28 Toddler Activities For Entertainment- Bonding Through Play

As parents, spending quality time with your toddler is crucial for their overall development. Yet, coming up with new and exciting toddler activities can be a challenging task!

If there is one thing that can be said for sure about toddlers, it is that they are bundles of boundless energy and enthusiasm. But, most toddlers have a short attention span and need activities that are engaging and stimulating, the ones that keep them giggling non-stop.

Only those who have dealt with toddlers can attest to this but they are also easily bored. Unless something absolutely captures their attention, toddlers will make their annoyance known.

The easiest way to keep a toddler busy is to take them to a park where they can physically exert themselves, get exhausted, and then sleep. But what if it is a rainy day and you are stuck at home? Or, more importantly, what if your toddler is not old enough to play at the park?

Such possibilities are unexpected, and for that, you need to be prepared. Here is a list of fun things for toddlers to do that will hopefully keep them entertained. If one doesn’t, then you can always move on to the next!

In this article, you will find the following:

Creative And Fun Things To Do With Toddlers
Fun Activities For Toddlers For When You Are Feeling Lazy
Activities For Toddlers To Get Them Moving
Toddler Fun Activity Ideas That Will Tickle The Performer In Them
Indoor Activities For Toddlers At Home
Activities To Do With Toddlers For The Future Foodie
Educational Toddler Activities At Home
DIY Toddler Activities

Let’s get started and give your toddlers the beautiful laughs they deserve!

Toddler Activities for Entertainment

Creativity can be a great form of self-expression! Especially for toddlers, who see almost everything as new information that they need to process. It is really fascinating to watch a little human learn and figure things out.

So, getting creative with painting and crafting is one of the most popular and fun toddler activities there are. All you need is some supplies and a high tolerance for mess.

1. Finger Painting

For most of us, the prelude to painting with colors has always been finger painting or just handling colors with our bare hands. Admittedly, it gets messy but it will still always be worth it.

Get some non-toxic or edible paint along with some white cardboard sheets. Next, pour the paint colors on a palette and just allow your toddler to do whatever their heart desires.

Tip—Do not forget to paint-proof your expensive furniture first!

2. Painting with Watercolors

In the same vein of experimenting with colors, older toddlers who have earned better hand coordination can be allowed to paint with watercolors and brushes.

Painting is a great activity for toddlers, as it fuels their emotional expression. With a mind full of newly gained knowledge, their view of the world is depicted in the masterpieces they create.

Moreover, toddlers love to paint and create art. This is why, watercolors are a great way to introduce your toddler to painting. They are easy to use and clean up, and the colors are vibrant and fun.

So, go ahead and set up a painting station with watercolor paints, brushes, and paper. This can also be a great method to teach them about new colors and their usage. The vibrancy will also be responsible for stimulating their visual senses!

3. Clay Craft

Clay crafting is one of the best in home activities for toddlers that will keep them entertained for lengthy hours! It is also good for the motor skill development of your little ones.

Being able to twist, turn, and mold edible clay into shapes they like can help them understand the objects around them much better.

More importantly, playing with clay doesn’t leave much mess to clear so you can get a lot of your daily chores done while your toddler plays around. However, it is better if you keep an eye on them, as we all know toddlers will try to swallow anything and everything that lies within their hand span.

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Fun Activities For Toddlers For When You Are Feeling Lazy

Now this is something I know will get all the attention because, let us be honest, we don’t always have the energy to deal with a toddler and their bottomless pit of energy.

But still, they are little loveable humans and it would hurt to see them upset because they are bored and not getting the attention they deserve.

So, for the times when you don’t feel like doing anything but would still want to keep your crawler entertained, here is a list of fun activities for toddlers at home.

4. House Exploration

Babies become toddlers when they learn the skill of language, even bit by bit. Toddlers may not make much sense when they speak but it sure is fun to listen to them.

Besides, the more they are given chances to talk, the more their speech will improve!

Thus, a very low-effort activity for when you are tired or stressed is to ask your toddler to explore the house, take note of things that catch their eye, come to you, and describe what they saw in detail.

If your toddlers refuse to let you out of sight, then limit the size of the space they are supposed to explore. Use baby gates and try to rest in a place that gives them a clear view of your presence.

Now you can catch a few minutes of rest while they are off figuring out the given assignment!

5. Let Them Do Your Nails

The good thing about nail polish is that it can be easily removed. And if you don’t want to risk your toddler eating nail paint, just give them edible paint and ask them to color your toenails while you rest on the couch or a chair.

Admittedly, this is not the most ideal activity for a toddler, but it is okay to entertain them with fixes like this every once in a while. Nobody will deny how hard parenting is and you deserve rest too. Besides, you will be able to keep an eye on the troublemaker this way!

