What activities for my 4 year old child?

At 4 years old, a child already does a lot of things like a grown-up. His gross motor skills allow him to play ball, ride a tricycle or jump games such as hopscotch. He can also paint, draw, color, manipulate plasticine or cut out more complex shapes thanks to the development of his fine motor skills.

In kindergarten, a 4-year-old begins to learn shapes, colors, numbers and performs manual activities that allow him to stimulate his arousal. Drawing, painting and music are some of the tools used to teach him expression and art. Back home, your little angel has a lot of energy to give and you don't always know how to channel it. If you are lucky enough to have a garden, physical activities adapted to its age should hit the mark. In an apartment in a large city or on the outskirts, turn to educational and educational trips to the museum. Finally, in all simplicity and at home: opt for manual activities DIY with paint, crayons, glue, paper… and cooking.

Manual activity

It is well known that children love anything they can make with their hands and that is, by definition, what manual activity can do. No items bought ready-made or in kit form, but homemade creations, which involve a bit (a lot) of mess, but above all a good time with the family.

To practice manual activities, you do not need all the overpriced paraphernalia sold in the practical work departments. Sometimes just a few ingredients are enough and some are already in your home. At the age of 4, Montessori activities are much preferred, which in a fun way stimulate awareness and learning. Some ideas…

Tell a story with your drawings

Necessary material :

• Paper
• Pencil, markers, paint, chalk, pastel …

Have your child draw on sheets of paper several pictures of family members, favorite hero, kindergarten classmates, or favorite activity. Then fold all his drawings in half, then assemble them to make a small book. Your child will especially love seeing their creations form their own story.

The DIY box

Necessary material :

• Big cardboard box
• Paper
• Glue
• Painting
• Stickers and stickers

Take a large cardboard box that you no longer use. Cover the edges beforehand with paper tape to prevent the child from injuring himself with the raw cardboard.

Ask the child to cut out with scissors adapted to his age pieces of paper or tear it up. Arrange the cut papers on a protected surface to add color using markers and paint, and even glitter if desired.

Once the pieces of paper are dry, glue them on either side of the box. Add funny stickers and stickers. Collect items from the house that your child enjoys playing with and store them in this craft box.

Some activities to occupy the little ones

Video by Juliette Le Peillet

Salt dough

Necessary material :

• A glass of fine salt
• Two glasses of flour
• A glass of lukewarm water
• Food coloring or powdered chalk according to your tastes and desires

Start by mixing the two glasses of flour and one of fine salt in a bowl. Then pour in the glass of lukewarm water. On a table, knead with your hands until you obtain a soft ball of dough.
If you want to bring colors directly into the paste, several options are available to you:

• add food coloring to the glass of lukewarm water
• add spices to the flour (a little flavorful side that we love)
• crush chalk and add it to the salt

Tips:
If the dough is too crumbly, add water. Conversely, if it is too soft or sticky, add more flour.

Cooking:
Once the dough is well kneaded, it must now rest. This stage is usually long for children, as the drying period should last at least 24 hours! Once the dough is dry, you can put it in the oven.

The salt dough cooks gently and should not be heated too hard, as it may swell. You can gradually increase the temperature up to 90 °, to prevent it from cracking. Let it cook for a few hours.

Artistic activity

Playing music, singing, drawing or painting are all good activities for the mind. Performed regularly at a young age, they stimulate creativity and, why not, develop a musical ear or artistic talents. At 4 years old, children generally enjoy singing nursery rhymes they learned in school and are especially fascinated by musical instruments.

As for the doodles they've been practicing since knowing how to hold a brush or pencil in their hands, those are a bit more refined. Still far from being Van Gogh, they can still make pretty creations and have a lot of fun. Some ideas…

Draw with leaves (fall activity)

Necessary material :

• Leaves
• Paper
• Twigs
• Glue

Collect leaves of all colors and dry them for one to two days. Also take twigs. When dry, arrange the leaves to form the foliage of a tree, then cut the twigs so that they are the (miniature) size of a tree trunk. Glue them with glue.

