Preschool Indoor and Outdoor PE Games

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

A fun, equipment-free activity for a toddler’s physical development is “Row, Row, Row
Your Boat.” This game teaches them about socialization and playing together. All they have to do
is sit on the floor while facing each other and pressing their feet into their partner’s. As they
hold hands, they lean back and forth while singing along to the song.

Musical Hide-and-Seek
Another engaging and effortless game is using your phone to play music and hiding it
somewhere within their play space. The kids can then go on a hunt to find where the music is
coming from. Musical hide-and-seek is perfect for getting toddlers moving and developing their
problem-solving skills.

Toss Balls in a Basket

For this game, choose soft balls that are small enough for toddlers to hold comfortably
but large enough that they cannot put them in their mouths. Have the kids practice making
baskets into a laundry bin or sand bucket. As they get the hang of it, you can gradually move the
basket farther away to challenge their new skills.

Imitate Animals
Imitating animals is another exciting way to get toddlers moving. Encourage them to
choose their favorite animals and embody how they act and move. They can roll around or walk
on all fours. Have them use their entire body and practice being all kinds of creatures. The more
active they are during this game, the better.

Traffic Safety
Begin by cutting three circles from colored paper –– one red, one yellow and one green.
Label the red circle “Stop,” the yellow circle “Slow” and the green circle “Go.” Pick one child to
be the traffic light. They will take turns holding up each color. The other children will move
according to the chosen color. You can also take advantage of this active play idea to teach
toddlers about traffic safety.

Follow-the-Leader
You can play follow-the-leader with toddlers. Have them pay close attention and copy
your designated moves. Consider having them do activities such as:
Touching their toes
Jumping up and down
Stomping in a circle
Crawling on all fours
Choose simple actions to engage gross motor skills.

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Hit the Balloon
For this activity, blow up a couple of balloons and encourage the kids to keep them aloft
by tapping them with their hands before the balloons hit the ground. For more skilled kids, you
can add a barrier like a pillow between them and have the kids try to volley the balloon back
and forth. Chasing the balloons can be great exercise and a lot of fun for toddlers.

The Sliding Ball

If you have two toddlers, this game will help them learn the value of teamwork. Instruct
both children to stand at the bottom of a playground sliding board. Roll a ball down the slide
and have one of the toddlers collect it and hand it to the other child, who will then return it to
you. Repeat the process, but this time, have the other child get the ball and hand it to the
teammate so they can bring it back to you.

Cross the Midline Relay

The children sat criss-cross applesauce in a circle and wrapped one arm across their
bellies and used their other arm to receive and pass the bean bag from one friend to the other.
This was more challenging than it might seem, and once the children seemed to have a good
handle on the process, make things a little more interesting by calling out “switch directions”
and “switch arms.”

Musical Chairs
Place chairs either in a row or in a circle facing outward. Play fun, upbeat music and have
the kids circle around the chairs. When you stop the music, the kids will sit in the seat closest to
where they are.
You can adapt this game to be a no-lose version where there is always a seat for every
participant. To keep kids active, change the movement with each new tune and have them do
things such as:
Crawl
Bunny hop
Skip

Red Light, Green Light

For this activity, have the preschoolers line up side by side, facing either a teacher or
another player. The teacher stands on the other side of the room or space, facing the players.
When the teacher calls, “Green light,” the players run toward the teacher until the teacher yells,
“Red light!” Then, the players must freeze in place. The game continues until the players reach
the teacher.
You can also include handheld signs representing a green light and a red light for the teacher or
child to hold up during the game.

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Freeze Dance
Like musical chairs, this game requires an adult to play music for the kids. Encourage the
kids to dance while the music is playing and have them freeze in place as soon as you pause it.
The kids will enjoy the spontaneity of the game and can work on their self-regulation skills.

Bowling
A fun and creative physical activity for preschoolers is makeshift bowling. You can use
items such as:
Water bottles
Soda cans
Paper towel rolls
Arrange them into a triangle as if they were bowling pins. Have the kids use a soft foam ball and
practice rolling it underhand towards the pins. To practice their math skills, they can count how
many pins they successfully knocked down after each turn.

Hopscotch
While outdoors, take some chalk to a sidewalk or blacktop to draw blocks for your game
of hopscotch. This game will get kids hopping, challenging their balance and practicing counting.
You can also adapt this hopscotch game to be an indoor activity by using tape to set up your
squares.

Jump Over the River

To play this game, create a river using two chalk or tape lines. You can create sections of
varying widths.
Instruct the children to leap over the smallest portion of the river and slowly work up to the
longest jump to challenge their balance and skills.

Hot and Cold

Take one of your child’s toys or stuffed animals and hide it somewhere in a large area. As
the toddler attempts to find the item, let them know if they are getting closer by saying “hot” or
farther away by saying “cold.” The purpose of this toddler game is to teach the child patience
and to how to avoid becoming frustrated in challenging situations. They also will learn the value
of perseverance.

Pass the Ball

Several children can play this popular playground game in a group. Have the toddlers
stand in a line or circle and hand the ball to one of them. Instruct the child to say “one” and
pass the ball to the next toddler, who says “two.” Continue the process, then say “stop” at a
random point. The child holding the ball at that time will sit out the remaining rounds of the
game. You can make the game more challenging by increasing the speed with each repetition.

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Simon Says
One person is Simon, and the other players follow Simon’s instructions. Standing in front
of the group Simon tells the players what they must do.
The players must obey all commands that begin with the words “Simon says”. If Simon says,
“Simon says touch your nose” then all players must touch their nose.
However, if Simon says, “jump” without saying “Simon says” first the players must not jump. If
they do jump, that player is out until the next game.

Duck, Duck, Goose

As they walk around, they tap the player's heads and say whether they are a "duck" or a
"goose". Once someone is the "goose" they get up and try to chase "it" around the circle. The
goal is for the “goose” to catch “it” before they are able sit/stand in the "goose's" spot.