Play-Based 4+ Prep Activities at Home
Twenty activities you can do at home, in five minutes each, that build the exact skills assessors look
for at 4+. Nothing fancy. Nothing expensive. Just deliberate play, organised by what it builds.
Use these in short bursts, woven through your day. Five minutes here, ten minutes there. The total
daily impact adds up.
Listening and language activities
1. The story question game
After reading a picture book, ask three questions. Who was in the story? What was the problem? How
was it solved? Builds active listening and narrative comprehension.
2. Picture talk
Find a busy picture (a magazine page, a museum postcard, a children’s book illustration). Ask your
child to tell you everything they see. Push gently for detail: what colours, what is happening, what
might happen next, why.
3. The instruction chain
Give a sequence of two or three instructions. “Go to your bedroom, find your blue jumper, and bring it
back to the kitchen.” Build to four step instructions over the year.
4. Same and different
Lay out three or four objects. Ask your child what is the same about them. What is different. What
might join them as a fourth. Builds vocabulary and categorisation.
5. Tell me a story
Take turns telling a story together. “Once there was a small dragon. What happened next?” Each
person adds a sentence. Builds narrative thinking and creativity.
Cognitive and pre-academic activities
6. Sorting
Buttons, blocks, socks, conkers, anything sortable. Ask your child to sort by colour, then by size, then
by shape. Builds categorisation. Discuss the rules out loud.
7. The pattern game
Lay down a sequence (red, blue, red, blue, red, …). Ask your child what comes next. Vary the rules: by
shape, size, or count.
8. Counting in life
Stairs going up. Apples in the bowl. Cars passing the window. Embed counting in everyday life. Aim
for one to one correspondence (touching each object as you count) up to twenty.
9. The shopping game
Pretend shop with three or four items. “I need one apple and two oranges, please.” Builds simple
addition through play, plus social interaction.
10. The odd one out
Show three or four items, with one that does not belong. “Which is the odd one out and why?” Builds
reasoning and verbal explanation.
Fine motor activities
11. Pencil free draw
Daily drawing time with proper pencils, not just crayons. Ten minutes. “Draw your family. Draw your
favourite animal. Draw what you did today.”
12. Threading
Beads, pasta, lacing cards. Builds pincer grip and bilateral coordination.
13. Cutting club
Old magazines, child safety scissors, simple straight lines, then curves, then shapes. Ten minutes once
or twice a week.
14. Playdough sculpting
Rolling, pinching, squeezing, shaping. Strengthens hand muscles. Bonus: encourage your child to
make specific shapes (a snake, a ball, a person).
15. Drawing on demand
“Draw a person. Draw a house. Draw a dog.” Specifically practises producing a recognisable image
when asked. Many 4+ assessments include this.
Social and group activities
16. Turn taking with games
Snap, Uno Junior, simple board games like Snakes and Ladders. Crucial for learning to wait, lose
gracefully, and follow rules in a group.
17. Playdate practice
Invite a less familiar friend over. Practise sharing toys, taking turns, managing disagreements. The
unfamiliarity is the point.
18. The waiting game
Practise sitting calmly while you finish something. “Sit for two minutes while I finish this email, then
we can play.” Builds patience and focus.
Independence activities
19. Solo dressing
Five minutes earlier in the morning, let them dress themselves. Coat, shoes, lunch packing, toilet
routine. Independence under mild time pressure is exactly the assessment day skill.
20. Help me, please
Practise asking for help when stuck. “If you cannot do it, what could you say?” Coach the words:
“Excuse me, please can you help me?” Sounds simple but is one of the skills assessors specifically
watch for.
How to use this list
Do not try to do all twenty in a day. Pick three or four each day, varied across the categories. Aim to
touch every category in the course of a week.
Most importantly, keep it light. These should feel like play, not lessons. The moment your child senses
they are being tested, the value drops fast.
If you want a more structured version of this, our 4+ Readiness Classes weave activities like these into
a small group setting that mirrors the assessment day. Children build the same skills, in conditions
matched to what they will encounter.
Want a printable version of these 20 activities? It is included in our free 4+ Preparation Roadmap.
Available on the Academic Success website.
Frequently asked questions
How long should each activity last?
Five to ten minutes. Four year olds learn in short bursts. Long sessions usually backfire.
What if my child is not interested in an activity?
Drop it and try another. The aim is engagement, not compliance. A child who is forced through an activity learns less than one engaged willingly.
Can I do this during nursery?
Yes. Nurseries handle the bulk of skill development at this age. Home is the supplement, especially for the things nurseries do less of: one to one conversation, family reading, individual fine motor work.
Are there activities to avoid?
Avoid screen based learning apps, formal phonics drilling that the child resists, and any activity that feels like a chore. Nothing helps if it builds reluctance.
How does this fit with our nursery's work?
Talk to your nursery key worker. They will know which areas your child needs most help with and can suggest which of these activities are highest priority. Bright Little Stars Nurseries tailor recommendations specifically to BLS families through our partnership.
