Keeping toddlers entertained at home
Ways to Keep Young Kids Busy When You Can Barely Keep Up
Sometimes it’s exhaustion, sometimes it’s just wanting a few minutes without pretending to be a Paw Patrol character.
You’ve got two kids under 2, or a newborn, or just kids who are seemingly allergic to sleep — and you’re absolutely exhausted. Or you’re trying to balance parenting and working from home in the time of the pandemic — and it’s not going so well.
Whatever your specific situation, you need some easy ways to entertain your kids (without too much screen time).
Well, we’ve got you covered!
We asked parents to share fun, simple ideas for occupying young children — that require little to no energy or effort. So, whether your eyelids are heavy from little sleep or you’re trying to squeeze in some extra work, these activities can help.
Important note: Obviously, safety is paramount. It’s important to supervise around water, avoid choking hazards, and provide developmentally appropriate toys. If you think you may doze off, ensure that your child will be safe during your snooze.
According to Erin Rossi, a certified sleep science coach, pretend you’re a sleeping dragon while your child tries to steal the “treasure” — a favorite toy you placed nearby — without waking you up.
“If they do make a noise, just pop open an eyeball and let out a ‘dragon’s growl’ to send your child running back to the other side of the room.” And if your child is quiet enough to steal the treasure, says Rossi, it’s a win-win for both of you!
“Send kids to find something big, something small, something red, something blue, something you wear when it rains, or something to color with,” says Jaymi Torrez, a teacher and parenting blogger at TheSaltyMamas.com.
Say one item at a time; if you’ve got several kids, have them race each other to retrieve the item. “Always end with finding something wonderful to read,” and snuggle up together, Torrez adds.
When she needs a few moments to herself, single mom and full-time slow traveler Jackie Omotalade gives her 2-year-old daughter sensory bowls to play with: one bowl contains ice and cold water; the second contains ice and hot water; and the third is just ice.
You can also create sensory bins with cornmeal, rice, and different kinds of beans. Add in measuring cups, scoopers, jars, and your kids’ favorite toys. Find more ideas for sensory play here.
To foster independent play, create a box filled with anything your child shows interest in that can be done without much supervision, such as crafts, games, LEGOs, play dough, and science kits, says Lindsey Wander, founder and CEO of WorldWise Tutoring. Let your child choose what they’d like to play with.
When Sarah Cook worked full time, cared for her disabled parents, and had a super active toddler, she’d play “what’s on my butt?” She’d simply lay face down on the couch and guess what toy her son placed on her bottom. “I could easily get 20 to 30 minutes of resting my eyes on the comfy couch,” says Cook, founder of the lifestyle and food blog Sustainable Cooks.
To sharpen fine motor skills, Justine Green, EdD, author of the children’s book “Completely Me” and mom of two, suggests placing painter’s tape on the floor in different shapes or creating a town for your kids’ cars and dolls.
Or, she says, create two lines on the floor for your kids to hop to and from, or act like different animals for you to guess. “Kids also love peeling [the tape] off the floor for easy cleanup.”
When Liz Jeneault, a single mom and vice president of marketing at Faveable, needs to get work done in a pinch, she lets her toddler play with bath crayons, bath foams, and special toys while in the tub.
“My toddler loves getting creative in the bathtub by drawing pictures with the bath crayons or making mini foam sculptures out of the bath foam. [And she] gets a kick out of glitter bath bombs, which she says makes her feel like a princess.”
Obviously this one requires direct adult supervision, so don’t leave the room or get too distracted while your toddler is in the tub. But you can sit on the toilet and get a moment to think and relax!
Simply have buckets of soapy water and clean water with a drying station so your kids can wash their toys, says Green. Her kids have cleaned everything from their cars to dinosaurs to LEGOs.
Again — anytime water play is involved it’s important to be present and attentive. But you can do your own cleaning while they play, or simply find a comfy spot to sit down and enjoy the giggles.
Former teacher and founder of Small World Spanish Rachel Kamath keeps her toddler sons busy by asking Alexa to play “Freeze Dance” on her Amazon Echo (an option you can add for free).
Alexa instructs the kids to pretend to be an animal or object that begins with a random letter of the alphabet. Alexa also plays music for the kids to dance; when the music stops, the kids have to freeze like statues.
