200+ Easy Toddler Activities To Do at Home - Active Littles (2024)

Table of Contents

Are you looking for easy, fun and engaging activities for toddlers?

You are in the right place!

Toddler Learning Folder

I am so excited to share a list of over 200 toddler activities at home!

200+ Easy Toddler Activities To Do at Home - Active Littles (2)

Having two children myself, it is so important that we incorporate play to learn activities, sensory play, arts and crafts and play based learning.

Toddler activities can be as simple as bringing forth a bin filled with:

  • A sensory base

  • A few of their toys

That’s it! That is all you really need to create an epic activity that will last hours throughout the day!

I’ll be sharing different ways you can go about incorporating fun activities to try at home.

Free Printable Bug Busy Book Below

Best Toddler Activities for 2 Year Olds

I’ll be including the following categories:

  • Easy Toddler Activities

  • DIY Toddler Activities

  • Toddler Activities at Home

  • Creative Activities for Toddlers

  • Small group activities for Toddlers

Here are some of the many homemade craft supplies we love using to put together a simple activity for toddlers:

  • play dough

  • water beads in an empty water bottle

  • soapy water

  • ice cubes

  • different shapes

  • dry noodles

  • old tissue box

And, so much more.

Toddler Activities Benefits

  • hand-eye coordination skills

  • social skills

  • gross motor skills

  • fine motor skills (here are 50+ fine motor activities for toddlers and preschoolers)

  • child development

  • creative expression

  • sensory activities

Indoor Activities for Toddlers

There are a lot of different activities we love to bring forth.

Here are a list of toddler activities for young kids.

Educational activities we love:

  • Toddler Activities Book Printable

  • Easy Alphabet Sensory Bottle

  • Pretend play

  • Color Sorting Printable

  • Fun Rainy Day Toddler Activity

Sensory Play Ideas:

  • Easy Sensory Bottle

  • Simple Sensory Bag

  • Shape Toddler Ideas

  • Fun Sensory Bin

We love setting up an easy sensory bin.

Here are some of the ingredients we use within a simple sensory activity:

  • measuring cup

  • different objects

  • different color items (for a color learning activity)

  • a base

Check out our Preschool Activity Book Printable Below

Perfect Toddler Activities

Sometimes we’ll use food coloring to color our base (uncooked rice..)

For an added bonus, include a sensory bin with a small amount of warm water and bubbles.

Add their favorite squishy bath toys for an easy activity.

Little hands will enjoy exploring and have extra fun with this simple play setup.

Adult supervision is always advised.

A safe environment is a must.

Toddlers have short attention spans so a simple sensory setup is filled with so many benefits (stimulates the senses, learning is improved..) and takes up a good chunk of time.

What are some of your favorite things to add within a sensory bin?

Do you have some great ideas we can incorporate into simple activities to try at home?

Share with me a fun way to go about setting up a new sensory bin in the comments below. 🙂

I love learning your easy home activities and setups!

Preschool Themesfor the entire year (Tap Below):

Toddler Worksheets we love:

On the hunt for toddler printables?

Here are some of our favorites:

  • Brown bear Booklet

  • Brown bear Sorting Activity

  • Farm Theme busy book Printable

  • Summer Free Printable

  • Shape Activities

We love using these freebies for learning about colors, the alphabet, matching activities and more.

For even more Toddler Printables, go here.

Check out our Toddler Activity Book Printable Below

Simple Crafts for Toddlers

Here are some of our favorite crafts for older toddlers and older siblings:

  • Hedgehog Craft

  • Winter Painting Craft

  • Shamrock Mess Free Painting

  • Autumn Mess Free Painting

  • Baby Painting Ideas

  • Ball Painting

Some of these ideas are so much fun, they will work for a variety of ages.

We love the plethora of painting with baby activities here.

It is so much fun bringing forth easy activities for toddlers that are not only fun but educational.

Educational?

Yes, educational.

We love talking about the different colors we see.

And, for a more advanced approach, incorporate a bit of color mixing.

Example: Red and Yellow = Orange.

Another example: Yellow and Blue = Green.

What are some activities to do with toddlers?

