Life Skills Activities for Kids

67 life skills activities for toddlers and preschoolers.

• Balanced Day

  Sort your day into three buckets: active play, quiet time, and helping time.

  ~5 min

• Band-Aid Hero

  Practice putting a bandage on a stuffed animal's 'boo-boo'

  ~5 min

• Bathtime Boss

  Learn the order of a good bath: fill, test, wash body, wash hair, rinse, dry off.

  ~10 min

• Boo-Boo First Aid

  Practice the steps for cleaning a small cut: wash, dry, ointment, bandage.

  ~10 min

• Broken Glass Plan

  Practice the rule: freeze, call a grown-up, and never pick up glass with your hands.

  ~5 min

• Brrr or Ahhh

  Step outside on a cold day and talk about what your body does to stay warm

  ~5 min

• Bubble Scrub

  Wash your hands while singing a song to make sure you scrub long enough

  ~5 min

• Call 911

  Practice dialing 9-1-1 on an old phone and saying your name and address.

  ~10 min

• Calm Down Breath

  Practice breathing in for four counts, holding for four, and out for four — like blowing out a candle.

  ~5 min

• Car Explorer

  Sit in a parked car together and name every part you can see and touch.

  ~10 min

• Changing Clothes

  Practice taking off one outfit and putting on another without help — shirt, pants, socks.

  ~10 min

• Checklist Power

  Make a three-step checklist for getting ready in the morning and check off each step.

  ~5 min

• Clean Face Routine

  Practice washing your face with a warm washcloth: forehead, cheeks, chin, around the mouth.

  ~5 min

• Cool Down

  On a hot day, notice how your body feels and find ways to cool off

  ~5 min

• Creative Careers

  Talk about people who make art, music, food, and crafts for a living — and try one right now.

  ~10 min

• Don't Look at the Sun

  Go outside and practice finding shade, wearing a hat, and looking DOWN when it's super bright.

  ~5 min

• Drink Up!

  Practice pouring water into a cup and talk about why our bodies need water every day.

  ~5 min

• Earthquake Ready

  Practice drop-cover-hold under a sturdy table and count to sixty together.

  ~5 min

• Fire Safety

  Walk through your home and practice stop-drop-roll and your family escape plan.

  ~10 min

• Fish Feeder

  Take a tiny pinch of fish food and sprinkle it into the tank

  ~5 min

• Fresh Food Picker

  At the store or kitchen, squeeze a fruit and smell it to decide if it's ripe and ready to eat.

  ~5 min

• Furniture Names

  Walk through one room and point to every piece of furniture — name it and say what it's for.

  ~5 min

• Getting Dressed Solo

  Time yourself getting fully dressed from PJs to day clothes — shoes and all.

  ~10 min

• Handling Big Feelings

  Practice three things to do when you feel really frustrated: breathe, squeeze a pillow, tell someone.

  ~5 min

• Hot or Cold?

  Turn the faucet together and practice testing water with the back of your hand first.

  ~5 min

• Knot Know-How

  Learn to tie a basic overhand knot using a thick piece of rope or a scarf.

  ~10 min

• Know Your Body

  Point to and name ten body parts, then talk about how to keep each one healthy.

  ~5 min

• Laundry Helper

  Sort dirty clothes into lights and darks, then help load the washing machine.

  ~10 min

• Light Switch

  Practice turning lamps on and off and learn what makes them work.

  ~5 min

• Light Switch

  Turn off the lights when you leave a room to save energy

  ~5 min

• Mail a Letter

  Draw a picture, put it in an envelope, write an address, and add a stamp together.

  ~10 min

• Make the Bed

  Pull up the sheet and blanket, fluff the pillow, and make your bed look neat.

  ~5 min

• Money Basics

  Look at real coins together — learn the names and practice sorting them by size.

  ~10 min

• Month Song

  Learn the twelve months in order by singing them to the tune of a familiar song.

  ~5 min

• My Home Address

  Learn your house number and street name by singing it to a favorite tune.

  ~5 min

• Nose Blow Pro

  Practice blowing your nose with a tissue: close one side, blow gently through the other.

  ~5 min

• Off Limits!

  Walk through the house and put a red sticker on five spots that are off limits without a grown-up.

  ~5 min

• Outfit Picker

  Lay out two outfits and choose one based on the weather today.

  ~5 min

• Paying Bills

  Pretend to pay a bill together — open the envelope, read the amount, and write a check.

  ~5 min

• Paying for Things

  At a real store, hand the cashier the money or card and say 'thank you' when you get change back.

  ~5 min

• Peel and Eat

  Practice peeling the shell off a shrimp (or hard-boiled egg) before eating it

  ~5 min

• People Who Help

  Name five different jobs and talk about how each one helps our community.

  ~5 min

• Pet Chef

  Help measure and serve your pet's food at mealtime

  ~5 min

• Picking Up After Yourself

  When you finish playing, put every toy back where it lives before starting something new.

  ~5 min

• Potty Pro

  Practice the full bathroom routine — go, wipe, flush, wash hands.

  ~5 min

• Potty Timer

  Set a timer and try going to the bathroom every hour — building the habit.

  ~5 min

• Recycle Right

  Sort five household items into recycling, trash, or compost bins.

  ~5 min

• Safe Falls

  Practice falling onto soft ground by tucking your chin and landing on your bum, not your hands.

  ~5 min

• Safe or Sharp?

  Learn to spot sharp objects and know not to touch them without a grown-up

  ~5 min

• Safety Numbers

  Practice memorizing your home phone number or address

  ~5 min

• Set the Table

  Put out plates, forks, spoons, and napkins for everyone at dinnertime.

  ~5 min

• Sidewalk Safety Walk

  Practice walking on the correct side of the sidewalk and stopping at every driveway.

  ~10 min

• Smart Shopper

  Make a shopping list together — draw pictures of five things you need from the store.

  ~10 min

• Spill Patrol

  Practice cleaning up a spill using a towel or sponge

  ~5 min

• Stay Hydrated

  Practice pouring water into a cup and learn why drinking water matters.

  ~5 min

• Staying on Sidewalks

  On a walk, practice the rule: feet stay on the sidewalk, stop at every curb and look both ways.

  ~10 min

• Step On, Step Off

  Practice getting on and off an escalator safely with a grown-up

  ~5 min

• Stranger Smarts

  Role-play what to do if a stranger asks you to go somewhere: say no, run, tell a grown-up.

  ~10 min

• Street Smarts

  Practice stop-look-listen at the curb before crossing together

  ~5 min

• Sweep It Up

  Grab a small broom and practice sweeping crumbs into a dustpan after a meal.

  ~5 min

• Take a Shower

  Stand under the shower and practice the order: wet hair, shampoo, rinse, wash body, rinse, done!

  ~10 min

• Tool Time

  Practice turning a screw with a screwdriver — righty tighty, lefty loosey!

  ~10 min

• Trash Helper

  Collect trash from small bins around the house and bring them to the big bin

  ~5 min

• Washing Dishes

  Stand at the sink and practice the full wash: scrub with soap, rinse with water, place in the rack.

  ~10 min

• Wipe Down the Table

  After a meal, grab a damp cloth and wipe the table clean in big sweeping circles.

  ~5 min

• Zap! Stay Away

  Go on an electricity hunt and learn which things in the house we never touch with wet hands.

  ~5 min

• Zipper Master

  Practice zipping and unzipping a jacket all by yourself from bottom to top.

  ~5 min