235 Quick Activities for Fun and Learning

1. Photo Memory Time – Look through a photo album and talk about who, where, and when.
2. Rock Painting – Paint rocks and hide them outside for others to find.
3. Homemade Placemat – Glue pictures on paper and cover with contact paper to make a gift.
4. Name Clap – Clap the syllables in the child’s name.
5. Box Creation – Decorate a large box and turn it into a house, boat, or cave
6. Homemade Silly Putty - Mix a simple batch and explore stretching and bouncing.
7. I Spy Game - Describe something you see and let the child guess it.
8. Wish List Collage – Cut and glue pictures of favorite items from magazines.
9. Homemade Puzzle – Glue a picture to cardboard and cut into puzzle pieces.
10. Simple Sorting – Sort buttons, cereal, or toys by color or size.
    
    
11. Glue Dot Practice – Practice tiny glue dots saying, "Just a dot, not a lot." Sprinkle with glitter when finished.
12. Sock Snowball Toss – Roll socks and toss into a basket.
13. Play Dough Time – Make homemade play dough and shape letters or numbers.
14. Home Video Watch – Watch family videos and talk about memories.
15. Water Painting Outdoors – Paint sidewalks or fences with water and a brush.
16. Cereal Necklace – String round cereal (Cheerios, Froot Loops) to strengthen fine motor skills.
17. Paper Plate Flip – Flip paper plates with a spatula in a relay race.
18. Red Light, Green Light – Practice listening skills and self-control on the trampoline, in the house, or outside.
19. Mountain Climb – Stack pillows and pretend to climb like Moses to get the 10 Commandments.
20. Brown Color Study – Paint with brown and find brown items in the house.
    
    
21. Worship Dance – Play worship music and move freely.
22. Counting - Count repeated objects in a good picture book.
23. Number Bingo – Practice number recognition with a simple board.
24. Breakfast for Dinner – Help prepare pancakes or eggs together.
25. Green Day - Wear, eat, read about, and find green items all day.
26. Painted Pasta Necklace – String pasta and paint it after drying.
27. Color Hunt – Find three items that match a called color.
28. Kitchen Sound Guess – Guess cooking sounds while blindfolded.
29. Cookie Painting - Paint sugar cookies before baking with a mixture of 1 egg yolk, 1/4 tsp water, and a few drops of gel food coloring.
30. Sock Toss Count – Toss socks into a basket and count successful throws.
    
    
31. Blanket Tent – Build a reading tent with blankets.
32. Sticker Art – Decorate paper using junk mail stickers.
33. Hole Punch Art – Punch holes and glue the paper dots into designs.
34. Object Collection Box – Gather items with the same beginning sound.
35. Sock Match Game – Match clean socks from laundry.
36. Sticker Story – Create a story from random stickers.
37. Sink or Float Test – Predict and test household items in water.
38. Step Counting – Count steps while climbing stairs.
39. Freeze Dance – Freeze when the music stops.
40. Q-Tip Painting – Paint dots to form letters or shapes.

image by stephanie

41. Obstacle Path – Crawl and jump over pillows.
42. Household Counting – Count windows, doors, or chairs.
43. Weather Watch – Describe today’s weather with three words.
44. Blue Day – Focus on blue items, books, songs, and foods.
45. Mystery Bag – Place various items in a bag and identify the objects by touch.
46. Treasure Hunt – Hide letters or toys to find.
47. Shape Search – Find circles, squares, or triangles.
48. Phone Call Practice – Call a grandparent and practice conversation.
49. Read and Act – Act out a favorite story.
50. Kitchen Band – Make rhythms with pots and spoons.
    
    
51. Water Transfer – Move water using a sponge or dropper.
52. Magnet Play – Explore magnets on a cookie sheet.
53. Post Office Pretend – Write and deliver letters in the house.
54. Flashlight Exploration – Explore a dark closet with a flashlight.
55. Card Patterns – Create patterns using playing cards.
56. Cloud Watch – Lie in grass and describe cloud shapes.
57. Golf Tee Hammering – Hammer tees into Styrofoam.
58. Ice Cream in a Bag – Shake and freeze homemade ice cream.
59. Missing Letter Game – Lay 3 letters in front of the child. Remove one letter without the child seeing and guess which is gone.
60. Letter Hunt – Find one letter in books or on food books.
    
