The preschool years (3–5 years old) are a really important time for your child’s development.
During this stage, children are building the skills they need for school — including fine motor skills for drawing and writing, coordination, attention, and independence in everyday tasks.
The good news is that you don’t need special equipment or structured therapy time at home. Simple, play-based activities can make a big difference.
If you’re not sure where to start, here are some simple activities we often recommend for preschool-aged children.
1. Play Dough Creations
Use play dough to roll, squeeze, and make simple shapes like balls, snakes, or animals.
Why it helps:
We often use play dough in sessions to help children build the hand strength needed for drawing, cutting, and early writing.
2. Cutting and Gluing Activities
Let your child cut paper with safety scissors and glue pieces to create pictures or collages.
Why it helps:
Supports hand control, coordination, and early school skills.
3. Threading and Beading
Use pasta, cereal, or beads to thread onto string or pipe cleaners.
Why it helps:
Improves hand-eye coordination and helps children practise focusing on a task.
4. Drawing on Vertical Surfaces
Tape paper to a wall or use an easel for drawing and colouring.
Why it helps:
This position helps develop shoulder strength and control, which supports pencil skills.
5. Simple Obstacle Course
Use cushions, chairs, and tunnels to create a small obstacle course at home.
Why it helps:
Builds coordination, balance, and body awareness.
6. Sensory Play (Rice, Water, Sand)
Let your child scoop, pour, and explore different textures using items like rice, water, or sand. In sessions we love to add in small toys, marbles, buttons or pictures of their favourite characters for children to look for and sort.
Why it helps:
Sensory play can support attention, regulation, confidence with new experiences, and engagement through play.
You can also learn more about how OT supports sensory processing in everyday life here: How Occupational Therapy Helps Sensory Processing
7. Helping with Everyday Tasks
Involve your child in simple daily activities like:
- Stirring while cooking
- Packing away toys
- Helping with dressing
Why it helps:
We often find children build the most skills through everyday routines, especially when they feel involved and capable.
8. Pretend Play
Encourage role play using dolls, toy kitchens, or dress-ups.
Why it helps:
Supports imagination, language development, and social skills.
9. Stickers and Colouring
Use stickers, crayons, or stamps to create pictures. In sessions we also use stickers and stamps to aide visual schedules and rewards charts.
Why it helps:
Great for developing fine motor control and creativity.
10. Ball Games
Roll, throw, or catch a ball together. You may find your child tiring quickly, keep throwing activities short at first and complete them within larger activities such as pretend play.
Why it helps:
Improves coordination, timing, and attention.
A quick note from our OTs
Many parents feel pressure to set up lots of structured learning activities at home, but this usually isn’t necessary.
In our therapy sessions, we often focus on simple, repeatable activities that fit naturally into everyday routines and play.
Many of these activities are similar to the play-based approaches we use in therapy because children often learn best through connection, movement, and meaningful play experiences.
How to Make These Activities Work at Home
You don’t need to do all of these activities every day. The key is to keep things simple and consistent.
A few helpful tips:
- Follow your child’s interests
- Keep activities short and enjoyable
- Use everyday routines as opportunities for learning
- Avoid pressure — connection and play are the goal
- Celebrate small wins over time
When to Seek Support
While all children develop at their own pace, you may want to seek support if your child:
- Avoids drawing, cutting, or fine motor activities
- Struggles with coordination or balance
- Finds it difficult to sit and attend
- Becomes easily overwhelmed during everyday tasks
- Has difficulty with dressing, feeding, or other daily routines
- Avoids playground activities or physical play
If you’re unsure, an Occupational Therapist can help assess your child’s development and provide practical strategies to support them at home and in everyday life.
At Happy Chatter, our Occupational Therapists provide play-based, child-led support tailored to each child’s strengths, goals, and needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need special equipment for OT activities at home?
No — many effective OT activities use simple household items like cushions, paper, balls, containers, play dough, or kitchen tools.
How often should we do OT activities at home?
Short, consistent opportunities through everyday play and routines are usually more helpful than long structured sessions.
What if my child avoids these activities?
Try following your child’s interests and keeping activities playful and low-pressure. If everyday tasks continue to feel difficult or frustrating, an Occupational Therapist can help provide more individualised support and strategies.