“Put your cup in the sink and grab your shoes” sounds simple until you realize how often a preschooler only does the first half. This game helps to fix that.
This following directions game uses prompt cards and farm animal cutouts to turn listening practice into an actual game instead of a nagging correction. Read a card out loud, something like “put the pig in the barn and the chicken by the fence,” and let them act it out with the pieces.
Start with one-step cards if two feels like too much at first. The whole point is building up gradually, not testing them. Once they’re consistently nailing two steps, that’s a real, transferable skill, not just a game win. It’s the exact same skill a kindergarten teacher leans on dozens of times a day.
Once the card set feels too easy, here’s where the same pieces turn into a few different challenges without buying anything else. See “Extend the Play” below.
A note on mess and cleanup: chipboard cutouts and cards. Everything packs flat into a small box when you’re done.
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Use What You Already Have:
- A flat table or floor space to lay out the pieces
Buy One Thing: Following Directions Farm Game (Ages 3-4) Get it on Amazon
Adapt It (Younger/Older):
For a younger toddler, stick to one-step directions only and celebrate each successful one on its own. For an older preschooler who's mastered two steps easily, try adding a third step or a silly twist, like doing the actions backward.
🎓 Why This Helps with the Transition to Kindergarten
Kindergarten teachers give multi-step directions constantly, from "line up and get your folder" to "clean up your table and sit on the carpet." A child who can hold two instructions in mind and carry both out is genuinely ahead on day one. This game builds that specific skill through repetition, not lecturing.
Extend the Play:
1. Silent version: Act out the direction yourself and have them guess what it was without hearing the card.
2. Direction giver: Let them draw a card and read the picture cues to give you the directions instead.
3. Speed round: See how many cards you can get through correctly in two minutes.
Questions to Ask:
"What was the first thing I asked you to do?"
"What do you think comes next?"
"Can you tell me the direction back in your own words?"
Activity Type: Games & Family Challenges
Age Range: Pre-K
Effort & Budget: Five-Minute Setup One-Purchase Activities
Skill/Developmental Focus: Language Development Social-Emotional Transition to Kindergarten