20 Activities for 4 Year Olds to Do at Home

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As a mom of several little ones close in age, I can appreciate how helpful it can be to have activities for 4 year olds available for when you just need ideas to keep them entertained.

I’m a BIG fan of outdoor play and LOTS of it, but there are times when the weather just doesn’t allow for that and other reasons to be shut in.

For those times, these activities listed below are what we turn to.

The beauty of this age is that play is the very best way for them to learn. There’s no need to have structured learning but these games and activities will certainly encourage learning in a really fun way.

Activities for 4 Year Olds to Keep Them Entertained

I’ve never been a “glitter mom” that has these incredibly fun and creative activities set up for her kids.

I like to keep things simple and affordable, so you won’t find anything time-consuming or expensive listed here.

These activities are all either free or cheap to put together.

#1 Coloring

Not all kids love to color in, but I’ve found that if you allow them to color however they want with no expectations, they do start to enjoy it.

You can grab some free alphabet coloring pages by signing up below.

Otherwise, coloring books and coloring supplies are very affordable and are well worth having on hand.

I always go for washable markers and crayons so I don’t have to stress about having to watch their every move.

#2 Playing Doctors

I love this because your child can either play this with you, with their siblings or just using a soft toy.

In fact, this was one of my go-to activities when I was pregnant because I could lie down and “rest” while my son played the game.

You don’t have to have a doctor kit, but they are cheap enough to find and your child will love using it.

I’m a nurse, so we often have great conversations about the human body when my kids play doctor.

#3 Read Books

You can never read to your child too much. Seriously.

It is SO good for them.

I’ve linked some of my favorite books below, but also don’t be afraid to read chapter books as well. My son is a big fan of the Little House on the Prarie series.

If you find that they just don’t want to sit still then letting them color or play with Duplo while you read is a great option.

Another thing to consider is looking into audiobooks. This is a great way to encourage some quiet time so everyone can have a break.

#4 Play Board Games

Connect Four, Roll and Play, Trouble, and Go Fish are all great games to play with a four-year-old.

We also enjoy Snakes and Ladders and Buckaroo.

#5 Play with Playdoh or Kinetic Sand

I personally find Playdoh a lot easier to tidy up, but both kinetic sand and playdoh are great options for open-ended play.

You can leave your child to play with these on their own, or you can get some playdoh mats and encourage letter recognition.

You’ll need to buy kinetic sand but you can easily make your own playdoh at home and just use kitchen items for moulding tools.

#6 Paint with Water

If you have any kind of outdoor space then this is a super easy activity to set up.

Give your child a bowl of water and a paintbrush and let them have fun “painting” anything they’d like.

Both my 4-year old and 2-year old love this activity and it keeps them entertained for a really long time.

#7 Dance Party

Being cooped up inside can lead to kids bouncing off the walls…which can drive you crazy (especially when you live in a smaller home).

One way that I’ve found to help get their wiggles out is by allowing a dance party.

I put on some fun kids music and let them dance to their heart’s content.

Sometimes I join in…other times I take the opportunity to get a minute’s peace a quiet.

#8 Play Dress Ups

If you have some costumes then this is a great time to bring them out and let your 4-year old play dress ups.

Otherwise, you could be creative and make costumes from what you already have at home.

A towel can be a superhero cape, and little girls will love dressing up in your clothes.

Things don’t have to be fancy in order to be fun and spark the imagination.

#9 Hide n’ Seek

My son is terrible at this game but it is so much fun.

And when I say terrible what I mean is that when he hides he can’t stop himself from giggling…so everyone always knows where he is.

Regardless, it’s such an easy game to play with your 4-year-old and you can extend the fun to siblings too.

#10 Water Play

Sometimes it’s the simplest things that bring the most joy.

There have been many evenings when I’ve been trying to get dinner put together and all three children have been whining at my feet.

On those days I grab a big towel and put a bunch of plastic containers on it with some water in each.

I give my kids spoons and they go to town transferring water from one container to the next.

So simple and yet it’s a great activity!

#11 Build a Fort

Who else has great memories of fort-building as a kid?

It doesn’t take much more than propping some sheets or blankets over furniture to make a great fort that your 4-year old will love to play in.

#12 Watch a Movie

Screen time isn’t something that many people recommend but sometimes it has its place.

Disney + is our favorite place to find fun family movies to enjoy together.

It’s even more fun when you watch it from a fort that you’ve built together in the living room.

Add some fun snacks and you’re set up for making some great family memories.

#13 Bake

Most 4-year olds love to help in the kitchen. Baking is a great activity idea and you’ll be getting two benefits out of it.

First, your 4-year old will have a fun activity to do with you, and second, they’ll have a snack to have later on.

#14 Play with Duplo or Legos

Lego and Duplo are two things that we can personally never have enough of in our home.

The open-ended nature of them is ideal for preschoolers.

I love them for quiet time in the afternoon or for when I’m reading aloud to my children.

Magnatiles are also a great thing to stock up on. We use all three in our home.

#15 Wipe Clean Books

Not all 4-year olds will love to sit and work on a book but for those that do, wipe-clean books are a perfect idea.

Alternatively, if you have a laminator, you can print off coloring pages and laminate them so your child can use washable markers on them and you can just wipe them clean.

#16 Scavenger Hunt

We’ve done many kinds of scavenger hunts in our home but this is an activity that you can easily turn into an educational one if you’d like.

If you have flashcards of any kind, you can hide them around the place and have your child look for them.

This works great for letter, number, shape, and color recognition.

Otherwise, just using household items is a fun way to play as well.

#17 Puzzles

Another quiet activity that your 4-year old can either do individually or with someone else is working on a puzzle.

Wooden puzzles are my favorite as the pieces are less likely to be damaged.

#18 Chores

While chores don’t sound like a fun activity idea, they are actually great for 4-year olds.

They’ll learn responsibility and diligence.

Plus, most 4-year olds are very eager to be just like mom or dad, so you’ll find that they’re excited to help.

Here’s a list of great chore ideas for 4-year olds.

#19 Tea Party

If you did some baking earlier in the day, why not host a tea party later on?

Otherwise, if your child has a tea set, give them some water to use in the cups and let them have some fun with their imagination.

#20 Simon Says

When my kids are needing a way to calm down (and stop driving me crazy) Simon Says is something that works to bring everyone together.

My 4-year old loves this game and I often use it as an opportunity to teach him more about his body and what the different names of things are.

This list of activities is meant to help you and not put any pressure on.

I’m a firm believer in that my job is not to entertain my children. Its good for them to feel bored sometimes because that’s what encourages the use of imagination.

With that said, there are times when I need to step in and direct them a bit which is when these activity ideas come in handy.

I hope that you find them helpful and have loads of fun with your 4-year old!