Keep Your Kids Happy and Active With These 10 Indoor Physical Activities for 3-5 Year Olds
Physical activities helps kids remain healthy, lively, and happy. However, because it is not always convenient to play outdoors, you need the best indoor activities for kids 3-5 year olds to kill the boredom.
Here are our top 20 physical development activities for 3-5 year olds indoor to get you started:
Top 10 Indoor Physical Activities for 3-5 Year Olds
#1. Tape Shape
With tape shape game, you’ll help your child create letters, numbers, and shapes on the floor using a tape. Then each child will stand on their ideal number/letter waiting for your instructions.
For instance, you can say, ‘run fast to the star’, ‘hop to letter X’, walk to letter J, ‘crawl to number 10’, and so on. These indoor physical activities for kids will not only keep your child physically active but also help them learn different shapes, letters, or numbers.
#2. Balloon Games
Every child loves balloons! Well, you can take this obsession to another level by playing some amazing balloon indoor games.
But before you begin, remember that balloons can easily burst so you can to be careful with the pieces so the little ones do not choke from them.
Here are some amazing indoor balloon games you can try out:
- Don’t let your balloon fall: This is one of my son’s favorite games. The rules of this game are simple, you have to keep hitting the balloon without letting it fall.
If you have more than one kid, they can complete who hits the balloon more times. Through this game, your child will improve his arms strongly and also boost their hand-eye coordination.
- Penguin waddle: For this game, your 3-5 year old will put a balloon between his knees and waddle with it. The rules are simple; no dropping the balloon and if they do, they start all over again.
- Backhand balloon balancing: challenge your child to try balancing a balloon on their little hand to see how long they can last. The one that balances the longest is the winner.
#3. Sticky Notes Wall Bops
Cut out different letters and stick them on the wall. Then draw some lines away from the letters where your child will stand holding a ball, bean bag, or staffed animal.
One at a time, you’ll tell your child which letters to hit. As you progress, you can try spelling some simple words like cat, hitting one letter after the other. If they miss one letter, they start again.
To make this game more interesting, you can award points for every correct throw, with the one with the most points being the winner. This game is a great form of exercise as your 3 year old bends to pick up the ball and hit the target.
#4. Floor Bobs
These indoor activities for kids 3-5 year olds are similar to wall bops, just that this time, the target will be on the floor, not on the wall. For instance, you can draw a circle on the floor and your 3 year old will try to throw the ball into the circle.
To make the game more challenging, you can draw holes at varying distances where you begin with the closest target, moving to the farthest.
#5. Mirror, Mirror
Standing face to face, at least 1 foot apart, your 3 year old will try to copy every move that you make. From reaching up, stretching, jumping jacks, running in place, making monkey faces, and so much more.
After some time, switch roles where you will copy everything your child is doing. Without a doubt, these indoor physical activities for 5 year olds will make everyone laugh so hard and have mad fun!
#6. Snowball Fights
Your 3 year old will be super-excited with indoor snowball fights. To play, simple create snowballs using papers, or rolled-up socks.
Also, you need a fort where both sides can hide to take refuge while the snowball fight is ongoing.
#7. Egg and Spoon Race
Provide a spoon and a rounded object that will fit on the spoon such as tiny ball or rape. Then, without letting the item on the spoon fall off, navigate through a specific course.
The person that gets to the target point with the object intact takes the win. If the object falls, they start all over again.
Please note, your child is still learning to balance so you should start slow. Once they get the hang of it, you can increase the speed to make the game more challenging.
#8. Hide N Seek
Hide n seek game is a timeless physical activity ideal for both outdoor and indoor. In fact, playing hide and seek indoors is more fun as there are more discreet places to hide.
During the game, the person that is found first will do some push-ups and count the next round. To ensure that things don’t get messy, you can set the boundaries on the places where one can hide and places that are out of bound.
#9. Potato Sack Race
If you’ve participated in a potato sack race before, you know how fun it can get. To play, you’ll give your 3 year olds a pillowcase (of course they can’t fit in a sack) that they’ll hold around the waist.
Once you set the timer, the kids will compete who gets to the finish line first. If you have time to repeat the race over and over, the one that finishes the race in the shortest possible time is the winner.
#10. Dance Party
Create a dance party by playing your child’s favorite tunes. To make it even more fun, you can engage in dance competitions in search for the coolest moves, most unique moves, or funniest moves.
Are there other exciting indoor physical activities for 3-5 year olds that you and your toddlers love? Please share with us below.
Safety Tips for Indoor Physical Activities for Preschoolers
- Conduct eye-level checks: your 3 year old lives in a completely different world from what you see looking down. So, to ensure that all is well, go on your knees and inspect the playing ground.
- Ensure that you only play with toys that meets the safety standards. If any toy is a hazard to your toddlers, replace it immediately.
- Keep your eyes and ears on the ground during play. Remember, a safety problem can occur at any time.
- Lock away any dangerous item that can arouse the curiosity of toddlers like medications, chemicals, beads, and more.
- Keep doorways to the attic, basement, and other dangerous places around the house locked.
- Do not at any time leave the kids to play without supervision. 3-5 year olds can easily put harmful stuff in their mouths or use play items to hit other kids.
By following these safety recommendations, you can enjoy the best indoor physical activities for 3-5 year olds with no accidents or incidents.