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While raising four energetic boys, I’ve spent countless hours searching for ways to keep them engaged. We’ve endured many LONG, COLD winters cooped up indoors together.
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Through experience (and a few hard lessons), I’ve discovered that when little ones get bored—or are left unsupervised even briefly—they have an uncanny talent for finding trouble and creating chaos!
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I’ve searched the internet, and gathered my favorite ideas for keeping your toddlers busy!
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
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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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Use their cute little fingerprints to make fun little creatures!
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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. (Bonus: see if they can put the items back where they found them.)
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4. Plasma car
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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. If you have an unfinished basement, or scratch resistant floors – this bike is a life-saver!
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5. Balloons or Balloon Rocket Set
Children love a simple balloon – just blow one up and bounce it back and forth! Here are some balloon game ideas.
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Step it up a notch with the Balloon Rockets. Kids enjoy watching balloons soar around the room! We purchased our Balloon Rocket set many 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
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7. Make lunchtime special
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8. Don’t Eat Pete
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What you need:
Any small snacks (cereal, candy, tiny crackers, peanuts, raisins)
1 piece of paper and a writing utensil
To do:
- On a sheet of white paper, draw a large grid – nine squares.
- Put a number on each square.
- Put a small snack on each square.
- Have ONE person leave the room.
- Have another person choose which square is “Pete.”
- 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
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My older kids made this for our toddler using toilet paper tubes and paper towel rolls.
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10. Ball Bounce
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Use any plastic cups and ping pong balls.
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11. Make your own bird feeder
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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, or purchase a ready-made book:
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13. Sidewalk Chalk
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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
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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. Have fun with shaving cream
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Spray it on a pan and let them draw or 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
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17. Have fun with Finger Paint
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18. Create sounds with Pots/Pans and Wooden Spoons
Let your kids bang away. (Put in earbuds to keep it from driving you crazy!)
Or:
Give 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. Play a Memory Game
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20. Hide and Seek
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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/Flap Books
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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. Water Color Painting
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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
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Bubbles always make kids smile! A bubble machine will allow them to have fun without you having to do all the work.
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26. Sock Puppets
Little ones love puppets. Make a simple one with a glove.
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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. Building Blocks and Magnetic Tiles
You can never go wrong with the classics.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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34. Busy Bag
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35. Lay in the grass (or snow) and watch the clouds
Ask them what they see!
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36. MegaBlocks
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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
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- 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!