Don’t have an Echo or a similar device? Simply call out different animals and objects, and play DJ — all from the comfort of your couch.
The key to occupying young kids when you’ve got nothing to give (or need to focus on a work-related task) is to have activities at the ready.
Experiment with the above options to see what your child enjoys — and ask them to share their ideas, too, letting them use those incredible imaginations.
And, most importantly, if you’re beating yourself up for your lack of energy and enthusiasm, remind yourself that you are human and your kids don’t need elaborate, Pinterest-perfect activities to keep them entertained.
Simple — and often silly — can work wonders in engaging your kids (and even honoring your needs).
Margarita Tartakovsky, MS, is a freelance writer and associate editor at PsychCentral.com. She’s been writing about mental health, psychology, body image, and self-care for over a decade. She lives in Florida with her husband and their daughter. You can learn more at www.margaritatartakovsky.com.
20 Ways to Keep Toddlers Busy
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Please use discretion with these activities, especially if your child puts things in their mouth. Always be right next to your child.
If you have a toddler, you KNOW that they constantly keep you on your toes! You already have your hands full and coming up with ideas for keeping them busy is not exactly at the top of your list.
What if I told you that I have 20 easy ways for keeping toddlers busy?! These ideas are easy to set up and use supplies you probably already have in your home!
1. Color Matching Game
This game using colorful pom poms is perfect for toddlers! You will need to introduce this game to them before just letting them play independently. My toddler plays this game ALL the time. Check out this post for more details.
2. Playdough Playdough is great. I like to put it on a tray or cutting board to contain the mess. I love playdough because kids can be creative and it also builds strength in their hands for fine motor skills. We use homemade playdough, and we especially love our jello playdough. You can find the recipe here.
3. Pipe Cleaners and Colander
Have your toddler stick pipe cleaners in the holes of a colander. This is excellent for practicing fine motor skills!
4.
Shape Sorter
I made our own shape sorter using soft shapes from Michaels and an oatmeal container. We get this activity out frequently and keeps my little one occupied for a long time! For more details, see this post.
5. Contact Paper Art Place a piece of clear contact paper on the table. Tape the sides down. Then give your toddler materials to stick on there. Check out this post for details.
6. Paint in Bags Place paint in a gallon sized Ziploc bag. Seal the bag, then tape them to a window. Let your toddler move the paint around in the bag using their fingers. (FYI: This activity usually goes pretty quick for my toddler.)
7. Pack ‘n Play
Set up a pack ‘n play and put books and stuffed animals inside. Let them play quietly. This may take some training for them play independently (and quietly!), but if you work with them starting out for just a few minutes playing in there per day, they can work their way up to 20+ minutes.
8. Chunky Puzzles Gather some easy puzzles for your toddler to complete. We use Melissa and Doug Puzzles and they are easy enough for my toddler to do on his own.
9. Pom Poms Through a Tube
I love this activity! Just take a paper towel tube and tape it to the wall. Then have your toddler drop pom pomsthrough it into a bowl. It sounds so simple, but my toddler really loves it! And the best part is how quiet this activity is.
10. Race Cars on Tape
Create a race track using masking tape on the floor. Then let your little one play quietly with cars on the track.
11. Fabric Scrap Box
Cut up pieces of fabric and place them in an empty wipes container. Have your toddler pull the scraps out and then put them back in. This is great for practicing fine motor skills. For more on this, see this post.
12. Magnets on Fridge
Simply have your toddler stick magnets on the fridge.
We use alphabet letters and magnetic pom poms. I really like these foam alphabet letters.
13. Cotton Balls
Let your child play with cotton balls. They can sort them in an ice cube tray. This is also a very quiet activity. They can also have fun tearing the cotton balls a part, which can get messy!
14. Corner for Toys
Tape off a section of the floor for them to sit in. Also tape a spot where you place a bucket of toys. Have them stay in the taped off section for play time. This may take some training, so start off trying this for a few minutes at a time.
15. Bubble Wrap
Have your toddler pop bubble wrap. This one can get noisy, but if you need a quick activity for your toddler to do, this would be great! Just please make sure you watch them because this can be a choking hazard.
16. Build a Tower
Using cubes or blocks, have them build a tower.
