K and Kindergarten years.

The following 10 modules from Key to Learning at Home are covered in the Butterflies level (the first 4 are new in the Butterflies level):

Develops the ability to analyse objects and events, see their invisible sides, identify their most essential characteristics, think sequentially, draw conclusions, and classify and systematise information.

MATHEMATICS

Using visual models, children discover the language of mathematics and the concept of measurement, compare different quantities and qualities of objects, and explore the relationships more, less, equal.

VISUAL – SPATIAL

Develops spatial awareness and the ability to 'read' maps. Children look at objects in space and use symbols to represent what they and others see through visual models – maps, schemes and plans.

EXPLORATION

Through games, stories and simple yet powerful experiments, children discover important scientific concepts – states of matter, different qualities of substances and transformations.

The more of these transformational learning experiences you do with your child, the better thinker, learner and communicator they will become!

From the activities in these modules, children specifically develop the skills shown below (and more).

If you look through this list and ask yourself if these are important to you for your preschool-age child to develop for the future, you will no doubt answer, “Yes, of course!”.

These are universally accepted as skills/traits/abilities that will empower a human no matter what age they are or what subject they are learning about or job they are doing.

And yet the focus of typical activities for 3-year-olds is NOT specifically designed to develop these skills, even though it is widely recognised now that developing these in the preschool years will give your child the best possible chance of educational success:

Critical thinking

Communication skills

Self-regulation

Deliberate memory

Symbolic thought

Imagination

Problem-solving

Growth mindset

Win-win mindset

Collaboration

Focused attention

Perseverance

Resourcefulness

Self-awareness

Self-discipline

Concentration

To prepare children to become brilliant, global citizens of our rapidly-changing world, developing these skills are essential, to enable them to learn and master, quickly and easily, whatever they will have a need for in their future lives.

A preschool education based on the 3 learning abilities – cognitive, communicative and self-regulative abilities – will ensure your child’s development of the above skills.

This is what makes our curriculum the gold standard in education and why it has repeatedly been named as the best curriculum for 3-year-olds.

Your child can play and you can (secretly) ensure they develop the above skills and the general learning abilities they will need later on in their life, whether you later choose to homeschool them or put them into an actual school, and whether you believe in an unschooling/child-led approach or believe in academics.

Starting now will ensure that they have the maximum opportunity to develop these tools of the mind for life.

Please note that the Caterpillars level of our preschool curriculum does not teach early number work (this comes in the Butterflies level in our Math module ) or formal teaching of phonics (this is not included at all as our curriculum is designed to give children the skills needed in preparation for formal literacy skills at a later stage when it is more age-appropriate or when your child is developmentally ready).

Why the Key to Learning at Home preschool curriculum for your 3-year-old?

• Imaginative play and developmental psychology combined
• Created by 12 leading developmental psychologists and educationalists
• Research-based and proven
• Short and focused 20-minute activities (see examples from all levels of the curriculum here )
• Online for parents, hands-on for children
• Can be customised to each family’s needs – just send us an email with a description of your situation
• Flexible and affordable – pay as you go, and stop and resume whenever you need to

Our program is ideal for a preschool homeschool curriculum, but all of our activities can also be used to supplement your child’s education at home, starting at 3-years-old.

Click here  to take a free trial of the activities provided in the Caterpillars level of our curriculum, to discover our program for yourself and start to see the benefits first-hand!

If you prefer, you can build yourself a ‘kit’ with the specific modules from our program that you want or your child needs most, and we offer a personalised service to do this, to help you make the right choices for your family. You can email us here .

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Preschool Resources for 3-5 Year Olds

August 12, 2019 April 1, 2022

Hey friends! I’m so excited to share with y’all this collection of homeschool preschool resources for 3-5 year olds! In this post you’ll find lots of the resources we enjoy using as part of our school routine! There are so many fun, hands-on activities that are developmentally appropriate for introducing common Preschool schools with your littles ones!

Getting started with homeschool Preschool? CLICK HERE to receive my FREE Homeschool Preschool Organizer and begin my 4 part e-mail series with tons of tips and tricks to help you get going!

If you love being able to “do school” anywhere or anytime, this resource is for you! This binder is one of our absolute favorite (AND best-selling) Preschool resources!

This NO PREP resource includes TONS of common Preschool skills in one, easy-to-store format. Simply print the pages and toss them in a binder using sheet protectors, and you’re ready to go! Practice colors, numbers, shapes, counting, tracing, letters, and so much more! We love using this binder as a sensory bin companion, or with a dry erase marker when we’re on the go!

CLICK HERE to check out our Preschool Skills Binder!