6. Pretend to Put Mr. Bear to sleep

Do you need some urgent sleep but your toddler insists on playing with you? Then you just need to trick them into doing what you want! For this activity, tell your toddler that their toy needs rest and they are the ones to put it to sleep.

You can ask them to hum lullabies or just rock with the toy in the chair. Now, pretend that the two of you are putting their favorite toy to sleep, and this way, you might as well catch a shut-eye yourself.

7. Cuddle

Honestly, cuddling is the best kind of activity you can do and who wouldn’t want to nestle with a sweet, little baby?

If you feel exhausted or just not in the mood to physically exert yourself, then pull your toddler close and cuddle with them. To keep them slightly engaged, tell them a story with a lot of theatrics or sing a few school poems.

This won’t really be classified as an activity but sometimes the best thing to do is absolutely nothing!

8. Play with Sock Puppets

Another hack for when you are feeling lazy is to play with sock puppets right from the comfort of your bed!

Create fictional characters with funny names that will tickle your toddler’s funny bones and create stories surrounding these sock puppet characters.

Bonus points if you find some googly eyes and stick them on the puppet for a better rendition. Do not worry about what story you will create because your toddler will not hold you accountable for having a story that barely makes any sense!

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Activities For Toddlers To Get Them Moving

Just because you are at home with your toddler does not mean you cannot have some fun and exercise together. Physical activities will not only improve your toddler’s fine and gross motor skills but also promote healthy heart and brain function.

Besides, kids should be able to jump around, don’t you think? So, here are some of the best activities for toddlers that will get them moving.

9. Scavenger Hunt

Give your kid a small bucket or bag, take them to your local park, and have a scavenger hunt with them!

They can pick up anything they like, such as stones, flowers, leaves, twigs, etc. It can be an exciting memory to look back on, apart from being a very fun toddler activity to do together as a family.

If you are worried about your toddler touching anything dangerous in a public park, you can enact the same thing in your backyard. The game can be made even more exciting by hiding small toys, such as rubber animals or teddies, in different corners of your backyard and having your toddler find them.

10. Have a Picnic

As a grown-up, my personal fond memories include having a picnic with my little toddler. Turning your simple everyday lunch into a serene picnic can be among the easiest and most fun activities to do with toddlers!

All you need to do is grab a picnic blanket and make some of your kid’s favorite snacks that can be enjoyed outdoors in the park, in your backyard, or even on your terrace.

The important part is connecting with nature, feeling the fresh breeze, and hanging around having fun!

11. Bubble adventure

Do you perhaps have an inflatable kid-sized swimming pool lying around somewhere in your storage room? Then it is time to bring that bad boy out and have some splashy fun with your kid.

Place the pool in your backyard and fill it with bubble water, maybe put some toys to blow bubbles inside, and you can have the most enjoyable time ever. To make it even crazier, you can decorate your yard and have a little poolside party with snacks, drinks, and your toddler’s little buddies.

Playing with bubbles is one of the tried-and-tested activities for toddlers that is sure to keep them entertained and content.

12. Dance Sessions

Silly dancing is the most physically expressive thing to do, no matter what your age is. If your joints allow, just be ready for a dance whenever you have the chance. Even when you run out of things to do with toddlers at home, just dance it out.

Play an upbeat song and move your body in whatever way you want. Jump, stomp, wiggle, and have fun with your little human.

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Toddler Fun Activity Ideas That Will Bring Out The Musical Genius In Them

Kids enjoy exploring different sounds, and music has been known to encourage their imagination. Just like language skills, the toddler phase is an ideal time to start learning about various tunes and melodies!

This will not only help them develop better communication skills but children who are exposed to various forms of music from a very young age have been shown to have a better sense of rhythm.

They also listen and observe better and they are generally more social. Keeping all this in mind, here are some toddler activity ideas involving music.

13. Chanting Nursery Rhymes

Nursery rhymes have been used for a long time for toddler entertainment. But nursery rhymes are more than just silly songs. They introduce your child to new vocabulary, build memory skills, and provide a fun way to bond.

Choose rhymes with actions like “Humpty Dumpty” or “Pat-a-Cake” and encourage your toddler to participate. Clap, stomp, wiggle, and sing along! You can even create your own silly rhymes based on their favorite toys or activities.

14. Attend a Concert Together

Expose your toddler to the magic of live music! Look for children’s concerts or family-friendly events in your area. Opt for shorter shows with interactive elements to keep their attention.

Be prepared to move around, dance, and sing along. This is a fantastic opportunity for social interaction and creating lasting memories with your tiny human.

15. Playing Homemade Instruments

If you are looking for some toddler home activities, then how about introducing your kid to musical instruments?

Since real-life musical devices can be too difficult for them to handle, you can start by letting them experiment with homemade ones! Get creative and make your own instruments!

Use recycled materials like empty containers, pots, and spoons to create drums, shakers, and maracas. Moreover, you can even decorate them with paint and stickers for added fun.

