30+ Toddler Activities

SIMPLE ACTIVITIES TO DO AT HOME TO FOSTER COGNITION, MOTOR

SKILLLS, SENSORY PLAY, AND LANGUAGE

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Who Am I??
Oh, hey. I'm Kallie and mom to Miles (22 months old)
with another little one on the way. I have a degree
in Elementary Education and spent 3 years
teaching ESL (English as a Second
Language). I also started my Master's
Degree in Early Literacy but didn't end
up finishing because I decided to take
on this whole blogging gig full time.
So, while I have some experience in
Education, at the end of the day I'm
just another parent like you trying to
raise happy, loved, independent
children. I'm glad you've downloaded
this printable and hope you get some
great ideas of ways to play with
your kid(s).

@kallie_branciforte
butfirstcoffeeblog.com

youtube.com/butfirstcoffeeblog

My favorite thing about sharing these activities is seeing your kids use
them! I love when you share pictures of your little ones with me
enjoying an activity I've shared, so make sure to tag me on Instagram!
A Few Notes to Start
In general, these are activities for 18 months to 3 years, but I
do include some helpful tips and ideas on how you can
scaffold these activities for older kids, too.
Very often you’ll need to model an activity for a toddler. We
can’t always just put it in front of them an expect they know
what to do. Show your child the way to play with it and then
offer it back.
Parallel play can often help extend the length of time your
little one plays. Parallel play is when you see two kids
playing next to each other but not actually with each other.
You can mimic that same thing by “playing” to encourage
them to continue playing with whatever toy they have.
It’s super helpful to make your space accessible for your
little one. Having toy shelves that are right at their level is
ideal. It’s also great if you have a toddler-height table for
them to use. It’s a little more expensive, but I also really love
using a learning tower, which allows kids to stand at
counter-height in the kitchen to play and do activities.
Links in this printable may contain affiliate links, meaning I
make a small commission off purchases made through
them.
 Magnets on a Cooking Tray
Place some kid-appropriate magnets on a cooking tray to use in your
child’s play area. Like stickers, kids love magnets. They’ll enjoy pulling
them off and putting them back on.

Tip:
Offer a cup next to the cooking tray that the magnets can go inside of. This age
loves putting things inside and taking them back out. It may extend the length of
the activity if they can take them out of the cup, put them on the tray, and back
again.

Window Paint
For this activity, you’ll take some paint (I
used finger paint we had in our art bin)
and squeeze it into a Ziploc bag. Then,
you’ll want to tape it to a window or
glass door. I suggest painter’s tape so
you don’t leave any sticky residue
behind. Your little one can then smush
the paint around inside of the bag.
While you can do this on a wall, the
window illuminates the paint a little
differently.

We put this on our back door and it lasts for many days. It was nice
because my son would play with it and it’d keep him entertained while I
got ready to go outside.

This is an activity that probably needs to be modeled first. Show your

little ones how to smush the paint.
 Sticky Walls
This activity requires putting up contact
paper on your wall. I used  these, but any
clear sticky contact paper works. You
want the sticky side facing outward, so
use some painter’s tape to hang it on your
wall. Then, you can have fun sticking
different objects to the wall! I started with
balloons but Miles was still just a little too
young for that and he kept putting them in
his mouth which made me nervous. So, I
ended up swapping them for pompoms
one day and strips of tissue paper the
next. You can use pretty much anything
light enough to stick!

Clean Up Time
Sometime after 12 months little ones really like to help. One thing Miles
loves doing is “cleaning up” messes. He has been watching me do it for a
while and now he wants to help! I have a few toddler-friendly items I offer
him to help out including a small broom his size and some little washcloths.
After you eat or play a game, let your little one help out cleaning up. Miles’
favorite is wiping down the table.

