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AugustineFan
Guest
What do you do for family fun or activities? My wife and I always say what should we do with our almost 3 year old daughter. It seems that we are out of idea, I could use suggestions. God Bless.:juggle:
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J
_Jenn
Guest
Lots of stuff to do w/ a 3 yr. old!!!
beginning board games
playing outside (at home, or go to a playground/park)
When our son was that age, he always wanted to try things we did. So we bought him his own little tennis racket, and took him w/ us to play tennis (dh & I aren’t serious players, it’s just for fun), he loved it! Just fun trying to hit the ball like Mom & Dad.
I think he was 3 the first time we took him miniature golfing too.
Check your local library - they may have storytime/craft programs to go to for the preschool age group. And at that age, it’s expected that you would stay, so it would be fun for you to do together.
beginning board games
playing outside (at home, or go to a playground/park)
When our son was that age, he always wanted to try things we did. So we bought him his own little tennis racket, and took him w/ us to play tennis (dh & I aren’t serious players, it’s just for fun), he loved it! Just fun trying to hit the ball like Mom & Dad.
I think he was 3 the first time we took him miniature golfing too.
Check your local library - they may have storytime/craft programs to go to for the preschool age group. And at that age, it’s expected that you would stay, so it would be fun for you to do together.
S
SilverLight
Guest
Well I’m 20 but me and my parents do alot and go on day trips sometimes.
The beach is a good idea or a historical area I love them.
The beach is a good idea or a historical area I love them.
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bscastro
Guest
Here’s some ideas I brainstormed (my kids are 4 and 7 so trying to remember a couple years back):
Bryan
Well, those are the most memorable of the family activities.
- Board games - Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land
- Running around (tag or races)
- Walking in the woods
- We do little games on the rug - for example, we’ll pretend we’re lions and crawl around and growl, or we’ll pretend we’re crabs and crabwalk around the ground, and we let our kids pick out the animal. i would let the kids be the “baby lion” and ride on my back also while I crawled on the ground.
- camp out in the back yard (only did this twice).
- The local playground/park is always good too as they can use the playground equipment - at age 3 I mainly had to stand behind them when they climbed the ladders and such but at that age I didn’t have to do it as much. Sometimes they meet new kids and they play together.
Bryan
Well, those are the most memorable of the family activities.
A
AugustineFan
Guest
We live on the coast and in the summer we go to the beach a lot. We walk with the dog, and go to the playground. Just want to find new things.
M
mariyka
Guest
Museums and zoos, especially if they have kid-oriented exhibits.
If they have a favorite book or story, record a re-enactment. We still have the “Three Little Pigs” on audio tape, and our kids are in their thirties. It’s hysterical!!
Use a simple craft; make a gift for someone. (ex- handprint in clay, bead a necklace, make cookies.)
Plant a garden, feed birds and squirrels, fly a kite, go fishing.
–I’m glad God gives us grandchildren, so we can do it all again!
If they have a favorite book or story, record a re-enactment. We still have the “Three Little Pigs” on audio tape, and our kids are in their thirties. It’s hysterical!!
Use a simple craft; make a gift for someone. (ex- handprint in clay, bead a necklace, make cookies.)
Plant a garden, feed birds and squirrels, fly a kite, go fishing.
–I’m glad God gives us grandchildren, so we can do it all again!
Z
ZoeyBdo
Guest
Yes! Those were always some of my favs as a kid. We’d go strawberry picking every year and my mother would make homemade jam… yumm.Museums and zoos, especially if they have kid-oriented exhibits.
If they have a favorite book or story, record a re-enactment. We still have the “Three Little Pigs” on audio tape, and our kids are in their thirties. It’s hysterical!!
Use a simple craft; make a gift for someone. (ex- handprint in clay, bead a necklace, make cookies.)
Plant a garden, feed birds and squirrels, fly a kite, go fishing.
–I’m glad God gives us grandchildren, so we can do it all again!
