Entertain your little one with these exciting toddler activities

Every parent knows the daily adventure of keeping a toddler entertained. One moment, they’re giggling in pure joy at something as simple as a cardboard box, and the next, they’re racing around like they’ve discovered endless energy reserves. Sound familiar?

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Toddlers have an unmatched sense of curiosity and energy, but keeping up with their ever-changing needs and interests can be challenging for even the most patient parents.

The good news is, there are countless ways to keep your toddler engaged and having so much fun with toddler activities, even when you’re short on time, energy, or creativity.

Not only will these activities fill those hours that sometimes feel never-ending, but they’ll also provide crucial developmental benefits. From boosting fine motor skills to encouraging problem-solving, playtime can be the best time for growth.

Indoor activities for toddlers

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Whether it’s pouring rain outside or you just need to keep things calm indoors, there are plenty of fun and engaging indoor activities. From simple DIY games to creative indoor activities, these ideas will keep your busy toddler entertained while fostering important developmental skills.

1. Pillow fort building

Nothing sparks a toddler’s imagination like building a fort! It’s a simple yet creative way to transform an ordinary living room into a magical hideaway. Plus, the process of stacking pillows, draping blankets, and arranging cushions offers plenty of opportunities for problem-solving.

• What you’ll need: Pillows, blankets, chairs or couches, and maybe a string of fairy lights for extra magic.
• Time required: 15–30 minutes to build, and can last much longer for play.
• Messy level: Low – but you might have to reassemble the living room later!
• Helps with: Creativity, spatial awareness, and fine motor skills.

2. DIY ball pit

Transform your toddler’s play area into a mini ball pit using a plastic tub and some soft plastic balls. This is one of those fun toddler activities that’s a perfect indoor alternative to the playground ball pit, and a busy toddler can spend ages jumping in and out or tossing the balls around.

• What you’ll need: A plastic tub or inflatable pool, plastic balls.
• Time required: 5 minutes to set up, hours of entertainment!
• Messy level: Moderate – balls might end up everywhere.
• Helps with: Gross motor skills, coordination, and sensory exploration.

3. Indoor scavenger hunt

Create an exciting indoor adventure by hiding small toys or household items around the house for your busy toddler to find. Give them a list (using pictures or simple words) and let them hunt for each item. You can add clues for older toddlers to make it more challenging.

• What you’ll need: Small toys, everyday objects, and paper for the list.
• Time required: 10–15 minutes to hide the items, 15–30 minutes for the hunt.
• Messy level: Low.
• Helps with: Problem-solving, attention to detail, and memory skills.

4. Sticky paper collage

Stick a large sheet of contact paper (sticky side out) to a wall or window and let your busy toddler decorate it with lightweight objects like feathers, pieces of coloured paper, or leaves. It’s a mess-free way to work on their creative skills.

• What you’ll need: Contact paper, lightweight objects (feathers, paper cut-outs, fabric scraps).
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 20–30 minutes of play.
• Messy level: Low – barely any cleanup!
• Helps with: Fine motor skills, creativity, and hand-eye coordination.

5. Sock sorting game

Take your pile of clean socks and turn it into a game! Lay out a mix of socks and let your busy toddler sort them by colour or size, or try matching pairs. It’s a quick and easy way to involve them in a simple household task.

• What you’ll need: A bunch of socks (clean ones, obviously!).
• Time required: 10–15 minutes.
• Messy level: Low.
• Helps with: Colour recognition, matching skills, and early sorting skills.

6. Sorting buttons or beads

Give your busy toddler a variety of buttons or beads and let them sort them by size, colour, or shape. This simple activity helps develop early maths skills and fine motor coordination while giving them a sense of accomplishment when they successfully complete the task. Please do watch that they don’t put the items into their mouths at any time.

• What you’ll need: Buttons, beads, or other small objects, a sorting tray or bowls.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 20 minutes of sorting.
• Messy level: Low – just be careful with small objects.
• Helps with: Sorting, fine motor skills, and early maths concepts.

7. Cardboard box train

If you have a few cardboard boxes lying around, turn them into a train! Connect them with string and let your toddler fill the “cars” with stuffed animals, dolls, or other toys. They can then pull the train around the house or pretend they’re the conductor on an adventure.

