15 Toddler Friendly Activities To Entertain Your Tots at Home

Toddlers staying at home are just as eager to leave the house as older kids and you are. In fact, they may find it slightly more confusing, simply because a pandemic is quite difficult to explain- if not impossible! The solution to that predicament is simply to find ways to keep them entertained through exploration. Isn't that their ultimate passion anyway? We've rounded up a range of fun-filled activities that will keep them coming back for more. Whether it's science fun they'll understand, fun and games with items you have at home, or even cooking activities in the kitchen; there's so much to choose from.

Hidden Colors Experiment

Science is basically magic in early childhood, and that’s why this fun and easy baking soda and vinegar experiment will have your kids jumping around in excitement as they witness a splash of colors exploding right before their eyes!

--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--

Baking Soda
Vinegar
Food Coloring
Muffin Tray (or small see-through cups)
Tray (to limit the mess!)
An empty bottle or a cup to pour the vinegar

--STEP 1--

Insert a few drops of food coloring in each container in the muffin tray. You can mix and match some colors if you want more options.

--STEP 2--

Cover the colors with a teaspoon of baking soda (try to do this part before showing your kids to keep the element of surprise once the colors start popping up!)

Watch How To Do It>>

Sticky Sheep

Here’s a fun, mess-free craft that even a toddler can do! Complete the sheep by giving it a coat of “wool” made of cotton balls!

 

--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--

Cardboard
Cotton balls
Sticky paper (or clear tape)
Permanent marker and/or paint to draw the outline of a sheep

--STEP 1--

On a piece of cardboard, draw a sheep, using markers and/or paint to color; I used a black permanent marker and white tempera paint sticks.

--STEP 2--

Use a knife to cut out the body of the sheep

--STEP 3--

Take a big strip of sticky paper, or several strips of clear tape and place it over the cut body-portion, sticky side up.

--STEP 4--

Provide a bucket of cotton balls for your little one to use to stick to the sheep and give it it’s wool back! Hang it up on the wall for a vertical set up

 

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Image/activity credit: www.instagram.com/7daysofplay

Rainbow Rice

Your child's sensory bin is going to look awesome with this super easy-to-make rainbow rice.

--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--

1 cup of rice
1/2 tsp water
Food coloring
Plastic container with lid

--STEP 1--

Pour the rice, water and a good squirt of food colouring into the container

--STEP 2--

Close the lid and shake well. If you want the color to be more vibrant, add a little more food coloring.

--STEP 3--

Leave the rice to dry on a big plate or piece of baking sheet. Drying takes about an hour.

Watch How To Do It>>

Bubble Wrap Sheep

Make a super simple, and super duper cute sheep using bubble wrap! Feel free to get as creative as you like by adding some extra accessories to the little sheep. 

 

--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--

Bubble wrap
White paint
Black paper
2 Googly eyes
Glue
Scissors

--STEP 1--

Start by cutting a small piece of bubble wrap into a circle or a “flower” shape

--STEP 2--

Grab some white paint and paint the bubble wrap. Once that dries, glue on the legs/head from the black paper.

--STEP 3--

Stick on the googly eyes and there you have a cute little sheep! Optional: add on a ribbon.

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Image credit: www.craftymorning.com

Peanut Butter Cornflake Treats

These no-bake cornflake treats are super easy to whip up for an afternoon snack. Both big and little kids can help to mix the ingredients together and shape the cornflake mix.

 

--INGREDIENTS--

2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp honey
Plain cornflakes

--STEP 1--

Put peanut butter and honey into a (microwaveable) bowl and microwave until it's a batter consistency (about 1 min or so)

--STEP 2--

Pour in the cereal and mix it well

--STEP 3--

Ball up the cereal mix and place them on a tray lined with baking sheet. Then keep in fridge until it cools and sets.

FREE Storytime with Storyline Online

Settle in for some storytime as you and your littles watch videos featuring popular actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.

Readers include Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more.

 

Click HERE to check out the videos

Image Credit: www.facebook.com/StorylineOnline

Frozen Banana Cereal Pops

Make a quick, healthy dessert with your little ones that you can both enjoy making and eating together! Involve your kids be having them peel the bananas, inserting the wooden skewers in them, choosing the cereal, placing it in the bowl and doing the dipping too. Having them lead the activity will increase their chances of chowing down on this healthy snack! 

 

--INGREDIENTS--

3/4 cup strawberry yoghurt
2 cups Fruity Pebbles cereal
4 medium bananas, peeled and cut crosswise in half
8 wooden pop sticks

--STEP 1--

Place yoghurt and cereal in separate shallow bowls. Insert pop sticks through cut side of bananas. Dip bananas in yoghurt, then roll in cereal to coat. Transfer to waxed paper-lined baking sheets.

--STEP 2--

Freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer to airtight freezer containers; seal containers and return pops to freezer.

More Details>>

Image credit and recipe: www.tasteofhome.com

Get Rid of the Balls

Spend hours having a good laugh with your little ones as you aim to get as many balls on your opponents side. All you need is a sheet that acts as a net, and you've got a court set up inside your living room. Best of all, anyone can join in on the fun to make it a family game where everyone is having a fun time. There is not really ever a winner, but you're bound to have a good laugh!

 

--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--

Two Chairs
Large Sheet
Plastic balls (or crumpled paper balls)

--STEP 1--

Create a line between the two sides of the playing field by stretching a large sheet across two chairs.