There are so many fun toddler activities you can bring forth depending on the season, the day of the week, a toddler theme, or just because…

There are plenty of objects that can be included and a variety of different items that can be used in some of the best activities.

Homemade is always a good idea.

Bring out the recycled items that are kid friendly such as:

  • Toilet paper rolls

  • DIY sensory bottle

  • Construction paper

And, more.

Here are some toddler activity ideas we have tried in the past:

  • Rainbow Fish Craft made out of a recycled cardboard cutout!

  • Pouring water activity for toddlers

  • Easy Color Match Dot Sticker Fish Activity

  • Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Alphabet Cardboard Activity

And so much more!

We love putting together a simple homemade sensory bottle.

I’ll use a hot glue gun (adult-use only) to glue the top to the bottle.

This allows for the bottle to be extra shut.

It’s the simple things, right?

Sensory bottles are a great activity for little kids and for older kids.

It allows littles to explore while everything is contained.

Outdoor Activities for Kids (Tap Below)

What are good activities for 2 year olds?

I like to incorporate activities that involve a little bit of:

  • Fine motor skills

  • Sensory play

  • Crafts for kids

Those are my 3 main and then I will work around themes and ideas for different seasons and such.

This is a wonderful way to go about bringing forth an activity for 2 year olds making sure that the items are not small and that they are well supervised when attempting any of these activities.

I’ll be sharing below many different activity ideas for toddlers, so stay tuned!

Related: Looking for fun things to do with a toddler? Check out this Duck and Frog Sensory Bin!

Shape Activities for 2 Year olds and up:

How do I entertain my 2 year old indoors?

Entertaining a toddler indoors is so much fun!

You can set up so many fun ideas by incorporating a bit of open ended play.

For example, do you have a blue towel?

This can be a pretend ocean.

Then, add all of their ocean toy figures to it and pretend the sea animals are swimming in the ocean!

If you are looking for more open ended toys, here are some ideas of ones we own and truly love:

Poster Board Preschool Printable Bundle Below

How can I stimulate my 2 year old at home?

You can stimulate toddlers at home by bringing forth engaging activities such as:

  • Open ended play

  • Sensory play

  • Crafts for toddlers and for kids

  • Fine motor skills

  • DIY cardboard activities

  • Montessori activities

Many of these allow for the stimulation of the brain by bringing forth play to learn activities which are so important for the stimulation of toddlers!

Best part: They are gaining benefits and learning at the exact same time.

Share with me your best activity for young children in the comments below.

I love following ideas and learning a great way to bring forth a popular activity of yours in our home.

It makes me so happy and I think it is the best thing ever to add new and exciting ideas for the summer months or any time of the year.

200+ Easy and Fun Toddler Activity Ideas

Easy Toddler Activities

200+ Easy Toddler Activities To Do at Home - Active Littles (20)

Toddler Busy Book – Active Littles

Easy Rubber Band Fine Motor Activity – Active Littles

Easy Shape Sorting Activity – Active Littles

Pouring Water Activity for Toddlers – Active Littles

Water Play for Toddlers – Active Littles

Learning Shapes Sensory Bin – Active Littles

Apple Washing Activity for Toddlers – Active Littles

Puzzle Unwrap – Busy Toddler

Q-tip Painting – Toddler Approved

Alphabet Soup – Raising Dragons

Washing Dishes Sensory Bin – Raising Dragons

Paper Plate Seek and Find Activity – Active Littles

Mega Blok Puzzle – Active Littles

Dot Paint Flowers – Happy Tot Shelf

DIY Toddler Activities

200+ Easy Toddler Activities To Do at Home - Active Littles (21)

Easy DIY Alphabet Sensory Bag – Active Littles

Easy DIY Color Match Toddler Activity – Active Littles

DIY Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Activity – Active Littles

Ocean Sensory and Play Bag – Happy Toddler Playtime

Bottle Cap Toddler Activity – Happy Tot Shelf

Straw Poke Toddler DIY – Montessori from the Heart

Pom Pom Push DIY Activity – Montessori from the Heart

Toddler Busy Board DIY – Hello Wonderful

Scooping Pom Poms – Buggy and Buddy

DIY Oobleck – Active Littles

DIY Fish Sensory Bag – Active Littles

Ice Cream Hair Gel Sensory Bag – Active Littles

No Prep Toddler Activity – Playground Parkbench

Toddler Activities at Home

200+ Easy Toddler Activities To Do at Home - Active Littles (22)

