fun 4 year old experiments

Love and Marriage

And A Baby Carriage.

10+ Simple Science Experiments for 3-4 Year Olds

kid activities

My pre-schooler Brady loves it when I tell him we are going to do science experiments .  He gets so excited and totally lights up.  They’re just so much fun!

I try to find science experiments I can do with him that are simple and don’t take a lot of time and patience.  We all know patience is not a virtue of a four-year-old.

I like them to only require a few ingredients and be completely safe and hands-on.  Here are my most favorite experiments I’ve found for a three to four-year-old.

10 Simple Science Experiments for 3-4 Year Olds

(affiliate links included throughout – see  my disclosure  for more information – thanks for your support) 

1.  Oil and water don’t mix , but what happens when you add this special ingredient?  From Play Trains.

2.  Test your kids hypothesis on what would happen if they stepped on raw eggs .  They will love this one!  From Housing A Forest.

3.  You can blow up a balloon with a combination of soda and candy.  So cool!  From Learn Play Imagine.

4.  This exploding baggie experiment is a twist on the classic baking soda and vinegar reaction and is super simple.  From Coffee Cups and Crayons.

5.  Exploding milk is one of the most fun and simple kid science experiments and you only need three kitchen ingredients.  From Laughing Kids Learn.

My friends just wrote a brilliant science books for kids that we just adore! You’ve gotta check out The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments .

6.  How do the ice trucks melt snow after a storm?  This is a great demonstration.  From The Artul Parent.

7.  Explain to your kids how sound waves work with this classic experiment.  From We Made That.

8.  Explaining the concept of air pressure to preschoolers can be tricky but this easy experiment shows it perfectly!  From Kids Activities Blog.

9.  Explore how plants “drink” with this experiment showing water moving through a leaf .  From Buggy and Buddy.

10.  Did you know you can make ice grow ?  Here’s how!  From Teach Preschool.

Amazing Science Kits For Kids

Kitchen Science Kit   |  Magnet Science Kit   |  Solar Science Kit   |  Grow A Maze Kit

Want More? Here’s Art Projects for 3-4 Year Olds

Liz is a just a mom trying to keep it real about how little she sleeps, how often she gets puked on and how much she loves them. You can find her here every day writing about real-mom moments.

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February 27, 2015 at 8:20 am

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March 19, 2015 at 4:04 pm

Fantastic collection! I just bought a ton of eggs from Costco to let my boys try walking on them. 😉 Thanks for including our balloon experiment!

August 4, 2015 at 8:41 pm

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March 19, 2016 at 1:32 am

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January 15, 2017 at 8:17 pm

This is very interesting activity for my kids, I love to try this at home to create something new. Thanks for sharing your idea. 🙂

January 15, 2017 at 8:24 pm

I like your idea very creative and I think this is so much fun. Thank you for sharing your great idea.

June 18, 2017 at 3:37 am

Thanks, I have been looking for some arts and crafts for my granddaughter. She will love these. I am a little hesitant on the stepping on eggs thing though. Can’t tell you how many times I have gotten egg shells stuck in the palm of my hands.

August 4, 2017 at 7:54 pm

What great ideas! My 4yo starts preschool soon and I’ll need more activities to keep him busy. Thanks for sharing!

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44+ Fun and Easy Activities for 4 Year Olds

• Kindergartner
• Preschooler

Check out these fun and easy activities and play ideas for 4 year olds. Here you will find tons easy ideas that you can set up for your preschooler while you take a meeting or get some work done at home. There are also fun sensory bin ideas, cool crafts for them to make and amazing hand-on learning ideas that are playful and fun. Tons of easy ways to keep your 4 year old busy, engaged and entertained at home!

And check out my short form crafting series Curious Crafting on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube ! Watch all the episodes here . Look for Season 2 of Curious Crafting coming in the new year.

Ways to Keep 4 Year Olds Busy

This amazing list of ideas is organized into a few sections. Let me highlight them here for you so you can quickly find what you are looking for fast. Scroll down to find each section.

• Easy Activities That 4 Year Olds Can Do Alone While You Work. These are ideas that you can set up and let your 4 year old do while you work, tend to baby, fold laundry or simply sit down scroll through your phone (yup you’re allow to do that every once in a while)!
• Low Prep Activities for 4 Year Olds. Activities that require little to no prep to create for your preschooler.
• Fun Sensory Bins. Easy sensory bins to create for your 4 year old!
• Easy Crafts for 4 Year Olds . Fun arts and craft ideas that you can do with your 4 year old.
• Hands-on Learning Activities . Fun ways to learn everything from letters, to their name, to numbers, shapes, counting and more.
• Simple STEAM for 4 Year Olds. Engaging Science Experiments four year olds will love!
• Easy Process Art Activities. Process art ideas to help develop creativity and have fun!

5 Easy Activities That 4 Year Olds Can Do Alone While You Work

1. wash the toys..

Grab two large sensory bins or Tupperwares ware containers. Fill one container with water and dish soap. Mix it up to make it bubbly. You don’t need a lot of water to make this fun and engaging just an inch or two will do. Lay a towel underneath everything in order to reduce the mess and clean up afterwards. Fill the other tub with tons of farm animals or dinosaurs or cars. You can set up one thing to wash every week! Let them wash the animals in the soap water. Add towels for drying. You can also add fine motor tools like eye droppers or turkey basters for washing, sponges or scrub brushes. If you’re feeling ambitious you can also place the animals outside the tub and put clean water in the second tub allowing your child to wash and then rinse the animals off before drying them.

