Playing games together at home with your 3 to 5 year old is the best way to build bonds, have fun and develop their skills. That’s why I love to play with my preschooler. I try to do at least one game with her each day, but we also love to come together to play games as a family inside, including her dad and younger brother.
I know that coming up with game ideas that are suitable for this age is tricky. That’s exactly why I wrote my book, Toddler & Preschool Games, which is packed with dozens of easy, no-prep activities that you can play one-on-one with your child or as a whole family.
Below are seven playful game ideas (taken from my book) you can start using straight away at home. They’re fun, require almost no preparation, and are perfect for encouraging movement, memory, imagination and silliness — all while giving you low-stress ways to connect with your child.
1. Giant Floor Letters
If your child is learning letters (or just beginning to recognise them), this is a brilliant activity to bring them to life. Use painter’s tape to create oversized letters across the floor – big enough for your little one to stand, jump or tiptoe on. Choose letters they already know so they start with confidence.
Once the letters are set out, call out playful instructions such as, “Hop onto the letter T,” or “Put your teddy on the letter B,” or “Spin on the letter S.” If you’re playing with more than one child, you can make the letters bigger or add a few extra to keep things interesting. It’s a fantastic way to practise phonics while moving their whole body.
2. Puzzle Treasure Hunt
This game turns any jigsaw puzzle into an exciting search mission. Before your child enters the room, take apart a puzzle and hide the pieces around the space — behind cushions, under a blanket, on a bookshelf or concealed in toy baskets. When you shout “go!”, your little puzzle detective can begin the hunt.
Each piece they find must be brought back and added to the puzzle until the full picture is complete. It works beautifully with siblings or small groups, too, as they can hunt together and race to see how fast they can finish it. It’s simple, energetic and wonderfully satisfying.
3. Shadow the Leader
A family favourite that preschoolers pick up instantly. One child is chosen as the leader, and everyone else must copy their every move. If the leader wiggles, everyone wiggles. If they march in a circle, everybody marches in a circle. If they pat their tummy and stick out their tongue, well… everyone does the same! You can play it in a line or in a circle, indoors or outdoors. It’s endlessly entertaining, especially when children take turns being the one in charge — a great way to boost confidence and burn energy.
4. Mystery Taste Challenge
This little sensory adventure is always full of giggles. Gently cover your child’s eyes with a blindfold (or ask them to close their eyes, though most preschoolers peek!) and offer tiny tastes of different foods.
You might try a spoonful of yoghurt, a slice of banana, a piece of cucumber, or even a sprinkle of cereal. After each taste, ask, “What do you think that was?” They’ll love guessing, especially when they’re not sure. If you’re brave, let them switch roles and feed you from a plate of pre-chosen items. My daughter always finds this hilarious!
There are loads more easy learning-through-play ideas in my book, Toddler & Preschool Games, if you love this kind of home activity.
5. Countdown Splat
This lively game keeps everyone moving – and laughing. Stand in a circle or sit on the floor and toss a soft ball or beanbag back and forth while loudly counting down from ten. The final word is always the same: “Splat!”
Whoever is holding the ball when “Splat” is shouted is out for the round. For extra fun, that player can perform a dramatic collapse, melting to the floor in the most over-the-top “splat” they can manage. Carry on until only one player remains.
6. Spot the Change
A simple game of observation that preschoolers adore. One person stands in front of the group and slowly turns around so everyone can see their outfit. Then they leave the room for a moment and change one little detail – pulling up a sleeve, turning a jumper backwards, swapping socks, undoing a button or adding a hair clip.
When they return and turn in a full slow circle again, the others must guess what’s different. Make the changes easy for younger children and sneakier for older ones to keep the challenge just right. Then choose a new person to take a turn.
7. The Magic Keyword
This game mixes storytelling with a burst of hide-and-seek energy. Ask your child to choose a special word – perhaps “banana”, “rainbow” or “dragon”.
Begin telling a made-up story, sprinkling in the keyword whenever you like. The moment the keyword is spoken, the storyteller closes their eyes and counts backwards from ten. During the countdown, everyone else must dash away and hide somewhere in the room. When the count reaches one, the seeker opens their eyes and begins looking.
To make it more exciting, you can insist that every hiding spot must be new each round, or play it randomly throughout the day so your little one never knows when the next hiding dash will happen. It’s simple, joyful and perfect for indoor play.
If you want more game and activity ideas like these, grab a copy of Toddler & Preschool Games today! It contains dozens of simple and fun ideas for games you can play one-on-one, as a family or with friends. It has a simple and fun design so you can engage your little ones in choosing the activities.
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