Indoor Activities For Toddlers
Need some easy and inexpensive ways to keep your baby or toddler entertained this winter? Keep reading for 20+ fun indoor activities for toddlers.
It’s true what they say, “The days are long but the years are short.” I think all moms understand the sentiment behind this quote. Time seems to fly by when looking in retrospect, but MAN the days can seem long at times. Especially during the winter. Being stuck inside with a very active and busy toddler can really make you feel crazy some days!
To help combat these long days/weeks/months, I have been trying to do some simple, inexpensive activities with Henry at home. This post shares more than 20 of his favorites. Henry did these activities starting at one year old, and is continuing to enjoy them at almost two years old now! I called this post “Indoor Activities for Toddlers” but remember age is just a number 😉 some babies will enjoy these activities as well as some preschool aged kiddos!
Looking for more activities? Make sure to check out this post for more ideas!
Tips for doing indoor activities with toddlers:
- Remember that children’s attention spans typically are one minute per year of age. That’s right…so a one year old may only have an attention span of ONE minute.
- I find that activities are most successful when distractions are minimized. Put away any toys, turn off the tv, etc and your toddler will be more eager to play!
- Leave activities out for toddlers to revisit. Since they do have a short attention span, they will likely leave and revisit an activity many times throughout the day, if given the opportunity!
- Toddlers grow and change so much during this time. If you try an activity and they don’t seem too interested, try again in a few months.
- If your child is putting objects in his/her mouth, choose a phrase ( we say “Yuck, not in your mouth”) and be firm and consistent. You will have to say it a LOT. But eventually that phase WILL stop!
- With that being said, make sure to always supervise your children while doing these activities!
25 Indoor Activities for Toddlers
1. Pompoms and shaker cups
This was a favorite around 15 months and is oh so simple! The goal is just to put pompoms in the shaker bottle, dump out and repeat! A great activity for fine motor skills.
2. Shaker balloons
This one is fun for all ages! Use a funnel to add materials to deflated balloons. I used items like dry oats, beans, pasta, sprinkles, etc- just anything I had around the house. Blow up balloons and let your little one shake away! You could explore concepts such as quiet/loud and fast/slow or just use them as “instruments” for a dance party!
3. Animal Tape Rescue
This is an activity that you may have seen floating around Pinterest-but it is a good one and worth a mention! When Henry was younger, I would tape animals to a cookie sheet. I progressed to taping them on the coffee table and then to vertical surfaces like the wall. You could also hide them around the room and practice finding specific animals (good for following directions 😉 )
4. Animal Ribbon Rescue
A similar concept: Place some animals in a basket and thread ribbon through the holes in the basket to create a “web”. Encourage your little one to rescue the animals. This activity is great for hand eye coordination and fine motor skills.
5. Cardboard Box Coloring
Put those Amazon boxes to good use! If the box is big enough, your little one can go inside to color! It is also fun to flatten the box and color on a flat surface as well.
6. Flashcards in Envelopes
When Henry was around 18 months, he was really interested in the mail. I recreated a similar experience by putting some Dollar Tree flashcards in envelopes and letting him pull them out. I love using flash cards because they are a great vocabulary booster!
7. Flashcard drop
Find an old container with a lid (think oatmeal, protein powder, etc) and cut a slit in the top. Your little one can then put the flashcards in the slot; this requires hand eye coordination and fine motor skills! Playing cards can be used, but again, I love using flashcards because they are a good “conversation starter”!
8. Rainbow Rice
Rainbow rice is one of Henry’s favorite sensory bins we have used it over and over again. To make it use one cup of dry rice + 1 tablespoon white vinegar and several squirts of food coloring. Combine them all in a ziplock bag and then let it dry on a paper plate! Repeat for each color you would like to use.
9. Golf Tee Hammering
This was probably Henry’s number one favorite activity out of this entire list! I bought some inexpensive golf tees off Amazon and then used them to poke holes in boxes. Henry then went to town hammering them in!
10. Cardboard Car Ramp
Another fun and super easy activity. Use markers and/or washi tape to draw “roads” on a piece of cardboard. Prop it up on a stair and it is the perfect ramp for hotwheel cars!
11. Fun with Books
Henry loves looking at books, but when we are in a rut I will rearrange them in new ways. I made him a cozy reading spot inside a suitcase which he LOVED.
And another time I simply set up books in a “train” which prompted him to move across the room and look at a variety of books! The books in this picture are also all a “music” theme-which is another easy way to switch it up!
12. Clothespin Drop
Pinching clothespins is great for fine motor skills and dropping them into a metal bowl makes a satisfying sound (to toddlers that is 😉 )- what more could you ask for?
13. Crunchy Box
Henry loves using a hammer like his dad! So when I was cleaning out the pantry and found some expired noodles, crackers, etc I put all the crunchy foods into a bin and let him go to town with his hammer! He had a blast!
14. Glowstick Bath
Most toddlers like baths-but not mine! I’m always looking for fun ways to switch it up. Dollar Tree glow sticks were his favorite!
15. Cheerios and Pipe Cleaners
This is a great activity to take with you when traveling or are on the go-bonus is that it can double as a snack! Either have your little one pull the cheerios off of the pipe cleaner OR thread them on, depending on their age!
16. Lid and Container Match
Henry LOVES opening containers and trying to put on the lids again. Instead of him going crazy in our kitchen cabinets, I put several lids and containers in bin for him to practice matching!
17. Post-it Note Peekaboo
This activity is another good vocabulary builder. Simply place sticky notes over pictures in books and have your child peek to see what is underneath! ABC or first word books are great for this!
18. Pantry Clean Out Sensory Bin
Don’t think that sensory bins have to be super fancy! This simple one made with expired oats and baking utensils was played with for weeks!! And I didn’t have to buy anything extra- it was all expired items from the pantry!
19. Shaker Bottles
What toddlers don’t love making noise? For this activity I just filled up some small containers with different household objects. We talked a lot about the concept of “loud and quiet” with this one!
20. Foil Presents
Unwrapping “presents” wrapped in aluminum foil is great for improving hand strength and those fine motor skills. Plus toddlers love the element of surprise (even if the toy isn’t new!)
21. Puzzle Pieces in Socks
This is one of those activities that Henry didn’t enjoy the first time we did it, but when we did it closer to age 2, he LOVED it! We have played it over and over and over again. Basically just “hide” the puzzle pieces in socks. Have your toddler “find” the pieces and place them back in the puzzle! A great way to give life to a routine toy.
22. Snow Painting
Have snow and a toddler (or a mom 😉 ) who doesn’t want to get cold? Bring some inside! We used food coloring and water to “paint” the snow, but you could also use watercolors or even acrylic paint, depending on what you are comfortable with!
23. Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt
Want to make a routine grocery store trip more interesting for your toddler? Use the ads to make a “scavenger hunt”! Find all the details here.
24. Balls in Muffin Tin or Stacking Cups
Sometimes just taking a favorite toy and presenting it in a new way can result in lots of play! Henry has loved playing with different types of balls in a muffin tin or in his stacking cups!
25. Straw Drop
Last but not least, a super easy activity that was a favorite. Cut some plastic straws and have your little one put them into cups or water bottles. I know it seems SO simple, but from a year to 18 months Henry loved this activity!
To make the activity a little more advanced you could give your toddler different sized objects, as well as containers with different sized openings. This way they have to problem solve a little bit!
I hope that you found some new indoor activities to try with your toddler! If you are looking for simple indoor activities to try with a younger baby, make sure to check out this post!
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