Tip:
Letting your little ones help around the house might seem counterproductive.
Sometimes it takes 5x longer and ends up not as clean as you wanted, but it's so
good for helping them build not only independence but also self worth. Some
other tasks they can help with might be: putting away laundry, putting away
groceries (Miles LOVES this), putting away dishes (I let Miles put away his plastic
and rubber dishes and hand me the others), cleaning windows or tables, picking
up toys, etc.
Edible Play Dough
Play dough is a super fun activity. But,
even though play dough is non-toxic, it’s
not supposed to be eaten which is hard
with younger toddlers. You can instead
try making some homemadem salt-free
edible play dough.
Edible Play Dough Recipe:
2 Cups Plain Flour (cooked, see below)
3 Tablespoons of Oil
1/2 cup of Water
Food Coloring (optional)
Cook the flour on a baking sheet for 5
minutes at 350 degrees. (Uncooked flour
can contain bacteria so cooking it is
highly recommended to remove the
risk.)
Combine cooked and cooled flour and 3
tbsp of oil.
Add a few drops of food coloring to the
water then add and stir well until
combined
Knead for at least 3-5 minutes until it's
no longer sticky. You'll notice when it
starts to get a play dough consistency. If
it seems to crumbly, add a little water 1
tablespoon at a time.
You can add glitter, sprinkles, etc., if
desired.

Kitchen Play
Kids love playing with pots and pans. Whenever I’m cooking Miles wants to
cook, too. He has a little set of his own pots and pans, but I also personally
don't mind if he uses my real ones, too.

Tip:
I like letting them play this in the kitchen when I’m really cooking because I feel
like it makes him more engaged. It feels more real to him. The kitchen is where
we cook, not the living room. I also offer him some real ingredients (such as
potatoes, lemons/limes, herbs, etc.)
Wooden Beads
This activity does require a purchase of wooden beads – I bought this set.
But, to me, these beads are well worth it because they can be used in
many ways:
Stringing them  – This is obviously the intended use with these. It’s a
great fine motor skill. To modify this when your little one is still younger,
string a straw onto the string first which will make it much easier for
your child to get the beads on. As they get better, you can remove the
straw.
Color sorting  – As your little one is a bit older, these beads are super
fun for color sorting.
Stacking  – We’ve used our beads to practice stacking (and knocking
down) towers.

Mini Toy Box

There’s something fascinating about a little toy inside a box at this age. You
need a box that fully opens and fully closes. Then, fill it with a “treasure” or
two such as a finger puppet, a bottle with something inside that makes a
noise when you shake it, a little mirror, tissue paper, etc. Little hands love
opening and closing the box.

The one we use is from our  Lovevery Toy Subscription  which I talk more
about at the end of this printable.

Tip:
As they get older, a box or bag with some type of clasp is a great way to
make this a little more challenging. Get something they have to zip and
unzip or something with a latch that involves two steps to open.
 Large Tupperware Sensory Bin

I fell onto this idea by accident and we use it ALL THE TIME. We had a
large Tupperware bin for storage and one day when I was organizing I
had an empty one in the kitchen. Miles tried to climb in and a little
lightbulb went off above my head. I placed him inside and poured rice all
around him and gave him a cup and spoon. He played happily in that
thing for over an hour. It’s great because the mess stays more contained
as it’s all inside the Tupperware. Here are some ideas of what you can
put in the bin:
Rice
Pompoms (I suggest the larger ones like these as they are less likely
to go in mouths)
Water (not a lot, just some in cups/dishes)
Oatmeal
Beans (when they are older)
Sand
Cooked pasta that’s been cooled

BUT WAIT!?...
Don't rice and beans end up all over the floor?! Well, yea. Rice, or whatever you
use, will end up on your floor. Miles knows it’s supposed to stay in the bin and if
he throws it out of the bin he has to stop playing. But no matter you do, stuff gets
on your floor. I know this is hard as a clean freak. Trust me when I tell you it takes
about 5 minutes to quickly clean it up and it’s worth it for engaging play.
Large Cardboard Box
Never underestimate the power of a big box.
And, thanks to Amazon you probably have at
least one in your basement right now. Open
one side up and you have an instant fort.

Ways to expand on this activity:

Cut some holes in one side of the box.
Your little one will love passing toys
through the holes.
Color the box together (better for slightly
older toddlers)
Hang strips of string or tissue paper from
the opening.
Put a pop-up tunnel leading into the box
(such as this one)
Put pillows, stuffed animals, and a few
books inside.

Sensory Bottles
I feel like everyone talks about sensory bottles but that’s probably
because…well, they work. They are great starting around 6 months but
many kids enjoy them well through preschool. You can do something as
basic as just rice or water in a bottle. Or, do some Googling and get fancy.

