20 Ways to Keep Toddlers Busy
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Please use discretion with these activities, especially if your child puts things in their mouth. Always be right next to your child.
If you have a toddler, you KNOW that they constantly keep you on your toes! You already have your hands full and coming up with ideas for keeping them busy is not exactly at the top of your list. What if I told you that I have 20 easy ways for keeping toddlers busy?! These ideas are easy to set up and use supplies you probably already have in your home!
1. Color Matching Game
This game using colorful pom poms
is perfect for toddlers! You will need to introduce this game to them before just letting them play independently. My toddler plays this game ALL the time. Check out this post for more details.
2. Playdough Playdough is great. I like to put it on a tray or cutting board to contain the mess. I love playdough because kids can be creative and it also builds strength in their hands for fine motor skills. We use homemade playdough, and we especially love our jello playdough. You can find the recipe here.
3. Pipe Cleaners and Colander
Have your toddler stick pipe cleaners in the holes of a colander. This is excellent for practicing fine motor skills!
4. Shape Sorter
I made our own shape sorter using soft shapes from Michaels and an oatmeal container. We get this activity out frequently and keeps my little one occupied for a long time! For more details, see this post.
5. Contact Paper Art Place a piece of clear contact paper
on the table. Tape the sides down. Then give your toddler materials to stick on there. Check out this post for details.
6. Paint in Bags Place paint in a gallon sized Ziploc bag. Seal the bag, then tape them to a window. Let your toddler move the paint around in the bag using their fingers. (FYI: This activity usually goes pretty quick for my toddler.)
7. Pack ‘n Play
Set up a pack ‘n play and put books and stuffed animals inside. Let them play quietly. This may take some training for them play independently (and quietly!), but if you work with them starting out for just a few minutes playing in there per day, they can work their way up to 20+ minutes.
8. Chunky Puzzles Gather some easy puzzles for your toddler to complete. We use Melissa and Doug Puzzles and they are easy enough for my toddler to do on his own.
9. Pom Poms Through a Tube
I love this activity! Just take a paper towel tube and tape it to the wall. Then have your toddler drop pom pomsthrough it into a bowl. It sounds so simple, but my toddler really loves it! And the best part is how quiet this activity is.
10. Race Cars on Tape
Create a race track using masking tape on the floor. Then let your little one play quietly with cars on the track.
11. Fabric Scrap Box
Cut up pieces of fabric and place them in an empty wipes container. Have your toddler pull the scraps out and then put them back in. This is great for practicing fine motor skills. For more on this, see this post.
12. Magnets on Fridge
Simply have your toddler stick magnets on the fridge. We use alphabet letters and magnetic pom poms. I really like these foam alphabet letters
.
13. Cotton Balls
Let your child play with cotton balls. They can sort them in an ice cube tray. This is also a very quiet activity. They can also have fun tearing the cotton balls a part, which can get messy!
14. Corner for Toys
Tape off a section of the floor for them to sit in. Also tape a spot where you place a bucket of toys. Have them stay in the taped off section for play time. This may take some training, so start off trying this for a few minutes at a time.
15. Bubble Wrap
Have your toddler pop bubble wrap. This one can get noisy, but if you need a quick activity for your toddler to do, this would be great! Just please make sure you watch them because this can be a choking hazard.
16. Build a Tower
Using cubes or blocks, have them build a tower. These unifix cubes would be great to use. We use this Discovery Toys Pegboard
to build towers.
17. Coloring
This is a simple activity, but have them color. Sometimes we get our window markers and I let them color on the windows.
18. Pipe Cleaners in a Tube
This is just like #9, but use pipe cleaners
to put through a paper towel tube. My toddler actually came up with this activity. He loves it!
19. Pipe Cleaner Sprinkles
This activity is simply cutting up pipe cleaners (into 2 inch pieces) and have your toddler poke them through the holes in a parmesan container. This is awesome for working on fine motor skills!
20. Sensory Balloon Animals
We made sensory balloon bugs a while back and they are a huge hit. When I want my toddler to play quietly, I get these out and let him play with them. To learn more about them, see this post. Once again, please use discretion with this activity. If your child puts a lot of objects in their mouth, this may not be a good activity for them.
Want more toddler ideas? My new book has over 200 ideas for toddlers! The book will be available on March 27th, but you can preorder it today! Order it on Amazon right here.
Check out some of my favorite resources for toddlers!