    
61. Beginning Sound Search – Find objects that start with a chosen sound.
62. Paper Clip Chain – Link clips into a chain.
63. Timer Hide and Seek – Find a ticking egg timer before it rings.
64. Rectangle Collage – Cut and glue rectangle shapes.
65. Nature Walk Glue Art – Collect leaves and glue to paper.
66. Snack Counting – Count snacks before eating.
67. Bathtub Swim Day – Wear swimsuits for bath time fun.
68. Animal Walk Race – Hop, crawl, or waddle like animals.
69. Dominoe Train - Make a dominoes train matching the images on picture dominoes.
    
    
70. Letter Bingo - Practice uppercase recognition.
71. Swing Time – Count while swinging.
72. Crayon Rubbing – Rub over textured surfaces.
73. Butcher Paper Mural – Create wrapping paper art.
74. Tallest Tower Challenge – Build a tower taller than the child.
75. Memory Obstacle Course - Follow a sequence of movements with a fun memory twist.
76. Bible Story Drama – Dress up and act out a Bible story.
77. Simple Card Game – Play Go Fish or Old Maid.
78. Sidewalk Chalk Art – Draw letters and shapes outdoors.
79. Copy Create - Using Legos or blocks, create a simple object. Have your child reproduce it.
80. Magnifying Glass Exploration - Observe details of various closely, whether in the house or outside.

image by becky

81. Card Sorting – Sort by a deck of cards by the pictures, suit, or number.
82. Melted Crayons - Remake old crayons into new ones.
83. Emotion Mirror – Make faces in a mirror and name emotions.
84. Secret Crayon Message – Draw on a white piece of paper with a white crayon. Paint over the writing to discover the surprise message.
85. Sand Play – Scoop and pour sand.
86. Bubble Chase – Blow bubbles and pop while counting each one.
87. Paper Airplane Toss – Make airplanes and throw into a basket.
88. Balloon Keep Up – Hit a balloon trying to keep it from touching ground. (Make sure that the balloon is not put in the mouth.)
89. Shadow Shapes – Form shapes on the wall with hands and a light.
90. Rhyme Game – Say a word trying to create another rhyming word.
    
    
91. Paper Snowflakes - Make snowflakes by folding paper and cutting them.
92. Red Day - Paint, read books about, eat food, and color with red.
93. Follow the Leader – Take turns leading silly movements.
94. Family Drawing - Draw a picture of your family
95. Triangle Collage – Cut and glue triangles.
96. Clean-Up Race – Set a timer and see how fast toys can be picked up.
97. Leapfrog Play - Jump over each other or pillows.
98. White on Black Art – Draw with white crayon on black paper.
99. Ball Roll Game – Roll a ball back and forth.
100. Typing Fun – Type letters on a computer.
     
     
101. Animal Charades - Pretend to be an animal. Guess which animal each person is.
102. Orange Day - Paint, read books about, eat food, and color with orange.
103. Map Look – Find your state on a map and point to where family members live.
104. Opposites Game – Say a word like hot and have the child respond with cold.
105. Food Shapes - Cut toast or pancakes into various shapes.
106. Story Starter – Begin a story with “Once upon a time there was a…” and let the child finish it.
107. Shape Match - Trace around cookie cutters using a pencil or crayons. Ask the child to match the outline with the cookie cutter.
108. Pajama Day - Wear Pj's all day and read books about bedtime.
109. Shadow Check – Go outside morning and afternoon and compare shadow lengths.
110. Block Measuring – Measure a table or couch using blocks laid end to end.
     
     
111. Rocks Play - Wash rocks with old toothbrushes and rags.
112. Scarf Dance - Use a scarf or handkerchief and dance to worship music.
113. Egg Hide and Seek - Hide Easter eggs filled with pieces of paper with numbers, letters, shapes, or colors written on them. Find the egg and read the item on the paper.
114. Play Dough Name - Create your name in play dough forming snakes or using letter cookie cutters.
115. Yummy Snack - Make graham cracker and frosting sandwiches for snacks.  Add food coloring to the frosting to focus on a color.
116. Window Counting - Count how many windows you have in your house.
117. Donate - Clean out the toy box or toy closet and donate toys no longer needed to other families, your church, or charities.
118. Snack Patterns – Create AB or ABC patterns using two or three snack items.
119. Gratitude Drawing – Draw one thing to thank God for and say a short prayer.
120. Kindness Plan – Think of one way to help someone today and follow through.