Treasure Boxes
Treasure baskets are a Montessori concept. It’s a basket or box that you
fill with different items. Sometimes it’s items of a certain type like from
nature, sometimes it’s items all of one color, or different textures. Often
they are used with babies as a way for them to explore different objects.
Some good ideas for this age could be: Musical items, Strips of ribbon,
Different fruits and vegetables, Balls of different shapes/sizes,
Household items like a toothbrush, empty pill bottle, hairbrush, mirror
Sink Water Play
What is it about the sink? I’m not sure but
little ones love it. I place a plastic bin in our
sink, fill it with water, offer a cup or two and
Miles will splash around for 45 minutes or
more! For us, we do this at the kitchen sink.
We have a learning tower and it’s a little bit
of an investment, but we use it multiples
times every day. For us, it is a must-have
item. I’m able to pull it right up to the sink
and he can happily splash about. If you don’t
have this, you could try doing it in the
bathtub or outside if the weather is nice.
Sensory tables work, too, if you have one.

Dirt Play
Any chance to get outside is a win with this
age. One thing Miles loves doing is playing
with dirt. You can use dirt you have in the
yard or get a cheap bag of potting soil. Offer
them a spoon or two and a couple of pots.

Tip:
This is another one that’s great if modeled. Miles played with this activity for
much longer and much more engaged after he watched me use the same
soil and a similar pot to replant two of my houseplants. It gives the activity
context for them and makes it feel more like a real activity.
Matching
Matching is a great activity for kids that builds memory and cognitive
skills as well as direction following. The options are honestly endless
when it comes to matching, you can match socks, match your stuffed
animals to animals in books. We have a matching game from our
Lovevery Play Kit that's animal figurines with animal tokens.

Mud Pies Edible Mud

Personally, I’m not totally against letting
my kid get dirty and play in real mud, but I
know some parents are little more hesitant
especially for kids who are still at the age
where everything is going in their mouth.
So, this is an easy, DIY, taste-safe mud you
can make. Offer it with some pots and
pans and items from nature so they can
make their own Mud Pies. You can also
use it to play with toy animals or
trains/cars/trucks.
2 cups cocoa powder
1-2 cups water
1-2 cups coconut flour*
*you can also use baby oatmeal or
almond flour. If using regular flour,
cook it on a baking sheet for 5
minutes at 350 degrees first.
Mix cocoa powder with water to get
a mud-like color

To thicken it, add coconut flour or

almond flour or even baby oatmeal
until mud is thick enough to play.
 Animal Bath
Letting your little one wash toy animals is
a great activity they LOVE. Offer some
cleaning tools like a toothbrush,
washcloth, and eye dropper with some
soapy water (either in a water table or low
Tupperware bin) and let them clean the
animals. Model how to wash using each
tool. Also, use it as an opportunity to talk
about the different animal names and the
sounds they make.

Tip:
This is a also fun to do after an activity like the DIY mud on the previous
page. Let them help clean the toys. Also, if it's not good weather, this can
be done right in the bathrub for quick clean up!

Clip on Colors
For this first activity, you will need a piece of cardboard from any of the
100 Amazon or Target boxes I’m sure you have laying around, some
clothespins, and some colored markers.

Color the clothespins different colors, then color each side of the
cardboard square a different color too. Let you little one match the
clothespin colors to the board. This uses cognitive skills for the color
matching and fine motor and hand-eye-coordination for the clothespins.

Tip:
Make this a little harder for older children by putting different dots of color
along the sides of the cardboard instead of coloring the entire side.
Tunnel Ball Pass
For this activity, you need a tunnel
(like this) as well as a ball. You're
going to take turns passing the ball
through the tunnel by putting the ball
inside and lifting your end of the
tunnel. This might take some
modeling and a little trial and error,
but it’s a great activity for
understanding cause/effect as well
as gross motor skills and teamwork.
My son LOVES it.

Simon Says
I think we all know Simon Says as a fun game, but it's actually great for
learning direction following and receptive language. Depending on your
little one's age you can do it as Simon Says the traditional method where
they only do it if you say "Simon says." But, if your little one is too young
for that concept just do it as a "repeat what I’m doing" game.

