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Ultimate List Of Toddler Activities

Ultimate List Of Toddler Activities

You may be surprised at the simplicity of some these toddler activities!

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But toddlers are so easily excited and taken with things because it’s all brand new to them!

Some of these activities are better suited to toddlers who do like sitting down and figuring something out. Some of the activities are great for those wild and rambunctious toddlers (like my son)!

I guarantee you will find something for YOUR toddler that will bring some laughs, excitement and possibly a break for you, momma ?

It’s not a great outdoor day. You’ve hit the afternoon slump where you are kinda sorta d.o.n.e. and you need a break or something for your crazy toddler to do!

So what do you do?

Hit up Pinterest for some awesome ideas ’cause you don’t want to turn on Paw Patrol (yet again)!

Lucky you, you found this post! These activities are all TV/screen free, will get your child either moving or engaged! Enjoy the ULTIMATE LIST OF TODDLER ACTIVITIES!

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WATER BALLOONS IN THE BATH

toddler activities/ toddler fun/screen free

This is an absolute favorite in our house. Have some old balloons lying around? Any kind will do but we have good luck using actual water balloons!

Fill them up from the sink and plop them in the bath! My kids will play for hours with these in the bathtub.

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RAINBOW SPAGHETTI

This is such a fabulous idea from Little Learning Club! Check out her tutorial here.

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INDOOR TRAMPOLINE

toddler activities/kids/screen free/ultimate list

Whoever invented this deserves an award. What a GREAT way to get tons of physical activity, learn their physical body boundaries and build some muscles! All without having to go outside. I do recommend one with a handle (like this one) for younger toddlers though!

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PIPE CLEANER CHALLENGE

So I was dubious until I actually tried this with my 2 year old. Here’s the instructions:

  • Grab some pipe cleaners
  • Grab a colander (pasta strainer)
  • Give them to your toddler and have them stick them in the holes.
  • Genius!

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CHEERIOS/BEADS ON PIPE CLEANERS

This is an awesome fine motor activity that will keep them busy and they can snack on it while doing it! Grab some pipe cleaners, grab some cheerios or beads and get them to thread them on!

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POM POM WHISK

This one is exactly like it sounds- stuff a bunch of pom poms in a whisk and get your toddler to take them out one at a time!

You’d be surprised at how amusing this is ?

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HOMEMADE BATH PAINTS

This will keep your toddler very entertained! Here’s a tip- only fill the tub a quarter of the way when using bath paints so they have maximum paint space!

If you want to make some yourself, this recipe from Modernly Morgan comes together super fast and easily rinses off the walls/tub when you’re done!

Or you can grab some bath paints from Amazon for pretty cheap!

 

MOON SAND

ultimate list of toddler activities/games/kids/screen free

Or kinetic sand, sensory sand, whatever you want to call it! Be forewarned- this one is messy and requires some prep and cleaning! It’s super easy to make, you can check out the tutorials below to DIY. Or, if you’d rather not, this kind of kinetic sand is inexpensive and comes with 5lbs meaning tons of play 🙂

This recipe from Twitchetts is taste safe if you are still in that phase (are they ever out of it?)

This recipe from Little Learning Club is not taste safe but still super fun!

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CLIMB AND CRAWL

Do you have an extremely active toddler like mine? Perhaps they are prone to trips, slips and falls (like mine)! This is a great option for all those wild childs out there! Soft and exciting for them to build what they want with it.

We also have a soft foldable tunnel that gets a lot of use from our kids- ages 1.5-6!

RELATED: Sensory Activities For Toddlers

ZERO MESS COLORING

Water coloring books are some of my all time favorite toddler activities. NO MESS, NO WORRIES! We use these at home, in the car, on trips, anywhere! If you haven’t tried these yet, they’re pretty amazing. You might actually steal one from the kids when they’re not looking…

OIL+WATER SENSORY BAG

Have you heard of these before? Super easy! Throw some oil and water in a freezer bag with food coloring and you have an awesome sensory bag! Check out the tutorial from Everyday Chaos and Calm!

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HOMEMADE PLAY-DOH

ultimate list toddler activities/games/fun/screen free

Homemade play-doh is the bomb! We love to make it all together and I love not having to worry about running to the store if we run out. The only ingredient you may end up needing to buy is cream of tar tar! I do recommend buying it in bulk if you plan on making Play-doh regularly, it’s a lot less expensive that way 🙂

This tutorial from Kids Activities is 5 minutes from start to finish and uses Kool-Aid for the dye!

Living Well Mom has a recipe I’ve personally tried and it is AWESOME! Check out the tutorial here.

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HOPSCOTCH TAPE INDOORS

My husband set this one up for the kids the other day. Super easy, we used painters tape because we didn’t have masking tape! Although, any kind will do.

You can create whatever kind of hopscotch course you want depending on your child’s skill level! Or make it hard so they can gain new skills ?

BALLOON ROCKETS

toddler activities/ toddler games

This one is so fun but be warned- you may pass out from blowing up balloons ?

Check out the tutorial from Design Dazzle here!

COLORING BOOKS

If your child likes to use coloring books, great! My first toddler did, my second one did not. Depends on the child!

This coloring book is specifically for toddlers. I highly suggest NOT getting markers- jumbo crayons are great! My 1.5 year is an absolute terror when she gets her hands on a marker- just skip ’em.

BUILD AN OBSTACLE COURSE

Obstacle courses are great for you and the kids. Grab anything you can think of to build an epic obstacle course! We use pillow, blankets, toys, bouncing toys, or this awesome play tunnel!

Have them do it as many times as you can and try timing them! (Just count how long it takes out loud, that’s satisfying for a toddler!)

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BUILD A FORT

Have you built a truly epic fort with your kids yet? Usually if it’s a really good one, they’ll play in there for hours. They’ll ask for snacks and bring their favorite toys into their new ‘special’ hideaway! Blankets, pillows, chairs.

If we’re feeling really adventurous we’ll place the loveseat and sofa facing each other with a giant blanket or sheet over top!

Have you seen these fort building kits before? I wasn’t sold until I saw what they can do- you can build a fort in any shape and they blankets/sheets actually stay in place.

GLOW BATH

So this one is better done in the evening when it’s dark outside! Grab some glow sticks, crack them and throw them in the bath! So much fun for the kids, they are absolutely enthralled.

 

DANCE PARTY

Having a dance party is not only fun for your kids, it can actually help you get into a better mood too! Try yelling when the Hamster Dance song is on, dare ya ?

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SCAVENGER HUNT

Scavenger hunts are awesome either indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather. For outdoor ones we will draw super simple pictures on a sheet of paper and have the kids find them! For instance a rock, leaf, flower, lady bug, etc.

For indoor, we will usually do by colors. Find something blue, green, red, etc.

 

CHEERIOS ON SPAGHETTI NOODLES

Plop down some play-doh on a plate and stick two spaghetti noodles sticking straight up. Get your toddler to thread the cheerios (or other pasta noodles like penne) onto the spaghetti noodles!

I hope you and your toddler found something fun to do with this list of toddler activities! Are there any other favorites of yours you’d add for other moms to try out? Let us know in the comments!

More Crafts and Activities:

Easy Summer Kids Crafts You Can Do At Home

Kindergarten Valentine Crafts

18 DIY Halloween Crafts For Preschoolers

Sensory Activities For Toddlers

MORE FROM THE MOMMYHOODCLUB:

THE BEST TODDLER ACTIVITIES