• What you’ll need: Large cardboard boxes, string, and markers for decorating.
• Time required: 20 minutes to set up (or longer if you want to get really creative).
• Messy level: Low – unless your child gets wild with the markers!
• Helps with: Imaginative play, gross motor skills, and creativity.

8. Homemade drum circle

Grab some pots, pans, and wooden spoons from the kitchen and let your busy toddler create their own band. They’ll love the chance to make noise, and it’s a fantastic way to work on rhythm and coordination. If you can handle the noise, join in!

• What you’ll need: Pots, pans, plastic containers, wooden spoons, or other utensils.
• Time required: 5 minutes to gather materials, as long as you can handle the “music!”
• Messy level: Low – just a bit of noise!
• Helps with: Rhythm, coordination, and auditory exploration.

9. DIY bowling game

Set up a mini bowling alley using plastic cups or empty bottles as pins, and a soft ball. Let your toddler roll or throw the ball to knock over the pins. It’s a fun way to work on hand-eye coordination and balance indoors.

• What you’ll need: Plastic cups or empty bottles, a softball.
• Time required: 5 minutes to set up, 20 minutes of play.
• Messy level: Low – but there might be some tumbling cups to pick up.
• Helps with: Hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills, and counting.

10. Sticker sorting

Toddlers love stickers, and sticker sorting is a simple, quiet activity. Give them a set of stickers and a piece of paper, and ask them to sort them by type, colour, or size. It’s a calming activity that helps them focus while working on fine motor control.

• What you’ll need: Stickers (preferably easy-to-peel ones), paper.
• Time required: 15–20 minutes.
• Messy level: Low.
• Helps with: Fine motor skills, sorting, and concentration.

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Educational toddler activities

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Toddlers are constantly absorbing information from the world around them, and educational activities are a great way to help guide their learning while still keeping things fun. These activities are designed to teach key concepts in early childhood education like numbers, letters, and problem-solving, but in a way that feels like play.

1. Alphabet treasure hunt

Hide magnetic letters or alphabet cards around the house and ask your toddler to find them. As they discover each letter, you can say its name and a word that starts with it. This simple activity makes learning the alphabet interactive and engaging.

• What you’ll need: Magnetic letters or alphabet flashcards.
• Time required: 15–20 minutes.
• Messy level: Low – just a bit of tidying up afterwards.
• Helps with: Letter recognition, phonics, and early literacy skills.

2. Shape sorting basket

Create a shape-sorting game by cutting out different shapes (circle, square, triangle, etc.) from cardboard or coloured paper. Provide a basket or bowl, and ask your toddler to sort the shapes by category. You can also ask them to find objects around the house that match each shape.

• What you’ll need: Cardboard or coloured paper, scissors, a basket or bowl.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 20 minutes of play.
• Messy level: Low.
• Helps with: Shape recognition, categorisation, and fine motor skills.

3. Counting bears or blocks

If you have small toys like counting bears, blocks, or other stackable objects, turn them into a fun counting game. Ask your toddler to count out a certain number of bears or blocks, or group them by colour. You can also stack them and count as you go.

• What you’ll need: Small toys or blocks (preferably in different colours), a mat or surface to play on.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 15–20 minutes of counting fun.
• Messy level: Low.
• Helps with: Counting, number recognition, and colour sorting.

4. Number hopscotch

Tape some paper squares on the floor and write numbers on each one, creating a simple indoor hopscotch game. Encourage your toddler to hop from number to number, calling them out as they go. This activity is a great way to combine movement with early number recognition.

• What you’ll need: Paper, markers, tape.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 15–20 minutes of play.
• Messy level: Low – just the paper squares to remove later.
• Helps with: Number recognition, gross motor skills, and balance.

5. Colour mixing with paint

Teach your toddler about primary and secondary colours by letting them mix paints. Set out red, yellow, and blue paint, and ask your child to mix two colours and see what new colour they create. It’s a messy, hands-on way to explore science and art!

• What you’ll need: Non-toxic paint in primary colours, or food colouring, paintbrushes, paper, aprons or old clothes.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 20–30 minutes of messy fun.
• Messy level: High – be prepared for paint spills!
• Helps with: Colour recognition, fine motor skills, and basic science concepts.