Is your little one ready to start working on more academic skills? This bundle is exactly what you need! While practicing important fine motor skills, your Preschoolers will be introduced to academic skills like colors, numbers, shapes, counting, letters, beginning sounds, and so much more! We have loved this resource for years because it can easily grow with your Preschooler from ages 2 to 4+!

CLICK HERE to check out our Preschool Skills Sensory Bins!

Math & Literacy Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Looking for a resource that includes ALL you need for an entire YEAR (or MORE)?! Look no further than this YEAR LONG bundle of Math and Literacy centers for ages 2-4!

The great thing about introducing Preschool skills at an early age is that you literally have YEARS to practice. This allows you to follow your child and work at their pace. It also allows you to use a curriculum for multiple years, helping ease the burden on your budget!

This 12-month bundle includes TONS of common toddler and Preschool skills with a new theme each month. You can continue to practice important skills month after month without losing your little one’s interest!

CLICK HERE to check out our Math & Literacy Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers!

If your kiddos have mastered their basic Preschool schools and are moving towards Kindergarten skills, be sure to check out this Preschool & Kindergarten Math and Literacy bundle! My sweet friend Michelle Hudgeons from Smitten with First and I put together this year-long bundle loaded with TONS of hands-on activities for your little ones! LG and I will be using pieces from these sets this year, and then moving to using it more exclusively during her Kindergarten year!

CLICK HERE to check out our Math & Literacy Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten!

Having NO PREP activities on hand with little ones is a must! These monthly themed Preschool Math and Literacy Worksheets cover tons of basic Preschool schools and still include fine motor skills activities like coloring, cutting, tracing, gluing, and more!

CLICK HERE to check out our Preschool Math and Literacy Worksheets!

This year, LG and I will be working more on letter recognition and writing! So I’m SUPER excited about this (currently) growing bundle of alphabet worksheets! Each letter of the alphabet includes 20+ different ways to practice! Choose from cutting, coloring, tracing, dabbing – you name it!

CLICK HERE to check out our Alphabet Worksheets!

We love sensory bins so much, y’all. And as LG grows, our collection of them grows as well. Ha! I was SO excited to put together these sensory bins for kiddos who are ready to practice Preschool skills! This bundle includes 5 themed matching mats for each month of the year and practices common Preschool skills – colors, counting, shapes, letters, and beginning sounds!

CLICK HERE to check out our Preschool Skills Matching Mats!

Another fun way to practice fine motor skills with your Preschoolers? Clip cards! Holy moly – there’s something about clothespins that just make a little kiddo so excited! And if your little ones aren’t quite ready for squeezing a clothespin, you can use mini erasers or pompoms to cover their answers instead! Don’t you just love a resource that’s easy to adapt??

CLICK HERE to check out our Preschool Skills Clip Cards!

I don’t know about your little ones, but mine is SO curious about how things grow and change! These life cycle studies have been the perfect first Science study for her! She loves all of the hands-on activities, videos and book choices! And of course my seasonally theme lovin’ heart loves that there are units for every season or holiday!

CLICK HERE to check out our Life Cycle Studies!

Last, but certainly not least, is our Bible studies. Bible study time is such a special time with our little ones and it’s never too early (or too late) to get started! I’m constantly amazed at how much LG soaks up information that most people assume is so far above their comprehension. Starting Bible study with little ones is a wonderful way to foster that sweet “childlike faith”.

CLICK HERE to check out our Bible Studies!

Would you like to have a FULL YEAR of basics covered for your Homeschool Preschool plans? Be sure to grab our Preschool Math & Literacy MEGA BUNDLE and save over $100! This bundle covers TONS of common Preschool skills and can follow your little ones from ages 2yo-5yo and beyond!

CLICK HERE to check out our Preschool MEGA BUNDLE!

Well, friends – I hope this post has been super helpful for you! All of these resources have been tested and loved by my now 4.5 year daughter for years, and I truly hope your little ones enjoy them just as much! If you ever have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me or DM me on Instagram! Hope to chat with your soon!

CLICK HERE to receive helpful e-mails with tips and ideas for your Preschoolers!

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I am looking for Days of the week and Months of the Year interactive binder activities

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60 Best Educational YouTube Channels for Kids in 2023

Screen time with real benefits.

Today’s kids aren’t old enough to remember the excitement of seeing the TV/VCR cart parked in their classroom for the day, but they still love watching videos in class! We’ve rounded up the best educational YouTube channels for students from preschool through high school, covering just about every topic you can imagine.

Note: As with all media, we recommend screening videos in advance to be sure they’re appropriate for your audience.

Pre-K and Elementary School Educational YouTube Channels

Middle and high school educational youtube channels.

Teaching toddlers their shapes and colors? Helping elementary kids understand math and science concepts? Looking for fun ways to explore social studies? These YouTube channels have the content you need.