images by kira

121. Shaving Cream Writing – Spread shaving cream on a tray and practice drawing shapes, writing letters or numbers.
122. Soft Catch - Play catch with a stuffed animal, scarf, or pillow.
123. Number Order - Using number shapes or flashcards, arrange the numbers in order from 1-20
124. White Day - Paint, read books about, eat food, and color with orange.
125. Learning Hop – Write shapes, colors, letters, or numbers on paper and hop to the word you say.
126. Texture Talk – Find something soft, rough, smooth, and bumpy.
127. Puzzle Switch – Trade one puzzle piece at a time and describe where it fits.
128. Laundry Helper – Let the child sort lights and darks.
129. Shape Hopscotch – Draw shapes with chalk and jump to the one called out.
130. Heavy or Light Test – Hold two objects and guess which is heavier before checking on a balance scales.
     
     
131. Cooking - Create a pretend meal using real or toy kitchen items.
132. Baking - Bake cookies to give to another family, neighbor, or charity
133. Tent Play - Play a game in a small place like a tent, closet, on a bunk bed, etc.
134. Story Sequence Cards – Draw three simple pictures from a story and put them in order.
135. Shower Spray - Using a spray bottle of water, spray inside the shower. For added fun, spray shaving cream on the shower walls as a target to spray.
136. Bible Character Clues – Give clues about a Bible character and let the child guess.
137. Guesstimate - Put a few small items (M&M's or beans) into a glass container.  Guess how many there are before counting.
138. Show and Tell - Have a family "show and tell" time.
139. Count to 100 Challenge – Count together by ones or tens during a chore.
140. Thank You Card – Draw and write a simple thank-you note to someone.
     
     
141. Knot Practice – Practice tying or untying a simple knot using yarn or rope.
142. Shadow Drawing – Trace the shadow of a toy on paper outside.
143. Play kickball.
144. Coin Sort – Sort coins by size and name each one.
145. Fruit Graph – Ask family members or text friends for their favorite fruit and draw a simple bar graph.
146. Scissor Lines – Draw straight or zigzag lines and practice cutting on them.
147. Tea Party - Enjoy a tea party with real or pretend food and drink.
148. Lid Match – Match lids to containers in the kitchen.
149. Sound Walk – Walk quietly outside and list the sounds you hear.
150. Treasure Map – Draw a simple map of a room and hide a small treasure.
     
     
151. Gratitude Moment – Name three things to thank God for today.
152. Floating Boat Test – Build a small foil boat and test if it floats.
153. Bean Sort - Using a bag of various beans for soup, let the child sort them into a muffin tin
154. Snack Subtraction – Start with five crackers and eat one at a time while subtracting.
155. Praise Parade – March through the house singing a praise song and playing percussion instruments.
156. Stick Shapes – Form letters or shapes using small sticks outside.
157. Clap Patterns – Clap stomp patterns and have the child copy them.
158. Kindness Jar – Add a bead to a jar for every kind act noticed.
159. Mini Book Creation – Fold paper in half and create a tiny book.
160. Tall and Short Compare – Line up objects from tallest to shortest.

image by jaclyn

161. Yellow Day - Paint, read books about, eat food, and color with orange.
162. Cleaning - Give everyone a dust rag and dust furniture.
163. Number Line Hop – Lay numbers on the floor and hop in order.
164. God Made Me Page – Draw a self-portrait and list things that make the child special.
165. Bird Watch - Go for a walk and count how many birds you see.
166. Bathtub Cleaning - Clean the bathtub with an old toothbrush.
167. Turn-Taking Game – Roll a ball back and forth practicing patience.
168. Count by Twos – Pair socks and count by twos as you match them.
169. Positional Words Game – Place a toy over, under, beside, and behind objects.
170. Ride bikes
     
     
171. Bridge Builder – Build a bridge with blocks and test with a toy car.
172. Collect Sticks - Go outside and create a stick pile.
173. Bible Verse Echo – Say a short phrase and have the child repeat it.
174. Draw Animals - Draw a picture of your pet or your favorite animal
175. Emotion Chart – Draw faces showing happy, sad, angry, excited.
176. Sing "Jesus Loves Me"
177. Bowling - Create an in-house bowling alley using a couple of tall containers or empty 2-liter pop bottles with a ball.
178. Color Mix Test – Mix two paint colors and predict the result.
179. Outside Reading - Sit outside under a tree and read a book 
180. Clothesline Fun - Give the child clothes pins to clip to a string strung between two firm options.
     
