Activities List
From 101 activities you can do with your toddler
Color -- Try taping the paper to a high chair or other table.Large crayons are easier for little hands to grasp.
Hide and Seek -- If your toddler is younger, an adaptation to this classic game might work better. Go hide behind a dooror piece of furniture. Call to your child until shefinds you. i.e. "Sarah, come and find me! Where's Mommy?" When I find my daughter, I laugh and give hera hug and kiss and then I run off to hide somewhere else.
Fingerpaint -- If you don't have any fingerpaints, a fun variationuses chocolate pudding for paint!
Shell and Pea Game -- You will need three opaque plastic cups and a smallball or other object that will slide easily. Let yourchild watch you put the ball under one of the threecups and rearrange all three of them. Let your child try to guess which cup has the ball under it.
Go Fishing -- Tape a long piece of yarn on the end of a yard stick.On the end of the yarn, attach a small magnet. For fish, cut fish shapes out of construction paper, and put a paper clip on each fish. Put the fish on the floor and dangle the magnet over the paper clips.Watch out! These fish bite! When children get older, you can put slips of paper under the paper clips that say different words, or have different shapes, colors, numbers, or letters of the alphabet. Then let your child identify each fish.
Horseshoe Game -- Make 3 one-inch slits on one end of an empty paper towel roll. Tape or glue to a heavy piece of cardboardor other portable flat surface. Decorate, if desired. To play, use 4-5 metal rings used to seal glass jars. Place the rings on the tube and take them off again. This is similar to- but easier than- Fisher Price'spopular toy. If you have anchored your ring securely, when yourchild gets older, he/she can try throwing the rings onto the tube, like the traditional Horseshoe Game.
Shape Puzzle -- A variety of materials could be used for this project-but I like "Foamies" the best. Foamies are pieces offoam rubber made for children's crafts. They come in a variety of colors and can usually be found in squareor rectangular sheets. You can find Foamies at your local craft store, though on occassion, I have foundthem at Walmart. First, use an exacto blade to cut out shapes. Then,glue the cut-out foamie sheet to a piece of strongcardboard. (For added thickness, you may wish to glueanother foamie sheet in between the cardboard andcut-out sheet)Finally, glue small loops of foam onto shapes forhandles. Now you can fit the shapes into the holes!
Paper Basketball -- Wad up pieces of paper and toss into a wastepaperbasket. For younger toddlers, walking over and puttingthe paper in the basket will work better. Older children can stand further away, and can keep score aswell.
Smelling HuntGo on an exploration of your house together and findout how different things smell. Try lotion, cologne,deodorant, vinegar, flowers, fruit, onion, cloves,etc. Great resources include the bathroom and spicecabinet.
Draw on a Mirror with Dry-Erase markers -- Besides designs and scribbles, try drawing silly faceswith strange hats, mustaches and beards, etc. Lineyour faces up with the ones you drew to see how sillyyou look!
Collect Flowers -- Flowers can be real, artificial, construction paper,felt, etc. Strew flowers on the floor. Give your childa basket to put flowers in. Then pretend to go on afield
trip to pick them.For younger toddlers, you may need to hold the basket.For older toddlers, have flowers of different colorsand tell your child to collect only the blue flowers, green, large, small, etc.For still older toddlers, try scattering the flowersthroughout the house and see how many they can find.If your child (particlularly if he's a boy) does
notwant to collect flowers, try making worms out ofconstruction paper, felt, etc.
Make a Camera and go on a Safari -- Make a camera out of a small animal cracker box bywrapping in plain paper and decorating. (I like to usethe inside of a paper grocery bag) For a lens, glue alid from a milk gallon. For a button to push, glue apiece of sponge or a button. For an eyepiece, bend theopening tab upwards and cut a whole in it to look through.When the camera is complete, set stuffed animals orpictures of real animals around the house. Then gotraveling from room to room "taking pictures" of yourSafari trip.
