No prep needed! Indoor activities for 3-year-olds, including movement play and group games.
Here are some fun indoor activities to get three-year-olds moving, even on rainy days! There are lots of games you can start right away with almost no preparation, including variations on rock-paper-scissors, balloon play, and balance exercises.
We’ve also included group activities tailored to the developmental stage of three-year-olds, so their interactions with friends will naturally grow.
Get creative and enjoy the time with the children while helping them develop their motor skills and imagination!
Physical movement play (1–10)
Color Touch Game
Move your body while training your memory! Here’s a color touch game idea.
All you need are hula hoops and color markers.
It’s a simple and fun game that kids as young as three can enjoy! Using the hula hoops and color markers, the rule is to touch the color specified by the teacher and then return to your base.
It’s great because kids can move their bodies while memorizing colors.
Start with one color, and as they get used to it, increase to two or three colors to naturally boost memory and reaction speed.
Give it a try!
Thunder Game
Let me introduce a thunder-rock-paper-scissors game where moving your body to the chant is lots of fun.
Have the children lie down on their backs.
The teacher says, “Goro goro goro—DOkkaaan!” and the children should quickly roll their bodies to hide their belly buttons by turning over onto their stomachs.
The key is to roll fast so your belly button doesn’t get ‘taken.’ You can make it even more exciting by changing the volume of your voice or the speed of the chant.
Once everyone gets used to it, try switching the direction they roll to keep it fun!
Crawling tail-chasing game
Let’s introduce a crawling tail-tag game that gets kids excited.
Give each child a “tail” made by braiding plastic ribbon (like florist’s raffia).
The teacher is “it” and chases the children.
At the start signal, the children crawl away to avoid being caught.
If a child gets their tail taken by “it,” they can rejoin the game after doing five jumps and putting the tail back on.
Try swapping who’s “it” or increasing the number of chasers to keep the game fun!
The ‘It fell, it fell’ game
Let me introduce a quick-reaction game called “It Fell, It Fell.” The teacher says, “It fell, it fell,” and the children ask, “What fell?” The teacher names what fell.
For example, if the teacher says “an apple,” the children should pose as if they’re catching an apple.
If the teacher says “a fist,” the children should protect their heads with their hands so they don’t get bonked.
If it’s “thunder,” they should hide their belly button with their hands.
It might be more fun if you teach the poses to the children beforehand and then start the game so they can join in easily.
Once they get used to it, it’s also recommended to have fun by changing up what “falls.”
wiggly snake
When you want to be active but playing outside is difficult, try using a long jump rope.
You can get moving while having fun by jumping over a rope laid on the floor or moving around without stepping on a rope that wiggles like a snake.
Once you get used to the movements, you can add variations—throw in feints or lift the rope slightly off the ground.
The energetic children hopping around will be all smiles, and the watching teacher is sure to smile too.
If your preschool doesn’t use indoor shoes, please remove socks to prevent slipping and falling.
Moving Game
In the Moving House game, when the teacher signals “Moving house!”, the children move to the opposite side of the classroom.
The goal is to avoid being caught by the teacher standing in the middle.
You can enjoy various variations, such as increasing the number of teachers, moving by crawling, or moving quietly.
Another appeal of this game is that it helps develop quick reactions and decision-making skills.
We hope the children play with excitement, thinking, “Can I escape well?”
Red Light, Green Light
Let’s play by adding new rules! Here are some ideas for Daruma-san ga Koronda.
Daruma-san ga Koronda is a traditional Japanese game played with one child as “it” (the oni) and the other children as players.
The oni turns around while saying, “Daruma-san ga koronda.” The participants can move forward until the oni finishes saying “Daruma-san ga koronda,” but the moment the oni turns around, the participants must freeze.
By customizing this rule with elements like balance beams, hula hoops, or balls, you can keep the game fresh and fun.