--STEP 2--

Try to get all the balls over the sheet and into the other player’s side. Meanwhile, your opponent is trying to dump all the balls back onto your side.

Image credit: www.frugalfun4boys.com

Bubble Blowing Activity

Make giant bubbles with your little ones using simple materials you have at home.

 

--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--

Empty plastic bottle
Dishwashing soap
Cutter
Water

--STEP 1--

Cut out the bottom of a water bottle using a cutter

--STEP 2--

Mix dishwashing soap with water in a glass

--STEP 3--

Pour the water and soap mixture onto a surface (table/tray)

--STEP 4--

Place the bottomless bottle on the surface and move it around to pick up the soap & water

--STEP 5--

Blow!

More Details>>

Image credit: www.youtube.com/thedadlab

Make Color-Changing Milk

Find out what happens when you mix a little milk, food coloring, and a drop of dish detergent!? You can prepare the plate with milk, add the dots of food coloring, and have your little ones dip the ear bud in the plate for them to experience the cause and effect themselves. 

 

-- WHAT YOU'LL NEED --

Milk
Dinner plate
Food colouring (red, yellow, green, blue)
Dishwashing soap
Cotton swabs

--STEP 1--

Pour enough milk in the dinner plate to completely cover the bottom to the depth of about 1/4". Allow the milk to settle.

--STEP 2--

Add one drop of each of the four colours of food colouring — red, yellow, blue, and green — to the milk. Keep the drops close together in the center of the plate of milk.

--STEP 3--

Find a clean cotton swab for the next part of the experiment. Predict what will happen when you touch the tip of the cotton swab to the center of the milk. It's important not to stir the mix. Just touch it with the tip of the cotton swab.

--STEP 4--

Now place a drop of liquid dish soap on the other end of the cotton swab. Place the soapy end of the cotton swab back in the middle of the milk and hold it there for 10 to 15 seconds. Look at that burst of color!

--STEP 5--

Add another drop of soap to the tip of the cotton swab and try it again. Experiment with placing the cotton swab at different places in the milk. Notice that the colors in the milk continue to move even when the cotton swab is removed.

More Details >>

Image Credit: www.sophieplayroom.com

Silly Rubber Glove

Your kiddies will love seeing a rubber glove come to life.

 

--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--

Paper Cup
Pen (or any item to make a hole the size of a straw
A rubber glove
Elastic Band
Straw

--STEP 1--

Make a hole in the side of a paper cup (enough to fit in a straw)

--STEP 2--

Cover the top of the cup with a rubber glove

--STEP 3--

Stabilize the end of the glove to the cup by tying it with a rubber band

--STEP 4--

Have your little ones blow through the straw and watch the glove stand up as it's filled with air

More Details >>

Image credit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge9-xWfsekA

Tower Building with Pasta & Cheerios

This fine motor activity for toddlers is a winner when it comes to preparation, skills and fun! Have your child build a tower using a piece of play dough, spaghetti and a straw for the base of the tower, and cheerios and penne pasta to build the tower!

You can even enhance your child’s vocabulary by asking questions like which tower is long and which is short. Your child will also realize that cheerios will not fit into the straw since the opening is too small. The best part? You probably have the required materials lying around the house!

You can also use different options, like small pasta rings or beads of different sizes.

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M&Ms Color Experiment

Watch a rainbow come to life with only two simple ingredients. This magical, rainbow experiment is super simple and will absolutely amaze your little ones.  Your toddlers can work their motor skills as they place the M&Ms carefully in a circle, and then pour the water in the plate too. 

 

--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--

Plate
M&Ms
Water

--STEP 1--

Set up the M&Ms in a circle around the rim of the plate

--STEP 2--

Pour in water in the center of the plate until it reaches the very edge of the plate (be sure it touches the M&Ms)

More Details >>

Image credit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXOsZTDKDVs

The Floor is Lava

All you need is some colored papers and tape to get the littles active. Scatter the papers around your room and watch as your kid jumps from one paper to the other without touching the floor. Plus, if you want to sneak in a little bit of learning in there, write a number or letter on each of the papers that your child needs to shout out whenever they land on the paper.

To get them even more involved, have them choose the different colors of paper and tape the papers to the ground. 

Older kids will also love the challenge of this game too- it's a great way to get siblings to play together. 

More Details>>

Image Credit: www.handsonaswegrow.com

Bubble Wrap Stomp Painting

Make a magnificent masterpiece using your little ones' feet! Not only will they love the mess of it, but you'll see their creative sides blossom as they mix and match different colors on the paper. Prepare for lots of giggles!

 

--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--

Tempera paint
Paper
Tape
Scissors
Paint brush
Paper plate
Bubble Wrap

-- STEP 1 --

Roll out two long lengths of easel paper next to each other. Tape it to the floor

-- STEP 2 --

Squirt some paint on a paper plate. You can use two colors or more

-- STEP 3 --

Cut a length of bubble wrap, wide enough to make a little boot on your child’s bare foot.

-- STEP 4 --

Dip your paintbrush in the paint and paint the bubble wrap on the bottom of your child’s foot.

-- STEP 5 --

Now it’s time to paint! Your child can walk across the paper with the painted bubble wrapped feet. They'll probably end up jumping!

 

Watch How to Do It>>

Image credit: www.messforless.net