8 Playdate Ideas for Preschoolers

My kids love having their friends over for a playdate! As a parent, sometimes the planning and logistics can get challenging. But the fun, learning, and friendship that comes from the playdate is always worth it.

The Wombats are another family full of fun and play. The newest PBS KIDS podcast features the playdates and problem solving of Zadie, Zeke, and Malik, who invite listeners to play, dance, and sing along.

To celebrate the new podcast series, here are eight playdate ideas for preschoolers to enjoy with friends and family!

1. Throw a stuffie party. In the first podcast episode, the Wombats want to throw a surprise party for Snout, Zeke’s stuffie. They gather decorations, and Gramma Super even bakes a cake! See what kind of imaginative play your kids and their friends come up with that includes their stuffies. For example, they can host a tea party with all their dolls and stuffed animals, or plan a surprise party like the Wombats. Together they can make gifts for their stuffies or they can perform in front of an audience of stuffies sitting on the sofa!
2. Dance it out. No matter the age, it’s impossible not to dance when you crank up the right music! Clear enough space to make a dance floor and play DJ for a bit to let the kids express themselves through dance. They can play a game of freeze dance to their favorite tunes or try learning the steps together to a new song.
3. Try a half sleepover. Sometimes, the idea of a sleepover is better than the sleepover itself. As a kid, my younger sister was known for her “half sleepovers” because she went home when it was time to sleep. Invite friends to come over in pajamas with their stuffies and blankets for snacks, games, and movies. Have someone tell stories as the Wombats do at their sleepover playdate. Then, send everyone home so everyone can sleep in their own beds. Kids get the excitement of a new experience but don’t have to worry about bedtime in a different place.
4. Host a book club. Pick a picture book to read together and then make some fun crafts or do an activity that goes along with the story. Kids can draw a picture of their favorite character in the book or together, you make a snack inspired by food they eat in the book. Ask the kids questions about the where, who, and what happened in your story. If the book club playdate succeeds, make it a monthly event and take turns hosting. Keep track of the books you read with a reading chart!
5. Create holiday fun. As you celebrate different holidays throughout the year, find ways to include friends. Our family always carves a pumpkin around Halloween, but some friends invited several families to carve pumpkins together in their backyard. We all enjoyed it more than ever! Hosting a holiday playdate doesn’t have to be big or too much extra work. Look for things you might already be doing, like making Valentine’s Day cards, painting Easter eggs, planting seeds for Earth Day, or building gingerbread houses. Consider creating a paper chain to count down the days to your next holiday celebration!
6. Build a fort. Challenge kids to find the best way to build a fort with items you already have like blankets, pillows, or cardboard boxes. Encourage them as they try different ways to build it. Ask questions like, “If the blanket keeps falling down, what can we use to hold it up?” (If your child can’t think of something, you can suggest a chair or box.) In the podcast, Malik, Zadie, and Zeke must think creatively when the wind blows down their fort. Remind kids it’s okay to fail, but to keep trying! Once they’ve finished, take pictures and celebrate the cozy space they’ve made.
7. Swap it out! Have some friends your kids always want to play with? See if you can set up a regular swap. I take turns with my neighbor to pick up our girls from school once a week, which provides a built-in weekly playdate. Sometimes, she takes them to library story time, or I take them to the park. Another way to swap is with a family who has children at similar ages as yours. One grown-up hosts the older kids, while another has the younger ones at the same time. Each group gets to focus on one set of kids with playdate activities suited to their age range.
8. Come as you are. As much fun as having a theme or activities for a playdate can be, building friendship and playing together is the most important part. Don’t feel the need to complicate things. Maybe that means inviting someone over and keeping it simple. Even if the kids are wearing mismatched socks, the house is messy, and all you have to share is half a bag of chips, the kids (and parents!) will benefit from time together.

Check out the new “Work It Out Wombats!” podcast and see what playdates your family comes up with!