No prep, No mess Activities for Preschoolers

No prep, no mess activities keep preschoolers busy with less work for parents

There are times throughout my day with three young kids that I need a fun activity that doesn’t involve prep on my part and won’t create a mess. After we’ve cleaned up dinner and before bed, for instance, I’m tired and I don’t want to drag out more toys and supplies. We’ve created and cleaned up countless messes throughout the day and I want to relax and connect with my family. I’ve gathered no prep, no mess activities for preschoolers that are perfect for keeping them busy without creating additional work for mom and dad.

1. Talent Show

One of my family’s favorite things to do is to create a talent show in our living room. We take turns performing our “talent”, usually a silly dance or song for the rest of the family. Mom or dad goes first to demonstrate how things will go.

Seeing what the kids come up with as their talent is usually hilarious and wildly entertaining.

We all make sure to clap enthusiastically after each performance. A talent show requires no preparation and no supplies, and we usually laugh together the whole time.

2. Dance Party

In my experience, kids love to dance and you can create a dance party simply by turning on your favorite song. It gets everyone moving and laughing. We often take turns choosing songs and by the time we’ve all danced through our songs, it’s burned 15+ minutes.

If you’re having trouble thinking of good dancing music, this Kid Bop YouTube video might be a good place to start. Dance parties are a great no prep, no mess activity for preschoolers.

3. Hide-and-Seek

Hide-and-seek is a classic children’s game for a reason; it provides endless, spontaneous entertainment. Our kids take turns hiding and finding each other and it requires little effort on my part.

As a variation to the classic game, we will sometimes hide a stuffed animal that the kids can look for together.

4. Send some cheer with a video message

As a fun thing to do as a family, we’ll make a short video message with a smartphone or computer and send it to a loved one. The message might be for a special occasion, like a birthday, anniversary, etc. or it might be just to send some cheer.

I think most people like to get a cute message from kids, and this activity also teaches our kids to consider others’ feelings. It’s a fun, no mess and no prep activity that makes us all feel good.

5. Stream a yoga class

Streaming yoga classes is so easy and provides great entertainment for preschoolers. In 60 seconds, I can set up my lap top in our living room, and the kids love to follow along.

I most often use classes from Do Yoga With Me and have found them engaging and accessible for kids. Yoga is a great skill for them to learn, and online streaming is a go-to no mess, no prep activity for our preschoolers.

6. Guess the Animal

We love to play this easy game where we take turns doing an animal impersonation and the others guess the animal. We might have originally gotten the idea from a Daniel Tiger episode, but I’m not sure.

Watching preschoolers impersonate animals is endlessly cute and very fun. It’s so simple, requires no supplies, no preparation, and doesn’t make a mess.

What are your favorite no prep, no mess activities for preschoolers?

I hope these activities give you ideas to keep your kids busy and save your sanity! I believe that making messes is fun and lets “kids be kids,” but there are certain times that I just can’t take one more mess. These activities are great for those occasions.

Do you have moments that you are looking for no prep, no mess activities for your kids? I’d love to hear about your favorites. Leave a comment below.

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Disclaimer: The information published in this blog is for information and entertainment purposes only. I am not an expert and you should look elsewhere for advice. I am not liable for any damages resulting from using the information on this blog. All activities for children should be done with adult supervision. For further information, see the Disclaimer page.