6. Puzzle play

Puzzles are a fantastic way to improve your toddler’s problem-solving skills and get child development off the ground. Choose age-appropriate puzzles with large, easy-to-handle pieces, and encourage your toddler to figure out how the pieces fit together. You can also make your own puzzles by cutting a picture into pieces.

• What you’ll need: Age-appropriate puzzles or homemade puzzles.
• Time required: 15–20 minutes.
• Messy level: Low.
• Helps with: Problem-solving, spatial awareness, and fine motor skills.

7. Letter and number tracing

Using large sheets of paper or a chalkboard, write out big letters or numbers for your toddler to trace. You can make this activity even more interactive by letting them trace with their fingers in a shallow tray of sand or flour. It’s a great precursor to learning to write.

• What you’ll need: Paper, markers or crayons, or a tray of sand/flour.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 20–30 minutes of tracing.
• Messy level: Low to moderate (depending on whether you use sand/flour).
• Helps with: Letter and number recognition, fine motor skills, and pre-writing skills, and general toddler development.

8. Build a tower challenge

Give your toddler a variety of objects – from blocks to plastic cups and cardboard tubes – and challenge them to build the tallest tower they can without it falling over. You can add a competitive twist by timing each attempt or seeing who can build the highest structure.

• What you’ll need: Blocks, cups, or other stackable objects.
• Time required: 15–20 minutes of building fun.
• Messy level: Low – just a few blocks to clean up.
• Helps with: Problem-solving, balance, and fine motor skills.

9. Flashcard memory game

Use flashcards with pictures, letters, or numbers, and play a simple memory game. Lay the cards face down, and have your toddler flip over two at a time, trying to find matching pairs. It’s an engaging way to improve memory and concentration.

• What you’ll need: Flashcards or homemade picture cards.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 15–20 minutes of play.
• Messy level: Low.
• Helps with: Memory skills, concentration, and matching.

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Arts and crafts activities for toddlers

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Arts and crafts are not just fun for toddlers – they’re also a wonderful way to develop creativity, patience, and fine motor skills.

Whether you’re painting, cutting, gluing, or sticking, toddlers love the opportunity to make something all their own through craft activities. Plus, it’s a great excuse to embrace the mess! Here are some fun and easy arts and crafts ideas that will have your little one excited to create. A lot of these require adult supervision, so make sure to join the toddler-approved fun.

1. Finger painting fun

Let your toddler dive into some finger painting! This activity idea is an absolute sensory delight and a great way for them to explore colours and textures. Don’t worry about the mess – it’s all part of the creative process.

• What you’ll need: Non-toxic washable paint, large sheets of paper, aprons or old clothes.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 20–30 minutes of painting.
• Messy level: High – make sure to cover surfaces!
• Helps with: Sensory development, creativity, and fine motor skills.

2. Paper plate animals

Turn simple paper plates into fun animal faces using paint, markers, and craft supplies. Your toddler can create their favourite animal (or make up a new one!) by adding ears, eyes, and other features with glue or tape.

• What you’ll need: Paper plates, markers, glue, coloured paper, cotton balls, googly eyes, scissors (for parent use).
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 20–30 minutes of crafting.
• Messy level: Moderate – mostly from glue and paint.
• Helps with: Creativity, fine motor skills, and imaginative play.

3. Homemade playdough creations

Make your own play dough with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. Once it’s ready, let your toddler sculpt shapes, animals, or anything their imagination comes up with! You can even add food colouring or glitter for extra fun.

• What you’ll need: Flour, salt, water, food colouring, optional glitter.
• Time required: 15 minutes to make the dough, 20–30 minutes of play.
• Messy level: Moderate – especially if food colouring gets involved!
• Helps with: Fine motor skills, sensory exploration, and creativity.

4. Tissue paper collage

Gather colourful tissue paper and let your toddler tear it up and stick the pieces onto a larger sheet of paper to create a colourful collage. It’s a simple, creative activity that encourages the exploration of colour and texture.

• What you’ll need: Tissue paper, a large sheet of paper, glue.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 20 minutes of sticking fun.
• Messy level: Low – just some glue cleanup.
• Helps with: Fine motor skills, creativity, and hand-eye coordination.

5. Nature painting with leaves

Go on a nature walk and collect leaves, flowers, and sticks, then use them as paintbrushes to create unique patterns and textures on paper. This combines the beauty of nature with the creativity of painting, making it a double win.