In the last few years, Ms. Rachel and her diverse cast of friends have taken the toddler crowd by storm. Her videos are bright, fun, and appealing for little learners.

Netflix Jr.

Netflix has some terrific educational shows for kids, and this YouTube channel highlights many of them. We especially love Ada Twist, Scientist and Dr. Raven the Science Maven .

Learn Bright

You’ll find videos for kids here on all sorts of topics, including reading, math, history, and science.

Let’s Read Stories

Stories for kids—read by a kid! This channel features tons of favorite books, read beautifully by a child who knows how to make the story engaging and fun.

Baby Einstein

This popular series has been around for awhile, and it’s perfect for little ones just learning about the world.

Learn about safety, feelings and emotions, and more with these sweet videos.

The folks that brought you Baby Shark have a whole channel! Learn and sing along with one of the most beloved characters out there.

Storytime With Ryan and Craig

Looking for read-alouds with some personality? Check out Ryan and Craig! They’re comedians who read children’s books and comment (in kid-appropriate ways) as they go. They’re fun and entertaining, and the reading is good-quality and so are the book choices.

The StoryTime Family

Ready for some titles you haven’t seen before? The StoryTime Family has a big virtualnbookshelf with playlists for animals, social-emotional learning, and more. No commercial characters here, just good-quality selections kids haven’t already heard dozens of times.

All the songs and nursery rhymes little ones love! This channel is available in multiple languages too.

The Brain Scoop

Head behind the scenes with staff from Chicago’s Field Museum and learn all about natural history topics.

Houston Zoo

Animal lovers, take note! The Houston Zoo shares information about all their animals and their keepers too.

Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls

Amy Poehler’s channel is geared toward girls, but all kids will enjoy the stories and inspiring videos posted here.

KLT stands for “Kids Learning Tube.” Their videos focus on geography and astronomy.

Art for Kids Hub

This one’s for the art lovers—even kids who think they can’t draw! This channel will show you how to create pretty much anything you can think of, step by step.

Socratica Kids

Join these friendly puppets as they learn to read, count, and even dance!

Rock ’n Learn

Songs are a great way to help kids learn, and this channel is full of them! Find reading, writing, math, and languages for kids of all ages.

Jack Hartmann

Speaking of songs, Jack Hartmann’s channel has so many to choose from!

Mystery Doug

Doug tackles the most important questions, like “why don’t people fall out of roller coasters?” or “is it possible to become invisible?”

Khan Academy Kids

Circle Time from educational resource powerhouse Khan Academy is full of stories and activities the younger crowd will love.

Alphablocks

The Alphablocks are 26 living letters who discover that whenever they hold hands and make a word, something magical happens. This hit show combines phonics with fun to help little ones learn the skills they need to become readers.

Numberblocks

If your kids like Alphablocks, they’ll love Numberblocks! More than a thousand videos full of number songs, learning, and fun.

Crash Course Kids

This kid-friendly series from the creators of the popular Crash Course (see below) covers science for elementary kids. The channel includes topics like earth science, biology, astronomy, and more.

National Geographic Kids

Everything you love about National Geographic, but geared toward kids’ interests—and their attention spans. Travel and explore the world with short videos featuring animals, science, and much more.

Storyline Online

Top-notch actors reading fantastic children’s books? Sign us up! Each video includes imaginative animation based on the illustrations. Plus, teachers can find supplemental curricula on Storyline’s website .

Finding Stuff Out

The best YouTube channels for kids are those that feature other kids! Finding Stuff Out explores everything from hair to sports to robots, with young hosts that speak to students on their level.

It’s no surprise that PBS has some terrific educational YouTube channels, including PBS Kids. Get full-length episodes of shows kids love, like Daniel Tiger and Wild Kratts , plus read-alongs, Sesame Street , and a lot more.

Free School

If you’re looking for age-appropriate videos on history, science, or language arts, look no further. Free School covers these topics and more in a way that’s perfect for younger learners.

SciShow Kids

Explore all the best science topics, with videos that aim to answer the eternal kid question “Why?” You’ll also find experiments and our favorite series: Playground Science.

Kids Academy

This is another one of those YouTube channels for kids that covers a bit of just about everything. You’ll even find chess lessons for kids!

ABCmouse.com

ABCMouse is well known as a terrific program for early learners. Their channel includes educational songs, crafts and activities, and more.

Fun Kids English

For kids learning English as a second language, try this channel. Cute songs and engaging videos will have them fluent in no time!

English Class 101

ESL students will find so much to learn on this channel, with new content and even livestreams added regularly.

Hoffman Academy

Learn to play the piano from videos? Yup! This popular channel includes piano lessons from beginner to advanced, as well as music theory lessons that don’t require any instruments at all.

