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Games For Children Under 4 Years Old to Play

Games for young children stimulate their brains, engage their bodies and encourage creativity. Whether the games are physical or mental, or involve fine motor skills or memory, young children often enjoy playing any game, at least for a short while. Children under the age of 4 typically have a short attention span and limited abilities, so encourage age-appropriate activities when playing games with young children.

Duck Duck Goose
- This game is best played with at least four children. Pick a child to be "it," and have the rest of the children sit in a large circle. "It" should walk around the outside of the circle, gently touching each child on the head or shoulders. She'll call each child a duck as she touches them until she wants someone to chase her around the circle. Then she will touch a child and say "goose." That child needs to get up and chase "it" around the circle. The goal is to tag her before she sits in the goose's spot. If "it" makes it to the vacant spot before getting tagged, the child who was the goose becomes "it." This game can go on until the children tire of it or until everyone has had a chance to be "it."
Musical Hula Hoops
- Played much like musical chairs, musical hula hoops can be played inside or outdoors. Form a large circle by placing one hula hoop on the ground for each child. Have the kids stand in their own hoop and start the music. Encourage the children to step out of their hoop and walk around the outside of the large circle. Remove one of the hula hoops and stop the music. When the music is off, the children need to scramble to a vacant hoop and step inside it. The child who does not make it to a hoop is out. Remove another hoop and start the music. Have the kids walk around the outside of the hoops and stop the music. Continue this pattern until there is only one child left in a hoop. She is the winner.
Red Light Green Light
- Use this game to help children follow instruction and practice self-control. Line the kids up at one end of the room or yard as you stand on the opposite end. Turn your back to the kids and yell, "green light." This is a cue to the children to run toward you. Turn around so you face the kids and yell, "red light." This tells the children to stop. Turn around and yell, "green light." Continue this pattern until the first child reaches you. He is the winner and gets to be the "traffic director" for the next round.
Use Your Ears
- Ask the children to sit quietly on the floor or ground and close their eyes. Have them listen to different sounds made by you or the environment. Ask the children what they hear. Blow into a harmonica, bounce a rubber ball, ring the doorbell, call your cell phone so it rings and walk on a hard floor for footstep sounds.

Kids Games