I saw that the OP lives in Mass, so I found this on the web:
familydaysout.com/kids-things-to-do-usa/massachusetts
and
family.go.com/travel/things-to-do/massachusetts/for-children/
L
LaSainte
Guest
Children’s museums are fun. They have toddler areas where they can just run amok and do various activities. Fun and fairly cheap! We have an outlet mall too that is fun to go to because it’s outside and they have racecar strollers and a playground area. My 2 year old son is also really into cooking right now, so we bought him a kiddy utensil set by “Sassafrass” that has a real whisk, measuring cups, spatula, etc. He loves to sit on the counter and help cook scrambled eggs or add chocolate chips to cookies and stuff.
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Irishmom2
Guest
Story time at the local library can be a great thing for kids. They are introduced to reading and you can check out books to take home and read til the next weeks story time. And it’s all free!
I used to like to find crafts for my kids, nothing difficult for a 3 year old obviously, but simple things like stringing big beads, or painting with a few paint colors. Craft stores have lots of parts for holiday decorations which are no more than fun foam that kids glue together. Kids love to create things and will love doing that.
I used to like to find crafts for my kids, nothing difficult for a 3 year old obviously, but simple things like stringing big beads, or painting with a few paint colors. Craft stores have lots of parts for holiday decorations which are no more than fun foam that kids glue together. Kids love to create things and will love doing that.
S
SurlyMermaid
Guest
What everyone else said! Lots of great ideas. Enjoy your little one. My oldest is close to getting her driver’s licence already!!! 
Lots of great ideas. Enjoy your little one. My oldest is close to getting her driver’s licence already!!!
M
Mrs_Sally
Guest
When my youngest was about 4, we started renting a cabin every summer for a week or so. We go hiking (much shorter walks when the kids were younger), star gazing (since the skies are darker in the country), and just relaxed a bit.
Years later we still go every summer. Now the hikes are 10 miles and we play cards while waiting for the skies to darken, but we have great family memories.
For every day things, the park, library story time, and sidewalk chalk are enough. Your little dd isn’t getting bored by those simple pleasures as long as mommy or daddy are there with her. Don’t make things too complicated, over exciting, or expensive!!
Years later we still go every summer. Now the hikes are 10 miles and we play cards while waiting for the skies to darken, but we have great family memories.
For every day things, the park, library story time, and sidewalk chalk are enough. Your little dd isn’t getting bored by those simple pleasures as long as mommy or daddy are there with her. Don’t make things too complicated, over exciting, or expensive!!
J
jazzy0710
Guest
-Feed Ducks
-Playground
-Nature walk through the woods or a park
-Science Center or any museum with hands on exhbits
-Farm with a petting zoo
-Playground
-Nature walk through the woods or a park
-Science Center or any museum with hands on exhbits
-Farm with a petting zoo
- Kite flying
P
petitfleur
Guest
Lots of great ideas…
Take a train ride, where we live there is a train line to the city. We don’t go all that way but stop off in a town walk around have lunch and take the train back home.
Get messy!!! Mud, finger paints, ECT then hose em off.
We go to the park and dog park a lot
Also the pet shop to look at the animals.
Take a train ride, where we live there is a train line to the city. We don’t go all that way but stop off in a town walk around have lunch and take the train back home.
Get messy!!! Mud, finger paints, ECT then hose em off.
We go to the park and dog park a lot
Also the pet shop to look at the animals.
A
AugustineFan
Guest
I guess we do a lot of the things mentioned. In the summer we are at the beach every weekend, and also stop by our local farm. I guess it is the weather in Spring that keeps us inside more often, and we run out of ideas. My toddler does love to cook with me.
M
Maria121
Guest
There are so many options that can make you feel happy by playing with your daughter. She will not only enjoy but will learn many things from these activities. For this Just plan for some fun activities , outing like beach days, fun river time where you can enjoy spotting, fishing, hiking and camping, There are many more fun activities that can be enjoyed with family outside like family bike riding , local tours , kite race any many more . Hand free painting, crafting are the activities that will definitely be liked by her. And you too will enjoy that. Just try them
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bscastro
Guest
I love this one. All of the librarians know my kids now, so it’s fun to go and they ask the kids questions - e.g. what’s happening in school? What kind of books are you looking for? It’s a small local library, so they see us often and remember us.
C
Cat
Guest
Figure skating!
Three isn’t too young. Our rink allows three-year-olds to start Learn To Skate classes, and in fact, has parent/child Learn To Skate classes for little ones.
