Toddler Activities

If you have children or you are an early childhood educator you know that toddlers are…well they are toddlers. They can be easily entertained but their attention span is very short so you will need a few small activities during the day to get you by.

Here is a list of some of the things I like to do with my son to keep him busy.

ZDough

I recently discovered this gem through an Instagram post and I fell in love with it before I even got my first set in the mail. This play dough is handmade and chemical free. Each color is scented with essential oils, spices, or baking flavorings to expand the sensory experience.

The best part about ZDough is that it is appropriate for all ages. It is an awesome stress reliever for adults so I normally play with it as well. Even though it is recommended for children ages 2 and up my 14-month-old enjoys it too! I make sure that I supervise him since everything usually ends up in his mouth. ZDough is made from food-grade ingredients but it is not meant to be eaten. The sky is the limit with ZDough when it comes to getting creative and utilizing those fine motor skills. You can add cookie cutters, straws, or play dough tools to keep your little ones engaged.

Sensory Bottles

This is another activity that can be done with all ages. I typically save my plastic water bottles to make these. You can add anything you want in the bottles but water and food coloring are typically things you already have. Older kids like to add glitter or beads as well which is perfectly fine. When my son was 6 months old I made him a few with oil, water, and food coloring to give it a lava lamp feel. Now that he’s a little older he can add different materials to the bottle on his own. He recently dumped all of my clean cotton balls out on the floor. Instead of throwing them out I decided to let him stuff them into bottles. This kept him busy for about 20 minutes! His favorite (and loudest) was a bottle that had about 15 balls of aluminum foil in it. It was a lot of fun but we haven’t made one like that again. 🙂

If you are worried about your little one opening the bottle you can seal the top with a hot glue gun or super glue. They hold up well but I like to make new ones every other month.

Outside Play

Just changing the scenery can be entertaining for toddlers. We live within walking distance of a park so we go quite frequently. Even if you don’t have a park nearby just walking around your neighborhood can be fun because you can talk about the different things you see along the way.

Taking a favorite toy, bubbles, or a few books to read can also be very exciting. If Myan is cranky and it’s snack time we will just grab a snack to take outside and enjoy some fresh air. On days like that he won’t even make it back inside without falling asleep and I feel like I’ve conquered the world.

Painting

Before you run away from this post take a deep breath. It’s okay. Painting is an awesome activity for toddlers. Sometimes it can be a bit messy but it’s nothing a little soap and water can’t fix. All you need is a little water, food coloring, paper, and cotton balls.

You can spread a bunch of newspapers out for this or just use a regular sheet of paper. Mix your water and food coloring together and keep it close by. Get about 4 cotton balls and dip it in the water just a little bit (unless you don’t mind a huge mess). Give it to your toddler and watch them make their masterpiece. You may need to make a line or two on your own paper to show them the way. On hot summer days, you can put the water and food coloring in ice trays and let them paint with the ice. Big messes = fun!