In this article, I have 30+ toddler indoor activities where parents can play and interact with their babies. They are all simple but effective games for you.
The first years of life are when your little one learns and completes a lot of skills. Therefore, you have to create an immediate environment with suitable activities based on the child’s personality. And I know that it is a difficult challenge for parents.
If you choose a too strenuous activity, your child will not be able to do it and give up. If you decide too smooth operation, your little one will not be interested. Besides, it could be a danger for toddlers to play with knives, sharp, and small objects because they can swallow it and get stuck.
Below are 30+ toddler indoor activities that are safe and very suitable for the children at this age. Let’s check and have fun with your babies during quarantine days.
Contents
30+ Toddler Indoor Activities
Sensory Bin
It is super easy to set up a sensory bin. All you need is a plastic bin filled with rice or oatmeal, small toys, and tongs. Now, let’s hide toys inside the container. Your Toddler needs to use their hands or pliers to find the toys that you’ve to hide. And they will love it!
There are two ways to play this game: using hands or tongs. If your children use their hands, they will develop senses. If your children use tongs, they will learn more about excellent motor skills.
Washing Machine
You need a basin, some sort of brush or sponge and soap. You should choose a baby bottle cleanser because it won’t harm your baby’s skin. Then set up the washing area at a suitable place (like a kitchen or patio), take out some toys, and start washing them!
Children love to play with water and love to be helpers. And they will clean your house for you while having fun.
Foot and Hand Game
This game is ideal for your Toddler to develop perceptual skills, quick reflexes, and orientation ability. You only need some paper and color pens. Then draw foot and hand on each paper. Next, you can use tape to arrange and stick the writing on the floor.
Your baby must be quick to judge the left, right hands, and feet. Then he must place his hands and feet on the right paper. There will be times they have to balance on one leg.
Hand Shadow Puppet
You only need a smartphone with flash, a blank wall, and a bit of ingenuity to design this exciting activity for your little one. In the evening before going to bed, just turn off the lights, shine the flash on the wall and use your hands to shape different animals.
With a little creativity, you can tell a story or sing a hand shadow puppet. And your baby’s bedtime stories will be much more fun!
What Fruit is This?
Prepare an old paper box and whatever fruits in your fridge. Make a hole in the lid of the box and put the nuts inside the box. You should choose the fruits that fit your child’s hand so he can hold it. And the best number is three to five fruits per section.
Cover children’s eyes and instruct them to reach into the box and hold the fruit. Children will use their hands to feel and guess what it is.
Print Pictures
Prepare watercolor in a large tray, then print your child’s hand on the color tray, then press on the paper. Next, you should use your crayons to finish the pictures. Your baby’s hands can become a bird, a fish-based on their imagination.
If you have food colors, you can instruct your child to print pictures by hand. If you only have watercolor, you can use a carrot or cabbage root to create the image.
Ball Game
You need to prepare a paper box lid and a ball. Then you use the knife to make a hole in the box (the gap should be more significant than the ball). Your baby’s task is to move the table so that the ball will fall into the hole.
This game is ideal for two-three years old babies. Please choose a moderate size box so your children will easily hold and move it. You can also decorate the table with colors to attract your little one.
Cooking at Home
Can you imagine that your babies can help you with cooking since they are two years old? Yes, they can. When at home, parents should let them help with easy dishes like salads or snacks. Your baby cannot cook at this age, but they can mix the ingredients and layout food on the plate.
This activity is an ideal activity at home for your little to learn excellent motor skills and willingness to help parents.
Create Some Crafts
Craft is the right way for your little one to practice excellent motor skills and also creativity. The most comfortable craft activity is painting. And children love it! Besides, you can also find some more creative ideas to make it more complicated and more fun crafts.
For example, let’s use hands and vegetables to pain instead of using a pen. Let’s try making some funny animals with paper plates and some available things in your house.
Dance Party
Why don’t you celebrate a dance party at home? Children are often attracted to vibrant and funny sounds. And it could be best if you can invite some friends who are of the same age as your little one.
It will not take you much time and effort to hold a dance party. You only need to prepare a list of your baby’s favorite songs, some weir customs, and snacks.
Up and Down
If you live in a house with a stare, let your babies climb the stairs. It is the right way for them to practice motor skills. If you live in an apartment, you can replace a stair with some slides. If you don’t have a slide or stairs, let your child climb up the sofa or bed.
Children love it, and they will do it continuously, and it seems that they will never get tired.
Physical Activities
In my experience, it is not as difficult as you think to set up an indoor activity for toddlers. Children can quickly satisfy with every little and straightforward operation, especially physical activities like climbing, jumping, kicking, and crawling.
It could be best if you can take them to the playing ground, but if you can’t, you can set up some obstacles at home and let them play.
Home Yoga
I know that many parents like practicing GYM and Yoga at home, and it is an enjoyable hobby for your health. So, why don’t you let your little one to joint your activity?
Kids need to release energy, and they love to imitate adults. So every time you doing GYM or Yoga, let your little one go with you. You will see them intensely focus on resembles your yoga poses precisely.
Paint on the Windows
You should choose washable tempera paint and let your toddlers express his imagination. Children love painting, and they could do it for an hour. After that, you should guide them to clean the windows. As a result, they will understand that they need to clean up their mess after finishing. Don’t forget to take a picture!
Make Your Magazine
Girls often like doctor toys, cosmetics, and flowers. Meanwhile, boys usually love cars, trucks, superman, dinosaur. Together, you and your babies can find their favorite picture in an old magazine, cut it out and stick it to a new notebook for the new magazine.
This activity is ideal for excellent motor skills, and it is right for your children to build their hobby.