Fun Activity using Magnets

2. playing with magnets..

Fill a sensory bin with all the metal object you can find. Think toy trains, cars, coins, paper clips, fridge magnets, bells, magnetic letters, keys. Throw in some other nonmetal items too. Hand your child a magnetic wand and let them explore trying to pick up item. Add cardboard tubes to the sides of the sensory bin using painter’s tape and have them toss metal items down the tubes that will fit and then have them recover the items using the magnetic wand . Check out here how we did it.

Make Foil Presents

3. foil puzzle match ..

Tear off sheets of foil to fit the puzzle pieces and have them do the wrapping for you! Model how to wrap with foil, folding over the puzzle pieces rather than scrunching. Place all the pieces in the basket and let the unwrapping begin! Trust me they will want to do this more than once so tear off a bunch and hand them over as they need them.

Fun Activities using LEGO

4. lego animal trace.

One a large sheet of butcher paper draw the outline of a few animals like a turtle, lion or peacock and invite your child to fill in the rest of the animal with LEGO DUPLO.

5. LEGO Body Trace

Similar to LEGO animal trace but instead you trace their bodies and have them fill them in with LEGO DUPLO or magnetic tiles!

10 Low Prep Activities For 4 Year Olds

6. super steam activity book.

Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more. 

Find out more and grab your copy here .

7. Make a Bubble Snake

8. Super Easy Ice Sensory Bin

9. Ready Made Playdough Kits

10. Dot Sticker Match

11. Sponge Letter Wash Sensory Bin

12. Pom Pom Water Sensory Bin

13. Mega Blok Names

14. Paint the Toys

Paint plastic outdoor toys with washable paints. Then have your kids rinse off the toys with soap and water and sponges before it actually dries!

• Pom Pom Mega Blok Sort

Fun Sensory Bins and Sensory Play Ideas for 4 Year Olds

• Dinosaur Dig Sensory Bin for Kids

• Outer Space Sensory Bin

• Awesome Fizzy Ice Cream Shop Sensory Bin

• Easy Dandelion Water Table Activity

• LEGO Car Wash Sensory Bin

21. The BEST (Super Easy & Soft) Playdough Recipe

22. Mud Kitchen Set Up For Kids

• Bubble Foam Sensory Bin

• Rainbow Pouring Station Sensory Bin for Kids

• Frozen Pom Poms

• Moon Rock Letters

Crafts for 4 Year Olds

• Easy Glue Resist Rainbow Painting

• Easy Coffee Filter Butterfly Craft for Kids

• Easy Nature Butterfly Sticky Wall Craft

• Dandelion Snail Threading Board: Outdoor Spring Fine Motor Activity

• Melted Crayon Picture Frame: A Colorful STEAM Craft

• Easy Foil Printing

• Fizzy Painting

• Salad Spinner Lion Craft

• Puffy Paint Cupcake Craft

• Cardboard Laptop Craft

• Farm Animal Finger Puppets Craft

• Cotton Pad Turtle Craft

Easy Learning Activities for 4 Year Olds

• TP Name Sort Activity for Preschoolers

• Cupcake Liner Math Activity

• Caterpillar Pom Pom Counting: Easy Toddler Math

• Washi Tape Pattern Matching

• Dot Sticker Cupcake Math: Easy Toddler Activity

• Pom Pom Sweep

• Letter Sticky Wall Crafts

• Pom Pom Caterpillar Counting

• Caterpillar Number Match for Preschoolers

• Cactus Letter Matching & Fine Motor Activity

• Fingerprint Letters

50. Easy Paint the Shapes Activity for Preschoolers

51. Alphabet Matching

Easy STEAM Activities for 4 Year Olds

52. easy baking soda and vinegar experiment for kids.

53. Fizzy Lemon Volcanoes

54. Dot Sticker Coding: Easy STEAM Activity

55. How to Make Oobleck for Kids

56. Dancing Water Beads

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mandisa | Happy Toddler Playtime (@happytoddlerplaytime)

Process Art Activities for 4 year Olds

57. salt painting for toddlers & preschoolers.

58. How to Easily Do Blow Painting with Straws

59. Sock Hands Painting

60. Painting Ice: Super Easy Art Activity for Kids

61. Shower Curtain Painting

Age Suitability

This activity is good for kids 4 years and up. My kids are 4, 4, and 8 year old.

This is a mess level varies.

Difficulty to Create

Easy to Medium.

Skills Developed

Sensory play, letter recognition, gross motor skills, language development, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, imaginative play, creativity.

Check out My Books, TV Show & Play Kits!

Book: exciting sensory bins for curious kids.

Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information  Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids . Or grab your copy at  Amazon . 

Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.

Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids

Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids , of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles that show them how to think outside the box.

• 350 riddles for kids —Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
• Level up their skills —Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
• Double-check their work —Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.

Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!

Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.

TV Show: Curious Crafting

I’m so excited to finally share my new crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched July 1 at on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube !

This show is all about fun and easy crafts for toddlers and preschoolers. 

Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.

In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create. 

Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.

The Best Sensory Play Kits for Kids

Play is at the core of learning during the early years and it can take many forms. One of the most important of these is sensory play because it engages all of a child’s senses (taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing) and has a enoumous positive impact on brain development.

