Toddlers are curious by nature. If you don’t give them something to explore, chances are they will find something to do on their own, and that can get messy. There are tons of activities around the house that will keep those little hands busy. Many of these activities will no doubt be fun and educational as they learn so much about the world around them. Your toddler looks up to you and wants to do everything you do. Here are some great indoor activities to entertain your toddler.
Indoor Activities to Entertain your Toddler
Helping Out
For you, household chores may be a daunting task after preforming them day after day, year after year, but for a toddler, your chores are an exciting and new experience. Take advantage of this stage and give him small, easy tasks like dusting and folding washcloths. Fill a dishpan with warm soapy water and allow him to wash plastic bowls, cups, and silverware.
In the toy section at department stores, you will find pint-size brooms, mops, and vacuum cleaners that actually work. Allow your little one to use this equipment in the appropriate rooms or alongside you even if they don’t produce an effective result; they are still getting the practice. Cooking is another chore that your toddler can help with. Make recipes that require much stirring. Even if what your toddler is stirring never ends up getting served for dinner, she will still get great pleasure helping.
Games
Play interactive games like the hidden object game. Take your toddler’s favorite toy and hide it somewhere in the family room. Hide it where it is still insight so that it won’t be too difficult. When he finds it, it’s his turn to hide the object, and you must find it. Crank it up a notch and play a copycat game. You can do several different exercises like jumping like a frog, waddling around like a duck or prance like a pony, and he will copy your every move. Eventually, you will both be ready for a nap.
Reading
Naptime is no fun without a nice story to help your active toddler wind down. Read bright, colorful books with lots of pictures. Have your toddler talk with you about the pictures and what is happening in them. Ask your toddler lots of questions about the story and how he feels about it. This activity encourages him to think about feelings and what happens next scenarios. This also helps with developing good reading habits at an early age.
Bath Time Activities
Bath time is an adventure of its own. Baths should be full of bubbles and toys. Foam letters and numbers, shapes, and colors can make it an educational experience. Using watercolor paints on bathroom tiles is fun, and they wash off easily with just warm water. Stacking cups may help improve fine motor skills. Children also find bath time a great place to just communicate, reflect on their day, and because there is usually little distractions in the bathroom, they know that they have your undivided attention.
Playdough
Playdough is such a fun activity that will keep toddlers entertained for ages. You can make your own playdough with old crayons, with Jell-O or a calming playdough which they can use alongside sculpting tools or even these fun alphabet letter or alphabet picture playdough mats. They will love this edible playdough with peeps and sprinkles.
Sensory Activities
As kids love to touch everything, they will love playing in sensory bins, such as this ocean life sensory bin, which can be filled with rice, beans or water dumped into a box with some fun theme. If your child likes to put things into their mouth, maybe sensory bottles would be better for them. Sensory bottles are super easy to make and lots of fun to play with, as well as being great for calming your child. You can make them with any theme you like, such as this Butterfly and Alphabet Sensory Bottles. They may even enjoy exploring this fun Sand Slime.
Dress Ups
Young children love to play dress up! Keep a box of clothes and accessories accessible for them to use when they want to play. You don’t need expensive outfits, any clothes that they could wear is fun. You could even make them a fun doctor’s felt bag with a few supplies that they could pretend with.
Activities that you do with your active toddler at home are usually inexpensive, educational, and fun. These are just a few ideas to help you get started with indoor activities for your toddler. As you learn what your toddler enjoys, you will find variations of these activities and add to them. They can become part of your daily routine, and you will find that as your child grows and learns, they will be able to do entertain themselves more effectively, allowing you more time to multitask and complete projects of your own.
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