Color Mix
Toddlers can do science experience, too. You can easily find some activity that is suitable for their age. For example, you can do a color mixing experience with them to learn more about the colors. When combining yellow with blue, we will have the green. When combining red with yellow, we have orange. And it is enough for your baby to having fun.
Reading Books
Reading books is a traditional toddler indoor activities. It is effortless to set up yet very helpful for parents and kids to build a healthy relationship. Besides, parents should also read a book for your babies soon to develop their love with writing and new knowledge.
You should start with a cute book that has thick pages and exciting illustrations. Don’t use the mostly-text book because kids will get bored.
Calm Time
Sometimes doing nothing is an enjoyable activity. Just lay on your bed and play the “quiet game.” Or you can sit near the window, look outside and show your babies the car, the cloud, trees and anything you can see.
You can also play games like counting cars, naming animals and more. You only need to set up the right attitude for this activity.
Privacy Life
When at home, let’s make your baby a private corner so they can hide inside. You can use an old blanket or paper box to make a tent. Don’t forget to let your toddlers help you with preparing, painting, and decorating.
Because they are allowed to help you, they will be happier when finishing the project.
Playing Puzzle
The puzzle is the most popular brain game in the world. Children love it, and they can play it for hours. Your Toddlers should start with a simple puzzle first. You can buy them a big problem with three to four pieces. The puzzle is ideal for kids to practice eyes-hands combination.
Learn a New Song
If you have time at home, you can enhance your relationship with your little one by learning a new song. At this age, your child starts to learn how to speaks, and he can say some short phrases. So, you can help them to develop their speaking skill with a new song. You can open it on Youtube, then sing and dance together.
Doing Household Tasks
Parents should let your baby know that it is also their responsibility to take care of the house. And to do that, you should allow them to help you with some household tasks. Besides cooking and self-help tasks, you can ask your child to clean the table, clean the house, or fold clothes.
Growing Some Plants
You can start by sowing seeds or planting some plants. Teach your child how to water the plant, how to take care of them, and observe all the little changes in the plants day by day. They will certainly be interested! One tip for you: you should choose easy-to-grow plants like beans or sunflower seeds.
This activity is an educational activity for your little one to understand responsibility and watching skills.
Taking Care of Pets
If you have a pet at home, you can ask your Toddler to help you take care of the pet. You can start by teaching your child to hold and gently touch the pet, so they don’t hurt their pets. Then, let them join in activities such as grooming, feeding the dog, or drying the dog after bathing.
Children like these activities!
Homemade Lemon Sparkle Playdough Gift
What do you need:
– 1/2 cup salt
– Two tablespoons cream of tartar
– One tablespoon of vegetable oil
– 1 cup of water
– 1/2 tablespoon of lemonade or vanilla extract
Mix all the ingredients, and you have finished making homemade lemon sparkle playdough gift for your little one. It is safe and an ideal toy for your baby to improve imagination.
Role-Playing game
Role-playing games are the first choice to help children develop language and social skills. You can play games like a doctor game, prince-princess with your toddlers. Let your children play the character that they like, and don’t forget to collaborate with them!
You may need some toys or customs for a role-playing game, but it is not a big problem! You can take advantage of every available thing at your house.
Hold a Tea Party
As has been repeated many times, children love to imitate adult actions. It is the must-have period for them to grow up ultimately. And it could be great if you organize a tea party with your toddlers!
Parents should allow children to participate in preparation stages such as cake cutting, fruit cutting, flower arrangement, and decoration. Then enjoy the real party with your little one!
Indoor Bowling
A toddler can’t play real bowling game because they are too young for the bowling ball. However, you can set up indoor bowling at home with a ping pong ball and a few cups.
You can also set up soccer, basketball, and tennis at home with the simple stuff for your little one.
Chasing Game
Chasing Games is the most accessible game in the world. Parents only need to have a positive attitude, and that’s is. Everything you need is pretending that you are chasing your little one and give him a big hug when you catch him.
Funny Shape
To play this game, parents need to prepare gift boxes with lids in a different shape: squares, rectangles, hearts, hexagons. You should choose a small box so your child can comfortably hold. After that, remove the lid and mix them.
Your baby’s task is to find the lid that fits into the box. It sounds a simple activity but extremely interesting. In particular, it can help your little one to recognize shapes.
Tips for Parents to Choose Toddler indoor activities
Below are some tips for parents to choose the best Toddler indoor activities:
- Choose the activity that is easy to set up and can take advantage of household objects. Please consider if you want to choose an activity that requires a bulky design with lots of strange materials.
- Parents should design instruments with bright colors and cute icons to attract kids to the activity. It could be a cartoon character, flowers, balloons, or superman.
- Choose the activities that your child will most likely perform successfully. Otherwise, they will be bored and do not want to participate in your next game. The most attractive point of a game is the satisfaction when succeeding.
- Choose the activities that you can interact with your child. And parents should be patient to let your Toddler finish the business themselves. If not, your child will never learn anything new.
- Do not try to force your Toddler to learn the alphabet or numbers if they don’t want to. This age is not the tender age for letters or numbers.
- Parents should consider carefully before letting your child play with small or sharp-edged toys because they can be dangerous for your baby. Your baby can quickly put small items like marbles to their mouth and swallow. It is best to let your Toddler expose these items under your supervision.
Final Verdicts
Toddlers usually have a low concentration ability. They can often focus on about five to ten minutes. Therefore, if you want to attract your child with indoor activities, you need to create the one that children can perform successfully in a short time.
Also, choose the instruments with bright colors and cute designs because it is more attractive for children. I hope that my 30+ toddler indoor activities in this article will help you to have a great time at home. And if you have any interesting ideas, don’t forget to leave a comment and share it with everyone!