Get busy learning and playing with these fun toddler activities! Pass the time while you’re stuck at home with these 75 fun ideas for toddlers!
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75 Activities for Toddlers
Ever heard the phrase the days are long but the years are short? Well, no one feels that more than a mom who has a toddler (especially on days when you’re stuck indoors!)!
Whether you’re stuck at home due to weather, a national emergency, or some other reason, what you need are quick and easy toddler activities that will keep your child entertained, so we’ve rounded up a bunch of our favorites for you!
Keeping toddlers busy and entertained at home can be a challenge. They have very short attention spans and move onto new activities quickly, but we’ve got a BUNCH of great ideas to keep ’em having fun!
Here are 75 simple and fun activities you can do at home with your toddler! You’ll love watching their imagination take off and their little minds work as you do these at engaging at-home activities together!
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Crafting Activities for Toddlers
Get crafty with little ones with markers, paint, and more. These craft activities are easy enough for the littlest of hands!
1. We have a ton of free coloring pages on our blog so you can always print out a new sheet for your toddler. Novelty is the name of the game for little ones so giving them new pages to color is always exciting!
2. Take a walk around your backyard or local bike trail and grab some river rocks for your toddler to paint.
3. Check out this list of fun pipe cleaner crafts that you can make with your toddler. The finger puppets and pipe cleaner tiara will provide lots of entrainment after craft time is over!
4. Playing with LEGO is a great activity and you can take it one step further by having your toddlers decorate the Legos with Washi tape. This idea from No Time for Flashcards is so fun!
5. Grab a piece of paper and some stickers and let your toddler decorate their paper. You can also use these reusable stickers, which are super easy to peel off and on!
6. Switch up simple painting by doing some marble painting. Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers with my simple tutorial.
7. Play-Doh provides hours of entertainment as tiny hands mold the dough to make new shapes and designs. Try making your own with this recipe from The Best Ideas for Kids.
8. Have a butterfly lover? Help them make some of these adorable butterfly crafts. There’s 15 different crafts to fill your afternoon with fun!
9. Make a paper kite and then let it fly! Kids will love seeing their designed kites in the sky.
10. Head outside and make an oversized outdoor painting. Perfect if you’re worried about the mess of painting but still want to let your littles get creative.
11. Check out our easy spring crafts for even more crafting ideas you can do with your toddler when you’re stuck inside but dreaming of spring.
Movement Activities for Toddlers
Toddlers are full of energy! Help them get their wiggles out with these fun toddler movement activities.
12. Have a dance party at home! Turn on some music and shimmy and shake!
13. Toddlers love to walk on raised surfaces and practice their balance. This insanely easy homemade balance beam from No Time for Flashcards is a perfect rainy day movement idea.
14. Send little ones on a book hunt! You’ll mix movement and reading with this fun game from Scholastic.
15. Play Hide and Seek indoors. Have a parent or older sibling look for the toddler as they hide. It’s always so funny to see them hide in very obvious places!
16. Grab the free cards from Toddler Approved to play this ocean animals movement game when you’re dreaming of the beach!
17. Toddlers will love choosing their colors to make dancing ribbon rings. Get the tutorial from Buggy and Buddy and then move freely with these!
18. Send them on an around the house scavenger hunt with this free printable from Hey, Let’s Make Stuff. Or, for younger kids you can do an indoor picture hunt to make it easier for them to know what to find!
19. Play Simon Says. If you need simple ideas for toddlers, grab this free printable from Homeschool Giveaways.
20. Get kids moving and learning with this jumping animals game by The Inspired Treehouse. This game could not be more simple and looks so fun!
21. Dance on bubble wrap! You can turn an ordinary dance party into something extraordinary by laying bubble wrap on the ground and letting kids stomp, stomp, stomp!
22. Make a big set of dice with your toddler and then use it to get them moving. The dice movement game from Growing A Jeweled Rose fosters movement and imagination!