Videos are a terrific way to engage older students on topics from science to literature to current events and beyond. These educational YouTube channels cover it all.

Math Antics

There are math topics on this channel for all ages, from simple arithmetic to algebra.

Learn more about how and why we do the things we do, and ways to make your daily life a little bit better.

Mental Floss

If you love crazy trivia and origin stories, check out Mental Floss! These videos are fun for bell ringers or to fill in a few minutes at the end of class.

Fascinated by language? This is your channel! Explore the background, history, and development of languages around the globe.

Physics Girl

Dianna Cowern is a big name in science videos. Check out her channel to show students a strong female STEM role model.

Today I Found Out

If you believe there’s something new to learn all the time, check out these quick videos that share cool stories and fascinating facts you won’t find elsewhere.

Big thoughts on big topics from big leaders in their fields. Introduce students to experts in a wide array of subjects.

The History Channel started on cable TV, and their YouTube channel has lots of fascinating topics, from short clips to full episodes.

NASA has multiple educational YouTube channels, but we like this one best for students and teachers. The videos are geared toward learning about space in ways that kids can understand.

The Backyard Scientist

You might not be able (or willing!) to pour molten aluminum into a watermelon to find out what happens, but the Backyard Scientist is! These videos are engaging and so fun to watch.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy provides an enormous amount of free educational resources, including their educational YouTube channels. Pretty much any teacher will find something useful here.

MinutePhysics

Just what it sounds like: very quick videos on a range of physics topics. Perfect for introducing new topics to your students!

According to this channel, Veritasium is the “element of truth.” Lots of science videos, but also a wide variety of other topics.

AsapScience

This channel sets out to make sense of science, and they do just that! Note that some videos are better for older viewers, so review your choices in advance.

Challenge students to think more deeply about, well, just about everything. These fascinating videos are brain-bending and lots of fun.

This channel was created by Joe Hanson, Ph.D., who describes himself as “a curious group of atoms in a very curious universe.” His videos cover everything from “Does My Dog Know What I’m Thinking?” to “My Date With a Giant Pacific Octopus.”

The Infographics Show

This channel aims to take facts of all kinds and turn them into engaging and intriguing videos. Watch stories of incredible people, events, and mysteries. There’s a new video nearly every day, so the variety is practically endless.

Simple History

Simple History visualizes the past, bringing history to life through animation. The videos cover ancient Egypt to the Cold War and everything in between.

Smarter Every Day

Covering everything from an interview with a former Obama staffer to what it’s like to fly in supersonic jet, these videos get millions of views, and for good reason.

Crash Course

Crash Course has 30+ in-depth courses on a wide variety of subjects, including chemistry, literature, philosophy, and more. They’ve recently teamed up with Arizona State University to produce study courses specifically aimed at high schoolers.

Everything you love about TED Talks, with subjects chosen to interest kids and teens. Topics are wide-ranging, and the videos are just as engaging as you’d expect from TED. We especially love the “There’s a Poem for That” series, which pairs classic poetry with award-winning animation.

The MediaWise project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan program that teaches people how to find reliable, accurate information online. These videos teach students to be thoughtful consumers of online content, rather than just believing everything they see.

SciShow loves to explore what makes everything tick. They upload new videos daily, covering science news, fast facts, and deeper exploration of fascinating topics.

Think of this YouTube channel like a museum field trip with the best tour guide ever. Emily from the Field Museum in Chicago takes you behind the scenes to learn how (and why) natural history museums do what they do.

Biography highlights newsworthy personalities and events with compelling and surprising points of view. From historical figures to current political leaders, authors to artists, you’ll find pretty much anyone you can imagine here.

Numberphile

The concept is simple: videos about numbers. Explore the golden ratio, prime numbers, pi, and so much more. Math teachers will definitely want to bookmark this one.

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Plus, make videos more meaningful with these 8 ways to help students watch videos critically (instead of zoning out) ..

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Former Canton firefighter indicted for pandering sexual material involving child

SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - A former Canton firefighter was arraigned on multiple charges of pandering sexual material involving minors.

According to Summit County court documents, Mason Molina, 21, faces three counts of pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person.

He was arraigned on these charges Tuesday, according to court documents.

19 News reached out to the Canton Fire Department and confirmed Molina was employed by the Canton Fire Department.

Video on the Canton Fire Department’s Facebook page shows Molina being sworn in on May 18, 2021.

Division Chief Steve Henderson said Molina has, however, submitted his resignation.

The indictment was originally filed on April 26, according to court documents.

On Tuesday, Molina’s bond was set at $5,000 under the condition Molina does not use the internet while out on bond.

He is due in court again July 9 for his pretrial.

19 News has also reached out to the Summit County Sheriff for more details on the charges.

Copyright 2024 WOIO. All rights reserved.