I cannot even begin to describe to you the joy that our family has had and is still having with the sport of figure skating. You can check out the novels in my website (see signature below) to get an idea of just how wonderful this sport is. This is a sport that the whole family has to buy into, whether they are skating or cheering.
Just this past weekend, I went to a big synchronized skating competition and watched the teams that my younger daughter coaches skate away with most of the gold medals.
The youngest competitor in the big competition last weekend was four years old, and she was skating alongside of older children (6 year olds). So it’s possible to skate very well at very young ages.
My younger daughter started learn to skate classes when she was three, BTW. She was tired of watching her 5-year-old sister in the classes. She did her first competition when she was 4. By the time she was 8, she was landing double jumps. But her passion was then and still is (she’s 26 now) skating on the synchronized skating team (back then, the sport was called precision skating). She’s a tall girl (5’9"), and the sport of synchro is well-suited for those who are tall.
If you want to see synchronized skating for young ages, here’s a link to one of the cutest (and best-skated) programs ever. The girls on this team are all age nine and younger. This team won the Sectional championships this year–they’re the best in the Midwest! This link is to their first competition of the season, so they have some little flaws, especially during the warmup, but they still won this competition, too. I won’t tell you why I’m so proud of this particular team, but I’ll bet you can guess!
youtube.com/watch?v=gY5uEvjZuHM
My older daughter still skates, too, at age 29. She’s working on passing her ice dancing tests; only five more dances and she’ll have her Senior test. She only practices once a week, so it takes a long time to prepare a dance for testing.
My husband skates, and will be competing at the Adult Nationals in Bensenville, IL next week (April 13, 14). Come see him if you live near Chicago! The Adult Nationals is amazing and great fun to watch.
My nephews are taking Learn To Skate classes now. My older nephew (age 9) is actually quite good, although he has focusing issues. But he really is very naturally-comfortable on the ice and looks quite nice and does the prettiest turns and loves doing the ice shows. My younger nephew (age 6) has cancer (in remission), and he has been wanting to Learn To Skate for months. We were hesitant because of the neuropathies he acquired during chemo and other treatments, and because he is pretty deaf (again, due to the treatments). But we got him out there, and he absolutely LOVES skating. All the coaches adore him because he obviously, visibly loves the sport. When he comes off the ice, he announces, “I’m good at skating!” Wonderful to hear! as he is always last place in any physical games, races, etc. at his school. We have great hopes for both boys, that they will continue skating and eventually start the higher-level tests and perhaps even compete.
Try the sport out.
Three isn’t too young. Our rink allows three-year-olds to start Learn To Skate classes, and in fact, has parent/child Learn To Skate classes for little ones.
I cannot even begin to describe to you the joy that our family has had and is still having with the sport of figure skating. You can check out the novels in my website (see signature below) to get an idea of just how wonderful this sport is. This is a sport that the whole family has to buy into, whether they are skating or cheering.
Just this past weekend, I went to a big synchronized skating competition and watched the teams that my younger daughter coaches skate away with most of the gold medals.
The youngest competitor in the big competition last weekend was four years old, and she was skating alongside of older children (6 year olds). So it’s possible to skate very well at very young ages.
My younger daughter started learn to skate classes when she was three, BTW. She was tired of watching her 5-year-old sister in the classes. She did her first competition when she was 4. By the time she was 8, she was landing double jumps. But her passion was then and still is (she’s 26 now) skating on the synchronized skating team (back then, the sport was called precision skating). She’s a tall girl (5’9"), and the sport of synchro is well-suited for those who are tall.
If you want to see synchronized skating for young ages, here’s a link to one of the cutest (and best-skated) programs ever. The girls on this team are all age nine and younger. This team won the Sectional championships this year–they’re the best in the Midwest! This link is to their first competition of the season, so they have some little flaws, especially during the warmup, but they still won this competition, too. I won’t tell you why I’m so proud of this particular team, but I’ll bet you can guess!
youtube.com/watch?v=gY5uEvjZuHMMy older daughter still skates, too, at age 29. She’s working on passing her ice dancing tests; only five more dances and she’ll have her Senior test. She only practices once a week, so it takes a long time to prepare a dance for testing.