Playing with shadows and lights

Necessary material :

• Vase with flowers or foliage branches
• Sheet of paper
• Tape
• Paint, markers, pencils or pastels.

Place the vase in front of a light source (a well-oriented window or lamp). Move it so that its shadow falls in the middle of the sheet of paper. Then secure it with duct tape so that it does not move. Then invite your child to draw the outline of the shadow of the vase and its contents, stressing that it is okay if it protrudes.

Once the outlines are complete, remove the vase and bring color to the drawn shape.

Make a musical instrument with water bottles

Necessary material :

• Six glass bottles with their caps
• Some water
• Dye
• Wooden kitchen spoons

Fill the water bottles to different heights. Add food coloring in several colors. Then place them from the most full to the least full, then provide your child with wooden cooking spoons. And here is a homemade xylophone!

Physical activity

Young children are full of energy, and moving around constantly is not considered a chore for them – quite the contrary. Did you know that between the ages of 1 and 4, a child needs to be physically active 3 hours a day? For his health, of course, but also to help him develop gross motor skills and his ability to perform different movements.

This is not about getting him to do weight training or fitness, because he is far too young for that, but to perform simple movements, in a fun way and without him noticing it. Some ideas…

Yoga

It is possible for a child to do yoga from 3 years old. However, the movements to be performed should not be too complicated and should not take too long. Imitating animals, for example, or becoming aware of your breathing with a feather is a good start. To help you, here is a Doctissimo yoga tutorial to do with children.

Jacques said

Unmissable game of our childhood, it made us do a lot of stupid things according to the people with whom we played it. For your child, it will especially allow him to perform movements such as jumping, balancing, jumping …

Read also: 6 ideas for physical exercises for children to let off steam (without turning over the living room)

Hopscotch

A big playground winner, you can make one in your home with colored tape, or outside if you have a tarmac space.

Kite flying

Is it windy outside? It's perfect. Direction the park, a beach or a field to fly a kite. Very fun activity, it also allows you to run and exercise.

The kitchen

While cooking or baking with a toddler might be scary at first, know that there are some easy and suitable recipes. Some simple tasks can be assigned to him, such as breaking eggs, rolling out the dough with a rolling pin or greasing a dish. In addition to refining fine motor skills, it helps develop dexterity and autonomy. Whenever you ask for their participation, introduce them to the experience as "cooking workshops", which will make these moments fun and fun. To help you get him involved, a children's cookbook can come in really handy!

The pancakes

Ingredients:

• 3 pots of flour yogurt (about 300 g)
• 4 jars of milk yogurt (about 45 cl)
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 pinch of salt

Read also: 10 super easy Christmas recipes to make with children

Preparation tips :
For this recipe, no need to measure with a graduated glass, since yogurt pots replace it. Very practical, children will find it much easier to participate.
Put all the ingredients in a bowl, then mix. Pass the dough in a blender to avoid lumps. No need to let the dough rest (children find it hard to wait). Heat up your pan and go! To print the Easy Crepe Dough Recipe, it's here.

The museum (Paris)

During holidays or weekends, many educational activities are organized for children in large cities. Among the family outings, the museum is one of the most classic. The bigger ones are in Paris, here is a list of those that are best suited for 4-year-olds.

The City of Children at the City of Science and La Villette

Divided into five thematic spaces (I discover myself, I know how to do, I find my way around, I experience, All together), the Cité des Enfants offers an experience centered on the development of the child and his bodily, cognitive and spatial faculties. For more information, visit the website of La Cité des Enfants at the Cité des sciences et de la Villette.

The Grass Museum

With its "Baby-Workshops", this museum offers children the opportunity to put into practice in an artistic way what they have seen during the exhibition. For more information, visit the Musée en Herbe website.

The acclimatization garden

This little corner of greenery in the heart of Paris is full of activities to do with children. Many workshops are organized there, broken down by age group. For a 4 year old child, there are: painting, modeling, magic, circus art, soap making, botany, exploring the benefits of water … and much more. For more information, visit the Jardin d'Acclimatation website.