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14 Online Language Learning Resources for Kids

Looking for online language learning programs for your kids?

Whether you’re a language learner yourself or just an awesome parent/caretaker, giving children access to the benefits of being bilingual  is one of the best things you can do for them.

Read on for a look at the best language-learning apps for kids.

1. Best for Short Videos: Little Pim

2. best for language range: dinolingo, 3. best for story-based learning: muzzy bbc, 4. best for games: duolingo super family, 5. best for vocabulary: petralingua, 6. best for conversational skills: mango languages, 7. best for engaging interface: languagenut, 8. best for audio and video: pbs learning media, 9. best for learning with books: unuhi: bilingual books, 10. best for interactive learning: studycat, 11. best for complete beginners: gus on the go, 12. best for range of topics: mondly kids, 13. best for learning the basics: teach kids languages, 14. best for range of levels: fun easy learn.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Recommended age: 1-6

Available languages: Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, Italian, German, Arabic, Hebrew, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and English/ESL with English or Spanish.

Price: $9.99/month, $69.99/year

Little Pim, a lovable panda, can be your children’s video guide to learning any or all of the 12 languages on offer. What used to be recorded on multiple DVDs can now be streamed or digitally downloaded. You’ll still get that Little Pim cuteness and goofy goodness that won the program over 25 awards.

• Thousands of learner friendly videos (especially beginners)
• Handpicked, organized, and annotated by FluentU's experts
• Integrated into courses for beginners

Their learning system, the Entertainment Immersion Method , was developed by top language teachers and neuroscientists. It employs repetition, play and child-friendly themes to tap into toddlers’ natural love for learning. The videos are a combination of animations and live-action clips that introduce topics like colors and numbers. They run for only five minutes to accommodate their young audience.

Recommended age: 2-12

Available languages: 51 languages including popular languages like Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and German, and less popular choices like Danish, Pubjabi and Hawaiian.

Price: $14.95/month for four children to access one language, $14.95/month for each additional language.

Dinolingo is an award-winning language program for kids, named so for the cute dinosaurs who introduce your kids to their target languages. The program gets children to learn new languages through games, songs, videos, worksheets and more. Languages come with a wide range of excellent resources created with kids in mind , like audiobooks and storybooks, flashcards and games, like memory games and word wheels (for vocab acquisition).

• Interactive subtitles: click any word to see detailed examples and explanations
• Slow down or loop the tricky parts
• Show or hide subtitles
• Review words with our powerful learning engine

The program covers everyday topics such as household items, family, body parts, clothes, nature and actions. It does so in a colorful and fun way that’ll have your kids happily repeating these lessons over and over.

Recommended age: all ages

Available languages:

• Online: Spanish (Latin America or Catalonian), French, English (British or American), German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Korean.
• On DVD: Spanish, French, English, German, Italian and Mandarin Chinese.

Price: $14.66/month. Semi-annual and annual plans available. Risk-free trial period and payment plan with the DVD set.

MUZZY is the BBC’s answer to language learning for all ages. This immersion program is centered around animated characters and stories in video “episodes.” The episodes are designed to naturally build on one another, enabling your child to learn through an engaging, interactive method, rather than traditional “teaching.”

You can watch the videos wherever is convenient, whether that’s on the website or the apps, or through an on-demand service like Roku, FireTV or Chromecast.

• Learn words in the context of sentences
• Swipe left or right to see more examples from other videos
• Go beyond just a superficial understanding

The program will introduce your child to 600+ vocabulary words and cover everyday topics like telling time, talking about food, transportation, occupations, basic tenses (past, present and future), asking questions and more.

Available languages: 39 languages (some in beta), including unique options like Navajo and Scottish Gaelic, as well as fantasy languages like High Valerian and Klingon.

Price: $119.99/year for Duolingo Super Family, $6.99/month for Duolingo Super individual plan. Free for basic app.

Duolingo is one of the most popular language-learning programs online.

The app divides lessons into bite-sized game-like experiences . It uses repetition and different interactive activities to embed vocabulary into your mind and keep it fresh. Learners are given little tasks. The idea is that the more of these teenie tiny tasks they do, the better they’ll remember the target language.

• FluentU builds you up, so you can build sentences on your own
• Start with multiple-choice questions and advance through sentence building to producing your own output
• Go from understanding to speaking in a natural progression.

Duolingo repeats the tasks, goes back and forth between languages, mixes and matches previously learned words and keeps learners on their toes. It also does a good job of remembering the words learners have difficulty with so they can be offered for review.

See our full review of Duolingo here .

Available languages: English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, German and French.

Price: $7.99/month or $47.99/year for one online course. Complete sets are $89.99/language.