Construction Site Sensory Bin – Active Littles

Easy Learning Activities for Toddlers – Active Littles

Frozen Dinosaur Sensory Play – Active Littles

Pet Animal Sensory Bin – Active Littles

Taste Safe Sensory Bin – Active Littles

Fill the Alphabet Toddler Activity – Happy Toddler Playtime

Matching Objects – Toddler Approved

Flashlight Hunt – Toddler Approved

Sink or Float – Busy Toddler

DIY Recycled Project for Early Learning – Active Littles

Color Sort Activity – Busy Toddler

Toddler Fish Craft – Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

Rainbow Tissue Paper Activity – Active Littles

Creative Activities for Toddlers

200+ Easy Toddler Activities To Do at Home - Active Littles (23)

Rock Match Activity – Active Littles

Contact Paper Toddler Activity – Active Littles

Paper Plate Crafts for Toddlers – Active Littles

Shaving Cream and Legos Messy Play – Days with Grey

Trucks and Oats Sensory Bin – Toddler Approved

Finger Painting with Toddlers – Play Teach Repeat

Learning Shapes – Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

Toddler Made Suncatchers – Fun at Home with Kids

Sensory Art Activities for Toddler – Mama Papa Bubba

Moon Rock Letters – Happy Toddler Playtime

Pool Noodle Pour Station – Raising Dragons

Rainbow Water Bead Sensory Bottle – Active Littles

Waterbead Calming Sensory Bottles – Active Littles

Paper Towel Roll Activity – Raising Dragons

Indoor Ice Skating – Play Teach Repeat

Squirt the Numbers – Days with Grey

Truck Painting – Happily Ever Mom

Art Exploration for Toddlers – Playground Parkbench

Small group activities for Toddlers

200+ Easy Toddler Activities To Do at Home - Active Littles (24)

Rainbow Fish Craft – Active Littles

Spring Flower Activity for Toddlers and Kids – Active Littles

Emotions for Toddlers – Active Littles

Shaving Cream Letters Activity – Active Littles

Outdoor Game for Toddlers – Days with Grey

Number Tunnels – Toddler Approved

Soap Foam Sensory Bin – Active Littles

Easy Fish Sticky Wall Kids Activity – Active Littles

Easy Contact Paper Activity – Active Littles

Summer Window Art – Active Littles

Fine Motor Activity using Paper Straws – Active Littles

A tasty activity for toddlers – Happily Ever Mom

Edible Sensory Play – Kids Craft Room

Glow in the Dark Sensory Bottles – Active Littles

All activities to be done with adult supervision.
200+ Easy Toddler Activities To Do at Home - Active Littles (2024)

FAQs

How do you mentally stimulate a 2 year old? ›

Sing simple songs that involve actions or animal sounds. For example, 'Heads and shoulders' or 'Old MacDonald'. Give your toddler things to sort, like coloured blocks, shapes or pegs, or plastic cups and containers of different sizes. Give your toddler toys with buttons to push to make something happen.

How do you play with a 1.5 year old? ›

How Can I Help My Toddler Play and Learn?
  1. brightly colored balls.
  2. blocks, stacking, and nesting toys.
  3. fat crayons or markers.
  4. age-appropriate animal or people figures and dolls.
  5. toy cars and trains.
  6. shape sorters, peg boards.
  7. simple puzzles.
  8. push, pull, and riding toys.

What are the best activities for a 3 year old? ›

Things to do with three-year-olds

Read books to them every day. Sing action songs with movements and do finger plays. Make simple instruments, such as an oatmeal box or coffee can for drums, dry beans in a box for shakers, etc. Give children paint, crayons, chalk, and finger paints to draw and scribble.

