Toddlers are pretty easy to entertain, but thinking of a variety of activities can be surprisingly hard.
When my kids were toddlers, my issue was less about elaborate activities and more about variety to hold their interest. So, I’ve set out to find as many boredom busters as possible that would hold a toddler’s attention for more than five minutes (maybe 6 minutes but what are you going to do).
Some are more involved than others, but my thinking is that if you take a day to make the DIY puppet theatre, you might get a week of sitting for 10 or 15 minutes with a coffee on the couch while watching puppet shows. It’s worth a shot, anyway.
Many are pretty self explanatory, but I’ve included links to some of the DIY versions to help you figure out what you’ll need.
Non-Screen Activities to Keep a Toddler Busy
- Indoor treasure hunt
- Arts and crafts (painting, coloring, drawing)
- Build a fort with blankets and pillows
- Dance party
- Make homemade musical instruments
- Sensory bins (rice, beans, water beads)
- Nature walk scavenger hunt
- Play with bubbles
- Play with dolls or action figures
- Water play (in a tub or with water table)
- Picnic in the backyard or living room
- Dress-up time
- Kitchen experiments (baking, mixing colors)
- Make a DIY sensory board
- Duplo or Lego building
- Storytime or book reading
- Play with cardboard boxes
- Build a race track for toy cars
- Play “Simon says” or “Red light, green light”
- Play with balloons
- Obstacle course around the house
- Puppet show
- Plant seeds or small plants
- Play with toy animals and create a zoo
- Play with sand or kinetic sand
- DIY paper plate crafts
- Play with magnetic letters or numbers
- Color sorting with objects around the house
- Make a homemade playdough
- Play with a train set
- Sorting and matching games
- Play with watercolors
- Play with stacking cups or blocks
- Play “I Spy”
- Play hide and seek
- DIY sensory bottles
- Toy car wash station
- Play in a kiddie pool
- Play dress-up with recycled materials
- Shadow puppet show
- Build a cardboard castle
- Play with toy dinosaurs in a sensory bin
- Paint rocks for a rock garden
- Water balloon toss
- Paper airplane making and flying
- Play with a dollhouse or doll set
- Make paper plate masks
- Have a tea party with stuffed animals
- Play with building blocks
- Blow bubbles with household items
- Make a DIY marble run
- Play with a toy kitchen set
- Create a DIY obstacle course
- Play with a parachute (sheet or blanket)
- Play with magnetic tiles
- Make a DIY mini golf course
- Play with a toy tool set
- Play hopscotch indoors
- Play with stacking rings
- Create a DIY felt board
- Play with a toy cash register
- DIY sensory bags
- Play with a doll stroller
- Make a DIY puppet theatre
- Play with a shape puzzle
- Play with a toy farm set
- DIY sock puppets
- Create a treasure hunt with clues around the house
- Play with a toy cash register and pretend to run a store
- Outdoor scavenger hunt for nature items
- Play with a toy construction set
- Have a pretend picnic indoors
- Play with a toy animal figurine set
- DIY painting with cotton swabs
- Play with a toy spaceship and have a space adventure
- Have a pretend fashion show with dress-up clothes
- Play with a toy tool bench and fix things around the house
- DIY slime making activity
- Play with a toy doctor set and give check-ups to stuffed animals
- Play with a toy dollhouse and act out different scenarios
- Make DIY musical instruments with household items
- Play with a toy superhero set and create a superhero story
- Have a dance party in the living room
- DIY bubble painting with bubble solution and food coloring
- Create a DIY cardboard car for pretend driving
- Play with a toy zoo animal set and create a zoo in the living room
- Create a DIY ramp for toy car races
- Play with a toy tea set and have a tea party
- Feeding pigeons
- DIY sandpaper art activity
- Play with a toy castle set and pretend to be knights and princesses
- Create a DIY photo booth with props for dress-up fun
- Play with a toy race track and have a race competition
- Play with a toy camping set and have an indoor camping adventure
- Create DIY paper plate masks and have a masquerade ball
- Play with a toy train set and build different track configurations
- Fence painting with water
- Dry or wet sidewalk art
- Snow painting
What Toddler Activities Would You Add?
Hopefully, this sparks some ideas. I’ve tried to keep the list fairly cost effective and relatively safe, but feel free to bust out the ponies and pillow fights if that’s what works at your house!
The list of things to do with toddlers is as endless as their energy supply, but I would love to hear what creative ways you’ve kept them busy. Leave them in the comments below, and I’ll add them!
Also check out: Games To Play With Your Toddler When You’re Tired AF