PetraLingua is a multimedia vocabulary builder. Each course has 21 lessons that teach a range of vocabulary, from colors and clothing to fruits and vegetables. You can check the list of topics covered before committing.

• Images, examples, video examples, and tips
• Covering all the tricky edge cases, eg.: phrases, idioms, collocations, and separable verbs
• No reliance on volunteers or open source dictionaries
• 100,000+ hours spent by FluentU's team to create and maintain

All told, each course features around 500 basic words, 80 animated language-learning videos, 11 songs, 140 interactive online games , a talking picture dictionary and a downloadable activity book.

Each lesson opens with an introductory video that identifies the vocabulary set of that lesson. This is followed by a parade of reinforcing activities, exercises and games that’ll help kids learn the new words. These include listen-and-repeat, listen-and-click and word-matching tasks that allow kids to experience the words in different contexts.

Recommended age: 6 and up

Available languages: 70+ languages, from popular options to lesser-known ones like Dari, Igbo and Uzbek.

Price: $7.99/month or $79.99/year for one language. $17.99/month or $179.99/year for all languages, up to five Family Profiles and parental controls.

Your kids are going to need headphones for this one. The uniqueness of the program lies in its focus on conversational skills . If you want your kids to study in the morning and try out their newly learned phrases with the whole family in the afternoon, Mango Languages could be a good option.

Each lesson starts by listening to a few lines of basic dialogue or conversation. The audio is accompanied by clear text of the whole exchange, and everything is color-coded so you can easily see which words correspond to their translations.

In the remainder of the lesson, the dialogue is deconstructed and broken down into lines, phrases and words. There’s a “Play” icon on every line so learners can self-pace and repeat the lines as often as they need. The learner is guided line-by-line and hears how each word is correctly spoken. Hover the mouse on a particular line to see the translation of it.

See our full review of Mango Languages here .

Recommended age: 5-14

• Elementary school learners: 23 modern foreign languages, including English, French, Spanish, German and Mandarin Chinese.
• High school learners: Spanish, French and German.

Price: Available on request. You may book a demo before committing.

Languagenut is the perfect vocabulary builder, pronunciation partner and spelling teacher. The program amply covers all bases and touches on all four key linguistic skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. The program has specific games that address each.

It’s widely used in schools in 32 countries around the world as a supplemental language teaching tool. But the program can be equally valuable for homeschooling families.

Languagenut may tackle the same topics (numbers, colors, greetings) as many other language programs, but it has some of the most graphically compelling interfaces on this side of language learning.

The elementary school program will teach your kids 440 words and phrases through 23 units. Target words are taught through 13 speaking, listening, reading and writing games. You’ll also find verb conjugation exercises, stories, songs and more.

Available languages: Spanish, Japanese, French, German and Mandarin Chinese.

Price: Free. You may also create a free account to gain access to additional resources.

Although this program doesn’t offer as many languages as the others on this list, PBS Learning Media does well in tackling all the different language skills in their audio and video lessons.

The clips are divided by grade levels: PreK-K, K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. There are only 16 videos available across all the languages in the PreK-K section, but the rest of the levels have a substantial amount of content with around 200 videos.

The section for grades 3-5 contains almost 400 videos, so PBS Learning Media would be particularly useful for elementary-aged kids. This level is also great for adults who want to learn like kids but find the early childhood content too simple.

The audio clips tend to be short, mainly focusing on listening and speaking skills, while the videos are a mix of songs, conversations and standard lessons. The standard video lessons are quite handy since they also come with supporting materials for teachers, such as the lesson plan, video transcript, flashcards, assessments and more.

Recommended age: 2-10

• Written: English, Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Filipino, Finnish, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese (Simplified), Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Thai.
• Audio narration: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Mandarin Chinese.

Price: Free for one e-book. Additional stories range from $0.99 to $3.99 for a bundle.

Meaning “translate” in Hawaiian, Unuhi is a remarkable app for teaching a foreign language to children. Not only does it allow your kids to learn in their native tongue, but it also does it through the art of storytelling. Reading is crucial for cognitive development, and letting the little ones read bilingual stories in early childhood will also form their ability to think in both of their languages.

To help them read out loud, audio narration by native speakers is available for some languages, with more options currently underway.

The stories are short, with each page containing only one sentence in dual languages, accompanied by beautiful illustrations to let the kids visually connect with new vocabulary words. To reinforce these new words, Unuhi has numerous sets of flashcards that you and the kids can practice with.

Recommended age: 3-10

Available languages: English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French and German.

Price: $14.99/month, $59.99/year. Seven-day free trial available.

Created by a language teacher, artist and game designer in 2000, Studycat was a small classroom program that became a hit among the students. Because it was so popular with the kids, the founders turned it into a digital curriculum that they could share with fellow language teachers, schools and parents. Then, in 2011, the app was born to reach learners across the globe.

