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40 Fun Ways to Entertain a Toddler

While raising four busy boys, I’ve spent countless hours finding activities to get them busy. We’ve lived through lots of LONG, COLD winters with nothing to do but be inside together.

Pictures from one very long, extremely cold winter. Every day felt like Groundhog Day!

I’ve learned the hard way, that when our little ones get bored, or when left un-attended for even a few minutes, they find trouble and created messes!

I left him un-attended for a few minutes, and he created “SNOW” with packing peanuts

I’ve searched the internet, and gathered my favorite ideas for keeping your toddlers busy!

Do you need a birthday gift idea? Many of the items below would make GREAT gifts. I’ve only included things that are pre-approved by my four children.

Each link I’ve included is an affiliate link, so that means if you click on it and decide to purchase the item, I will earn a small profit. Thanks for your support!

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1. Stacking cereal

Stack fruit loops or Cherries on Spaghetti noodles stuck in play dough!

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2. Fingerprint Characters and Stamps

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3. Color Wheel

Set out one item of each color, have your child search the house for items of the same color.

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4. Plasma Car

1 year old Luke loving his Plasma Car!

My oldest son received the Plasma Car for his first birthday – and each of my boys have been riding it ever since. This “bike” is almost 12 years old, and still one of their favorite toys.

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5. Balloons

All children love a simple balloon – just bounce it back and forth!

Step it up a notch with the Balloon Rockets. Kids enjoy watching balloons soar around the room! We purchased our Balloon Rocket set about 8 years ago and my boys still have fun with this! I recently bought replacement balloons to keep them entertained during quarantine.

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6. Shape Sorting

Or a do it yourself model:

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7. Make lunchtime special

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8. Don’t Eat Pete

What you need:

Any small snacks (cereal, candy, tiny crackers, peanuts, raisins)

1 piece of paper and a writing utensil

To do:

  1. On a sheet of white paper, draw a large grid – nine squares. 
  2. Put a number on each square.
  3. Put a small snack on each square. 
  4. Have ONE person leave the room. 
  5. Have another person choose which square is “Pete.”
  6. Ask the person who left the room to come back. He or she eats one snack at a time. When they grab the snack that is “Pete,” everyone screams: 

“DON’T EAT PETE!”

Their turn is over. 

Repeat as many times as your kids are interested!

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9. Ball Ramp

My older kids made this for our toddler using toilet paper tubes and paper towel rolls.

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10. Ball Bounce

Use any plastic cups and ping pong balls or nerf bullets.

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11. Make your own bird feeder

Take an empty grapefruit, fill with peanut butter and bird seed. We’ve had all kinds of birds visit our feeder – and they are so fun to watch.

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12. Tracing

Make a “dotted” animal or letters for your child to trace.

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13. Sidewalk Chalk

Inside – use your sidewalk chalk with construction paper.

Outside – Create a “road” for their cars. Draw out hop scotch, train tracks, or write the alphabet!

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14. Play with water

Inside – Put any toy that can get wet into the bathtub.

Outside – 1. Pour water down a sloped path or driveway to see where it goes. 2. Put their toys in soapy water and have them give them a “bath.”

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15. Shaving cream

Put shaving cream in a large baggie with some food coloring. Let your child “squish it” or practice writing letters on it with their finger.

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16. Mess Free Coloring Book

My son LOVES these!

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17. Finger Paint

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18. Pots/Pans and Spoons

Let your kids bang away. (Put in earbuds to keep it from driving you crazy!)

Another parent mentioned this idea: Giving your toddler pots and pans to bang on is a classic parent move, but here is a less noisy idea. Sit your toddler down with a pumpkin, melon, or squash and let them pound the vegetable to their heart’s content with a toy hammer. Most toddlers aren’t strong enough to do real harm with their hammer, so you can still make soup with your butternut squash once they’ve had their fun. She also says this works if you swap the hammer for stickers.

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19. Memory Game

We created this one on Shutterfly!

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20. Hide and Seek

Little ones and big ones love this game.

You can also hide a toys, stuffed animals, or plastic eggs and let them search!

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21. Board Books

My boys enjoyed “Lift the Flap” books

They also loved Brown Bear and Goodnight Moon

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22. Dance party

Go Noodle is a good website to use for dance moves

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23. Drawing or Water Color Painting

Give your kids white paper and let them color, draw or paint.

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24. Paint Nails

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25. Bubbles

Bubbles always make kids smile!

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26. Sock Puppets

Little ones love puppets. Make a simple one with a glove.

All four of my boys BEG me to read the “Tickle Monster” book that comes with Tickle Monster ‘puppet’ gloves.

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27. Take a Drive

Strap your kids in to the car, drive around and listen to music or an audiobook.

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28. Old School LIGHT BRIGHT

I loved this as a kid and perhaps your kids will too?

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29. Sing together

Singing to and with your child builds a unique bond with them. And just like reading to your child, singing songs with them helps to boost their vocabulary and language skills.

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30. Stickers

Kids can put stickers over large letters to “trace” their name, or put sticker dots on a line you draw for them!

Click here to follow the “Busy Toddler” on Instagram for lots of fun ideas for toddlers.

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31. Exercise together

My mom started exercising with me when I was a toddler, and now I exercise with my kids. Set the timer for 20 minutes and MOVE!

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32. Play Dress Up

We keep a container of “Dress up” clothes for our kids. My boys have dressed up and saved the world thousands of times!

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33. PlayDoh

My toddler enjoys this little playdoh set.

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34. Busy Bag

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35. Lay in the grass and watch the clouds

Ask them what they see!

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36. MegaBlocks

This bag has brought hours of entertainment for my kiddos!

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37. Have fun with ice!

Make ice in different colors with food coloring and add to their drinks.

Freeze their toys and allow them to ‘excavate’ with a toy hammer.

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38. Memorize a verse together

It’s the SWEETEST thing to hear your little ones quoting Scripture!

The first verses my mom had me learn were Psalm 91:1 and Ephesians 6:. The first verse I had my kids learn was 1 Timothy 4:12.

Scripture memory is something that will benefit your children throughout their ENTIRE lives!

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39. Clean together

  • Smaller things kids can do – wiping baseboards, lower cabinets, all door handles, pulling weeds, folding and putting away laundry, bathroom, bedroom, their closet, putting toys away and unloading dishwasher.
  • I offered my kids a quarter to whoever could wipe down the baseboards and bring me back the dirtiest wet wipe.

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40. Play bean bag games

  • Toss in buckets, pans, or boxes
  • For more bean bag toddler games, CLICK HERE.

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Do you have an activity to share? Leave a comment!

Click here for 55 activities for kids of every age!

*I am an Amazon Affiliate, so I make a small percentage off of Amazon links I share if you click through and purchase.  Thank you for your support in this way! 

Kathryn: I am a mom to four young boys and wife to one handsome man. I love hot coffee and good books! I'm a midwest girl living and loving life in Minnesota. I'm originally from Indiana, but have lived in: Ohio, Florida, Oklahoma, Illinois, Colorado, and NOW Minnesota!!
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