Let your toddler explore different sounds and rhythms. Encourage them to experiment with different tempos and create their own mini-compositions.

Warning: It will be very loud, but the little one will have the best time ever!

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Indoor Activities For Toddlers At Home

Whether it’s rainy days or just needing a break from the outdoors, keeping little minds and bodies engaged isn’t always easy. But fear not, parents! This collection of toddler home activities is here to inspire creativity, learning, and endless fun for your little one, right in the comfort of your own home.

Here are the most fun activities for toddlers at home:

16. Obstacle Course

Wondering what activities with toddlers will help their motor skill development? Then an Obstacle Course is perfect for your wild toddler!

Gather pillows, blankets, chairs, and anything else safe and climbable. Create a winding path with tunnels to crawl through, mountains to climb over, and bridges to cross. Encourage your toddler to navigate the course, praising their bravery and problem-solving skills.

17. Hide and Seek With Toys

Babies, toddlers, and kids love to play hide-and-seek. It starts with a peek-a-boo and gradually becomes a more complex hide-and-seek over time. But let’s say you are tired and do not have the energy to hide or seek. What can be done here?

You can hide your baby’s favorite stuffed animals or toys around the house, leaving clues like footprints or rhymes. Then, encourage your toddler to search for their cuddly companions, developing their problem-solving and memory skills.

Celebrate each discovery with cheers and hugs! This classic game is always a hit and can be adapted to different difficulty levels as your toddler grows.

18. Balloon Tennis

You cannot really play rowdy games with a toddler because they may end up getting hurt. But you can always make a game less intense, such as a round of tennis with a balloon.

Inflate a few balloons and grab a couple of lightweight paddles (even cardboard cutouts will do!). To begin playing, you just need to throw a balloon in the air and ask your toddler to not let it get back down on the ground. Try to spank the balloons back in the sky and keep them bouncing back and forth.

This activity promotes hand-eye coordination, teamwork, and active play. Make sure the balloons are light enough for safe batting and avoid hitting breakable objects!

Activities To Do With Toddlers For The Future Foodie

Looking for fun activities with toddlers that make mealtime more exciting and educational for your toddler? Look no further than the kitchen! Food offers a treasure trove of opportunities for creative play and learning. Here are three ideas to get you started:

19. Edible Yogurt Painting

You can transform snack time into an art session. Just mix plain yogurt with natural food coloring (think beetroot for red, spinach for green). Spread the colorful yogurt on a tray and let your little Picasso loose with fingers or spoons.

They’ll love the sensory experience and explore color mixing while creating a masterpiece!

20. Get Baking

Toddlers seem to love doing what their parents are up to. Employ their help in the kitchen and bake together. Get them involved in simple baking projects like muffins or cookies. Let them measure the ingredients, stir the batter, and even decorate the finished treats.

This will not only foster a sense of accomplishment but also introduce them to counting, measuring, and following instructions!

21. Craft with Edible Playdough

Store-bought playdough can be toxic and harmful when consumed. Since toddlers are prone to putting everything in their mouths, edible playdough is a much better option.

Whip up a batch of edible dough using flour, salt, oil, and food coloring. This homemade dough is safe for curious mouths and provides hours of sensory fun.

Use cookie cutters to make shapes, roll into snakes, or even build edible structures. Remember, supervision is key during playtime, and taste testing is encouraged. For a bit of added fun, you can add flavor essences such as vanilla, chocolate, and such and introduce them to new tastes.

Educational Toddler Activities At Home

Toddlers are curious explorers, eager to learn about the world around them. While academics may seem years away, simple daily activities can be transformed into engaging learning experiences.

22. Counting Everyday Objects

Everyday tasks can be turned into counting games and toddler play ideas. For instance, while setting the table, ask your toddler to count the forks, or have them count the steps they take when walking upstairs.

Point out numbers on license plates or buildings during car rides. This playful introduction to numbers will build foundational math skills for your little one.

23. Classifying Objects By Type Or Color

Looking for a simple toddler activity that will keep them entertained but will also be an enriching sensory experience for her? Then simply throw together a bunch of different stuff and ask your toddler to separate them by color or type.

Sorting toys or any other stuff encourages problem-solving and categorization skills. You can also gather leaves of different colors or shapes for a nature-inspired sorting activity. This helps toddlers recognize similarities and differences, laying the groundwork for future organization and critical thinking.

24. Magnetic Match

Let’s try a fun game called “Magnetic Match”! It’s great for older toddlers who don’t usually put things in their mouths, but it’s important for you to stay close just in case!

Get a box with safe stuff from around the house, like some things that stick to magnets and some that don’t. Make sure nothing is too small to swallow. Have another empty box nearby.

Next, ask your toddler to pick out the things that stick to the magnet and put them in the empty box. Enjoy the magic of magnetism together!