What are good 2 year old games? ›

8 Fun Activities for 2 Year Olds with No Prep, No Mess
  • Pillow Roller Coasters. ...
  • Rescue Animals (from zip-lock bags) ...
  • Balloon Pop. ...
  • Origami for Toddlers. ...
  • Magnetic Letters. ...
  • Decorating with Clothes Pegs. ...
  • Transfer Books and Toys From One Box to Another. ...
  • Play with Kinetic Sand.
Dec 13, 2023

How do I entertain my 2 year old without toys? ›

Play a Quick Game
  1. Play a game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors."
  2. Arm or thumb wrestle for a few minutes to keep those little hands busy. ...
  3. Play patty-cake or teach your child some clapping games. ...
  4. Play a fun game like "20 questions" or "I went to ...". ...
  5. Speak pig Latin or make up your own secret code.
Jul 30, 2021

How do I keep my toddler busy without a TV? ›

Here are 20 old-school and fun activities to keep kids of all ages busy.
  1. Create a game box. ...
  2. Have them make their own cartoon. ...
  3. Let them help you. ...
  4. Give them an important task. ...
  5. Create an idea box. ...
  6. Offer creative toys. ...
  7. Design a treasure hunt. ...
  8. Encourage outdoor play.
Apr 16, 2019

Should a 2 year old know their ABC's? ›

Here's how and when kids typically learn their ABCs: Around age 2: Kids start recognizing some letters and can sing or say aloud the “ABC” song. Around age 3: Kids may recognize about half the letters in the alphabet and start to connect letters to their sounds.

How high should a 2 year old count? ›

Though every child is different, most toddlers will be able to count to 10 by the time they are two-years-old. At this point in time they are probably repeating them mostly by memory and have yet to understand what they actually mean. This concept is known as “rote” counting.

How can I sharpen my toddler's brain? ›

These easy, everyday moves can help your baby — and later your toddler — further develop language, attention, and reasoning skills.
  1. Give your baby a good start before birth. ...
  2. Turn up the baby talk. ...
  3. Play games that involve hands. ...
  4. Be attentive. ...
  5. Foster an early passion for books. ...
  6. Build your baby's love of her own body.
May 2, 2023

What is sensory play? ›

Sensory play is any activity that stimulates our senses – touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. It helps children interact with and make sense of the world that surrounds them.

Can you give mayonnaise to 1 year old? ›

Mayonnaise, when made with pasteurized eggs, may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. Avoid mayonnaise that contains honey, which is associated with a risk of infant botulism for babies under 12 months of age.

What are two activities that you Cannot do as a baby? ›

If you are very young, you cannot walk, talk, or eat solid food. You cannot date, or go to a movie.

What do toddlers like the most? ›

When it comes to play, toddlers: like playing with 'things' – push and pull along toys, blocks, hammering, sit and ride toys, early puzzles, putting objects in and out of containers, sand and water. enjoy talking about play – 'all gone', 'more cars', 'big ball' need lots of active play – climbing, jumping and tumbling.

What is the most fun toddler age? ›

Forty percent of survey participants felt that five was the most fun age. This was thought to be down to improved communication skills and the development of a good sense of humour.

How do I pass time with my toddler? ›

How to fill a day with toddlers
  1. Get Out of the House. Whether it's for a baby/toddler class, playgroup or just a visit to the park. ...
  2. Try a Simple at Home Activity. ...
  3. Read Stories Together. ...
  4. Sing Songs. ...
  5. Mealtimes. ...
  6. Quiet time activities. ...
  7. Bathtime. ...
  8. Attempt Chores Together.
Jul 10, 2019

How do you play with a toddler? ›

Tips for Special Playtime
  1. Try to spend at least 5-10 minutes each day playing with your child. ...
  2. Be consistent with special playtime. ...
  3. Allow your child to lead the play activity. ...
  4. Praise your child's good behaviors. ...
  5. Imitate your child's behavior. ...
  6. Describe what your child is doing. ...
  7. Be enthusiastic.
Nov 5, 2019

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Nicola Considine CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 6502

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (69 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Nicola Considine CPA

Birthday: 1993-02-26

Address: 3809 Clinton Inlet, East Aleisha, UT 46318-2392

Phone: +2681424145499

Job: Government Technician

Hobby: Calligraphy, Lego building, Worldbuilding, Shooting, Bird watching, Shopping, Cooking

Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.