Our Sensory Play Kits are some fun and easy ways to keep your child engaged while at the same time using sensory play to nurture their mind!

Shop our ready made play kits here .

Will you try any of these activities with your 4 year old pin it for later.

Filed Under:

• Fine Motor Skills
• Four Year Olds
• Gross Motor Skills
• Sensory Bins, Bottles and Bags

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45 of the Best STEM Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Categories STEM

Introducing young kids to STEM is incredibly fun. When I first started looking into STEM for Toddlers and Preschoolers , I was thrilled to see so many easy ways to do it.

If you’re a mom at home or early childhood educators, there are so many benefits to teaching your kids STEM. Use their natural curiosity to develop problem solving skills, and have a great time doing it.

Disclosure: Adult supervision is required for all activities at all times.

What is STEM?

• STEM Activities

Frequently Asked Questions

You may also like.

Not sure what STEM stands for? It’s an abbreviation of S cience T echnology E ngineering and M ath. Or you may have heard of STEAM, where the A stands for arts. All toddlers (2-3 year olds) and preschoolers (3-5 year olds), can get involved with these amazing ideas.

STEM Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

1. magic milk.

All you need for this science activity is some food coloring, milk, and dish soap. With those three ingredients you can watch the colors dance around the milk all by themselves.  Learn how to turn regular milk into magic milk here.

2. Coke and Mentos

This was one of the best science experiments I’ve ever done with my kids. The look on their faces is absolutely priceless and has become one of my favorite memories. The only thing I struggled with initially was getting all of the mentos into the bottle fast enough. Fortunately, I came up with an easy hack, which allows toddlers and older kids to drop all of the mentos into the bottle at once. Check out the coke and mentos reaction and learn the super easy hack to make it toddler friendly.

3. Fizzy Painting

This is another science activity that works because of chemical reactions. But in this play idea, you’ll be using it to make a painting that bubbles and fizzes.  Learn how to use chemistry to make fizzy art .

4. Straw Rockets

These straw rockets are a free printable that you can download and use for STEM learning. Children of all ages love propelling the rockets through the air using the power of their lungs.  Get your free printable rockets and start having fun.

5. Rain in a Jar

All you need for this weather science activity is a cup of water, shaving cream and blue food coloring. Watch as the blue food coloring falls through the clouds and looks like rain when it travels through the water.  Learn how to make the rain in a jar STEM activity with your toddlers and preschoolers.

6. Fireworks in a Jar

This is similar to the rain in a jar experiment, but has enough of a twist to make it new and exciting. Along with other easy STEM activities, you already have everything you need for this idea in your kitchen cupboard.  If your kids are too scared of real fireworks, then learn how to make them in a jar and still enjoy some colorful bursts.

7. Color Changing Flowers

This is a fun way to explore capillary action with young kids. They get to see how flowers “drink” water and how it travels from the bottom of the stem, all the way up to their petals. Learn how to make flowers change colors , and see it start working in about 30 minutes.

8. Walking Water

Did you know that you can make water move and change colors all by itself? This is another fantastic STEM education activity that explores capillary action. Watch the water ‘walk’ and become a rainbow before your eyes. Click the link to see how it’s done.

9. Balloon Magic

Kids of all ages love watching the balloon in this science activity inflate all by itself , just like magic. With a couple of common household ingredients, your kids can be magicians too.

10. Magnet Exploration

Playing with magnets is the best way to explain the STEM concepts of magnetism. Learn what is magnetic and what isn’t, using whatever bits and bobs you have lying around the house or classroom.

11. DIY Magnetic Ball Run

Learn how to turn regular cardboard tubes into a fun fridge door activity. Younger kids will love doing a bit of engineering while making their own magnetic ball run and learning about gravity.

12. Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils

This is without a doubt one of my favorite preschool STEM activities. Use the DIY dinosaur fossils to create a real dino dig in the sandbox, or just as a dinosaur matching activity. All you need is some salt dough, and small toy dinosaurs. It’s so easy.

13. Planet Match Activity

Do you have little astronauts running around at home? This matching activity is a simple way to let them explore the solar system. Get the free planet match printable to help teach your kids about outer space.

14. Butterfly Life Cycle

When the weather warms up, and the butterflies are out, this is the perfect chance to explore some Spring themed STEAM activities. Learn about the life cycle of a butterfly , while creating some beautiful art at the same time.

This activity also comes with a free printable template for you to use for the art. In addition, it also contains a whole lot of interesting butterfly facts to use during circle time.

15. How to Grow Crystal Snowflakes

These snowflakes can sit on your window and don’t melt. I love this science activity for older children, because it doesn’t snow where we live. But we still get to enjoy a bit of magic with this play idea.

Learn how to make crystal snowflakes for your windows.

16. Invisible Heart Activity for Kids

The secret behind this science activity is homemade invisible ink. Instead of making secret messages, I made a secret cardiovascular system. You can do individual pictures for kids at home, or large ones that kids in your early years classroom can do as a small group project. Learn how to make an invisible heart science activity , or just write secret messages.

17. Snowstorm in a Jar

If you’re looking for winter themed STEM ideas, make sure to try this snowstorm in a jar. Kids as young as toddlers can join in on this one. Not to mention it’s so much fun to watch no matter how old you are.

Learn how to turn a regular jar into an indoor snowstorm , using a bit of simple science.