     
181. Number Match – Match number cards to groups of objects.
182. Alphabet Cereal - Using Alphabet Cereal sort the letters or form the child's name.
183. Left and Right Game – Raise left hand, step with right foot, and practice directions.
184. Sink Water Volume – Pour water between cups and compare levels.
185. Bible Song Time – Sing a favorite Bible song with actions.
186. Count Backwards – Practice counting backward from ten.
187. Finish the Shape - Draw ¾ of a shape and have the child finish the shape.
188. Pillow Fight - Have a gentle pillow fight hitting from the waist down.
189. Using letter shapes or flashcards, arrange the letters in order from A-Z
190. Deep Dive - Lay a blue blanket or sheet on the floor to pretend it is the ocean - dive in.
     
     
191. Bean Transfer - Using a spoon, transfer beans or M&M's from one dish to another.
192. Shape Build Challenge – Build a square or triangle using blocks.
193. Match Upper to Lowercase – Pair uppercase and lowercase letter flashcards.
194. Fast or Slow Walk – Walk fast, then slow, discussing speed.
195. Imagination Play - Dress up using adult or pretend-play clothes.
196. Five Senses Check – Name one thing you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste.
197. Sound Sorting – Sort objects by beginning sound.
198. Balance Practice – Walk heel-to-toe along a line.
199. More or Less – Compare two groups and identify more or less.
200. Pattern Stomp – Stomp clap stomp clap in a pattern.

image by mandy

201. Magnet Strength Test – Test which objects magnets attract.
202. Sword Fight - Have sword fights with empty paper towel or wrapping paper rolls
203. Picnic - Have a picnic inside or outside.
204. Guess the Shape – Trace a shape on the child’s back to guess it.
205. Fingerplay - Sing the fingerplay like "Where is Thumpkin" or "Five Fat Peas"
206. PBJ - Make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches together
207. Super Hero - Use a towel or piece of material to create a cape for your child to wear and play "hero."
208. Sort Clean Silverware – Separate forks, spoons, and knives safely.
209. Opposite Motions – If you say up, the child goes down.
210. Alphabet Toss – Toss a beanbag onto a letter and name it.
     
     
211. Count Claps – Clap a number and have it repeated.
212. Purple Day - Paint, read books about, eat food, and color with orange.
213. Sorting by Texture – Group items as smooth or rough.
214. Riddle Time – Give simple descriptive clues about objects.
215. Puzzle - Put a peg or floor puzzle together.
216. Shadow Length Measure – Mark shadow with chalk and check later.
217. Opposite Day - Do things opposite of how you would normally.
218. Play hide-and-seek
219. Alphabet Scavenger Hunt – Find one object for each letter.
220. Tennis - Hit a ball back and forth with tennis or racquetball racket.
     
     
221. Animal Sound Match – Match animal sounds to pictures.
222. Roll and Add – Roll two dice and add the numbers.
223. Counting Cars – Count cars of one color on a short drive or walk.
224. Ball Bounce Count – Bounce and count aloud together.
225. Guess the Number – Think of a number 1–10 and give clues.
226. Binoculars - Use toilet paper rolls and make binoculars or a spyglass.
227. Car Ramps - Make a ramp to race matchbox cars
228. Lacing - Use a hole punch to create a pattern around a picture on heavy paper.  Thread string through the holes.
229. String Painting - Paint using a piece of string.
230. Count and Stack Cups – Stack plastic cups while counting each one aloud
231. Name Letter Hunt – Hide the letters of the child’s name around the room and put them in order.
232. Water Level Lines – Draw a line on a clear cup and fill to match the line.
233. Texture Walk – Walk barefoot on carpet, tile, grass, and describe how each feels.
234. Measure - Measure various options using blocks, books, or pencils. State the measurement as, "The couch is 17 books long."
235. Estimate the Steps – Guess how many steps to the mailbox, then count to check.

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