Games are an essential part of the learning process for kids. Through these 9 preschool games for kids that teach life skills, kids can develop those in everyday life. These games are instrumental in strengthening their bond with their friends and family. These games are much more than just some fun-filled times.
To help you introduce your kids to necessary life skills through enjoyable games, here are 9 games for kids in preschool. Let them acquire some important skills as they play that will further help them in enhancing their quality of life.
9 Preschool Games for Kids with Life Lessons and Skills
The best way to teach kids is through games and playing. With these 9 preschool games, kids will get to know how to act in real-world situations.
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Simon Says
This classic game helps children develop listening skills, following instructions, and body coordination. In the game, one kid asks their peers to act what “Simon” says like “jump like monkeys” or “tap your head”. The other kid continues to do the action till the leader instructs the next “Simon says”.
Those who don’t listen to what Simon says, know that they don’t pay attention, and their actions will be silly. This motivates them to listen carefully to every instruction before starting with their actions.
Life Skills
- Leadership
- Being attentive
- Listening carefully
2. Duck, Duck, Goose
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A favorite of kids, this is among the wonderful indoor games for preschoolers. It can also be played outside if the number of kids is more. As kids sit in a circle, one of them walks around the circle, tapping each head, and saying “duck”. The motive is to pick one child who plays “goose” and runs around the circle to take the kid’s place before the goose catches them.
If they take the kid’s place without getting tagged, the original player continues going “duck duck” to find the next “goose”.
While playing this game, kids think about how to pick a “goose”, someone who isn’t attentive, and gives them better chances to return to their seats before getting tagged. The game encourages them to plan ahead and provides immediate feedback on their decision.
Life Skills
- Strategic thinking
- Planning ahead
- Decision making
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Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
This enjoyable website brings up some of the free online games for toddlers. They will have fun while learning new skills, valuable for life. While being entertained, kids can learn great life skills such as making friends, brushing teeth, and healthy habits. It also provides them toilet training.
The famous PBS cartoon character Daniel Tiger, it has games, activities, and videos meant for younger children. It narrates stories, shows videos, and engaging songs, and has simple games.
Life Skills
- Expressing suitably
- Friendship
- Eating healthy
- Staying clean
- Handling disappointment
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Baby Dinosaur Rescue
This is one of the much-preferred board games for preschoolers, where kids group together to rescue all the dinosaurs from volcanic lava. In this game, kids work as a team in pursuit of rescuing baby dinosaurs.
The game is easy to play. Needs no reading and can be played with family.
Life Skills
- Cooperation
- Teamwork
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Color Scavenger Hunt
In the preschool years, kids need to learn colors. And various color games for kids help them practice color identification in fun ways. Color Scavenger Hunt is one such game. It not only imparts knowledge of colors but also teaches other skills.
All you have to make them do while playing this game is to find one or the other thing of every color and mark on their game board. This practice keeps kids active while reinforcing their color knowledge at the same time.
Life Skills
- Reinforcing knowledge
- Searching smartly
- Assorting carefully
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PBS Kids Games
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PBS lovers can learn a lot through these myriad educational video games. Several apps are available for iPhones, Androids, iPads, iPods, and more. Download these games on your mobile phone and let your kids learn as they enjoy their time on the phone.
Through these games, your kids will learn a number of topics such as reading, creativity, social/emotional, science, and math. Apps for parents are also there.
Life Skills
- Creativity
- Empathy
- Social/emotional
- Subject-related learning
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Hopscotch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K2lt1MEz40
Kids get to inculcate thinking skills as they hop on to play this game. This is among the outdoor games for preschoolers in which they draw the hopscotch shape in the garden, park, or sidewalk. Them they toss a rock underhand at the hopscotch while taking turns.
The hopscotch course has to be navigated. At the same time, kids have to avoid the square on which the rock landed. As avoiding the square while hopping on one foot with the rock in hand is tough, kids must plan ahead to hop through the best possible route through the game.
Life Skills
- Critical thinking
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Red Light, Green Light
Kids can’t stand still and the game makes them do exactly this. A wonderful game among the outdoor games for preschoolers, this game requires one kid to stand with his face away. Other players have to touch the kid standing with the face away without getting caught moving. The face away is taken as the green light and other kids can continue to move. When the leader faces the group, that is the red light, and kids have to stop.
If a player is caught in motion, he/she has to start again. To win at this game, kids have to control the urge to run. Rather, they have to be at the speed at which they can instantly stop as soon as the leader starts turning. They should also learn to wait for the right time to run. If they are quick to run, they have to go back to the starting line.
Life Skills
- Patience
- Judgment
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Sleeping Lions
This is one of those games for preschool kids that teach another important life skill – staying focused. In this game, kids pretend to be asleep. Then, one of the kids walks among the ‘sleeping lions’ and tries to convince them to open their eyes, without touching anyone. The kid who doesn’t open their eyes and continues to pretend to sleep is the winner.
The game encourages kids to be focused on pretending as if they are sleeping and not moving at all, no matter how much distraction their peers put in. This practice is difficult for kids but is helpful to make them learn in unruly environments.
Life Skills
- Staying focused amidst distractions
Wrapping Up
Remember to choose games that are age-appropriate and align with the child’s interests and abilities. It’s also important to provide a balance between structured games and unstructured play to support holistic development.
If you want to keep your kid in the best learning environment, there are several preschool games online free and even offline games. These are also great ways to keep your kids busy during the summer holidays. You might see these preschool games for kids plain and simple but they successfully teach many life skills. With these games for preschool kids, your kids will be learning skills to succeed in life.