18. Building Shapes

This is a fantastic engineering and math activity for children. Toddlers can focus on building 2D shapes, while preschoolers can also explore 3D constructions. I used toothpicks for this activity. However, if you’re going to try this play idea with toddlers, then I suggest you use pipe cleaners or paper straws instead. What 2D and 3D shapes will you build with your kids?

19. Popsicle Stick Shape Mats

Here is another way to build shapes, using craft sticks. These shape mats are a free printable that you can download and use today. Best of all, the craft sticks are the exact size on the mats, so everything fits together seamlessly.

Get your copy of the free craft stick shape mats printable , and do a bit of math with your kids.

20. Farm Animal Shadow Matching Game

This is one of the first simple STEM activities I did with my toddlers. In fact, it’s the exact one I used to get my kids interested in puzzles (they were hopeless before this). It’s such a simple puzzle, but you do need to recognise irregular shapes.

This game comes as a free printable. All you need to do is to match the farm animals to their shadows , and maybe make a few barnyard noises while you do. 

21. Parachute STEM Experiment

Can you make one of your toys fly? When we did this activity, we had one very brave cow that got caught in the rose bushes a lot.

This science activity is a simple way to experiment with wind resistance, different materials and parachute designs . Perfect for older kids to make, but still fun for toddlers and preschoolers to play with.

22. Water Cycle STEM for Kids

Did you know that you can make a working indoor water cycle ? One where your kids can taste the difference because it actually turns saltwater into freshwater?

Believe it or not, you can. This STEM idea is a fun way to talk about the weather in a way where kids can get some hands on learning.

23. Car STEM Experiments for Kids

Toddlers and preschoolers love playing with cars and ramps. Use their enthusiasm to learn a bit of rudimentary physics in easy ways. Don’t worry, it really is more simple than it sounds.

What happens when you let cars go down ramps? Kids learn about gravity. What happens when you adjust the ramps or the cars a little bit? Well that’s a whole afternoon of fun experimenting with toy cars .

24. DIY Pirate Ship: STEM Challenge

This engineering challenge is perfect for elementary school children. All you need to do is give them a few basic materials and tell them to build their own boat.

I spent hours as a kid building my own forts in the backyard. Tying the sticks together, and hating when it was not tight enough.

So let your kids build their own ship in the backyard this summer. You’ll have pirates running around all holiday.

25. Sink the Egg STEM Challenge

Simple STEM projects are always a treasure, and this one is no different. What does it take to make the egg sink ? What do you fill it with? What will your kids come up with?

26. Non Newtonian Fluid Science Activity

The non-Newtonian fluid in this play idea is also called Oobleck. Oobleck has the wonderful characteristic of changing form when pressure is applied.

Confused? Basically, when you push down hard on oobleck, it becomes hard and feels solid. But if you let it go and just hold it in your hand, it will flow like a liquid.

Can you imagine what a great time your kids will have playing with this amazing stuff? Learn how to make oobleck here.

27. Snowball Balance

Do you save your large cardboard tubes? Make sure that you do because it’s amazing what you can do with them. 

Here you are using the tubes to balance crumpled up paper balls . This is a fantastic activity for toddlers because it’ll help with hand-eye coordination and other fine motor skills as well.

28. Easy Heart Pump Model

How does the heart work? Here you can explore how the heart pumps blood with a working demonstration. How amazing is that?

29. Seed Germination Experiment for Kids

Growing seeds and beans is a science classic for a reason. The kids will learn about how plants grow, where food comes from and hopefully a little bit of healthy eating habits at the same time.

I’ve done this experiment a few times with my kids and they just love looking at how the plants grow more and more each day.

30. Water Transfer Activity with Sponges

Why do sponges hold water? Are they the best option when trying to transfer water from one container to another? Why?

Playing with sponges and water is a great summer time activity, especially if you’re trying to cool down.

31. Exploring Vegetable Seeds

What do you find when you cut open a capsicum (bell pepper)? A whole lot of tiny seeds that are perfect for exploring.

If you got excited about the idea of growing seeds, then imagine how excited your kids will be when they see where seeds come from .

32. DIY Balance Scales

Have you ever thought about using a regular clothes hanger to make a set of scales? Exploring simple machines with your kids can be as easy as this play idea. 

This is a fantastic way for kids to explore the concept of weight, and experiment with heavy and light objects . Which side will go down and why?

33. Sink or Float

Here is a science activity that you can try at bath time. What sinks and what floats ? Even toddler age children can explore this STEM concept while they splash around.

34. Static Hair

I definitely saved the best for last. At least I think so because I absolutely LOVED doing this as a child myself. 

Why does static electricity make your hair stand up ? You’re going to have a whole lot of fun and giggles while you’re finding out.

35. Floating City STEM Challenge

Your little engineer will love this toddler STEM activity at bath time. All you need to do is get some foam building blocks and put them in the bath. If your kids is a pro at making towers on dry land, see what happens to their creation once the water moves around. Build a floating city and develop problem solving skills at bath time.

36. Make a Book Invitation to Play

Learning about technology isn’t all about screens. Everyday tools like kitchen utensils and office stationary are technology too. In this make a book invitation , younger children can play around with different tools to make their own book. 

​37. Animal Sorting

Where do the animals belong? This is a super simple science activity that toddlers and even older babies can enjoy. Sort and group (which is a math skills) the different toys by where you can find them. This sorting animals activity is a fun way to explore all of the amazing creatures we find on land, sea or sky.

