Your games for four year olds

Need games for four year olds? Our little kids sure keep us busy don't they?

Reader ideas include fun kids' learning games and imaginative activities.

Hiding and finding games seem to be rather popular, as your four year old begins to enjoy a sense of mystery.

And as your child's sense of humor develops, it can be fun to play around with words and ideas to spark some funny moments!

A list of games for four year olds:

The funny fruit
My four year old son is a bit reluctant when it comes to trying new tastes, so I had him close his eyes and open his mouth while I was feeding him with different fruits and vegetables.

I also combined them with different things such as nuts, sugar or even salt. I was surprised to see that without knowing what he was eating, he liked some fruits or vegetables that he normally rejects.
Daniela, Romania

Kids' portraits
Draw portraits of one another. I'll draw you. You draw me. :)

Also you can cast a shadow on the wall with a bright lamp and tape a piece of paper to the wall and trace each other's silhouettes.
Ashley Horn, Oregon, USA

Treasure hunt game
I draw pictures of easy to find things in our house, favourite toy, the big chair in the front room etc.

You could use small photos instead if you're not feeling artistic.

I make about 12 of these pictures then I hide them under / on those objects so that one 'clue' leads to another.

For example you give your child the first picture of the chair and he/she runs off, finds the chair - and the next picture.

The last picture leads to a prize. This is usually a fruit bar or some sweeties in our house. I call the game treasure hunt, but I guess it's a little different than the map way.
Sam, UK

Find the chick
I work in a nursery with 3-5 year olds, each morning I hide a small chick in the room and who ever finds it gets a reward, the children love this idea!

I have even put blue tack onto its feet and stuck it to the celing, on windows and walls, it always captures their interest.
Anonymous

Wonder Ball
The Wonder Ball: Any number of children stand in a circle, the leader holds the ball, they pass it left (or right) and begin the chant, as other students join in:

"The wonder ball goes round and round,to pass it quickly you are bound,if you're the one to hold it last,U, R, OUT!"

The last person holding it (without throwing it at the next in line) is considered the person "out" and must wait for the next game to "play" again, this concept is difficult for most under four.
Janice Nowicki, Orange, Massachusetts

Christmas countdown
Every Christmas we get construction paper and cut out an inch wide and 4 inch long rectangles out and make links, link them together and use it as a count down to how many days are left until Christmas.

Pull one link off everyday - its fun!
Jessica, Baltimore MD

I'm thinking of a....
I'm thinking of a color...what is it?

My Grandson names colors he knows and when he gets to the right one it's a celebration.

Or, I'll say I'm going camping and I'm taking a ______________.

The takings get sillier and sillier:)
Grandma, Idaho

Kids' memory game
Improve kids memory with this very simple memory game.

I collect few things from around the house and hide them under a blanket.

Then I ask my 4 year old to sit in front of the objects while I open the blanket. She has 2 minutes to view all the object. After 2 minutes I cover back the objects.

Then ask my daughter to name the object one by one and after she does, I remove the named object and it continues. I start with 5 objects and keep increasing and changing the objects.

Objects can be anything like toys, utensils, remote, phone etc....
Manjula, Orlando, FL

Kids' treasure hunt game
I love my 4 year old daughter and we love to play the treasure hunt game.

I ask her to be in one room while I make these little clue sheets of where to find the next clue.. for example one sheet might say "Go to the place where you sleep."

Of course she can't read as yet that's why I draw a bed on the sheet as well.

I make my clue sheets using Microsoft Word. I give her like 10 clues - at the end of it is a little treasure.
Manjula, Orlando, FL

Silly choices
When going to the store, I tell him we are going to buy fruit, strawberries, apples, oranges and hamburger.

He laughs and tells me that hamburger is not fruit. We do this in the woods where we are looking for ants, birds, nests and tables. If it is ridiculous enough at first the child will learn catagories. Then these skills can be honed farther.
Dianne Gregg, Victoria, B.C.

My thanks to everyone who contributed their ideas!