25 ways to keep your preschooler occupied

It is not too hard to keep a preschooler busy. Compared to a toddler, a preschooler usually has a longer attention span and doesn’t get bored too easily.

However, it is a good idea to line up some interesting activities for when your little one returns from school or when he starts nagging you for something to do.

To help you out, we've come up with a list of activities that are both interesting and educational — and have nothing to do with a television or iPad!

Just click 'Next' to start viewing our list!

Clean-up time

This simply means getting your preschoolers to clean up after themselves. We know how kids love to make a mess when playing, but it is usually us mums who end up doing the cleaning.

Make clean-up time fun for your little one by singing a fun song such as this one from Barney.

Chores

A preschooler is usually defined as a child who is between the ages of 3 and 6. Believe it or not, there are loads of chores around the house that are age-appropriate for them to do.

For example, let them wash plastic bowls and cups, dust furniture and even sweep or mop — all under your supervision, of course!

Activity books

Activity books contain puzzles, colouring pages, number games and a lot more. They are a great way to keep your preschooler busy at a restaurant or even on a flight.

Jigsaw puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles come in various themes and subjects. They are great for enhancing your child’s concentration, coordination and fine motor skills.

Blocks

Give your child a box of blocks and let her get creative. Blocks can keep any child busy for an hour or more.

This is a great activity if you want to sit down and read a book or get some work done — while keeping an eye on your child.

Drawing

Drawing and painting are good for developing your child’s fine motor skills and creativity. It is also a suitable activity for keeping your kids occupied when you're at a restaurant or on a flight.

Always have a box of crayons, paints and lots of paper handy for when your child wants to explore her artistic side.

Card games

Card games are great for building concentration and to help your child ‘think on his feet’. Check out this link for a list of kid-friendly card games you can teach your preschooler.

Cooking

My kids love to help out in the kitchen when I’m cooking. So I let them help me out in many ways such as washing fruits and veggies, applying butter on bread, mixing the batter when making cupcakes and so much more.

I even allow my 5-year-old to cut fruits for a fruit salad — under my close supervision, of course! Try this and your little ones will not only feel involved but also see the trouble you go through to make those yummy meals for them.

Arts and crafts

Kids between the ages of 3 and 7 love to get creative with arts and crafts. Here are two wonderful websites that have some cool arts and crafts ideas for kids:

www.spoonful.com/crafts

https://artfulparent.com/kids-arts-crafts-activities-500-fun-artful-things-kids

Card-making

A greeting card made with love by your little cutie will be so much more special than a shop-bought one. Ask your kids to make blank greeting cards which you can use as birthday and thank you cards for relatives and friends.

Check out these two websites for card-making inspiration. https://www.redtedart.com/2012/05/11/20-card-making-ideas-for-kids/

https://www.pinterest.com/rcreationsuk/cardmaking-for-children-simple-ideas-for-cards/

Play make-believe

Preschoolers have a very vivid imagination and love pretending to be a doctor, a race car driver or absolutely anything they can think of!

This is a great activity especially for when your little one has a friend over for a play date. You can even make it more exciting by dressing up too!

Reading

It is never too early to start building your child’s library and encouraging him or her to read books. Reading not only expands little children's vocabulary; it also enhances their memory power.

The best part about reading is that it can be done absolutely anywhere!

Walk the dog

If your child pleaded with you to get a pet, then get her involved in looking after the pet by walking it and playing with it. Both your child and pet are bound to have loads of fun in the process!

“Sumo” wrestling

This is a fun activity for your high-spirited little ones who need to expel some energy when they are stuck indoors.

Check out this link to know how this game is played. Do keep in mind that it might be a good idea to set some ground rules before the game starts!

Photo source: https://allfortheboys.com/home/2012/2/2/sumo-boys.html

Play ball indoors

No, mummy, we are not kidding. This is a great indoor game that won’t knock down furniture or hurt anyone.

Get a set of kids’ plastic tennis racquets, blow up a balloon and let the kids have a ball (literally!) playing this game — yes, it’s as simple as that! You can even use a lightweight sponge ball like the one shown in the picture.

Make a fort

This is similar to a playhouse. All you will need is a bedsheet and a couple of chairs.

Keep the chairs 3 or 4 feet apart with their backs facing each other and drape the sheet over the chairs... and ta-da! You’ve made a fort for your child to play in!

You can also have your little one personalise his or her fort with cushions and toys.

Treasure hunt

Another great idea for when your little one is stuck indoors.

Scatter ‘treasures’ around your home and give your kid clues as to where they are. Then sit back and watch the fun as he goes around hunting for treasure!

Car wash

Need a little helper to wash those tires that you can reach only by kneeling down on the ground? Give your kid a bucket with water and car wash solution, together with a sponge, and let him scrub away to his heart's content.

Of course, you have to let him get messy with the water and suds — this is part and parcel of commissioning tiny helpers!

Rock star

We are full of indoor entertainment ideas today! This one is for all those budding performers.

Give your child a hairbrush (the microphone) and a very cool-looking pair of sunglasses, and let them have a ball singing and dancing.

This is also a great playdate idea and is heaps of fun for the mums to watch too!

Audio stories

This is a great activity if you want to get some work done around the house and need your child to be occupied (or quiet!) — plus it is educational too!

Just put a CD of audio stories on and let them sit back and listen.

Musical instruments

Musical instruments are a great way of nurturing talents in young kids. You don’t need to buy very expensive instruments to begin with.

Get a small keyboard or a recorder and let your child have fun learning to play them.

Alternatively, you can let your preschooler use your sturdy pots and pans as drums, or make your own 'maracas' with an empty bottle and beans.

Freeze dance

This is a fun game for entertaining a group of kids. Have some lively music on for the kids to dance to, and ask them to freeze when you stop the music.

Snacks

Snacks are a great way to get preschoolers to stay put in between other activities. You also get to replenish their energy in the process.

Of course, it would always be best to give them healthy snacks such as crackers, cut fruit or yogurt.

T-shirt designing

This is a wonderful activity for little fashionistas.

Get some plain t-shirts, fabric paint and embellishments such as buttons and sequins, and let them have a go at designing their own fancy t-shirts.

Plant it

Supermarkets such as Cold Storage and Giant have a variety of plant seeds for sale. Let your child select seeds for either a flowering plant, a fruit or a vegetable.

Then, help him plant the seeds at home in a pot or in your garden. Have him water his plant daily.

Written by

Minoli Almeida

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