38. Building Animal Towers

If you’ve got your toy animals out for the previous activity, then keep them around for some more fun STEM activities. Little kids will love trying to build the tallest tower out animals or other different items. Their irregular shapes adds an extra challenge that is fun for the whole family.

39. Free Color Match and Clip Cards

Learning about the different colors is another essential math concept that toddlers can learn. These free printable color match and clip cards will help toddlers with their math and their fine motor skills at the same time.

40. Dinosaur Number Match

This cute dinosaur number match puzzle will get toddlers and preschoolers to practice counting, number recognition, fine motor skills and more. This is a great STEM activity for kids who love anything to do with dinosaurs.

41. Fizzy Heart Bombs

You can use household items to make a chemical reaction that is safe for toddlers and preschoolers to play with. These fizzy heart bombs are a simple experiment that you can use to get kids excited about science.

42. Free Measuring Flowers Activity

Grab your copy of this free measuring flowers activity . This activity will invite children to explore both formal and informal measuring, number formation and various other math concepts.

43. Snowman Shape Puzzles (Free Printable)

Learn about different shapes with these free printable snowman shape puzzles . 2D shapes is a math concept that young children need to learn before they go to school. And these cute little guys are the perfect way to help you.

44. Free Feed the Shark Math Game

Toddlers and preschoolers will have so much fun with this feed the shark math game . This free printable is a simple STEM activity that will get them to practice counting, one-to-one correspondence and even some simple addition.

45. Bauble Balance

Even babies can try their engineering skills with this Christmas themed challenge. Build your own Christmas tree out of pool noodles (or paper towel rolls) and see if you can balance the bauble on top.

At what age can you start STEM?

You can start exploring STEM with your child from day one. After all, we understand the world around us through STEM. All of our senses, like sound and vision, are all components of science that we experience very early on. As we get older we learn about nature and how the things around us work.

How do you teach a toddler STEM?

The best way to teach STEM is through hands on experience. Play based learning is the best approach when trying to explain concepts to kids. Keep it simple, age appropriate, and allow kids to explore and problem solve by themselves.

Do kids like STEM?

Absolutely. I have yet to meet a child who didn’t have a natural curiosity about the world around them. The key is to make it fun, without any pressure, because that is how they learn best. It’s also a great way to create toddlers and preschoolers who are intrinsically motivated to learn more.

Are you going to try any of these STEM activities for toddlers and preschoolers? Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.

STEM Activities for Kids

Water STEM Activities for kids

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42 Fun STEM Activities for 4 Year Olds (and Preschoolers)

by Sarah | Activities , Learning , Science | 0 comments

STEM activities are perfect for young kids because it combines learning with fun! Do you have a preschooler in your home? Try out some of these easy STEM activities for 4 year olds for some good educational fun.

Preschoolers are at the perfect age for STEM activities because they are old enough to follow simple directions, understand and think deeper about the world around them, and have a longer attention span than toddlers. 

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Using STEM Activities with Preschoolers

First, what does STEM mean? STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. You may also hear a similar acronym called STEAM. This one has an added A which stands for Art. 

The activities you’ll find below are a combination of STEM and STEAM activities. Art is important too!

Let’s look at each of the different aspects of STEM and what kinds of activities might be included in each one. 

Science includes many different subcategories such as biology, chemistry, physics, geology, environmental, botany, and more.

For preschoolers (which is 3-4 year olds), science is basically learning the basics of the world around them. 

They are learning how plants grow. About objects they see in the night sky. About all the different types of animals. How our actions affect the environment and simple science experiments.

This is the perfect time to take advantage of your child’s love of farm animals or dinosaurs! Use what they love as a jumping off point for learning. 

Don’t expect mastery at this point, but the beginning of understanding basic scientific concepts, exposure to vocabulary, and learning how to ask questions about what they see. 

Technology may seem like an abstract concept for some- and maybe when you think of technology you think of computers, video games, and screen time. 

While these are part of technology, there is a lot more to it. 

Technology for preschooler may look like beginning robotics, coding, and cause & effect. As well as learning the basics of using things like calculators, cameras, computers, etc. 

Engineering

Engineering may seem like something that is too advanced for preschoolers, but remember that everything is built on smaller ideas and concepts. 

Engineering for preschoolers is all about exploring how things are built, how things work, and problem solving.

Engineering for 4 year olds might look like building challenges with items such as legos, blocks, or random items from around the home or yard. It could be creating mazes or forts.

Basically giving them a potential problem and letting them figure out a way to solve it.

Math probably seems pretty self explanatory- we all know what math is, right?

But math in STEM activities is all about exploring numbers in a more hands-on way. There are no worksheets here!

They can explore concepts of addition and subtraction, measurement, patterns, and geometry. 

Even though art isn’t part of STEM, it is part of STEAM, so I thought I’d include it here as well. 

Art is an important part of building a creative mind. As you would expect, art includes things like painting, drawing, other creative mediums. 

How to Do STEM Activities With Your Child

First and foremost, STEM activities should be fun and engaging. Even if you explain nothing to your child about the activity they will still be able to critically look at what they are seeing and make connections. 

STEM activities should be hands-on. That means you may have to make some alterations to experiments to make them safe for little hands. 