Flash Cards
Simple packs of flashcards with common objects are pretty easy to come
by - sometimes you can even find them at the Dollar Tree. Or, download
my free set here. And you can do so many different activities with them
like:
Ask them to find the one you say,
Ask them to tell you the one you point to
Hide them around the house and say “can you find the...”
Match them to the actual objects around the house
Use cues like "warmer" and "colder" to guide your child to find them
Pretend Play with Stuffed Animals
A great activity to do is to use a doll or stuffed animal to help model
pretend play and initiate conversation. Hand over a doll or plush toy, and
encourage your child to hold, talk, dress, and or feed it. Talk to the doll
the way you would talk to a child and encourage them to do the same.
This not only helps their language but also helps with creativity and
imagination

Moon Sand Moon Sand

Kinetic sand (moon sand) is a fun
2-1/2 cups fine play sand
sensory activity. You can give them
1-1/2 cups cornstarch
trucks, cars, or toy animals to play
1/2 cup of oil (olive, vegetable,
with. Or, just offer some spoons and coconut, etc)
bowls. For older kids hid letters inside
to find or offer tweezer to pull out toys Mix the sand and cornstarch
to make it a fine motor activity. The together.
possibilities are endless. Add in your oil and mix with your
hands.

Moon Sand (edible)

For those kids who still put
everything in their mouth you can
also make moon sand with almond
flour and coconut oil. Just add the oil
until it becomes the desired
consistency. .

Tip:
This activity does get messy. Even the most rule-following kids will spill 
the sand where it's not supposed to be - and honestly part of the mess is
part of the fun. If mess is a trigger for you as a parent definitely do this
somewhere outside.
 Big Color Sort
This next activity is a color sorting game that also gets your kids up and
moving. Using painter’s tape place colored construction paper on the
floor and then offer a basket of toys/objects with those colors. Have
them sort the objects by color.

Tip:
For older kids, don't offer the basket and instead have them go on a color
scavengar hunt around the house!

Mini Color Sort

If you haven't introduced the concept
of "colors" yet, then I love this activity
to get them started. Cut large
squares of construction paper in
different colors and then some
smaller ones in the same colors. I
laminate mine with these laminating
sheets so they last longer, but it's not
necessary. Then, have your child
match the small squares to the big
ones. It's a great way to introduce
colors at first since we all know
colors come in so many shades and
variations. It helps them understand
the idea of "same colors." Once
they've mastered it, try introducing a
few new objects in the same color.
Painter's Tape Peel
Painter’s tape is one of my favorite toddler toys you never knew existed.
It has been entertaining my little guy since he was about a year old. The
process of peeling the tape is a great fine motor activity and helps
strengthen their hands. You can place some tape on their highchair, a
small table, the wall, the windows... really the options are endless here.

Shapes Bean Bag Toss

Create some shapes on the floor with
painter’s tape and encourage your little one
to throw bean bags in the shapes. If you
don’t own bean bags you can just create
some with an old sock and rice or beans.
Start with just 2 shapes if this is a new
concept for your little one. Once they catch
on, add other shapes. 

Tip:
A variation of this game is to have them run and stand in the shape instead
of throwing a bean bag into it.

Toy Rescue
Fill a large Tupperware bin with different toys that are about the size of
an Easter egg. Then, using painter's tape you're going to place strips of
tape across the top of the bin, going in a variety of directions, so it sort of
ends up like a spider's web. Then, give your child long kitchen spoon or
ladle to have them "save" the toys from the bin.
Pom Pom Drop
Using old toilet paper and paper towel rolls, use painter's tape to attach
them to your wall. Set them up so they sort of create a tunnel/course.
Then, offer pom poms to your little one to drop into the tunnel. They can
watch the pom poms fall from one tube to the other. It's great for fine
motor skills and cause and effect.

Tip:
For older toddlers, let them help make the course. It'll require
some problem solving to set up the tubes properly to make sure
the pom poms fall through.

Water Pour
Water is literally one of the best
toddler activities ever. The options are
endless. I love letting my little one
practice pouring and he loves it, too.
It’s great for concentration and hand-
eye coordination. You can do this at a
water table outside, in the bathtub, or
even in the kitchen sink. We have this
little play sink, it came with our
Lovevery Play Kit subscription, and is
perfect for this activity.
A Few More Resources
Lovevery Play Kit Subscription
This was referenced a few times in this printable, so if you're interested in
learning more about these toys, you can read my full review here.

36 Activities To Do At Home with A Baby

If you have younger ones at home, I wrote a full blog post with 36 ideas
for things to do at home with little ones aged 0-12 months. Read it here.

Favorite Toys for 1 Year Olds

A list of our gotta-have-em toys for 12-24 months. Read it here

Favorite Books for 0-24 Month

The books we LOVED from age newborn through 2 years old. Read it
here.

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