Preschool excitement doesn’t have to be limited to the classroom. Your little ones are at that perfect age to become a ready participant to play all sorts of new games with their newly found (and developing) skill sets. Taking the time to play games with your preschool-aged child isn’t just about bonding and having fun; it helps to strengthen their growing toolbox of fine and gross motor skills!
7 Preschool-Aged Games for Your Child
Many preschool-aged games focus on moving the body and making connections.
Your preschooler has the energy to spare, and it’s up to you to direct it!
- Treasure Hunt
- Balance Beam
- Balloon Bop
- Scavenger Hunt
- Red Light, Green Light
- Simon Says
- Build a Fort
- Have Your Child Search For Treasure
Materials needed: treasure map, store-bought or homemade “treasure”
Treasure hunts are always fun. Hide your selected treasure. Make a simple map for your preschooler, marking a big “X” where your treasure is hidden. Make your map as simple or complex as your preschooler play partner can handle, and off they go!
- Test Your Child’s Balance
Materials needed: masking/painters tape, blankets
Not only is this game fun for preschool play, but it also assists in gross motor development! Depending on how adept your child is physically, either mark a straight line with tape or a wider line with folded blankets. First, challenge your child to walk along the line; you can then amp it up with some preschool-aged games by having them do some fun following games, like jumping, hopping, and maybe even skipping along the line!
- Who Can Keep The Balloon Up?
Materials needed: balloons
This is always a hit among preschool-aged game players. Blow up a few balloons and toss them in the air. Instruct your preschool child to keep them from touching the ground. Not only is this popular among the preschool play set, but it also strengthens their hand-eye coordination!
- Check The Items Off The List!
Materials needed: a small selection of items familiar to your preschooler, a list with pictures of items
Scavenger Hunts are always a blast, and preschoolers play this with enthusiasm. Hide a few favorite toys or familiar items for your preschooler and then present them with a list that shows the items. They will have a wonderful time searching the house for the hidden objects!
- Only Move When The Light’s Green!
Materials needed: two or more people
Of all the preschool-aged games, this one is a favorite because it can be played with any number of preschoolers. Set up a starting spot and then stand across the room. Turn your back and say, “Green light.” Your preschooler may move toward you until you turn around and yell, “Red light!” As soon as you do, anyone moving must immediately stop. If they are caught moving, they must return to the starting spot. You will then turn again and say, “Green light.” Once any preschooler playing has reached you safely, they have “won” the game!
- Age-Old Simon Is Still Popular
Materials needed: two or more people
Every child in preschool plays this at some point, and you can use it to boost your preschooler’s listening skills. Having a down-in-the-dump day? Utilize the game to have your preschooler say and do silly things to brighten the afternoon!
- Who Can Resist a Fort?
Materials needed: table, blankets, sheets, chairs, pillows, boxes
It’s the classic indoor activity – building a fort! Grab the extra blankets, sheets, pillows, and any preschool-aged games, and get ready for an afternoon of fort building.
Pro-tip: use large sheets rather than blankets for easier tarp building! Once you have erected the fort with your preschool play buddies, utilize it to play games, read books, eat snacks, or whatever strikes your mood because everything is more fun if it is done in a fort!
Once your child is old enough for preschool-aged games, a more expansive world opens to them, filled with discovery and adventure. Enjoy this time and seize the opportunity to have your preschooler play with their imagination and found items around the house.
At Rising Stride Child Care Center, we love celebrating the surge of exploration preschoolers exhibit, and we capitalize on it with our Preschool programs. See all that we have to offer in our programs. We think you will love it!