Play Games with Frozen Juice Lids -- Many games can be played with these metal tops foundon frozen juice cans.Putting "in" and taking "out" is always fun.Try counting them, writing numbers on them, or writingthe alphabet on them.Paint them to learn the colorsFor another game, use a can with a plastic lid. Cut aslit in it wide enough for tops to fit in. Use it as abank- the juice lids become play money. (and a fullbank makes a neat musical instrument!) Draw a circle on the floor with string. Play "tossinto the ring". Make more complicated toss games as your child getsolder.
Make binoculars -- Take two empty toilet paper rolls and glue themtogether. If the eye pieces are too close together foryour little one, try gluing something between the tworolls... a piece of a sponge is one idea. You may alsohave to wrap the rolls together with constructionpaper, tape, or yarn to hold them in place.
Act out a story from a book -- Often times, just reading a story may not interestyour toddler. To get your child more involved, helpyour child become a part of the story. This can happenby: Acting out events Making animal sounds everytime an animal ismentioned Saying a special phrase everytime a character ismentioned Doing movements every time a key word is said (i.e.on the word snow, children can clasp their armstogether and shiver, saying, "brrrr!")More than one event/keyword can be used for eachstory. And remember, use your imagination!
Let child decorate on open peanut butter sandwich -- Spread peanut butter on a piece of bread. Then letyour child decorate it how they want with any of thefollowing items- raisins, banana slices, m&m's,crackers, celery or carrot slices, grapes (cut in halfto prevent choking), chocolate chips, strawberries, ororange segments. Use your imagination- almost anything edible can beused!Please note: Some studies suggest that very youngchildren may develop allergies to peanut products ifintroduced to
them too soon. If you are worried aboutthis, try substituting peanut butter for cream cheese,tuna fish, or other spread.
Make a Super-hero costume out of household items -- This activity will work best for older toddlers.Outfitting your youngster won't take a lot of time-I've found kitchen items work great with littletrouble. Try the following items: For a shield, use a pizza pan or cookie sheet. For a cape, use a pillow case or towel safety-pinnedto child's shirt Aluminium foil makes a great super-hero accessory.Make a headband or wrist braces with it- put it on shoes to make them magic, make a utility belt, orhandcuffs for catching bad guys. A light-weight pot makes a good helmet As for super-hero devices, (batman had plenty ofthem) try looking in your kitchen cupboards.Strainers, basters, steamers, spoons, muffin or pietins... anything you can find that doesn't pose ahealth hazard can be great fun.
Make a Shoebox TrainUsing old shoeboxes, decorate with paint, paper andmarkers, or other materials to resemble box-cars. String together with yarn, attaching an extra lengthto the front car. This will be the string which yourchild will pull in order to drag the train alongbehind him/her.If you would like an engine for your train, use anempty oatmeal box (the circular kind) and a funnel forthe stack. Cover with paper and decorate with crayonsor markers. Draw on wheels and a front grill.Put stuffed animals in each shoebox, and you're readyto roll! Toot! Toot!
Make a puzzle with felt and velcroBegin by drawing a simple picture of an animal,person, or scene on a piece of paper. Then, decide howmany pieces you want in your puzzle (4-6 will probablybe best) and what parts of your picture will be puzzlepieces.Once this is decided, copy your entire picture ontothe back of your puzzle. A pellon sheet will workbest, but stiff cardboard will also work to make yourpuzzle back.Next, take your draft copy (on the paper) and cut outthe pieces which will make up your puzzle, trace themonto felt or pellon, and cut out.Use sticky-backed velcro or glue velcro to back ofpuzzle pieces and puzzle back.In this example, the flowers are puzzle pieces. Thestems and grass consist of felt that has been gluedonto the puzzle back.Puzzle complexity can be increased according to theabilities of your child.
Make a Nature CollageTake a trip outside and collect items to make acollage- leaves, grass, feathers, twigs, etc.Then come in and help your child glue them on a pieceof paper. Let dry and hang up.