These unifix cubes would be great to use. We use this Discovery Toys Pegboard to build towers.
17. Coloring
This is a simple activity, but have them color. Sometimes we get our window markers and I let them color on the windows.
18. Pipe Cleaners in a Tube
This is just like #9, but use pipe cleaners to put through a paper towel tube. My toddler actually came up with this activity. He loves it!
19. Pipe Cleaner Sprinkles
This activity is simply cutting up pipe cleaners (into 2 inch pieces) and have your toddler poke them through the holes in a parmesan container. This is awesome for working on fine motor skills!
20. Sensory Balloon Animals
We made sensory balloon bugs a while back and they are a huge hit. When I want my toddler to play quietly, I get these out and let him play with them.
To learn more about them, see this post. Once again, please use discretion with this activity. If your child puts a lot of objects in their mouth, this may not be a good activity for them.
Want more toddler ideas? My new book has over 200 ideas for toddlers! The book will be available on March 27th, but you can preorder it today! Order it on Amazon right here.
Check out some of my favorite resources for toddlers!
The Toddler JourneyMelissa & Doug Latches Wooden Activity BoardMelissa & Doug 2053 Shapes Knob Wooden PuzzleMelissa & Doug Hide and Seek Farm Wooden Activity Board With Barnyard Animal MagnetsMelissa & Doug Puzzle Storage Rack – Wire Rack Holds 12 Puzzles(Puzzles Not Included)Play-Doh Modeling Compound 10-Pack Case of Colors (Amazon Exclusive), Non-Toxic, Assorted Colors, 2-Ounce CansCaydo 240 Pieces 1 Inch Pom Poms for Hobby Supplies and DIY Creative Crafts Decorations, Assorted ColorsMagnetic Letters and Numbers for Educating Kids in Fun -Educational Alphabet Refrigerator Magnets -82 PiecesDozen Plastic Toy Safari AnimalsDISCOVERY TOYS GIANT PEGBOARD #1562Crayola; Washable Window Markers; Art Tools; 8 Different Colors; Bright, Bold Colors; Works on All Glass SurfacesCreativity Street Chenille Stems/Pipe Cleaners 12 Inch x 6mm 100-Piece, Assorted ColorsSticker Activity ABC: Over 100 Stickers with Coloring Pages (Sticker Activity Fun)Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow! Reusable Water-Reveal Activity Pads, 3-pk, Animals, Alphabet, Numbers
Top 15 ideas on how to entertain children aged 3-6 without leaving home
Sometimes you have to stay at home with your child for several days in a row: either high temperature, then chickenpox, then the weather is completely non-flying, then the mother herself is sick and take a walk with the baby there is simply no one on the street, then what kind of misfortune or natural anomaly.
You never know what situations happen! But that's no reason to be sad! Our ideas on how to entertain children at home will help you.
rebenok.by
At home with a child of 3-6 years old, you can find a lot of ways to have fun, if there is no need to severely limit his activity:
- arrange a disco,
- jump into the hopscotch "drawn" on the floor with tape,
- play hide and seek,
- arrange an impromptu fashion show, etc.
light show with an ordinary flashlight,
- build a hammock or a house under the table,
- read a book, then stage it, etc.
Such ways to entertain a child at home do not cost a lot of money and will not take you much time. But such attention and love will not go unnoticed for the child. These are just those childhood impressions that become more and more valuable with age.
1. Fur seal rookery: hammocks for children
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lie in bed!) and get high a few centimeters above the ground, looking at books about the adventures of their favorite characters.
2. Cardboard fun for kids at home
www.bastisimo.com
If you want your little one to be quietly busy doing their own things, give them markers and a large cardboard box. For example, from the refrigerator. O! You can’t even imagine what imaginary city will appear before your eyes in just half an hour.
Rastishka's reference:
- Rusty's workshop: imaginary city
- Top 10: cardboard toys
www.passion.ru
Cardboard is a fairly durable material, which allows you to use crafts from it for a long time. Make a big house where a child will fit in full growth - you can’t imagine a better toy! To fasten the parts, use adhesive tape and Velcro - so the house can be folded and quickly removed so that it does not take up space.
