Activities
WinterToddlers33 Comments
These are my top 10 indoor toddler activities for that I’ve done at home when my kids were young.
Since its winter time, I’ve got to have a handful of these up my sleeve.
Indoor activities are great to have on hand for any age this time of year. But toddlers especially seem to get antsy and need some extra hands-on attention.
Every one of these indoor activities for toddlers is easy to do. Easy to set up. And uses materials that you should already have on hand (they’re all pretty common items).
And if you don’t have the items, I’m listing a bunch of other options you could do instead!
Do you have favorite indoor activities for toddlers?
My top 10 indoor activities for toddlers:
1. Cardboard Box Train
Get out the cardboard boxes and create! Let the imaginations flow. A box can be anything: a train, ramps for cars, an airplane, a house.
2. Sticky Spider Web
Tape up the doorway and throw some newspapers (or cotton balls!) at it to see if you can stick them. A great indoor activity for gross motor practice!
3. Shaving Cream Sensory DIY
Shaving cream is a wonderful indoor sensory activity that toddlers love. Squirt some on a pan and just let them have fun. Add food coloring if you like. You might want to put them in an old shirt and maybe put a towel down, too. It does get messy (You can keep messy play clean too, I’ve got 10 ways!)
4. Pop Bottle Bowling Indoor Toddler Activity
Bowl indoors! Grab one of the kids’ balls. Set up a few items for pins. Lots of things will work for these, pop bottles, paper towel tube, or toilet paper works too!
5. Straw Threaded Shoestring Necklace
Create a necklace, toddler style! Use a piece of string (a shoestring works well because of the hard end) and something to thread on it. Big beads would be great. But other items such as straws or large pasta noodles work too. This would be a great fine motor activity.
6. Indoor Energetic Newspaper Throwing
Dig a newspaper out of the recycling bin and have a ball throwing them! You can add a target to the mix with this indoor toddler activity and practice counting too. All great gross motor practice.
7. Slimy Eyes Indoor Activity for Toddlers
Here’s a sensory activity that’s easy and clean! Squirt some hair gel (lotion would work too) into a baggy and zip it up! Add some odds and ends craft items to the mix too for added fun.
8. Lines of Colored Tape
Tape a line on the floor in different ways (zig zag, curvy or straight) and have a toddler walk along it, trying to balance their best. Can they do it forward, how about walking backward? Another fantastic gross motor activity that can be done indoors.
9. Practice Fine Motor Skills with Pom Poms
Have your toddler poke pom poms through an opening in a small bottle, or cut a small hole in a container. Pom poms and other small items can be used for fine motor practice, but always be careful with small kids and watch them closely.
10. Sparkle Cloud Dough
A play dough alternative (although its great, its fun to throw in something else sometimes) is cloud dough. The texture is awesome and the kids will love to explore it.
Need more easy indoor activities for your toddler to do at home?
If you’re itching for more toddler activities, here’s 50 of them to be inspired by. Many of these can be done indoors too!
Get The Toddler’s Busy Book for everyday activities.
Quiet time activities for preschoolers are great indoor activities for these kind of days too!
How do you like to keep your toddler busy indoors?
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Ale Norris says
FINALLY a very practical collection of play ideas. Can’t thank you enough mama for making this ❤️ big giant hug from another mama who is currently struggling to keep a 13-month-old busy.
I can help my son play geometry dash 2.2 game – one of the most exciting running game.
PJB says
Love these ideas!
aria wetherell says
these really work
Orgee says
My almost three year old is coming to visit for a full week and although I’m looking forward to her visit I’m quite apprehensive about what to do. I want her visit to be memorable and lots of fun. I am looking forward to doing some of the activities found here. All of the items needed are commonplace around the house.
Thanks so much.
Ali J says
Great ideas, especially for those days when it’s too cold and wet outside.
Margot Robbie says
Wow! Amazing idea! Really nice thought to keep kids busy in rainy day. Thanks for sharing such a lovely rainy day activities for kids in rainy day. I am trying to follow this for my kids fun. They must love it.
Carol Kauffman says
My 2 year old grandson is staying with us this week. For safety’s sake, i took everything off the coffee table and covered it with a soft velour blanket. Who knew this would be an endless source of fascination- with zero mess!! He realized very quickly his hand made an impression on the fabric. This was followed by all kinds of shape making- we got out cookie cutters, magnetic letters, cups- anything that would make impressions on the blanket. A quick sweep of our hand, and everything was “erased” and smooth again. What an easy way to have fun and provide a sensory and learning activity as well!
Jack says
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Benefits Playing Sports says
Thanks for sharing this type indoor activity. I will try them with my child at home.
Jenny Portem says
These are cool ideas! Mostly my toddler plays with boxes and with his elder 5-year-old sister :)
Expert of Games in Brisbane At Salisbury Super Sports says
Toddlers get so bored easily! Thanks for this list of outdoor activities I can try with my child.