Recommended for 3-year-olds! Fun indoor activities and group game ideas
Three-year-olds experience a surge in vocabulary and are characterized by enjoying communication with those around them and showing interest in many things.
They are full of curiosity and eager to say, “I want to try it!”
So this time, we’re introducing ideas for indoor activities and group games that are perfect for the development of three-year-old children.
From games that let them fully move their bodies and discover the joy of interacting with friends, to activities that foster imagination and expressive skills, we’ve gathered a wealth of indoor play ideas that will satisfy three-year-olds!
Please use these as a reference and have fun together!
Recommended for 3-year-olds! Fun indoor activities and group game ideas (1–10)
Where is the goldfish?
Are you familiar with the picture book “The Runaway Goldfish”? It’s one of the most popular books among children, and it’s fun like a game as you search for the goldfish hiding in various places.
This activity, “Where’s the Goldfish?”, is based on that book.
Everyone looks for the goldfish that has hidden somewhere in the daycare room and returns it to the aquarium.
It’s a fun game that engages both mind and body, and finding the goldfish is so exciting.
Returning the goldfish to the tank also seems like a great way to nurture children’s kindness.
Tail tag game
‘Tail Tag’ is a game where you tuck a string, acting as a tail, into the back of your pants and try to snatch each other’s tails.
If you make it a team competition, it can get pretty heated.
The thrill comes from the tension: if you keep running away you can’t grab any tails, but if you move in to take one, another kid might snatch yours!
Playing around with a towel in various ways
Let’s try moving our bodies and playing with a towel! You might wonder, “How do you play with a towel?” but towels are surprisingly great for play.
First, as a warm-up, rub your body with the towel—like dry brushing in cold weather.
Once you’re warmed up, let’s start playing with the towel.
First, pretend the towel is a jump rope and jump.
Next, play tug-of-war by pulling on the towel.
It’s also fun to throw the towel at a target.
Finally, everyone can play tag with towel “tails”! As you play, the kids might even come up with new games of their own.
Bilibili Zoo
This is a play activity where you make various animals using newspaper.
First, an adult tears the newspaper little by little and completes one animal.
An elephant is easy and recognizable.
Once you’ve caught the children’s interest, have them make their favorite animals themselves.
They can imitate the teacher and tear the newspaper, or twist it into a long shape and attach it as a trunk—both are fine.
If you fold a twisted piece in half and make a loop, it becomes rabbit ears, too.
Let the children fully use their imagination and create a fun zoo!
Balance game
Let’s play a “Balance Game” using our bodies! Prepare equipment like a vaulting box, balance beam, foam blocks, trampoline, and mats, and set them up like a circuit.
Have the children tackle them one by one.
Can they balance their bodies well—standing on the vaulting box and jumping, or making it all the way across the balance beam without falling? To help develop the children’s problem-solving skills, adults should avoid stepping in as much as possible and simply keep a watchful eye.
If you want to increase the difficulty, try placing obstacles such as blocks on the balance beam.
Train play
“Train play” recommended from around age two, when kids start walking! There aren’t any strict rules, so let them play freely.
If you make something to serve as the train cars—like a hula hoop or a square loop made from cardboard—the kids will get excited.
If you pretend mats or balance beams are the tracks, a simple game suddenly becomes much more fun!
Circuit play
“Circuit play” refers to an obstacle course for children.
They have fun by jumping off platforms and crawling through tunnels.
Around age three, their motor skills develop quite a bit, so definitely give it a try.
Kids love activities where they can really move their bodies, so it’s highly recommended!