Preschoolers are so easy to entertain, but you will want to keep things as simple as possible to keep yourself from pulling your hair out.
Sidewalk Fun
If it’s warm outside get them outside to blow off some steam. Sidewalk chalk or sidewalk paint are great fun for preschoolers, let them draw each other’s shadows, or make shapes, letters, or simple pictures. Draw up a game of hopscotch to play.
Homemade Sidewalk Paint
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
6-8 drops of food coloring
Mix cornstarch and cold water together in a small container. Add the food coloring and stir. Repeat this process to create different colors of paint. Washes away easily with rain or water.
Play Dough
Playdough is a fun and easy thing to do with preschoolers at a party. Keep the playdough in one area, with plastic on the floor to catch any pieces that may escape. Get several colors of playdough, and some cookie cutters or let them mold their own creations.
Make your own playclay recipe:
Edible Play Dough
1 cup of peanut butter
1 cup of corn syrup
1 1/4 cup of powdered sugar
1 1/4 cup of powdered milk
Mix all the ingredients together. Your kids can form their own creations, then eat them. Make sure they wash their hands before playing with this play dough and they should work on a clean surface. You can provide coconut, nuts, raisins, sugar coated candies, or sprinkles for them to decorate their creations with.
Play A Simple Game
When you’re playing games with preschoolers stick to games with simple rules they may be familiar with. Some good preschool party games to play include the old favorites, Simon Says, Duck Duck Goose, Freeze Tag, Warmer/ Colder, and simple scavenger hunts.
You can also lay a large sheet of butcher paper (leftover wrapping paper works great too) or use a plain white roll of paper, on a long table or on the floor and give them some simple drawing books, and some crayons or colored pencils. Let them make a mural for the birthday child.
You can also set up craft stations, and let them rotate between the stations, just make sure you have an adult helper for each station.
Whatever game or activity you plan to do with preschoolers keep it simple, and if it’s not going well regroup. Free play time always works well if none of your ideas are working out. Don’t get too stressed and have fun with it!