You want to allow them as much control in the activities as possible. Let them measure, build, pour, mix, feel, etc. as much as possible. This means you might have to fight the urge to make things perfect- remember it’s more about the experience than anything else!

While doing the STEM activities with your preschooler, be sure to fight the urge to lecture, but do encourage discussions and observations. 

A big part of STEM for 4 year olds is learning how things work. This means encourage them to look closely at what is happening.

Ask open-ended questions like  what do you see? What is happening here? What do you smell?  As they get older they will eventually move on to writing their data down, but for now just get your preschooler used to observing.

Also encourage them to ask questions. You want them to be curious about WHY things are happening. WHY the experiment turned out the way it did.

There are no stupid questions, so encourage your child to ask whatever they want. And then encourage them to guess on the answer. This is the first step to learning to how to hypothesize and experiment using the scientific method.

Don’t know the answer to their questions? Do some research together!

And finally, kids love repetition. And, while it might annoy you to do things over and over again, it will help your preschooler solidify their understanding of STEM concepts. So do these STEM activities more than once- or as often as your preschooler wants!

42 STEM Activities for 4 Year Olds (and Preschoolers)

Now it’s time for the STEM activities! Below you will find all sorts of fun STEM (or STEAM) activities to do with your preschooler. 

Exploding Baking Soda and Vinegar Bags (a STEM Activity)

Make exploding baking soda and vinegar bags to teach chemistry to young kids!

Cicada Shell Sensory Activity for Nature-Loving Kids

Thrill your bug-loving preschooler with this cicada shell sensory activity to help them learn about cicadas!

How to Teach Kids About the Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Help kids learn about metamorphosis using real butterflies!

8 Fun Candy Corn Math Activities for Young Kids

Try these Candy Corn math activities for kids to make their Fall and Halloween math practice fun and exciting!

Oil and Water Sensory Bag for Science Exploration

Let your kids learn about oil and water with this oil and water sensory bag for mess free science fun!

How to Do a Nature Scavenger Hunt for Kids (of All Ages!)

Go on nature scavenger hunt for a fun nature-filled activity for kids, and parents, of all ages!

Simple Acids and Bases Science Experiment to Do With Kids

Try this acid and base experiment to test household solutions and decided if they are acidic or basic!

Fun Chemical Reaction Experiment for Kids That Gives Off Heat!

Try this chemical reaction experiment that shows how chemical reactions produce heat!

How to Make Dancing Popcorn

Have fun learning chemistry with this fun dancing popcorn activity!

How to Create a Fun Baking Soda and Vinegar Sensory Play Tub

Make a baking soda and vinegar sensory play tub that will keep them engaged for hours!

Marbled Planet Craft: A Fun Way to Learn the Planets

Make beautiful swirled planets to help teach your children about space and learn the planets by name.

Simple Color Mixing Activity for Kids

Try this simple, hands-on color mixing activity to teach about primary and secondary colors!

7 Math Centered Candy Heart Activities for Young Kids

Make math fun this Valentine’s day by bring some candy hearts into your lessons! 

How to Make Fizzing Baking Soda Paint (a STEAM Activity)

Try making baking soda paints to combine science and art into a fun activity for all ages!

How to Make Glow in the Dark Slime!

Make your own glow in the dark slime!

Fun Fizzing Baking Soda Dinosaur Eggs STEM Activity

Try making these fizzing baking soda dinosaur eggs- and hatch them out with vinegar!

How to Have a Math Scavenger Hunt + Free Printable

Host a math scavenger hunt for the kids and make learning fun!

Fire Slime- A Simple Slime Recipe for Science Fun!

A simple slime recipe that kids can make on their own and learn a little science along the way!

How to Make the Best Paper Airplane for Long Flights

Paper airplanes use thinking skills and attention to detail. Plus they're fun to fly!

8+ Water Bead Activities for Hours of Sensory Fun

Experiment and explore with water beads!

More Simple STEM Activities for 4 Year Olds

Here are a few more simple preschool STEM activities to try with your kids: These encourage critical thinking and natural curiosity, plus they are tons of fun!

Coloring Flowers:  Place white flowers (like daisies or carnations) in vases filled with colored water. Watch the white petals change color!

Make Your Own Fossils:  Use homemade playdough or clay and make fossil prints of your tiny dinosaurs, shells, or other toys animals.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Balloons:  Blow up a balloon using the reaction between baking soda and vinegar! You can get the full instructions here: 7 Baking Soda and Vinegar STEM Activities for Kids

Make Rain in a Cup:  Fill a cup with 2/3 with water. Fill the rest of the way with shaving cream (this is your rain cloud). Drip blue food coloring on top the cream and watch it slowly rain down into the cup!

Magnet Exploration Tray:  Set up a tray with various magnets and metal pieces- and maybe some non metal objects as well. Let your child explore how the magnets work!

Make Rock Candy:  Learn about super saturated solutions and crystal making- and get something yummy to eat! Here’s a simple recipe: Rock Candy

Grow Crystal Snowflakes or Ornaments:  Make borax solution and place pipe cleaners molded into shapes in the solution, Watch the crystals grow! Here’s how: Borax Snowflakes . *Watch your child carefully around borax.

Pencils in a Bag:  Fill a ziploc bag halfway with water and zip close. Carefully poke sharp pencils through the bag all the way to the other side. Does the water spill out? How many pencils can you add before it leaks or pops?

The Lego Challenge:  Challenge your child to build something specific out of legos. Like a chair for a small stuffed animal, a bridge, or any other structure.

