Whether you are searching for activities for toddlers to do at home because you have been Corona-Virus-quarenteened or simply because you are a stay-at-home mom who always needs new ways to entertain little ones, this list of activites is for you, Mama.
I have included both activites for toddlers to do independently and with your participation. Because while we all need more ways to keep our toddlers distracted while we get something done, we also need some refreshing new options for connecting with them.
Independant Activities for Toddlers
The following activities for toddlers are things that will keep your child entertained while you get something done – without using a screen!
Read about screen viewing effects on children here.
To be clear, this does not mean they do not require supervision while they do these activities. However, I find that these activities for toddlers allow for enough hands-free time to finish cooking supper, kneading some dough or doing the dishes.
1. Play with Tape
My daughter is obsessed with clear stickers – A.K.A. tape. Of course, she loves stickers of any kind. But there is something about tape that is extra special. Maybe it’s the lure of seeing that entire roll of endless sticking opportunities.
Whatever the appeal, this will keep her entertained for quite a while.
I usually rip off pieces of tape as quickly as I can and stick the ends of them on the edge of the table, counter, etc. until there are enough pieces to keep her distracted for a while. Then I go about my chores while she layers her novel stickers on a paper plate, the floor, windows and her fingers with real or perceived owies on them.
Now, obviously, tape is a choking hazard and you need to take that seriously (ask me how I discovered a toddler can choke on a sticker … with adult supervision).
I never let my daughter leave the room we are in with the tape pieces because she is prone to putting everything in her mouth without me regularly reminding her not to. Even if your toddler is not a mouther, I do not recommend leaving him alone with the tape.
Read more about how to prevent and respond to choking in young children in this post.
2. Make a Nature Treasure Craft
This is one of our favorite things to do when it’s nice outside. My daughter, like most toddlers, loves to pick flowers and collect acorns, sticks and leaves – collectively referred to as nature treasures in our house.
Letting her pick and collect nature treasures to her heart’s content is a great way for both of us to spend enjoyable, relaxing time outside. And the ingenious part of this is that the anticipation of making a picture out of these treasures is a great incentive for my daughter to go back inside.
Once we are back inside, putting the nature treasure craft together is something my daughter can do independently at the table while I finish up supper. I give her a piece of paper or a paper plate, her nature treasures and this homemade non-toxic paint to use creatively.
3. Play with Ice
How much easier do activities for toddlers get than setting a cup of ice in front of your child? The bonus with this one is that it is a sneaky way to get some extra hydration into a stubborn toddler.
4. Fill a Plastic Pool with Something
If you have a little plastic pool, now is the time to pull it out. Of course, if it’s nice outside, you can simply fill it with water and maybe even add some body wash or shampoo for an outdoor bubble bath.
But if the weather is not suitable for water play, drag that pool inside and dump some other harmless items in it. You don’t have to actually fill it up in order for it to be fun for a little toddler. You could dump some cereal, crackers or cut up colored pieces of paper in it and give your child some cups, bowls and spoons or tongs to sort and mix.
5. Color Fruit Peels
This one is so simple, but it’s a novelty that was fun for my daughter. Peel an orange, banana or a melon and pull out the markers! That’s all you have to do. Your toddler will take it from there.
6. Pretend Cook & Bake
My daughter used to frequently offer her assistance every time I was cooking or baking. She would generously ask to “help Mommy” with everything from scooping ingredients to mixing them all together to rolling/eating dough.
I loved sharing the experience of baking and cooking with her. But sometimes, it just wasn’t realistic for her to help me. It was in these moments that I would pull out a bowl, a mixing spoon, some puffed rice and some cinnamon for her to scoop, combine and mix her own ingredients.
Activities for Toddlers and Grown-Ups
7. Play Red Light Green Light
This is one of those great activities for toddlers when they have lots of energy to burn and you are unable to take them outside. This was a favorite game for us while we had an extra toddler staying with us a couple of months ago.
The three of us would all hold hands and run through the house whenever I said “Green light!” screeching to a giggly stop once I decided we had come to a “Red light.”
If this one doesn’t sound like a break for mama … it’s not! But it is fun exercise for everyone.
8. Play Dress Up
I was hopeful my daughter would have a natural instinct for how to play dress-up since it is one of the many passions I had as a young girl. While she does love to wear Mommy and Daddy’s clothes and shoes, she doesn’t quite understand the purpose of intentionally putting on a pretty dress and accessories to have some tea.
Some games require a few teaching sessions before your toddler will be enthusiastic about them. But sometimes, the process of teaching your child how to play something you enjoyed growing up is fun in and of itself.
Yesterday, I initiated our first dress-up training session with the new dress-up paraphernalia my daughter received as a birthday gift. Even though she was not interested in wearing a bedazzled crown or necklace, she was eager to give her stuffed sheep a makeover.
