Are you looking for new quick and easy toddler activities? The type of activities that entertain your kids long enough you can sit back and relax a little bit? If you are anything like me you are probably saying, “Yes, please! Where does this Mama sign up??”!
In a perfect world you and I have all the time in the world to sit back and relax, but since we don’t feel free to use these activities to occupy your kiddos while you get stuff done!
How to Pick Quick and Easy Toddler Activities
How do I pick easy toddler activities? Well a few things go into my assessment when I’m searching for new ideas to keep my kids busy:
- Minimal set up and clean up
- The activity will entertain them for 15+ minutes
- I have the supplies on hand
- Is (mostly) a quiet activity
- Extra points if it is completely an independent activity 😊
Without further ado, here is my list of 20+ activities to keep your kids entertained while you sit back and relax!
Indoor Quick and Easy Toddler Activities
Stickers
Do yourself a favor, load up on all the sticker packs at the dollar store and let your kids go to town with them! Set up a big piece of paper on the table and have them do whatever they want, with how many ever stickers they want to use!
To make it more challenging, draw different color circles on the paper and have them place similar colored stickers within each of the matching color circles.
Playdough
I have to admit, I haven’t been a big fan of the thought of Playdough until recently I caved, and we got a container. My daughter sat quietly playing away for an hour. AN HOUR! For that alone, Playdough is totally welcome in my home now.
Build a Fort
Build a fort and watch your kids be entertained for hours! Seriously, it is such a simple way to engage them and then have them continue to enjoy the fun independently!
Foil Painting
Set some large pieces of foil up, I suggest wrapping the entire half of the table they are sitting at or a highchair tray. Give them some paint and a paintbrush and let the mini-Picasso go to work! Between the new texture and shinny foil this will leave your kids engaged much longer than painting on paper!
Paper Tunnels
Cut out thick strips of construction paper of different lengths. Take some tape on either end and stick it to the floor or coffee table with the middle sticking up. It will look like a tunnel and your kids will have tons of fun zooming the cars in and out of the tunnels!
Banker
Set your kids up at the kitchen table with a few pieces of money and a piggy bank. Have them practice opening the piggy bank and reloading it! This is also a good activity for their fine motor movement.
Board Games
I have to be honest, I didn’t expect that my 14 month old could be entertained by a board game but turns out he can! Depending on the age, there are several games that we have found to be a success but our favorite is the fishing game!
Puzzles
Puzzles, puzzles and more puzzles= quiet time. Did you know that you can actually set your kids up to play with puzzles at a pretty young age? Both of mine always enjoy the challenge of figuring out the puzzle even when they were technically “too young” to put the picture together themselves.
Felt Board
This is a bit of an investment of your time upfront if you decide to make one yourself but once you make it you can use it hundreds of times! Or, keep your eyes open for the Target Dollar spot and you can grab yourself one for $3 like I did!
Reading
This is a pretty easy activity to set up and something your little ones are probably used to doing. To make reading more interesting when I need the kids to be occupied for a period of time while I get something done I pull a few books from the garage that they haven’t seen in a while and they think it is extra special!
Make Picture Frames
Cut out a few construction paper picture frames and set your kids up to decorate each of the frames.
Quiet Boxes
A quick trip to the dollar store and you can get everything you need for a quiet box! I love to have these on hand for road trips and restaurant trips as well! Check on these ideas to make your own
Pasta Sorting
Take a few different types of pasta or dry beans) from your cabinet and put it all into a bowl together. Then, set out a few sperate plastic containers and have your toddler separate each pasta into its own container. Tip: break up the larger pasta types like spaghetti in half to make it easier for them to fit into the containers!
Car/Baby Washing
For a less messy wash, give your kids a few damp washcloths and have them clean their cars or give their baby a bath.
Card Dropping
This activity will keep your little one busy and help with their fine motor skills! Take an empty peanut butter or oatmeal container, cut a slit in the lid and you are ready to go! Have you child put one card at a time through the slit in the lid. Bonus, this acts as a music maker! Once it is full of cards they will have lots of fun shaking it around!
Coloring or Painting
Coloring can be done anytime, anywhere! Set your little one up next you with their favorite coloring book while you spend some time reading your favorite book! If you want to sit outside and soak up some sunshine just set them up alongside you on a blanket, win-win for all!
Outdoor Quick and Easy Toddler Activities
Ball fun
This is a no brainer activity. Set yourself up in the sunshine in a comfortable chair and have your kids kick around a ball or practice throwing around a soft ball.
Chalk
Who doesn’t love chalk! You can also use large pieces of cardboard to have your kids write on with chalk if you want to keep your sidewalk or back patio chalk free. Cardboard is also a great way to bring chalk inside if it is raining outside.
Paint Rocks
While this can be done inside, I like to do it outside because the kids can have a little more freedom to paint! Grab a few rocks and you can either have them paint over the grass or set them up with some newspaper/cardboard. As your kids grow older, you can have them paint pet rocks too!
Sidewalk Paint
Grab an empty plastic spray bottle or paint brush and have your child go around and “pain” the sidewalk. Best part about this toddler activity-no clean up!
Measuring
This is such a simple way to keep your kids busy. Grab a measuring tape from the garage, teach them the basics in how to use it and send them on their way to measure things. Give them specific tasks to go and measure and they will have so much fun!
Transfer Station
Set up two buckets or bins a few feet apart from each other. If your children are older, give even more distance in between the buckets. Fill the buckets up with some water. Place a few objects such as toy animal, plastic balls or cars in each bucket. Have your kids use tongs or an oversized spoon to transfer each item from one bucket to the other. Depending on the age of your children, you can mix things up by having them walk backwards, sideways, hop without dropping the item or try and walk like a flamingo.
Ice Painting
Grab an old ice cube tray and fill up with water and a few drops of food coloring. Put a toothpick or small cake pop handle in it and let it freeze! A few hours later, your kids will have tons of fun ‘panting’ outside with the colored ice cubes
Scavenger hunt
I printed a few of these free templates and love to sit outside in the sunshine while my kids run around the backyard trying to find the items on the list.
Playdough
If you are a playdough free home, I totally don’t blame you! Your kids will get just as much fun playing outside as they do inside. Plus, there is a lot less of a mess you need to worry about if they play outside in the grass!
Eye-Spy
While you do need to engage in this activity, you can do it from the comfort of your hammock 😊. Take turns leading “eye spy with my little eye something that is…” and you can literally do this for hours while they run around trying to figure it out!
Wash Stuff
Really, if I give my kids a bucket of soapy water and a washcloth, they will clean just about anything! They have a lot of fun washing their playhouse and outdoor slide but will also wash the side of the house or anywhere else I suggest if I let them have free reign of the soap bucket.
Independent Play for Toddler
Over the years I have found that my recipe for success when it comes to having my toddler play independently depends on a few things other than just a great activity!
First, make sure they have a full tummy! Anytime my kids are close to getting hungry, they don’t seem to last as long playing independently, no matter how fun the activity!
And secondly, make sure they are in the right mood. If its been a late nap day, a poor night sleep or even a no nap day (learn how to survive those days here) then the day may call for activities you can do together, rather than setting them up to play independently.
20+ Quick and Easy Toddler Activities
Well, there you have it! My tried and true list of quick and easy toddler activities that will help keep them playing independently so a little self-care for mom can actually happen!
I’m a firm believer that while these ideas are awesome to giving us a little free time, you and I need to be prioritizing self-care more often! Because I know firsthand it can be a struggle, check out my journey to finding time for self-care everyday!
Now comes the tough part, which activity are you going to try first?! Share with me in the comments below!!
If you found these ideas helpful, make sure and Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board!