Sensory Activities for Toddlers
When you’re stuck in a rut sensory activities can help give everyone a restart. Toddlers love to learn and explore through sensory play. Check out these awesome homemade recipes for sensory play fun!
23. For about $1 you can have a fun sensory activity with this sensory colored spaghetti. It’s one of the easier sensory ideas if you’re just getting your feet wet with the concept!
24. Frozen fans will love to make this glitter slime recipe from Pineapple Paper Co. This turns out so pretty and is perfect to do before sitting to watch the movie.
25. If you’re on the lookout for a delightful and interactive experience that will captivate your toddler’s attention, we’ve got just the thing for you – try this I-Spy Treasure Hunt Bag!
26. Make rainbow rice! Fork and beans has a great recipe to make this colorful sensory bin fun!
27. Check out these different ideas for sensory bottles you can make and play with. Allow your child to explore sensory play in a mess-free environment!
28. Make a taste-safe sensory bin with this cloud dough recipe from Happy Toddler Playtime. It’s perfect for Play-Doh lovers!
29. Get your toddler in on some fun as you make ice blocks. They’ll love exploring for trinkets and then cracking these open with this easy idea from Creating Really Awesome Fun Things.
30. Add even more learning to your exploration with this shapes hunt game from Fun with Mama.
31. Switch up the traditional sensory bin with a sensory walk. Teaching Mama set this up as a way to talk about different textures and temperatures with her toddler.
32. Bring the beach to you with this DIY kinetic sand recipe from One Little Project. You can also buy you own here.
33. Turn a bath into something special. Add blocks, popsicles, or something else! Check out the list from Happy Toddler Playtime’s bath time activities!
Outdoor Activities for Toddlers
Just because you’re stuck at home, doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun in the back or front yard! Here are easy toddler activities that you can do outside to get some fresh air and sun!
34. Send toddlers on a backyard scavenger hunt with this free printable from Hey, Let’s Make Stuff. Give them a little bag or bucket to collect all the goodies they find!
35. Take an everyday lunch and turn it into a picnic. Grab a towel or blanket and eat outside to switch things up!
36. Let their imagination run wild as you make a fairy garden. Tinkerlab has some great ideas that are easy to implement for this fun idea!
37. Let them create art with splatter paint. A perfect art lesson that requires minimal coordination.
38. Learn colors and make mini volcanos with this fun science activity from No Time for Flashcards. A great opportunity to let little hands practice pouring as well.
39. Blow bubbles. If you don’t have any, make your own using this recipe from My Frugal Adventures.
40. Grab some sidewalk chalk and draw silly faces or pretty pictures on your driveway or in your backyard. You can even whip up your own batch of sidewalk chalk paint!
41. Then use some painters tape to make a geometric piece of art on your fence. This will make the backyard so pretty!
42. Kids love to get messy! Let them clean the cars with this faux mud sensory bin idea from Busy Toddler. They can clean the cars afterward too!
43. Take your magnets out front. Magnets usually stick to the garage so if you just want a little fresh air, round them up and head to your driveway!
Food Activities for Toddlers
Get those little hands helping in the kitchen. It will help pass the time and provide a snack or treat to help everyone get through the day. Here are some tips for getting your kids involved in the kitchen with you.
44. Some toddlers love the idea of monsters! Make it even more fun by making these monster treats and crafts together. These are scary cute!
45. Make simple popsicles using this recipe from My Fussy Eater. Even young toddlers can help whip these up!
46. Grab your Fruit Loops and do some rainbow sorting with this simple idea from Lil’ Scholars University. What a perfect way to practice colors.
47. Once everything is sorted, get crafty! Make a fruit cereal necklace or flower with these instructions from No Time for Flashcards.
48. Let them help you bake cookies! Toddlers love to help stir and mix ingredients and will have a blast making some yummy treats!
49. Set up a scoop and transfer station using ingredients you have on hand. This idea from Busy Toddler helps little hands practice hand eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Music Activities for Toddlers
Music and movement is a great way to enjoy your time with your tot! Kids dance like no is watching and will love these music activities that are easy enough to do right in your living room.