My husband skates, and will be competing at the Adult Nationals in Bensenville, IL next week (April 13, 14). Come see him if you live near Chicago! The Adult Nationals is amazing and great fun to watch.
My nephews are taking Learn To Skate classes now. My older nephew (age 9) is actually quite good, although he has focusing issues. But he really is very naturally-comfortable on the ice and looks quite nice and does the prettiest turns and loves doing the ice shows. My younger nephew (age 6) has cancer (in remission), and he has been wanting to Learn To Skate for months. We were hesitant because of the neuropathies he acquired during chemo and other treatments, and because he is pretty deaf (again, due to the treatments). But we got him out there, and he absolutely LOVES skating. All the coaches adore him because he obviously, visibly loves the sport. When he comes off the ice, he announces, “I’m good at skating!” Wonderful to hear! as he is always last place in any physical games, races, etc. at his school. We have great hopes for both boys, that they will continue skating and eventually start the higher-level tests and perhaps even compete.
Try the sport out.
K
kristacecilia
Guest
Playground, the park, nature walks, snuggling up to read good stories, planting things, playing board games, play dough, going for walks with our babies, dancing to music, going to museums and science centers and zoos, occasionally watching a good family movie together, doing nursery rhymes, story time at the library, swimming, going ice skating and sledding in the winter, raking leaf piles for jumping in the fall, beach in the summer, painting toe nails, building towers with blocks, duplos, singing songs, household things like hanging laundry, baking (my three year old daughters favorite is when I give her little bits of bread or cookie or pie dough and let her make her own).
S
SummerSmiles
Guest
Take them to a park. We have a local one that is made up of a few different types of gardens–rose gardens, Japanese style gardens, wildflower gardens. My kids always love seeing the different kinds of flowers and plants that are in the gardens. And they love the fish pond in the Japanese gardens!
We also take them to feed the seagulls and ducks by the local fishing pond.
The library is a great place. Most have a preschool and/or toddler story time. My kids love it. Afterwards we go out to play at the park and we bring a picnic lunch along. (Usually that’s a summertime activity.)
My 3 year old daughter has just learned how to ride her first bike with training wheels. When she’s acting rambunctious, we take her out and let her ride in the driveway. If it’s raining, we pull the cars out of the garage and let her ride in there.
Sidewalk chalk is always fun. Recently my son has discovered that he can put chalk on more than just the concrete… so he runs around decorating the tops of the underground sprinklers, doodling on the sides of the trash can/recycling bins, marking up the tree trunks… etc. And it all comes off again the next time it rains or the sprinklers come on.
For inside activities, they love to paint! Watercolors are cheap and they have great fun with them. (Plus, they wash off easily!) It’s to the point now that every time I pull out the crayons and markers, they ask to paint instead. We also buy them pipe cleaners and those little pom-pom things and they enjoy gluing them together and making abstract sculptures with them.
We also take them to feed the seagulls and ducks by the local fishing pond.
The library is a great place. Most have a preschool and/or toddler story time. My kids love it. Afterwards we go out to play at the park and we bring a picnic lunch along. (Usually that’s a summertime activity.)
My 3 year old daughter has just learned how to ride her first bike with training wheels. When she’s acting rambunctious, we take her out and let her ride in the driveway. If it’s raining, we pull the cars out of the garage and let her ride in there.
Sidewalk chalk is always fun. Recently my son has discovered that he can put chalk on more than just the concrete… so he runs around decorating the tops of the underground sprinklers, doodling on the sides of the trash can/recycling bins, marking up the tree trunks… etc. And it all comes off again the next time it rains or the sprinklers come on.
For inside activities, they love to paint! Watercolors are cheap and they have great fun with them. (Plus, they wash off easily!) It’s to the point now that every time I pull out the crayons and markers, they ask to paint instead. We also buy them pipe cleaners and those little pom-pom things and they enjoy gluing them together and making abstract sculptures with them.
V
VeritasLuxMea
Guest
We don’t have any kids yet, so:
Watching sports or going to sports games
Walking the dogs
Playing video games
Watching sports or going to sports games
Walking the dogs
Playing video games
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