Learning Activities for 3-Year-Olds

Trace the shadow of an object at different times of day and watch it change. A simple experiment that teaches your child how the sun moves across the sky.

Scoop dried pasta or rice between bowls with spoons and cups. This simple transfer activity builds hand control, concentration, and early measurement concepts.

Show your toddler pairs of pictures and ask 'same or different?' A simple card game that builds visual discrimination and early comparison skills.

Build a simple ramp and test which objects roll fastest. A hands-on physics experiment that teaches prediction, testing, and comparing results.

Pick a letter sound and hunt for objects that start with it — B for ball, book, banana. Turns phonics into a physical, room-by-room adventure.

Arrange colored blocks in repeating AB patterns and let your toddler continue the sequence. An early math activity that teaches prediction and logical thinking.

Write numbers on the sidewalk with chalk and have your toddler walk, jump, or stomp on each one as you call it out. Numbers become a full-body outdoor game.

Hand your preschooler a magnifying glass and let them investigate nature up close — leaves, rocks, insects, bark. Observation is the first step of science.

Use handprints to measure objects around the house — how many hands long is the table? A playful introduction to non-standard measurement for preschoolers.

Test which household objects are magnetic and which aren't. Your preschooler becomes a scientist, making predictions and recording results with real magnets.

Let your toddler stick magnets on and pull them off the fridge while you narrate. Magnetic pull and release teaches cause and effect with a satisfying click.

Match uppercase letter cards to their lowercase partners. A hands-on way to learn that A and a are the same letter in different outfits.

Set up a pretend grocery store with price tags and play money. Your child practices counting, recognizing numbers, and basic addition while shopping and selling.

Count crackers, berries, or cereal pieces one by one as you place them on your toddler's plate. Snack time becomes a hands-on math lesson they can eat.

Roll a die and do that many movements — three hops, five claps, two spins. A whole-body counting game that burns energy while building number sense.

Build towers of different heights with blocks and compare them — which is taller? Shorter? A playful measurement activity that introduces comparison vocabulary.

Pick a color and hunt for matching objects around your home with your toddler. A moving, searching game that makes color recognition feel like an adventure.

Sort coins by type and learn their names — penny, nickel, dime, quarter. A real-world math activity that introduces money concepts through hands-on sorting.

Build a daily routine around a simple calendar and weather chart. Your preschooler learns days, seasons, and weather by tracking them each morning.

Create a floor number line with masking tape and practice walking, jumping, and counting along it. A whole-body way to understand number order and sequence.

Build a simple balance scale from a hanger and compare weights of household objects. A visual, hands-on way to explore heavy vs. light.

Sort animal pictures into groups — farm, ocean, pets — with your toddler. A visual sorting activity that builds classification skills and animal vocabulary.

Flip matching cards face-down and take turns finding pairs to build working memory.

Practice buttons, zippers, and snaps on a doll's clothes, building dressing skills.

Practice pouring water from a small pitcher into cups, building coordination.

Brush teeth while singing a 2-minute song, making dental hygiene fun.

Practice pulling on clothes independently, turning it into a fun game.

Practice the full hand-washing routine: wet, soap, scrub, rinse, dry.

Roll balls and cars down ramps of different heights and surfaces to see what happens.

Create a visual daily routine chart with pictures, building time awareness.

Sort objects into groups of 'same' and 'different' by one attribute at a time.

Fish for magnetic letters and learn the alphabet through play. Builds letter recognition and fine motor skills.

Plant a seed and track its growth. Teaches patience, responsibility, and basic botany. Great for all ages.

Freeze small toys in a block of ice and let children chip away to discover them.

Daily reading builds vocabulary, attention, and bonding. Tips for making board book time engaging for toddlers.

Puzzles teach spatial reasoning and problem-solving. Start with knob puzzles and work up to multi-piece.

Sort everyday objects by color into matching containers or piles.

Practice counting with everyday objects. Builds number sense naturally throughout the day. No materials needed.

Find letters hidden around the house for a fun literacy activity. No materials needed — just look around.