Action words describe what a person is doing, such as eat, run, climb, skate, swim, and many more. Action words help children develop motor skills, speech, and language skills, and understand what is happening around them.
In the section below, you will learn the best and fun ways to teach action words to kids at home or in the classroom.
Fun Action words Activities for Preschoolers:
Help your child learn action words by performing action in a fun and engaging way.
Run
Activity:
Show a picture of child running. 🏃
Ask your child to run. Say: run, run, run with action
Clap
Activity:
Show a picture of child clapping. 👏
Ask your child to clap. Say: clap, clap, clap with action
Jump
Activity:
Show a picture. 🦘
Ask your child to run. Count: 1, 2, 3! Jump
Eat
Activity:
Show picture. 🍽️
Ask your child to pretend eating.
Sleep
Activity:
Show Picture. Ask your child to close their eyes and pretend to sleep.
Slide
Activity:
Show a picture of sliding. Ask your child to slide. If slide is not available, demonstrate the action using hand gesture. 🛝
Dance
Activity:
Show a picture of dancing. 💃
Ask your child to dance and sing a poem or rhyme.
Swim
Activity:
Show a picture of swimming. 🏊
Ask your child to pretend to swim. If pool is not available, demonstrate the action with hand gesture.
Cry
Activity:
Show a picture of crying. Ask your child to pretend to cry. 😭
Walk
Activity:
Show a picture of walking. Ask your child to walk slowly using small steps. 🚶➡️
Waving
Activity:
Show a picture of waving. 🙋♂️
Ask your child to wave and say hello.
Kick
Activity:
Show a picture of kicking. Ask your child to kick a ball. ⛹️♂️
Wipe
Activity:
Show a picture of wiping. Ask your child to wipe a window or table.
Stomp:
Activity:
Show a picture of stomping. 🐾
Ask your child to stomp their feet.
Whistle:
Activity:
Show a picture of whistling. 😮💨
Ask your child to blow a whistle.
Yawn
Activity:
Show a picture of yawning. Ask your child to pretend to yawn. 🥱
Build
Activity:
Show a picture of building. Ask your child to build with blocks.
Bend
Activity:
Show a picture of bending. 🦵
Ask your child to bend their body.
Action words Games you need to know:
Action word games help preschoolers actively participate in learning. They make learning fun, engaging, and help children become more curious about new words and actions.
- Say the word (for example, ‘shout’) ➡️ child acts it out.
- Do the action (for example, ‘pretend crying’) ➡️ child guesses the word.
- Show a picture of a child kicking a ball and ask, “what a child is doing?”
This is a fun way to help children learn action words through games and movement.
Learn Action Words with Our Fun Video Lesson:
How Parents and Teachers Can Use This Video Lesson?
Whether you are teaching at home or in a classroom, this lesson is adaptable for various educational settings:
Homeschool Morning Routines:
Use this 2-minute lesson as a warm-up exercise during your daily homeschool literacy block.
Preschool & Kindergarten Classrooms:
Play this video on your interactive whiteboard as a total physical response (TPR) break or circle time activity.
At-Home Practice:
Replay the video daily to encourage your preschooler to repeat the vocabulary, identify action verbs around the house, and speak in complete sentences
Free Printable Action Words Worksheets for Preschoolers:
Tips for parents:
- Be present and act along with your child.
- Teach words through fun games and activities
- Encourage your child to repeat the word and action 2-3 times.
- Practice for 10-15 minutes daily.
- Do not force your child to sit for long periods. Keep learning fun and relaxed.