To a 3-year-old, an empty box contains limitless imaginative fun. Gather four large cardboard boxes and remove the flaps and bottoms so that they are open on both ends. Give the kids poster paint and have them paint each box using their favorite colors. While the boxes are drying, use the opportunity to teach children about squares. Once the boxes are dry they can be used for a variety of classroom activities. Chain all of the boxes together to create a play tunnel, or let kids use the boxes separately to play house or pretend they are driving a car.
This activity helps children to explore their artistic side as well as learn about nature. Take the children outside to gather twigs, pine cones, acorns and other items from nature. Help the kids to identify each object and give them plastic magnifying glasses so they can get a good look at each item. Bring the items inside and help the children create pieces of artwork using the items. Some ideas include taking imprints of the items in clay, rubbing the texture of the items under a piece of paper with a crayon or using paste to create a collage.
A 3-year-old is still too young for structured sports games, but you should introduce the concepts of teamwork, physical movement and coordination at this early age. Instruct children to play different games and activities using large rubber play balls. Have students kick the balls to one another or roll the balls through tunnels or cardboard boxes. Set up a target and have the children try to kick the ball toward the target. Use a variety of balls to teach concepts such as size, color and counting.
At age 3 a child is still growing fast, so chart the growth of your students so they can see how far they've come in a year. Ask parents to send baby items like old toys and clothing to school with their children for a show-and-tell session to demonstrate the concept of growing up. Have the students trace their footprint or handprint on construction paper and cut them out to create easy units of measurements for children this age to understand. Ask them to measure different objects to see how many of their feet or hands would fit inside.