The Toddler Journey
Melissa & Doug Latches Wooden Activity Board
Melissa & Doug 2053 Shapes Knob Wooden PuzzleMelissa & Doug Hide and Seek Farm Wooden Activity Board With Barnyard Animal MagnetsMelissa & Doug Puzzle Storage Rack – Wire Rack Holds 12 Puzzles(Puzzles Not Included)Play-Doh Modeling Compound 10-Pack Case of Colors (Amazon Exclusive), Non-Toxic, Assorted Colors, 2-Ounce CansCaydo 240 Pieces 1 Inch Pom Poms for Hobby Supplies and DIY Creative Crafts Decorations, Assorted ColorsMagnetic Letters and Numbers for Educating Kids in Fun -Educational Alphabet Refrigerator Magnets -82 PiecesDozen Plastic Toy Safari AnimalsDISCOVERY TOYS GIANT PEGBOARD #1562Crayola; Washable Window Markers; Art Tools; 8 Different Colors; Bright, Bold Colors; Works on All Glass SurfacesCreativity Street Chenille Stems/Pipe Cleaners 12 Inch x 6mm 100-Piece, Assorted ColorsSticker Activity ABC: Over 100 Stickers with Coloring Pages (Sticker Activity Fun)Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow! Reusable Water-Reveal Activity Pads, 3-pk, Animals, Alphabet, Numbers
Searched for the 3D shapes at Micheals and Hobby lobby with no luck and I’m so bummed!
Ahh I am so sorry! I was there today and I did not see them either! Maybe they only have them when it is Back to School time. If I find any, I will stock up and sell them-haha! 🙂 Here are similar ones on Amazon: Soft Foam Geometric Shapes
What about making the shapes from the play dough? Play with the play dough, leave it out to harden, use the hard pieces like blocks? You could also use various colors of hardened play dough for the color sorter activity too.
You can cut inexpensive sponges into shapes as well.
Try the $1 section at Target……I have found them there several times.
My mom cut slots for milk bottle caps in the oatmeal container and it was fantastic.
Awesome ideas! Just added pipe cleaners to my dollar store shopping list. Such a good idea to hang on to containers like Parmesan cheese. My little guy lives for all things that open and close.
Lisa @ moneyhipmamas.com recently posted…Arguing About Money? Two Things That Could Save Your Marriage
So many fun engaging ideas for toddlers! I have several favorites!!
Thanks for sharing your creativity & linking up to TGIF!
I featured your post today on TGIF here (http://www.123homeschool4me.com/2013/08/tgif-linky-party-91.html) I hope you’ll pop over and link up again later today.
Have a great weekend,
Beth
For the record, bubble wrap works for them at ALL ages, My teens fight over the bubble wrap and even the hubby has to step on it when he walks by. I never thought about making my own shape sorter – loved that idea. Thanks for sharing.
HAHA I love it! Glad to know that works for all ages!
My daughter is 3 but she still had fun with the paper towel roll and dropping Pom-poms through. I also gave her cotton balls and she was all curious when they got stuck in the tube. I gave her a basting brush to push the cotton balls down and she loved it! Thanks for this idea and all other 19!!
Susen at dabblingmommy
So fun to hear that, Susen! I’m so glad it is helpful 😉
I think a fun variation on this would be to either use multiple tubes, or one tube cut in pieces if multiple tubes would be too tall, and tape them at different heights and angles so the balls go through one and fall into another.
We really need to try the “paint in bags” idea. I love that you taped the bags to the window! I think my kids would love it. Lots of great ideas here!
Caroline recently posted…When You Don’t Know What to Pray
Using these paint bags on a light table would also be great. You can also create similar sensory type bags using clear hair gel and food coloring.
My daughter is 2Y3M and got a kick out of smearing the paint around in the bag. Then we noticed that you can write letters of the alphabet in the paint with your finger, smear it away, and do it again! It was a fun twist for an older toddler and a parent (or older sibling) to do together.
Thank you! My little guy is 15 months & while he’s not quite ready for some of these, this is super helpful! I’m especially searching for ideas for him to do while I’m fixing dinner.
Agreed. Same here. Everything goes into the mouth. So this would actually be more work for me!! Great ideas for the future.
You are amazing, Ang, the way you create learning moments so economically and brilliantly. I love the cottonballs in the ice cube tray activity. Your Fellas are so blessed:)
WOnderful list.. we have tried many of these when DD was younger. Believe me she still goes back to some of these time an again!
-Reshama @ StackingBooks.com
Thank you for this wonderful list! We are just about to start preschool with my oldest. I plan to let my 2 year old, do some of the activities, but having a back up is great!