Color -- Try taping the paper to a high chair or other table.Large crayons are easier for little hands to grasp.
Hide and Seek -- If your toddler is younger, an adaptation to this classic game might work better. Go hide behind a dooror piece of furniture. Call to your child until shefinds you. i.e. "Sarah, come and find me! Where's Mommy?" When I find my daughter, I laugh and give hera hug and kiss and then I run off to hide somewhere else.
Fingerpaint -- If you don't have any fingerpaints, a fun variationuses chocolate pudding for paint!
Shell and Pea Game -- You will need three opaque plastic cups and a smallball or other object that will slide easily. Let yourchild watch you put the ball under one of the threecups and rearrange all three of them. Let your child try to guess which cup has the ball under it.
Go Fishing -- Tape a long piece of yarn on the end of a yard stick.On the end of the yarn, attach a small magnet. For fish, cut fish shapes out of construction paper, and put a paper clip on each fish. Put the fish on the floor and dangle the magnet over the paper clips.Watch out! These fish bite! When children get older, you can put slips of paper under the paper clips that say different words, or have different shapes, colors, numbers, or letters of the alphabet. Then let your child identify each fish.
Horseshoe Game -- Make 3 one-inch slits on one end of an empty paper towel roll. Tape or glue to a heavy piece of cardboardor other portable flat surface. Decorate, if desired. To play, use 4-5 metal rings used to seal glass jars. Place the rings on the tube and take them off again. This is similar to- but easier than- Fisher Price'spopular toy. If you have anchored your ring securely, when yourchild gets older, he/she can try throwing the rings onto the tube, like the traditional Horseshoe Game.
Shape Puzzle -- A variety of materials could be used for this project-but I like "Foamies" the best. Foamies are pieces offoam rubber made for children's crafts. They come in a variety of colors and can usually be found in squareor rectangular sheets. You can find Foamies at your local craft store, though on occassion, I have foundthem at Walmart. First, use an exacto blade to cut out shapes. Then,glue the cut-out foamie sheet to a piece of strongcardboard. (For added thickness, you may wish to glueanother foamie sheet in between the cardboard andcut-out sheet)Finally, glue small loops of foam onto shapes forhandles. Now you can fit the shapes into the holes!
Paper Basketball -- Wad up pieces of paper and toss into a wastepaperbasket. For younger toddlers, walking over and puttingthe paper in the basket will work better. Older children can stand further away, and can keep score aswell.
Smelling HuntGo on an exploration of your house together and findout how different things smell. Try lotion, cologne,deodorant, vinegar, flowers, fruit, onion, cloves,etc. Great resources include the bathroom and spicecabinet.
Draw on a Mirror with Dry-Erase markers -- Besides designs and scribbles, try drawing silly faceswith strange hats, mustaches and beards, etc. Lineyour faces up with the ones you drew to see how sillyyou look!
Collect Flowers -- Flowers can be real, artificial, construction paper,felt, etc. Strew flowers on the floor. Give your childa basket to put flowers in. Then pretend to go on afield
trip to pick them.For younger toddlers, you may need to hold the basket.For older toddlers, have flowers of different colorsand tell your child to collect only the blue flowers, green, large, small, etc.For still older toddlers, try scattering the flowersthroughout the house and see how many they can find.If your child (particlularly if he's a boy) does
notwant to collect flowers, try making worms out ofconstruction paper, felt, etc.
Make a Camera and go on a Safari -- Make a camera out of a small animal cracker box bywrapping in plain paper and decorating. (I like to usethe inside of a paper grocery bag) For a lens, glue alid from a milk gallon. For a button to push, glue apiece of sponge or a button. For an eyepiece, bend theopening tab upwards and cut a whole in it to look through.When the camera is complete, set stuffed animals orpictures of real animals around the house. Then gotraveling from room to room "taking pictures" of yourSafari trip.
