I know we have all been there…. stuck in the house ALL day with a preschooler. Whether it’s from bad weather, needing to teach multiple children, or because you are traveling and have limited access to outdoor spaces we have all been stuck with the thought, ” What am I going to do with this 4 year old to keep her happy and engaged?” Fear not today I am sharing a list of Preschool approved indoor activities to keep her happy, engaged, and inside for whatever the reason may be.
A few hurdles that parents need to consider when it comes to preparing to keep a preschooler inside all day is that at this age children have very short attention spans. For this reason I try to have a few sorting games available because it encourages her to focus while not being overwhelming. Many preschoolers love to have hands on activities such as sensory bins which encourage tactile exploration and develop fine motor skills. Preschoolers are naturally curious and learn a lot through open ended building with blocks or magnetic tiles. These open ended building sessions easily last 40 + minutes with my preschooler. It is always so fun to see what her little mind wants to create and these activities give her the opportunity to be creative and solve problems. At the age of 4/5 you may not know how your little one learns best which is why I recommend incorporating a varied learning style when planning indoor activities. Combine music with dancing, puzzles with a scavenger hunt, pretend play with story time. By varying your indoor activities you can appeal to auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. Another indoor activity to keep in your back pocket is baking together! It is so fun to guide and teach little ones through simple baking recipes such as muffins or cookies. This teaches her life skills in a safe and supervised environment. I hope baking together is a core memory for my little one – plus we get a yummy treat to enjoy indoors afterward.
The Benefits of Indoor Play
You might be surprised to learn that there are many benefits to indoor play for your Preschooler. It can give you an opportunity to develop fine motor skills with color sorting activites. Another benefit is giving her an opportunity to show her creativity with scratch paper. I liked to use indoor play time as a chance to teach early social skills with conversation cards.
Themed Activities
I know a lot of parents have seen the trend to make creative themed boxes for their toddlers/preschoolers. These themed boxes are a great way to utilize pretend play spaces like kitchen sets, costumes, and sensory play. There are a lot of way to turn these pretend play activities into an educational opportunity such as taking turns, solving problems, communication, and fine motor control. My favorite part of pretend play with my preschooler was seeing the elaborate games she would make up for everyone this was something that came naturally for her and I was all too eager to join in her fun new game.
Educational Activities
Preschoolers learn a lot – and the best through play. Using indoor play time as an educational opportunity can be as simple as having some puzzles available, STEM kits, or letter and number games. However my favorite form of educational activities is – and always will be story time. It has always amazed me how much our little ones pick up from a story.
Energy-Burning Activities
The real struggle of keeping a preschooler happy and engaged inside is the amount of energy they have. I mean at this age they want to move all the time and we should definitely be encouraging our children to learn how to move their bodies safely, take risks, and overcome fears so we have strong and capable kids but when they are stuck inside all day it can cause some pretty gnarly tantrums. To combat this I like to incorporate some nice energy burning activities through dance parties, obstacle course, yoga for kids, or indoor balance beams. This provides a fun and safe way to get all the wiggles out!
Toy and Resource Recommendations
Below is a full list of Toy and resource recommendations to help you plan indoor activities for your preschooler. I tried to organize the list in sections or if you prefer you can browse my complete list with photos here.
Fine Motor skills
Counting and Color Sorting Toys
Wooden Burger Stacking Toy
Screwdriver Board Set
Wooden Lacing Beads Toy
24 piece Fine Motor Skills Toys Matching Color Sorting Game with Keys
Creative Activities
Color Wonder Magic Light Brush
Social Activities
Basic Life Skills Early Learning
Unpack Your Day Conversation Kit
Develops Empathy Through Friendly Illustrations of Social Situations
Gentle Hands and Other Sing-Along Songs for Social-Emotional Learning
Pretend Play
Toys Kids Pretend Play Costume Set for Boys & Girls
Sensory Play
11lbs of 5 Colored Moldable Self-Sticking Sand
Giant Large Colorful Gel Jelly Balls
81 Wooden Loose Parts Sensory Bin Filler Toys
Mini Jungle Toy Set with Sensory Bin
Pretend Play Dish and Tongs- Fine Motor Learning Toys for Sensory Table Activities
Educational Activities
Children of The World Racial Cognition Dress-up Peg Puzzle Educational
Preschool Education Learning Puzzle
30 Hands-On Activities for Preschool Learning
200 Pieces Building Blocks Kids STEM Toys
156-Piece Set of Lowercase Magnetic Letters
Story Time
Peek Inside how a Fire Truck works
Welcome to the Symphony: A Musical Exploration of the Orchestra Using Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5
A Collection of Stories for 3 Year Olds
A Collection of Stories for 4 Year Olds
A Collection of Stories for 5 Year Olds
Indoor Energy Burning Activities
Indoor & Outdoor Toddler Trampoline with Adjustable Gymnastics Bar
Two Sided Rock Around Wobble Disk and Climbing Dome
Indoor activities for preschoolers provide homeschooling families with opportunities to balance fun, learning, and engagement—especially during challenging seasons or weather. By keeping expectations realistic and tailoring activities to short attention spans, hands-on exploration, and varied learning styles, you can create a rich and stimulating environment for your little ones. Remember, every activity is an opportunity to nurture creativity, curiosity, and connection. What are your favorite indoor activities for preschoolers? Share your ideas or challenges in the comments—I’d love to hear from you!
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