50. Nothing beats a good old fashioned dance party! Turn on YouTube or Pandora and get moving!
51. Make some DIY microphones and a put on a concert! So Easy Being Green has a tutorial for these adorable mics!
52. Use up those leftover Easter eggs to make your own egg shaker maracas. These are so simple and toddlers will love shaking these around the house.
53. Don’t forget about the Hokey Pokey! Teach your little one this classic dance that uses their whole body!
54. The Educators Spin on It has some simple DIY instruments you can make with common household items. Perfect for when you can’t leave the house!
55. Hands On As We Grow has some great ideas for making and playing with sound sensory jars. Her games are so simple and fun!
56. Now grab all the instruments you made and have a parade around the house! March around a rug or go up and down the stairs.
57. Play freeze dance! Turn on the music and when it stops, everyone has to freeze in place. Start the music and let the dancing begin again!
Learning Activities for Toddlers
Stimulate their mind through simple activities that help them learn! Their little brains are always learning and these activities help capitalize on that!
58. Get your toddler learning through play with name broom hockey from Toddler Approved. A great way to start exposing little ones to their letters.
59. Draw a rainbow and line up the matching colored bears with this fine motor activity from Days with Grey.
60. Looking for a no-prep art activity? This art collage is a perfect way to help kids learn and practice colors.
61. Help your toddler learn letters and sounds with this beginning sound sheet from The Purposeful Nest. You can adapt this so it works for your toddler!
62. Build a pom pom ramp with this fun idea from Busy Toddler. This is simple, engaging and lets your toddler play!
63. Magnatiles are a great toy to let little ones build. They’ll love sticking them together and making new things!
64. Here’s a spin on an indoor scavenger hunt. Make it a color hunt with this idea from Toddler Approved.
65. Watch the Abominal movie and then play this memory match game. Your toddler will love seeing their favorite characters from the movie in their very own game!
66. Set up a tent in your living room and read books with a flashlight. Reading to your kids is a great way for them to learn.
67. Play a sorting and matching game using different items or trinkets in your home. They can start to learn patterns as they also learn colors, shapes, and more.
68. LEGO Duplo Bricks provide endless opportunities for imagination and creativity! Toddlers can create and play as much as they want with these!
Imagination Activities for Toddlers
Let their imaginations run wild with these tried and true toddler activities that let them take the lead! There’s nothing like imaginary play!
69. Grab some play food and play restaurant. Let your toddler take your order, bake “cookies” or whatever else their imagination conjures up!
70. Play dress up! Grab some of your old clothes or hats and let your toddler try them on and change again. They can practice undressing and dressing themselves.
71. Host a pretend birthday party. Tell your toddler to invite some of their baby dolls and stuffed animals to a pretend party in the living room. Grab a birthday tiara and even sing Happy Birthday!
72. Do the same thing as above but this time make it a tea party! Sit down and enjoy some treats together with your pinkies up!
73. Create an indoor obstacle course using items from around your house. Mommy Poppins has some great ideas to add even more fun!
74. Using pillows and blankets you can build a fort in your living room. Turn reading or taking a nap into an adventure when it’s under a fort.
75. If you have a large cardboard box leftover, keep it. Boxes can provide tons of entertainment from coloring it to pushing it around with stuffed animals inside!
Enjoy doing these toddler activities with your little one while you’re stuck at home! Which toddler activity is your favorite?
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Heidi Kundin has captivated the hearts of millions with her colorful and inspiring approach to crafting, celebrations, and family fun. With over 15 years of experience, Happiness is Homemade has become a must-visit destination for those seeking quick and easy creative ideas and last-minute solutions. Heidi’s warm personality shines through her posts, inviting readers to join her on a creative journey that’s fun, rewarding, and achievable. Heidi is also the author of Homemade Bath Bombs & More and DIY Tie-Dye.