Marshmallows and Toothpicks:  Give your child a tray of mini-marshmallows and toothpicks and encourage them to build and explore. What shapes can they make?

Sink and Float Tub:  Give your child a tub of water (or just use the sink or bathtub) and collect various objects from around the house. Have them guess and test which will float and sink.

A Measuring Station: Give your child a variety of measuring devices- yard stick, ruler, measuring tape, etc. And explore measuring things- don’t forget to estimate the lengths and use things like your own hands or feet to measure too!

Non-Newtonian Fluid:  All you need is cornstarch and water and you have this fun goop to explore with. Is it solid? Is it liquid?

Plant a Garden (or Some Seeds):  Gardening is the best way to learn about the lifecycle of plants. Even if you can’t grow a big garden, plant some bean seeds, watch an avocado pit grow, or sprout some potatoes! Don’t forget to point out the different parts of plants!

Make Seed Bombs: Mix flower seeds in with clay and allow to dry. Throw them out in the yard and watch them grow!

Build a Volcano:  This old school activity is always a fun science experiment for kids! They just love building the volcano out of mud, dirt, or clay. And watching the baking soda and vinegar eruption!

Make Your Own Ice Cream in a Bag:  Get some cream, sugar, vanilla, rock salt, ice and some plastic bags and you can make ice cream! Here’s how: ice cream in a bag .

Walking Water Experiment:  Watch water “walk” from one place to another and learn about capillary action! All you need if food coloring, water, and paper towels. Here’s how to do it: Walking Water Experiment

Mentos and Coke Explosion: Similar to a volcano you can make a big chemical reaction by dropping mentos candy into a bottle of coke! Maybe you could experiment with other sodas as well!

Make a Balloon Rocket: Place a straw on a length of string. Stretch the string across the room and secure so that it is taut. Blow up a balloon- but don’t tie it. Tape the straw to the top of the balloon and let it go- how far will it travel across the string?

The Building Challenge:  Challenge your child to build something with uncommon building materials- such as plastic cups, rocks, paper, recyclables, etc. Let them explore and see how big or how high they can build. This is a simple STEM activity that builds problem solving skills. 

And finally don’t forget the biggest STEM activity of all: Play. Playtime is how preschoolers learn. So surround them with learning opportunities and open-ended toys. Here are some of my favorite:

• Magnetic Tiles for building
• REAL tools in kids sizes- give them some scrap wood, a hammer, nails, screws, screwdrivers, etc. 
• Doughs like playdough, kinetic sand, moon sand, etc. 
• Exploratory tools like magnifying glasses, microscopes, bug boxes, butterfly nets, etc. 
• Realistic animals

You want to give your child toys that can be used in many different ways to create and explore with!

Who Can Do These STEM Activities?

Even though the list of STEM activities is aimed for 4 year olds, really kids of all ages can have fun with these simple STEM projects. In general though, these activities will be good for kids preschool age to elementary school age. 

Just remember to tailor them to  your own child’s abilities. Kids don’t magically gain abilities when they pass their 3rd or 4th birthday- so some toddlers may be able to do these fun activities and some 4 year olds might not be ready for them.  But with a little alterations even 1 year olds and toddlers can enjoy many of these fun activities- so go ahead and involve the whole family!

Older kids may also want to participate. They will be able to understand deeper concepts than preschoolers and may be able to help explain things to younger siblings!

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25 Fun Activities for 4 Year Olds with Household Items!

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Below, you’ll find a list of 25 activities for 4 year olds that you can try at home. These activities are fun, stimulating, and won’t break the bank and they utilize many common household items!

Four is a very special age when it comes to the mental, physical, emotional, and social development of a child. Just past the torrential toddler stage, slightly more independent, yet still irrevocably adorable and inquisitive as ever. The mind of a four-year-old is still like a sponge, and they are constantly learning about the world around them through experience. As caregivers, we do our best to offer activities that not only entertain them but stimulate their minds. 

Activities for 4 Year Olds with ONLY Household Items

Homemade instruments.

DIY projects are always the best. Making instruments at home is a fun and cheap activity for your four-year-old and you both can enjoy an in-home concert! Here are a few instruments you can make at home with stuff you most likely have:

Rain-maker: Take some uncooked rice and place it inside a cardboard roll (toilet paper or paper towel) and secure both ends.

Harmonica: Tape plastic straws together that are cut at different lengths.

It’s no secret that young children love baked goods- but how fun would it be if they could learn how to make their favorite treats? Baking with your four-year-old is an activity that comes with a multitude of benefits. Learning to read and understand recipes, measure, and count time are all benefits of baking with your four-year-old.

This activity also teaches patience and the importance of paying attention because they get a yummy reward at the end.

Costumes don’t always have to come from a Halloween store at a steep price. With a little imagination, you and your four-year-old can use some items from around the house to come up with their own unique costume. When you’re done, have fun with some imaginative play!

DIY Play Dough

Homemade playdough is easier than you think! Here’s a  great recipe – you probably have all the ingredients around your house! It’s inexpensive, you can make as many colors as you like, and it’s non-toxic! This playdough can also last for a few months if stored in a Ziploc baggie.

Cheese graters, cookie cutters, and other household objects can be used as molds to make cool soft creations.

