BusyBeesGames to play with 4 year olds with no equipment
Eight BusyBees games need no toys and nothing to set up. Guess My Animal and One Sentence Story need nothing at all. Animal Parade needs a clear bit of floor. The others each need one thing that is not really equipment: music, a timer, a walk, a sunny day, or a blanket on the grass.
- 8 games
- Starting ages 2 to 5
- 10 to 20 minutes each
- 2 written out in full
Pick one for right now
| Game | From age | Minutes | You need |
|---|---|---|---|
 Animal Parade | 2 | 10 | A clear bit of floor |
 Rainbow Scavenger Hunt | 3 | 10 | A timer, Your eyes |
 Freeze Dance Party | 3 | 10 | Music |
 I Spy Adventure Walk | 2 | 20 | A walk in a park or garden |
 Shadow Stomp | 2 | 10 | A sunny day, A lawn in a garden or park |
 Cloud Spotting | 4 | 15 | A blanket, A patch of grass, A sky with some clouds |
 Guess My Animal | 5 | 10 | Nothing at all |
 One Sentence Story | 5 | 10 | Nothing at all |
The 8 games
Game 1 of 8
Animal Parade
Stomp like an elephant, hop like a rabbit, creep like a cat. You call the animal and everyone moves.
- From age 2
- 10 min
- Indoors
- Active
- No prep
You need
- A clear bit of floor
Keep an eye on
Play on carpet in a cleared space, away from table corners. Every animal keeps its feet on the floor: no climbing.
With you
Play together the whole time.
The steps for Animal Parade, with a picture for each, are in the BusyBees app.
Game 2 of 8
Rainbow Scavenger Hunt
Race to find one object for every colour of the rainbow before the timer runs out.
- From age 3
- 10 min
- Indoors
- Active
- No prep
You need
- A timer
- Your eyes
Keep an eye on
Say which rooms are in the game, and keep the stairs and the kitchen out of it.
With you
Stay in the room while they play.
The steps for Rainbow Scavenger Hunt, with a picture for each, are in the BusyBees app.
Game 3 of 8
Freeze Dance Party
Dance wild, freeze on the pause. Wobble and you are out (until the next song).
- From age 3
- 10 min
- Indoors
- Active
- No prep
You need
- Music
Keep an eye on
Dance on carpet in a cleared space, with no rugs that slip and no toys underfoot, and dance alongside them.
With you
Play together the whole time.
Game 4 of 8
I Spy Adventure Walk
A walk in the park becomes a mission: spot 10 tiny things nobody else notices.
- From age 2
- 20 min
- Outdoors
- Calm
- No prep
You need
- A walk in a park or garden
Keep an eye on
Choose a park or a path away from traffic and water. Little ones hold your hand.
With you
Play together the whole time.
The steps for I Spy Adventure Walk, with a picture for each, are in the BusyBees app.
Game 5 of 8
Shadow Stomp
On a sunny day, chase each other's shadows across the grass and try to step on them.
- From age 2
- 10 min
- Outdoors
- Active
- No prep
You need
- A sunny day
- A lawn in a garden or park
Keep an eye on
Choose flat grass in a fenced garden or the middle of a park, well away from roads, car parks and water.
With you
Play together the whole time.
The steps for Shadow Stomp, with a picture for each, are in the BusyBees app.
Game 6 of 8
Cloud Spotting
Lie back on a blanket and look for shapes in the clouds. A slow, quiet game for a mild day.
- From age 4
- 15 min
- Outdoors
- Calm
- No prep
You need
- A blanket
- A patch of grass
- A sky with some clouds
Keep an eye on
Lie with the sun behind you and never look towards it. Choose grass well away from roads and water.
With you
Play together the whole time.
The steps for Cloud Spotting, with a picture for each, are in the BusyBees app.
Game 7 of 8
Guess My Animal
One of you thinks of an animal and the other asks yes or no questions. It needs nothing but voices, so you can play while you cook or tidy.
- From age 5
- 10 min
- Indoors
- Thinking
- No prep
You need
- Nothing at all
Keep an eye on
Play it sitting down, and keep it kind: nobody is teased for a wrong guess.
With you
Stay in the room while they play.
Game 8 of 8
One Sentence Story
Build a story together, one sentence each. Nobody knows where it will end up. It needs only voices, so it fits round cooking or the washing-up.
- From age 5
- 10 min
- Indoors
- Calm
- No prep
You need
- Nothing at all
Keep an eye on
Keep the story friendly. If it turns scary for anyone, make the next sentence a funny one.
With you
Stay in the room while they play.
The steps for One Sentence Story, with a picture for each, are in the BusyBees app.
Questions parents ask
What are good games for a 4 year old?
Six of the eight suit a 4 year old in the app: Animal Parade, I Spy Adventure Walk and Shadow Stomp (from age 2), Rainbow Scavenger Hunt and Freeze Dance Party (from age 3) and Cloud Spotting (from age 4). Guess My Animal and One Sentence Story start at age 5.
How do I entertain my 4 year old at home?
Indoors: Animal Parade, Rainbow Scavenger Hunt and Freeze Dance Party. In the garden: Shadow Stomp on a sunny day and Cloud Spotting on a mild one. Each takes 10 or 15 minutes.
What games can children play without any equipment?
Guess My Animal and One Sentence Story need "nothing at all", in the app's own words. I Spy Adventure Walk needs only a walk in a park or garden.
What this guide does not do
Two of the eight start at age 5. Freeze Dance Party needs music, Rainbow Scavenger Hunt a timer, Shadow Stomp a sunny day and Cloud Spotting a blanket. Three are outdoor games. Five are marked "Play together the whole time".
A grown-up is always responsible for safety and supervises play. The age on each game is where it starts in the app, and a game marked for age 3 is never offered for a 2 year old.