Four-year-olds are bursting with curiosity and energy! Finding educational yet fun activities for four year olds that keep them engaged can be challenging. Therefore, this post today will curate teacher-approved, play-based activities, categorized by subject, to help preschoolers develop critical skills—no fancy materials needed! Explore the top preschool activity pack now!
Reading activities for four year olds
1. Alphabet treasure hunt
This exciting game turns letter recognition into an interactive treasure hunt, making learning fun and engaging for young children.
Materials needed:
- A worksheet for alphabet flashcards. Download alphabet worksheets here.
- Small rewards (stickers, small toys, or treats).
How to play:
- Hide alphabet flashcards around the room or play area.
- Give the child a small basket or bag and ask them to find the hidden letters.
- Once they find a letter, they must say its name and sound before receiving a small reward.
- Continue until all letters have been found and identified.
Download this Alphabet worksheet for your lesson!
2. Story sequencing cards
This game develops comprehension by encouraging kids to arrange story events in the correct sequence.
Materials needed: Printable picture story sequencing worksheets or illustrated flashcards
How to play:
- Read a brief, simple story to the child.
- Give them picture cards depicting various elements of the story.
- Ask the child to arrange the cards in proper order.
- Review together and discuss what happens at the beginning, middle, and end.
Download this Story sequencing worksheet for your kids!
Maths activities for four year olds
1. Roll and cover numbers
A fun number recognition and counting game where kids roll a die and cover the corresponding number on a worksheet.
Materials needed:
- Printable Roll and cover worksheet with numbers from 1-6.
- A dice.
- Small objects (buttons, counters, or stickers).
How to play:
- Give the child a printable worksheet with numbers arranged in a grid.
- The child rolls the dice and finds the matching number on the sheet.
- They place a small object on top of the number or color it in with a crayon.
- The game continues until all numbers are covered.
Download this Roll and Cover Numbers worksheet for your lesson!
2. Number bingo
A simple game to reinforce number recognition using a bingo-style printable board.
Materials needed:
- Printable Bingo cards with numbers
- Number calling cards
- Small objects for covering numbers
How to play:
- Give each child a Bingo card with a mix of numbers.
- Draw a number from the pile and call out the number.
- The child locates the number on their card and marks it.
- The first person to cover either a row or the entire card wins!
Let’s get this Number bingo worksheet for your lesson now!
3. Count and clip cards
Develops counting and number recognition skills by matching quantities to numbers.
Materials needed:
- Printable count-and-clip cards with various objects-apples, stars, etc. and multiple-choice numbers
- Clothespins or markers.
How to play:
- The child looks at the number of objects on the card.
- They put a clothespin on the correct number or circle it with a marker.
- Repeat with other cards until all are complete.
Science activities for four year olds
1. Weather chart observation
Helps children understand weather patterns by observing daily conditions.
Materials needed:
- Printable weather tracking worksheet
- Crayons
How to play:
- Give the child a worksheet with weather icons: sunny, rainy, cloudy, windy, snowy.
- Each day, ask them to look outside and identify the weather.
- They can color in the correct icon or draw their own version.
- At the end of the week, review the changes in the weather.
Print this Weekly Weather Tracker worksheet for your class!
2. Animal habitats sorting game
Teaches kids about different animal homes and where animals live.
Materials needed:
- Animal habitat sorting printable worksheet
- Cut-out pictures of animals and environments (forest, ocean, desert, etc.).
How to play:
- Give the child cut-out images of different animals and their habitats.
- Ask them to match each animal to its correct home on the worksheet.
- Discuss what each animal is living in those respective homes.
3. Sink or Float sorting game
Hands-on experiment in buoyancy teaching through testing which items sink or float.
Materials needed:
- A printable sink-or-float recording sheet
- Bowl of water
- Small items to test such as a coin, plastic toy, and sponge.
How to play:
- Give the child a worksheet with a sink or float chart.