25. Alphabet Fishing

One of the best educational activities for toddlers is Alphabet Fishing! Here are the things you will need:

A big bucket (like a beach pail)
Water (pretend water works too!)
A few drops of blue food coloring (optional, to make it look like a pond)
Plastic alphabet letters (like the ones you use on the fridge)
A mini colander, sieve, or slotted spoon

Here’s how to play—

1. Fill the bucket with water (or pretend water) and add a few drops of blue coloring if you have it. Now it’s a pretend pond!

2. Toss in all the alphabet letters. Look, they’re swimming like fish!

3. Give you your special fishing tool – a cool colander, sieve, or spoon with holes.

4. Time to go fishing! Can you scoop out the letters one by one?

5. As you catch each letter, say its name together. Can you find the letter “A”? How about “B”?

6. Once you’ve caught all the letters, let’s see if we can spell some short words together. Can we spell “C-A-T”? Or “D-A-D”?

Bonus:

You can sing silly fishing songs while you play! Build a “dock” out of towels or blankets next to the “pond” for extra fun.
If your child is getting older, you can hide some toy fish in the bucket along with the letters and have them catch both!

26. Sink or Swim Experiments

Let’s dive into some sink-or-swim experiments together! It’s one of the fun activities for toddlers at home.

Start by filling a big tub with water and adding a splash of blue food coloring to make it look like our own mini ocean. Now, go around the house and gather up different objects. You can grab things like toy cars, rubber ducks, foam balls, and anything else you don’t mind getting wet. Make sure to have a mix of heavy and light items.

Here’s the fun part: before dropping each item into the tub, ask your little one to guess if it will sink to the bottom like a rock or float on the surface like a boat. Then, one by one, let them gently release the objects into the water and see what happens!

It’s a playful learning game that might even turn into a splashing good time. Let’s explore together and see which objects sink and which ones swim!

DIY Toddler Activities

When you run out of ideas regarding how to keep your toddler busy, try these sensory DIY activities for toddlers for toddlers for a fun as well as personality-enhancing experience!

27. Sticky Wall Art

This will be messy and will require you to sacrifice a wall. But if you are willing to do that, this will be an at home activity for toddlers that they can enjoy for quite some time.

All you need to do is turn your wall into a giant canvas with contact paper. Stick colorful squares or strips of paper to the wall, creating a sticky surface. Let your toddler decorate it with finger paints, washable markers, or even cut-out shapes.

28. Sensory Bin

Sensory bins are a great way to introduce your toddler to different textures and materials. Fill a large bin with materials such as rice, dried beans, or pasta. Add in some small toys and let your toddler explore and play in the sensory bin.

You can use the same method to prepare a garden sensory bin where you fill it with rocks, leaves, artificial worms, etc., and let your toddler pick things out and explore the items.

You can ask them to smell the fragrant flowers and tell them about the origins of the plants and flowers, making it a fulfilling experience and your toddler’s first exposure to environmental science.

29. Button Art

You probably have a box of random buttons somewhere in the house. Put them to good use with this fun activity for toddlers!

Give your toddler some construction paper, and some kid-safe glue, and hand her the box of buttons. Watch as she creates unique artwork that you’ll be proud to hang on the refrigerator. Because small items, like buttons, can become a choking hazard, never leave your toddler unattended with buttons or any other small items.

Once you are done creating button art together, put the supplies away and make sure they are out of reach of your little one.

FAQs

Whether you’re seeking creative play ideas, educational games, or simple yet exciting toddler activities, we’ve got you covered. In this FAQ section, we’ll try to answer your queries you may get when introducing your baby to activities for toddlers!

Q1. What are some indoor activities for toddlers at home?

Here are a few indoor activities for toddlers.

Sensory play: Shaving cream, edible playdough, water play.
Arts & crafts: Painting, drawing, fingerprinting, collages.
Active play: Building forts, dancing, obstacle courses, scavenger hunts.
Pretend play: Dress-up, cooking play, dolls, cars.
Learning activities: Singing songs, reading books, sorting toys.

Q2. How can parents keep toddlers entertained and engaged?

Keeping a toddler entertained is not exactly rocket science, as long as you keep these things in mind:

Variety is the key. Rotate activities to keep things fresh.
Engage and play with your toddler.
Do not fuss about the mess and allow creative freedom for sensory play.
Provide open space and stimulating toys.
Keep activities short and engaging.

Q3. What are some DIY toddler activities that parents can do at home?

Here are some DIY activities for toddlers that parents can do at home:

Shaker bottles: Fill balloons with beans, pasta, or other safe items.
Cardboard box play: Make a train, car, or house using boxes.
Sensory bin: Fill a bin with rice, beans, or water and add toys.
Homemade playdough: Mix flour, salt, water, and food coloring.
Sock puppets: Decorate socks to create fun characters.

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