Studycat is the virtual teacher and learning buddy that’ll guide kids through phonics, plus more than 500 vocabulary terms and grammar points which align with the Cambridge Young Learners Starters program.

But instead of Studycat taking over the lesson, kids learn through fun and play—specifically interactive games, original songs and relatable cartoon characters with different voices so learners can listen to the language in different accents.

Recommended age: 3-7

Available languages: 30 languages, from popular options like Portuguese to vulnerable tongues like Ingush.

Price: $3.99 one-time payment 

Gus is a friendly owl that helps children explore the languages of the world through interactive exercises and adorable animations. Each language has its own app, so you are able to download as many languages as you want.

After every lesson, there’s a lesson review composed of fun exercises. Completing the review will unlock a cute game and trophies, which is very helpful in keeping the little ones motivated to learn more vocabulary words. The words taught in these lessons are very basic, themed around animals, food and colors, among others, making this a very good starting point for complete beginners.

Some of the languages also have free printables , such as flashcards and crafts, to supplement the learning in the apps. So far, however, Stories by Gus on the Go is only available in four languages: French, Greek, Hebrew and Spanish.

Recommended age: 5-12

Available languages: 33 languages, from popular choices like Korean and Spanish to less common options like Farsi and Afrikaans.

Price: $9.99/month, $47.99/year

Known for its innovation in language education technology, Mondly now offers gamified lessons for kids. In addition to the regular Mondly features (quick daily lessons and audio by professional native speakers), the Mondly Kids app has really kid-friendly illustrations and cool sound effects to keep them engaged with new vocab words.

And unlike the original app which includes a leaderboard, the statistics on the kids’ app are exhibited on a brain map. It’s a smart move to remove the competitive element of the original Mondly app, as having the little ones participate in this kind of competition might add unnecessary stress and pressure to a program that’s meant to be fun.

The Mondly app for kids is quite impressive in terms of the topics they cover. Other than the standard food, animals, colors, numbers and parts of the body, they also have categories such as buildings, leisure and professions.

See our full review of Mondly here .

Recommended age: 2-7

Available languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Dutch, Esperanto and Turkish.

Price: Free for three themes. $2.99/month or $26.49/year for full access.

The Teach Kids Languages app uses fun games to teach languages to children . With puzzles, memory games and quizzes, learning never needs to be boring.

The app starts from the basics so kids can learn proper spelling and pronunciation of common vocabulary words.

Vocabulary is a huge focus, and the words taught are mostly general terms that children use often, like colors, numbers, shapes, animals, clothing and more.

The animations are cute and use a soothing color scheme, which prevents them from being overstimulating. The Teach Kids Languages app is free to download, while additional in-app purchases unlock more content.

Recommended age: 4 and up

Available languages: 62 languages, from popular choices like Spanish to less common ones like Slovak and Thai.

Price: Free. Premium, ad-free access available for $11.99-$129.99 (prices range depending on number of languages and length of access time).

Fun Easy Learn offers intuitive, easy-to-use language learning apps. These apps are designed for visual and/or auditory learners in general, but many of the images and features are particularly appealing to children.

Fun Easy Learn offers a great assortment of learning materials. Each app contains 5,000-6,000 words with audio spoken by native speakers. Words are logically organized in 15+ main themes with 140+ subcategories. Fun games are also available to keep you learning.

The apps are organized into three difficulty levels, from beginning through advanced, so they’re appropriate for any level language learner.

Each of the above programs has its strengths and specialties, so you can choose whatever fits you and your child’s situation.

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Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

About the education award.

After successfully completing your AmeriCorps term of service and enrolling in the National Service Trust, you are eligible to receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. You can use the award to repay qualified student loans and to pay current educational expenses at eligible institutions of higher education and training programs.

in education awards earned by AmeriCorps members to pay for college

education awards paid annually to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs)

The Value of an Education Award

The amount of a full-time Segal AmeriCorps Education Award is equivalent to the maximum value of the Pell Grant for the fiscal year in which the term of national service is approved.  The amount of the Pell Grant can change each year. Therefore, the amount of a full-time award can change. Once an individual earns an award, the dollar amount of that award will not change. The award amount varies based on the term of service completed.

Find out more

Ways You Can Use Your Educational Award

Pay educational expenses.

You can use your education award to pay current educational expenses at eligible schools and at certain GI Bill-approved educational programs for veterans.

Eligible schools are higher educational institutions, both domestic and foreign, that currently participate in the Department of Education’s Title IV student aid programs.   This category includes most post-secondary colleges, universities, and technical schools.