At Home Puppet Theater and Show

Making your own puppets and a puppet show theater is actually pretty easy. There are plenty of cool DIY ideas online and puppets can easily be made from old socks, paper bags, or just about anything your four-year-old can stick googly eyes on (with your permission of course!).

Watching your four-year-old put on a puppet show can also give you a glimpse as to what’s on their minds.

Creative Activities for 4 Year Olds

Finger/feet painting.

Not only is painting with hands and feet loads of fun, but it’s also great way to get in some sensory play. Washable finger paints are easily found online or in craft stores, and you can recycle old newspapers, paper bags, or junk mail to use as a canvas. There are so many different creations you and your little one can make together with your built-in paintbrushes.

Find a cute room and decorate the playroom or kid’s bathrooms with your creations!

DIY Silly Putty

Let’s face it, kids love potty sounds, I know I did as a kid! Combine borax, school-glue, and some food coloring to make your own silly putty that’ll have your four-year-old laughing hysterically!

Make a Collage

Finally a use for those old magazines and newspapers collecting dust in your attic! Collages are fun to put together and the end product is a satisfying project for any four-year-old. Whether you’re making a dream/vision board or just a collage of favorite things, your little one can express their creativity with different colors and scissors with different designs.

DIY Storybook

Having your four-year-old create their own storybook is a really enjoyable way to enhance their reading and writing skills. Staple a few blank pages together and let your little one’s imagination run wild, complete with hand-drawn illustrations. When they’re done, read the book together!

Invent a New Toy

Creativity in a four-year-old is full of imagination and innovation. Why not have them invent a new toy with household items?

DIY Bird Feeder

A DIY bird feeder is an easy home project and your four-year-old will love seeing the different types of birds and other woodland critters come up for a bite. Simply find a pine cone and have your four-year-old cover it with peanut butter, attached a string, and hang it up outside where you can see!

You don’t have to have a green thumb to enjoy this activity with your little one. Many large retail home and garden stores sell already sprouted plants, all you have to do is plant them and water! Tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs are all fairly easy starter plants.

Yes, your four-year-old might ask you every day if the plants are ready to harvest, but the joy on their faces when that day comes is incomparable, and they can take pride in their hard work and patience.

Sidewalk Chalk

On a warm sunny day, there’s no better activity than covering a driveway or patio in bright and colorful creations with your four year old. Your little one will love spending time doodling on this giant canvas.

Create a New Song

If you listen closely, you’ll often hear your four-year-old singing a silly song they made up. Why not join them? Write down the lyrics and record them on your phone.

If you’re handy with an instrument, accompany your little one. If not, it’s still fun to add in some DIY instruments.

Classic Activities to Play Together

Most of us probably grew up with Legos in our home. Whether you and your four-year-old are working together to build a specific Lego kit, or just having fun and letting imaginations go wild, building with Lego blocks are a great way to express creativity and fine-tune those developing fine motor skills.

On a day where the weather may not be the best for outdoor activities, a puzzle might be just what you and your four-year-old need to chill out and concentrate on for some time. Puzzles are a great way to spend some downtime with your four-year-old, talking and working together.

Who doesn’t love a good karaoke session? Whether you and your four-year-old are performing in the car or at home, karaoke is a fun activity that releases energy and brings you and your little one closer. Sing along to the radio or find the karaoke version of your favorite song on YouTube!

Hide and Seek

Hide-and-seek is a fun activity that only requires you and your four-year-old! For a few extra “players” hide some stuffed animals or action figures around the house.

Freeze Dance!

Freeze dance is a fun way to release some of that four-year-old energy. The rules are simple: play your favorite song and when the music stops, everyone has to freeze!

Indoor/Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts don’t have to wait until Easter time. This is an easy and educational activity for your four-year-old than can be done with objects already at home. Create a list of everything you’re hiding and let your four-year-old find them and check off the boxes. 

Add an extra challenging element by making an obstacle course to get to some of the items!

“Simon/Simone Says”

I’m sure we’ve all played this game at some point in our lives, and it’s a timeless one. This game is a quick activity that only requires you and your four-year-old. Simon/Simone says is a great way for four-year-olds to learn to give and receive directions.

Sink or Float?

My son’s current favorite internet personality is Blippi. Blippi creates highly interactive videos for young preschool-age children and provides many great ideas for parents on activities they can do with their young ones. One simple activity is the “sink or float” game – it’s just as simple as it sounds. All you need is a large container filled with water, like a spare fish tank and a few items you don’t mind getting wet.

Ask your four year old if they think the item will “sink or float”, and then test out their theory!

Paper Airplanes

A classic indoor or outdoor activity that we’ve all enjoyed ourselves when we were younger. Paper airplanes don’t have to be simple. There are plenty of online ideas on how to create a unique plane that’ll be loads of fun to test out.

Pretend School

As four-year-olds are preparing to enter kindergarten, they may be curious as to how the school day will go. A great activity to get them used to the formal school day is to set up a pretend school. Let your four-year-old be the teacher and you and other family members (or stuffed animals) can be the students. This is also a great learning activity as your little one will be “teaching” and leading the class.

These are just a few of the many activities that you can do with your four-year-old at little to no cost. Whether you’re spending the day indoors or enjoying some fresh air, there’s always plenty to do with your little one. 

You May Also Like:

The Ultimate Guide for Hunkering Down at Home [Indoor Activities & More!]

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Pin for Later: 25 Fun Activities for 4 Year Olds with Household Items!

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