I think even the sheep agreed that our high-society tea party with banana bread and water was so much more fun while wearing fancy dresses.
For boys, I cannot speak from personal experience. But I’m sure superhero capes or dressing up like different animals would be preferable to cute outfits for the average little boy (although how adorable would it be to serve tea to your little man in a nice jacket and tie from daddy’s closet?).
9. Play Doctor
This idea was inspired by another one of my daughter’s recent birthday gifts – a super cute play medical bag filled with all the typical medical instruments used at a check-up.
But you don’t have to have all the cute toys to play doctor. Use a medicine syringe for a shot, strips of cloth for bandages, a flashlight for an otoscope, a scarf with a bracelet tied on the ends for a stethescope and a spoon for a reflex hammer. Use your imagination!
10. Build with Blocks
Some activites for toddlers are self-explanitory. As ordinary as this activity may sound, don’t underestimate the excitment and creativity that can be sparked by block building. And I’m not just talking about your toddler!
Sit down on the floor with your toddler and a bunch of duplo blocks or legos and construct something together. You might be amazed at how much fun you both have doing such a simple task.
Read about my block building adventures with my toddler here!
11. Practice Preschool
Incorporating preschool learning into everyday activities is not difficult, but it requires intentional thought. Use extended periods of time at home to find all the ways you can sneak learning into your toddler’s everyday tasks. There are a lot of activities for toddlers that can easily be adapted to be educational.
During breakfast and lunch on weekdays are the main times I actively focus on teaching my daughter preschool concepts. Since she’s already sitting at the table and her hands are occupied with food, it’s the perfect opportunity to work through some flashcards or an alphabet book.
12. Do Fun Chores
Maybe my family is just weird, but my daughter and I both like to clean. Even if your family does not generally get excited about cleaning, your toddler just might have more fun than you expect helping you do some spring cleaning that involves activities you don’t usually do in an average week.
Maybe the mundane task of helping pick up toys is not appealing to your child, but I bet she would have fun playing in a giant pile of used sheets as you collect them from all the beds. Or, maybe she would prefer to swipe the blinds and shelves with a fun fluffy feather duster.
Better yet, get outside and let her help rake and bag leaves or help “push” a wheelbarrow (while it’s stationary on level ground).
My daughter loves doing all these things, but the more unusual or novel the chore, the better!
13. Plant Something
My husband likes to come home from the store with a package of flower or vegetable seeds and inform me that it is hereby and henceforth my duty to plant and maintain them – despite the fact that I know less than nothing about gardening.
After his most recent purchase of wildflower bulbs a couple of weeks ago, my daughter and I picked a good-looking spot beside the driveway and planted them together.
It will be a miracle if we ever see a single flower emerge amongst the tree roots and dead leaves that line that section of the driveway, but my daughter loved the planting process (and dissecting the bulbs) regardless.
Planting is educational for kids. And it’s just plain fun for them to dig in the dirt.
14. Go on a Bear Hunt
I got this idea from a friend who had a Bear Hunt party at her house. If you don’t own the book “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, watch the YouTube video of it being narrated by song and then print out the lyrics to take your toddler on a bear hunt around your house.
You could go as far as my friend went with it, using blue balloons behind the couch for the river and small branches and sticks in the basement as the forest. Or, you could simply use your imagination for the visual effects while making the appropriate sounds for the wind in the snowstorm, walking through the tall grass, etc.
15. Sort Beads
Although my munchkin is currently engrossed in sorting beads all on her own as I type this, I put this under activites for toddlers and grown-ups due to the highly chokable nature of beads. I don’t even dare leave my daughter alone with these dangerous “toys” for a much-needed bathroom break.
However, as long as you are sitting with your child and keeping a close eye on him, this can be another opportunity for you to get some computer work done. You would not believe how much fun it apparently is to dump beads from one container into another … over and over and over.
At-Home Activities for Mama
In addition to using your extended time at home to bond with your toddler and get things done around the house, this is the perfect opportunity to work on some time-consuming transitions with your child.
Consider using this break from work or regular outings to begin or improve potty training. Read my post on preparing for potty training to get ready for this adventure.
Alternatively, you might be ready to sleep train. But first, figure out if sleep training is really best for your child in this post.
Maybe there is something other area you need to spend time on with your child that you can’t easily do during your normally scheduled life. Make the most of this extra time and take it as a gift – a rare treasure we often complain we don’t have enough of.
What other ideas do you have for at-home activities for toddlers, Mama? I would love to hear what you have come up with in the comments!
We are all looking for more positive, non-screen ways to entertain our kids right now, so please share this list with other mamas.
Leave a Reply