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!
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Group Games and Indoor Play (1–10)
Balloon Play
Balloons floating softly in the air are very safe, so kids can play with them with peace of mind.
Here are some indoor games using balloons.
The “keep it off the floor” game naturally encourages kids to cooperate, calling out to each other to keep the balloon from touching the floor and getting excited together.
In the balloon passing game, form groups of about six and split into teams.
Enjoy sending the balloon from front to back, or passing it under the knees.
The team that can pass the balloon the fastest wins.
You can also stick a strip of plastic tape across the middle of the room and enjoy balloon volleyball or soccer.
Please choose and enjoy games suited to the children’s ages.
Fruits Basket
By the time children are three years old, they’re able to play while following basic rules.
That’s when “Fruit Basket” is a great activity to introduce.
One of the charms of this game is that it can be enjoyed in a lively, large group.
The rules of Fruit Basket are very simple: the “it” player shouts the name of a specific fruit, and only the people sitting in chairs who belong to that fruit move to a different seat.
During this time, the “it” player tries to take a seat.
It’s ideal if the teacher can really set the mood so that children who are just learning the rules can have fun too!
Group Games and Indoor Activities (11–20)
Seven Steps
Let’s have fun with a counting song fingerplay! Here are some ideas for Seven Steps.
This activity is a rhythm game that nurtures concentration by counting while moving the body.
Some children may find it a bit difficult until they get used to the rules, but sharing the sense of accomplishment with friends when they succeed will deepen their bonds.
If they make mistakes, don’t get discouraged—keep the atmosphere light and try again! This can help foster children’s perseverance and a mindset that doesn’t give up.
Stacking paper cups
Let me introduce a fun stacking game with paper cups.
Stack 15 paper cups into a pyramid shape, starting from the bottom.
Time each round and compete to see who can finish their pyramid the fastest.
Because you have to think about the best way to stack the cups as you go, it trains both concentration and problem-solving skills at the same time.
Plastic cups are smooth and glossy, so for children, paper cups are recommended.
Give it a try!
Come-here game
Even though the rules are super simple, let’s try playing the “Come Here, Come Here Game,” which kids are guaranteed to love! Divide into a teacher and children.
The teacher gently beckons to the children, saying “Come here, come here.” While the teacher is saying it, the children move slowly toward the teacher without running.
When the teacher suddenly says, “Come here, come here…
It’s a ghost!” the children have to run away so they don’t get caught.
Once everyone gets used to it, you can make it even more exciting by faking them out with similar-sounding words to “ghost,” like “pot” or “mother.”
Chestnut Ogre
A tag game perfect for autumn! Here’s an idea called Chestnut Tag (Kuri Oni).
It’s similar to Freeze Tag, but the twist is that you transform into a chestnut! Choose one person to be ‘it’ (the oni), and everyone else runs to avoid being tagged.
If you’re about to be tagged, you can transform into a chestnut to create a barrier.
If a teammate touches you, you can start running again.
However, if you get tagged before transforming into a chestnut, move to the spectator area.
Ball Toss Game
Tamaire, where you throw balls into a high basket, is a common event at sports days.
While it’s hard to play indoors with exactly the same rules, if you change it to throwing balls from a designated spot into a box or similar container, kids are sure to have a great time.
You can also adjust the points awarded for each successful throw based on the distance to the box, so children of different abilities can enjoy it.
It’s an indoor-only game that helps improve throwing skills and fosters strategic thinking about how to win.