• What you’ll need: Leaves, sticks, flowers, paint, large sheets of paper.
• Time required: 10 minutes to gather materials, and 20 minutes of painting.
• Messy level: High – paint cleanup needed!
• Helps with: Creativity, fine motor skills, and sensory exploration.

6. Sticker art

Toddlers love stickers, and sticker art is a mess-free way to keep them entertained while working on their creativity. Provide a variety of stickers and a blank piece of paper, and let them create their own scene.

• What you’ll need: Stickers, blank paper.
• Time required: 5 minutes to set up, 15–20 minutes of sticking.
• Messy level: Low.
• Helps with: Fine motor skills, creativity, and hand-eye coordination.

7. Sponge painting

Cut sponges into fun shapes (like stars or hearts), dip them in paint, and let your toddler stamp the shapes onto paper. It’s a fun twist on traditional painting and helps your toddler explore shapes and patterns.

• What you’ll need: Sponges, washable paint, paper, scissors (for parent use).
• Time required: 10 minutes to cut and set up, 20 minutes of stamping.
• Messy level: High – especially with paint involved.
• Helps with: Shape recognition, creativity, and fine motor skills.

8. Cardboard tube animals

Save those toilet paper rolls and turn them into animals! Let your toddler paint or colour the tubes, then help them add ears, eyes, and legs to transform them into animals like elephants, dogs, or even dragons.

• What you’ll need: Cardboard tubes, paint, markers, coloured paper, glue, scissors.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 20–30 minutes of crafting.
• Messy level: Moderate – mostly from paint and glue.
• Helps with: Creativity, fine motor skills, and imaginative play.

9. Handprint art

Dip your toddler’s hands in paint and use them to create handprint animals, trees, or flowers on paper. You can turn their handprints into all sorts of creatures, and it’s a lovely way to preserve those tiny hands as they grow.

• What you’ll need: Non-toxic washable paint, large sheets of paper, aprons or old clothes.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 20 minutes of printing.
• Messy level: High – paint will definitely be involved!
• Helps with: Sensory development, creativity, and fine motor skills.

10. Pom-Pom sorting and gluing

Grab a bag of colourful pom-poms and let your toddler glue them onto a piece of paper to create their own colourful designs. You can also turn it into a sorting activity by asking them to group the pom-poms by colour before gluing.

• What you’ll need: Pom-poms, glue, paper.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 15–20 minutes of gluing.
• Messy level: Low – just a bit of glue cleanup.
• Helps with: Fine motor skills, sorting, and creativity.

Outdoor activities for toddlers

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Getting outside is one of the best ways to engage your toddler and help them release that boundless energy. Whether you have a big backyard, a local park, or just a small patch of grass, outdoor activities allow toddlers to explore their surroundings, get some fresh air, and develop important physical and sensory skills. Here are some simple yet fun outdoor activities that will keep your little one busy.

1. Water balloon toss

On a warm day, fill up some water balloons and let your toddler toss them around! Whether they’re throwing them at targets, gently tossing them back and forth, or simply enjoying the splash when they break, it’s a refreshing and fun way to stay active.

• What you’ll need: Water balloons, and a bucket for storing them.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 20–30 minutes of play.
• Messy level: Moderate – water everywhere!
• Helps with: Hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills, and sensory exploration.

2. Sidewalk chalk art

Give your toddler a set of sidewalk chalk and let them unleash their creativity by drawing on the pavement. You can draw shapes or letters for them to trace, or let them create their own masterpiece.

• What you’ll need: Sidewalk chalk.
• Time required: 5 minutes to set up, 20–30 minutes of drawing.
• Messy level: Low – just some chalk dust on their clothes.
• Helps with: Fine motor skills, creativity, and hand-eye coordination.

3. Bubble chasing

Blowing bubbles and letting your toddler chase and pop them is a simple yet magical activity. You can take turns blowing bubbles or just let your toddler run around trying to catch them – it’s guaranteed to keep them laughing.

• What you’ll need: Bubble solution, bubble wands.
• Time required: 5 minutes to set up, 20 minutes of bubble chasing.
• Messy level: Low – just a little soapy water to deal with.
• Helps with: Gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness.