Play Games with Frozen Juice Lids -- Many games can be played with these metal tops foundon frozen juice cans.Putting "in" and taking "out" is always fun.Try counting them, writing numbers on them, or writingthe alphabet on them.Paint them to learn the colorsFor another game, use a can with a plastic lid. Cut aslit in it wide enough for tops to fit in. Use it as abank- the juice lids become play money. (and a fullbank makes a neat musical instrument!) Draw a circle on the floor with string. Play "tossinto the ring". Make more complicated toss games as your child getsolder.
Make binoculars -- Take two empty toilet paper rolls and glue themtogether. If the eye pieces are too close together foryour little one, try gluing something between the tworolls... a piece of a sponge is one idea. You may alsohave to wrap the rolls together with constructionpaper, tape, or yarn to hold them in place.
Act out a story from a book -- Often times, just reading a story may not interestyour toddler. To get your child more involved, helpyour child become a part of the story. This can happenby: Acting out events Making animal sounds everytime an animal ismentioned Saying a special phrase everytime a character ismentioned Doing movements every time a key word is said (i.e.on the word snow, children can clasp their armstogether and shiver, saying, "brrrr!")More than one event/keyword can be used for eachstory. And remember, use your imagination!
Let child decorate on open peanut butter sandwich -- Spread peanut butter on a piece of bread. Then letyour child decorate it how they want with any of thefollowing items- raisins, banana slices, m&m's,crackers, celery or carrot slices, grapes (cut in halfto prevent choking), chocolate chips, strawberries, ororange segments. Use your imagination- almost anything edible can beused!Please note: Some studies suggest that very youngchildren may develop allergies to peanut products ifintroduced to
them too soon. If you are worried aboutthis, try substituting peanut butter for cream cheese,tuna fish, or other spread.
Make a Super-hero costume out of household items -- This activity will work best for older toddlers.Outfitting your youngster won't take a lot of time-I've found kitchen items work great with littletrouble. Try the following items: For a shield, use a pizza pan or cookie sheet. For a cape, use a pillow case or towel safety-pinnedto child's shirt Aluminium foil makes a great super-hero accessory.Make a headband or wrist braces with it- put it on shoes to make them magic, make a utility belt, orhandcuffs for catching bad guys. A light-weight pot makes a good helmet As for super-hero devices, (batman had plenty ofthem) try looking in your kitchen cupboards.Strainers, basters, steamers, spoons, muffin or pietins... anything you can find that doesn't pose ahealth hazard can be great fun.
Make a Shoebox TrainUsing old shoeboxes, decorate with paint, paper andmarkers, or other materials to resemble box-cars. String together with yarn, attaching an extra lengthto the front car. This will be the string which yourchild will pull in order to drag the train alongbehind him/her.If you would like an engine for your train, use anempty oatmeal box (the circular kind) and a funnel forthe stack. Cover with paper and decorate with crayonsor markers. Draw on wheels and a front grill.Put stuffed animals in each shoebox, and you're readyto roll! Toot! Toot!
Make a puzzle with felt and velcroBegin by drawing a simple picture of an animal,person, or scene on a piece of paper. Then, decide howmany pieces you want in your puzzle (4-6 will probablybe best) and what parts of your picture will be puzzlepieces.Once this is decided, copy your entire picture ontothe back of your puzzle. A pellon sheet will workbest, but stiff cardboard will also work to make yourpuzzle back.Next, take your draft copy (on the paper) and cut outthe pieces which will make up your puzzle, trace themonto felt or pellon, and cut out.Use sticky-backed velcro or glue velcro to back ofpuzzle pieces and puzzle back.In this example, the flowers are puzzle pieces. Thestems and grass consist of felt that has been gluedonto the puzzle back.Puzzle complexity can be increased according to theabilities of your child.
Make a Nature CollageTake a trip outside and collect items to make acollage- leaves, grass, feathers, twigs, etc.Then come in and help your child glue them on a pieceof paper. Let dry and hang up.