Decorate your new home with curtains, flower pots and other little things that will create coziness in the toy house. Let your child draw wallpapers, rugs and other decor to decorate the interior. For your beloved Bobik, you can build a booth near the house - a friend will always be there, and property - under a reliable "alarm".
www.passion.ru
Not only mom and dad dream of their own country house. Masha's doll has exactly the same dream, and you can make her (the doll) happy, and the child happy and busy with useful things for a long time. Glue a room with partitions out of cardboard, without a roof, but with a floor-stand. Let the kid, along with his favorite doll, arrange and paint everything. Furniture can be made from designer parts, dishes can be fashioned from salt dough, rugs and curtains can be cut from unnecessary rags and shreds. Cultivate taste from childhood, you see, the young designer will show his abilities more than once.
3. Home cooking: entertainment for children
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ru
. Make delicious chocolate creamers for cottage cheese or ice cream with your children.
Inflate balloons, wash with soap. Melt the chocolate and dip the balls into the warm sweet mass. Wait for the chocolate to harden and carefully pop the balls.
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You can fill chocolate plates with your favorite treat! For example, yogurt or cottage cheese "Rastishka", or homemade ice cream with fresh berries and pieces of fruit.
Recommendations from Rastishka:
- Homemade ice cream for kids: recipes for making
- Salted ice cream. So it was possible?
- Cooking with Rastishka: Mint Chocolate Ice Cream
- 5 ice cream recipes you will never buy in the store
- Vitamin desserts from oranges and Rastishka products
- Popsicles - a treat on a stick
- Kitchen experiments for children: indicator products
- Cooking with "Rastishka": vitamin spring salad
- Omelette that 100% kids will love: three cool recipes
4.
Snow fun ourbestbites.com
Make snow with your child according to our recipes and play for fun!
Recommendations from Rastishka:
- Top 15: artificial snow for crafts with children
- Top 10 snow games at home
5. Playing with light
www.matato.net
Forced sitting at home can be spent with useful entertainment. Many children are afraid of the dark. Let's make friends with her! Run for the lights!!! From thick paper, cut a circle to fit the glass in the flashlight. Any shape cut out of paper and superimposed on a light source will give a fancy shadow. Turn off the lights and experiment! There is nothing terrible in the dark, only miracles. To be afraid of ghosts drawn on paper - fi, we are not like that!
Recommendations from Rastishka:
- No fear: getting to know the dark
- Say "Yes" to the fight against night terrors
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com
Take a piece of thick paper. Mark the pattern with a pencil, and then poke holes with a needle. You will get cute flashlights that you can play with in a dark room. ATTENTION! Do not give your child matches and candles. All experiments are carried out only in the presence of adults!
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If you have a shaped hole punch, you can cut the image directly on paper bags. Insert a tall glass with a burning candle inside.
tnn-hobby.ru
Such lanterns are not only an object for light games with children, but also an interior decoration.
6. Paraffin Islands
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This exciting game must be played strictly in the presence of adults. Let's fantasize? Pour water into a deep saucer and tint it blue or green. Why not the sea?
Light the candle and wait for the paraffin to melt. Carefully pour the paraffin into the water - it will begin to cool, turning into bizarre shapes.
If you change the height of the candle at the level of the "sea", you can get fancy "islands".
7. Checkmate!
How to teach a child to play chess and checkers we told HERE. Even a three-year-old can master the basics, and then it all depends on your patience and imagination.
8. Card games, solitaire, magic tricks
Gambling is not as scary as it might seem at first glance, especially since there are quite harmless tricks, solitaire games and children's decks with cartoon characters.
Recommendations from Rastishka:
- Fun breaks: learning how to do tricks
- Math magic tricks for kids who can count
- Magical liquids: magic tricks for children
- How to bring a paper flower to life: a trick for children
- Magic at home, or How to tear a child away from the computer
9. You and I are of the same blood — royal
zhenskoe-mnenie.ru
Making a crown will be interesting for both a boy and a girl.
BUT! There is a risk that problems will arise: a crowned person of royal blood may refuse to take off her headdress even while sleeping and bathing.
10. Home fishing
www.wday.ru
Even a very busy dad will gladly join this innocent entertainment. With our ideas any fishing will be successful! Shall we look for fish spots in our apartment?