Repay Qualified Student Loans

The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award can only be used to repay the qualified student loans listed below:

• Loans backed by the federal government under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (except PLUS Loans to parents of students)
• Loans under Titles VII or VIII of the Public Service Health Act
• Loans made by a state agency, including state institutions of higher education

Use the MyAmeriCorps Portal to Manage Your Education Award

Things you should know, extending your award’s use period.

You must use the Education Award within a seven year period. In special cases, an alumnus can extend the use period for the Education Award, limitations apply.

Transfer Your Award

Education Awards can be transferred from alumni to family members under specific conditions. Read more about how to transfer your Education Award.

Tax Implications

All payments made using the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award are subject to federal tax in the year each payment is made. 

Education Award Eligibility

The amount of a full-time Segal AmeriCorps Education Award is equivalent to the maximum value of the Pell Grant for the fiscal year in which the term of national service is approved.  The amount of the Pell Grant can change each year.  Therefore, the amount of a full-time award can change.  Once an individual earns an award, the dollar amount of that award will not change.  The award amount for less than half-time service programs varies based on the required terms of service. 

Anyone who completes a term of service within a 12-month period, in one of the following programs, is eligible to earn an education award.

• AmeriCorps NCCC
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• AmeriCorps VISTA*

*VISTA members who complete a term of service within a 12-month period may be eligible to choose a cash option in place of the education award.

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There are limitations on the number of terms an individual can serve in each AmeriCorps program, and on the maximum value of education awards one individual can receive. 

Current limits on number of terms an individual can serve:

• AmeriCorps NCCC- no limit on service terms, but members may NOT serve more than two consecutive NCCC terms without a break of at least 10 months before serving again
• AmeriCorps State and National- four terms
• AmeriCorps VISTA- five total years of service

Although an individual can serve more than two terms, a person cannot earn more than the aggregate value of two, full-time education awards.

Each term of service for which an individual earns an education award counts as one term of service in computing the term limitations.  This includes terms for which a member earns a full-time, half-time, and any other type part-time or prorated education award.  A prorated education award is an award that may be earned when an individual, for reasons beyond his or her control, cannot complete the entire service period.  Generally, if a member is released before completing a term of service and does not receive the education award, that term counts as one of the terms served. 

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Make your education award go further. Certain schools will provide scholarship or a match for AmeriCorps alumni with the Education Award. 

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Learn more about the benefits that you’re eligible to receive while serving with AmeriCorps.

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Still have questions about the Education Award? Are you an institution that processes award payments? Read our most frequently asked questions.

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• child injured

3-year-old student sent home from Houston ISD school with unexplained head injury

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A mother wants answers from Houston ISD after her 3-year-old left school Monday with a head injury.

Her mother, Jazzlyn Price, said her daughter Harmoni is both autistic and nonverbal.

She's in pre-kindergarten at Briargrove Elementary in the Greater Uptown.

"I just feel like someone is hiding something," Price said.

According to Price, Harmoni came home from school and was clearly injured.

"My daughter's teacher sent me a text message saying she had a bump on her head, and basically, she didn't know how it got there," Price said.

According to Price, the teacher explained that she had left Harmoni with two teacher's aides at 1:45 p.m.

Price said she was told one of the aides noticed Harmoni's head injury at the end of the school day, around 3 p.m.

"The teacher's aide said the last time they changed Harmoni was 2:45, so sometime between 2:45 and 3, she ends up with this big knot on her head, and nobody knows how it got there," Price said.

Price immediately wondered what the school could see on their security cameras.

"Apparently, the cameras are broken at the school, and they are unable to get footage," Price said.

"We cannot comment publicly on issues involving individual students," the district said after ABC13 asked about the incident.

"I think every student in the classroom is nonverbal, so if they are being abused or mistreated, no one will know. They can't advocate for themselves or speak up, so it's just kind of scary," Price said.

Eyewitness News followed up with HISD and asked if the incident was being investigated either internally or externally.

In a second statement, HISD said:

"After checking with our Chief of Police, we do not have a report of this incident. As such, no follow-up was conducted. However, a patrol officer was sent today to the school, where a report could be made. The campus may be handling this incident internally if it did occur."

Price said she's contacted child protective services and plans to make her own call to police.

"Knots like that, especially that size, don't just appear on someone's head. I just want to know what happened," Price said.

Briargrove was a place Price believed was safe for Harmoni.

But she said every step of their response to her daughter's injury has proved that is not the case.

"Not only did they see the knot and put her on the bus, but they did not send her to the nurse, (nor did they) send her to get looked at. She could've passed out," Price said.

Eyewitness News asked the district whether Briargrove's security cameras are functioning but has yet to hear back.

For updates on this story, follow Alex Bozarjian on Facebook , X and Instagram .

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