- Show them different objects and ask them to predict whether they will sink or float.
- Drop the objects into the water and observe.
- Have the child mark or draw their results on the worksheet.
Physical activities for four year olds
1. Yoga pose cards
Improve flexibility, balance, and coordination through some simple yoga movements.
Materials needed: Printable yoga pose cards, illustrating child-friendly yoga poses such as a tree pose and a cat pose.
How to play:
- Let the child draw one yoga pose card.
- Show them how to do the pose and hold it for a few seconds.
- Encourage deep breathing and stretching while moving through the poses.
Download this Yoga poses worksheet for your Physical activity!
2. Follow the lines
Develops fine motor and hand-eye coordination through tracing different line patterns.
Materials needed: Printable line tracing worksheets of zigzags, loops, and spirals.
How to play:
- Provide the child with a worksheet with different tracing lines.
- Demonstrate how to trace the lines with a pencil, marker, or finger.
- Encourage them to go slow and stay on the path to improve control.
Download this interesting Tracing lines worksheet for your kids now!
3. Finger gym: Playdough smash and roll
Helps develop hand strength and coordination by manipulating playdough in many different ways.
Materials needed: Printable playdough mats with shapes or letters, playdough.
How to play:
- Provide a playdough mat with outlines of letters, numbers, or simple objects.
- Have the child roll and shape the playdough to fit inside the outlines.
- Allow them to squash small playdough balls using their fingers to develop the grip.
Use this Playdough mat worksheet to guide your kids!
SEL activities for four year olds
1. Emotion face identification
Enables the child to identify and draw different emotions.
Material needed: Printable emotion face templates, crayons, or markers.
How to play:
- Give the child a worksheet with blank outlines of faces.
- Call out emotions like happy, sad, surprised, and angry, and have them draw facial expressions.
- Discuss when they might feel that way about something.
2. My feelings sorting game
The children are encouraged to identify emotions and sort them according to the scenario.
Materials needed: Printable emotion sorting cards with pictures of kids showing different feelings.
How to play:
- Lay out the cards showing different facial expressions.
- Read a simple situation like “You lost your favorite toy” and ask the child to choose a matching emotion card.
- Explain why that emotion fits the situation and how to deal with it.
Download the My Feeling sorting cards for your activity!
3. Friendship bingo
This teaches children about kindness and social skills with a fun bingo game.
Materials needed: Interactive play Friendship Bingo card with acts of kindness pre-printed on the card.
How to play:
- Give each child a bingo sheet.
- Throughout the day/week, they mark off actions they do.
- When they get five in a row, they celebrate their kindness!
Download this Friend Bingo worksheet for your lesson!
Help your little ones grow with kindness, confidence, and empathy through these engaging SEL activities for kids. Perfect for preschoolers learning to understand feelings, build friendships, and express themselves every day!
FAQs
1. What are fun activities for four years old?
Fun activities for four-year-olds should be engaging, hands-on, and interactive. Scavenger hunts, storytelling, simple science experiments, and games using printable worksheets are other ways to keep them interested in learning. Other activities, such as arts and crafts, sorting games, and sensory play, also keep their hands busy while working on the development of vital cognitive skills.
2. What should I be teaching my four year olds?
The focus at this age should be on socio-emotional learning (sharing), pre-math (counting to 10), reading (letter recognition), and basic science. Creativity can be encouraged through arts and crafts, interactive storytime, and pretend play. Worksheets and printable activities will help reinforce early literacy and math skills while keeping learning fun and engaging.
Final thoughts
Four-year-olds learn best through playful exploration. Providing engaging activities for four year olds kids helps nurture their curiosity and love for learning. Whether through reading, math, science, or physical play, these fun activities support their overall development. Try out these ideas and make learning exciting for your little ones! Don’t forget to browse our worksheets for more interesting ideas and free worksheets for teaching your kids. With Worksheetzone’s free printables, you can turn everyday moments into skill-building adventures.