4. Nature scavenger hunt

Take a walk around your yard or a local park and create a simple scavenger hunt. Ask your toddler to find different natural items like a leaf, a flower, a rock, or a stick. You can make it more educational by talking about colours, textures, and shapes.

• What you’ll need: A list of items to find (simple pictures or descriptions).
• Time required: 5 minutes to set up, 20–30 minutes of exploring.
• Messy level: Low – unless your toddler enjoys rolling in the grass!
• Helps with: Nature awareness, problem-solving, and sensory exploration.

5. Obstacle course

Use cones, sticks, or any outdoor objects to create a simple obstacle course. Your toddler can jump over objects, crawl under things, and run around barriers. It’s a great way to help them burn off energy while improving their physical coordination.

• What you’ll need: Cones, sticks, ropes, or any safe outdoor items.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 20 minutes of play.
• Messy level: Low – unless they start digging!
• Helps with: Gross motor skills, balance, and coordination.

6. Sandcastle building

If you have access to a sandpit or beach, let your toddler get creative by building sandcastles. Provide some buckets, shovels, and moulds, and let them explore different ways to shape and mould the sand.

• What you’ll need: Buckets, shovels, sandpit or beach.
• Time required: 5 minutes to gather materials, 20–30 minutes of building.
• Messy level: High – sand will be everywhere!
• Helps with: Creativity, fine motor skills, and problem-solving.

7. Mud kitchen

If you’re feeling brave, set up a mud kitchen with old pots, pans, and spoons, and let your toddler “cook” with mud and water. They can mix, scoop, and pour to their heart’s content, and it’s a brilliant way to encourage messy sensory play.

• What you’ll need: Old pots, pans, spoons, a container of water, and plenty of dirt.
• Time required: 10 minutes to set up, 30–40 minutes of messy play.
• Messy level: High – expect muddy hands, clothes, and possibly the whole backyard!
• Helps with: Sensory development, creativity, and fine motor skills.

8. Leaf printing

Collect leaves of various shapes and sizes from around the yard, then dip them in paint and press them onto paper to create prints. This activity combines a nature walk with an artistic twist and allows toddlers to explore different textures and shapes.

• What you’ll need: Leaves, non-toxic paint, paper.
• Time required: 10 minutes to collect materials and set up, 20 minutes of crafting.
• Messy level: Moderate – mostly from paint.
• Helps with: Creativity, fine motor skills, and sensory exploration.

9. Ball rolling or kicking

Give your toddler a soft ball and let them roll it, kick it, or throw it in an open space. You can set up goals with cones or chairs, or just enjoy an open-ended game. It’s a great way to develop gross motor skills and coordination.

• What you’ll need: Soft ball, cones or chairs for goals (optional).
• Time required: 5 minutes to set up, 20 minutes of play.
• Messy level: Low.
• Helps with: Gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness.

10. Watering Plants

Give your toddler a small watering can and let them help water the garden or indoor plants. Not only will they enjoy splashing water around, but they’ll also start learning about responsibility and the environment.

• What you’ll need: A small watering can and outdoor plants.
• Time required: 5 minutes to set up, 10–15 minutes of watering.
• Messy level: Low – just some water splashes.
• Helps with: Fine motor skills, responsibility, and environmental awareness.

Tips to make toddler activities easier

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Know their interests: Tailor activities to your toddler’s natural preferences – hands-on crafts, physical play, or puzzles.

Consider your space: Adapt activities to your living environment, whether indoors or out, big yard or a small apartment.

Stick to a budget: Use low-cost materials or everyday items at home for fun activities. Libraries and community centres often offer free toddler-friendly sessions.

Balance active and quiet time: Alternate between physical and quieter activities to keep your toddler engaged and avoid overstimulation.

Keep attention spans in mind: Have a variety of short, simple activities ready to switch things up when needed.

Let them choose: Offer a few options to empower your toddler and increase their enthusiasm.

Make it age-appropriate: Activities should be simple yet challenging enough to engage without causing frustration.

Factor in social needs: Choose activities that fit your toddler’s social style, whether they prefer solo play or group settings.

Use routine: A rough daily structure helps set expectations and creates smoother transitions between activities.

Enjoy it too!: Choose activities that you’ll enjoy as well – your energy and excitement will rub off on your little one.