Recommendations from Rastishka:
- Fishing game for kids
11. Make a fun face painting
imperiya.by
Who said you can't play with your own hands, face and body? With the help of special paints, they can be turned into anyone! Minute business, and the child is busy for a long time.
If a bear stepped on your brush or your child doesn't want to get dirty, offer your child an alternative option - paint dolls' faces! Can you imagine how happy he will be to feel like a makeup artist?!
Recommendations from Rastishka:
- Animal face painting: transforming into animals
- How to Draw a Dragonfly: Face Painting and Other Art Techniques
- Rastishka's Workshop.
Fish on the palms - Games from nothing: our hands are not for boredom
12. Play role-playing games
deti.mail.ru
If your child is sick, play doctor with him. Tell the basic principles of the functioning of the human body, teach how to carry out simple manipulations with toys. Many other interesting ideas in our article “ Play role-playing games with your child.”.
13. Draw in unusual ways and objects
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In fact, to get the buzz from drawing, it is not at all necessary to be able to draw. Fact! You can have fun and diversify your leisure time with your child:
Recommendations from Rastishka:
- You may not be an artist, but you must draw with children
- Say YES to fork painting
- Say "YES" to drawing fruits and vegetables
14. Make postcards
Together with your child, make postcards for those whom the child misses (friends, relatives), whom they have not seen for a long time.
15. Start modeling
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Children are very fond of sculpting, but mothers are not always ready to remove the results of creativity from the carpet and furniture, so the choice of materials for modeling should be taken into account seriously: choose products from trusted manufacturers or make homemade clay yourself.
Recommendations from Rastishka:
- Sandbox at home all year round: kinetic sand for modeling
- How to make salt dough for different colors: experimenting together
- How to make DIY salt dough
- Home plasticine: recipes for modeling mass
If you have already tried all these ideas, and home quarantine has not ended, take a look at the article Top 10+ ideas on how to keep a child 3-6 years old at home.
Tell us in the comments what your child likes to do at home. What kind of joint entertainment do you come up with when you have to be locked up for various reasons (illness, bad weather, etc.
) ?
20 ways to entertain your child if you are too lazy to leave the house
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It is not necessary to hang around the Internet all weekend if you are too lazy to leave the house. Here are 20 ways to have fun with your kids (parents will love it too).
And you can play Snow White by biting off the “poisoned” apple.
Recipe
For example, make a pharaoh costume, dress up and read a book “Trouble in Egypt. Who is plotting? - there the reader needs to find the criminal who decided to poison Ramses II. By the way, Halloween is coming soon - a costume can come in handy!
printabledecorMore precisely, not flowers, but succulents. You can put them on the windowsill in the nursery and not worry about watering. Or give it to your grandmother. How to make paper succulents?
8 new children's books September
Mother Mag
A crown for a girl is like a Spider-Man costume for a boy: there is a risk that it will be possible to persuade him to remove it at least during sleep only after a week.
How to make a crown
For example, play Silent Bell or Sleeping Elves and Fairies.
14 meditations for children
Because there is no power to buy all these jars of Play Doh in the store - the lids are lost, the plasticine mixes and dries up. And this one, homemade, you can even eat if you really want to.
How to make a homemade Play Doh
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Such games calm children, relieve stress and help them relax after a busy day.
7 sensory games
Autumn is the time for the feeder. And there, you see, not only sparrows and pigeons will look for food, but also pretty titmouse and bullfinches.
How to make a feeder
And mold figures for him from marzipan or salt dough. A little tedious, but the result is worth it. In addition, at the end of the heroes you can eat.
Marzipan figurines
Salt dough figurines
unsplash.
com For some reason at home it never comes out to make it as dry and crispy as McDonald's. In fact, there is just one secret.
French fries recipe
Don't watch the same thing 25 times, but look for something new. Especially in recent years there have been many excellent full-length cartoons.
10 great new cartoons that you might not have seen
“Hat”, “Telegrams”, “MPS” - we bet you never heard of these? And they are very funny!
Great word games for the whole family
food.com
For example, a huge shakshuka pan. Children can break eggs, stir sauce, put greens - in short, fully participate in cooking.
Shakshuka recipe
For example, colored volcanoes! All you need is paint, baking soda and vinegar. The kids will definitely love it.
How to make volcanoes
You can make more fish and some fishing rods and have a competition.
