43+ Activities for Toddlers (1-2 years Old)

Engaging toddlers in fun and developmental activities is crucial for their growth. At this stage, toddlers thrive on exploration, creativity, and sensory experiences, which are key to developing their cognitive and motor skills.

By providing age-appropriate activities, not only do we keep them entertained but also fuel their curiosity and learning. Simple games that improve movement and coordination, along with sensory activities that enhance tactile and cognitive skills, are excellent choices.

Activities like sensory bin ideas, playdough activities for preschoolers, and water play activities are especially good for fostering fine motor skills and sensory development in toddlers.

Activities for Toddlers

Color Sorting Activity

Color Sorting activities are a wonderful way to help children learn about colors and improve their sorting and categorization skills. This fun and interactive activity is perfect for engaging kids and enhancing their fine motor skills as they learn to differentiate and match colors.

Materials: Colored paper or foam sheets, a sorting box with compartments, scissors, and glue.

How to Do:

1. Cut out shapes from colored paper or foam sheets.
2. Create compartments in a box using colored paper.
3. Glue compartments together and label each one with a specific color.
4. Show your child how to sort shapes by placing them in matching compartments based on color.
5. Watch our reel for better guidance.

Swinging Fun Time Activity

Swinging is not only a fun activity for kids but also a great way to improve their balance, coordination, and muscle strength. This outdoor activity is perfect for a sunny day and brings loads of joy and laughter to children as they swing back and forth.

Materials: The swing set is made of sturdy materials, and children wear comfortable clothing while being supervised by an adult.

How to Do:

1. Confirm the swing set is securely installed in a safe area without obstacles.
2. Dress your child in comfortable clothing for free movement.
3. Assist your child onto the swing and explain how to grip the chains or ropes securely.
4. Begin pushing the swing gently, increasing height gradually as your child adjusts.

Picture Matching Activity

Picture Matching activities are an engaging way for kids to improve their memory and visual recognition skills. By matching pairs of similar images, children can enhance their cognitive abilities while having fun.

Materials: A printable picture matching worksheet..or simply use our printable for that, along with pencils and erasers.

How to Do:

1. Print a picture-matching worksheet with pairs of images.
2. Provide pencils and erasers to your child.
3. Explain how to draw lines connecting matching pictures.
4. Let your child find and match pairs by drawing lines between them, encouraging careful observation.

Zipper Board Play Activity

The Zipper Board Play activity is a fantastic way for children to improve their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. By practicing zipping and unzipping, kids can also develop their independence and self-care abilities in a fun and engaging manner.

Materials: A piece of cardboard and multiple zippers of different colors, along with a hot glue gun.

How to Do:

1. Prepare a piece of cardboard large enough for several zippers.
2. Attach zippers to the cardboard using a hot glue gun in a line or pattern.
3. Allow your child to explore zippers independently, assisting and praising as needed.

Blocks Building Activity

Building with blocks is a timeless activity that encourages creativity, problem-solving, and fine motor skills in children. It allows kids to explore their imagination and construct various structures, making it both educational and fun.

Materials: Building blocks and a flat surface.

How to Do:

1. Give your child building blocks and place them on a flat surface.
2. Encourage them to use imagination to build structures like houses or towers.
3. Let them play freely, exploring various shapes and arrangements.
4. My kid has performed this activity, watch for better understanding.

Tracing Practice Activity

Tracing Practice activities are excellent for helping children develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. By tracing lines and shapes, kids improve their pencil control and prepare for writing. This activity is engaging and beneficial for young learners.

Materials: Printable tracing worksheets, pencils, and erasers.

How to Do:

1. Print a tracing worksheet with lines and shapes.
2. Provide pencils and erasers and place the worksheet on a flat surface.
3. Instruct your child to trace lines carefully from start to finish.
4. You can watch our reel to perform this activity better.

Pom Pom Dropper Play Activity

The Pom Pom Dropper Play activity is a fun way to help children develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This simple activity involves dropping pom poms through tubes, providing endless entertainment while fostering important developmental skills.

Materials: Colorful pom poms and cardboard tubes are utilized, with a tray or container to collect the pom poms.

How to Do:

1. Attach cardboard tubes to a wall using tape.
2. Position a container beneath the tubes.
3. Provide colorful pom poms to your child.
4. Encourage your child to experiment with different colors and sizes.
5. Watch our reel for better guidance.

Clothespins Picking Activity

The Clothespins Picking activity is a great way for children to develop their fine motor skills and hand strength. This simple and engaging activity involves picking up and clipping clothespins, which can also help improve their hand-eye coordination and concentration.

Materials: Clothespins and a small basket or container.

How to Do:

1. Gather clothespins and place in a basket.
2. Demonstrate clipping clothespins.
3. Encourage your child to practice clipping and unclipping for fine motor skills.
4. To know better, watch our reel.

Coloring Activity

Coloring activities are a fantastic way for children to express their creativity and improve their fine motor skills. By filling in pictures with colors, kids can also enhance their concentration and hand-eye coordination while having a lot of fun.

Materials: Printable coloring sheets along with crayons or colored pencils.

How to Do:

1. Print a coloring sheet with a fun image like an owl.
2. Place it on a flat surface with crayons or colored pencils.
3. Guide your child to color within the lines using various colors.

Busy Box Fun Activity

The Busy Box Fun activity is a great way to keep children engaged and entertained while helping them develop their fine motor skills and sensory exploration. By interacting with different textures and objects on the busy box, kids can have hours of educational fun.

Materials: A sturdy box, pom poms, ribbons, and other sensory items, along with glue and tape.

How to Do:

1. Prepare a clean, sturdy box for the busy box base.
2. Attach sensory items like pom poms and ribbons using glue and tape.
3. Arrange items visually and accessibly.
4. Demonstrate how to explore the box to your child.
5. You can watch our reel, which my kid performed.

Fruit Placement Activity

The Fruit Placement activity is a fun way for children to learn about different fruits while enhancing their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This activity involves placing cut-out fruit shapes onto their matching outlines, making it both engaging and instructive.

Materials: Printable fruit outlines and matching fruit shapes, scissors, and Velcro.

How to Do:

1. Print out sheets with fruit outlines and matching fruit shapes.
2. Cut out distinct fruit shapes from the second sheet.
3. Demonstrate matching each fruit shape with its outline on the first sheet.
4. Use either direct placement or velcro to attach the shapes.
5. Watch our reel for better guidance.

Sticker Activity

Sticker activities are a creative way for children to develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. By matching stickers to their corresponding shapes or colors, kids can also enhance their cognitive abilities and enjoy a sense of accomplishment.

Materials: Printable sticker activity sheet..for that use our printable, and scissors.

How to Do:

1. Print our printable.
2. Give your child stickers matching the outlines.
3. Demonstrate how to match stickers to the outlines.

Touch & Feel Linework Activity

The Touch & Feel Linework activity is an excellent way to engage children’s senses and enhance their tactile perception. By tracing different textured lines, kids can improve their fine motor skills and sensory processing in a fun and interactive manner.

Materials: Cardboard or thick paper, along with various textured materials such as pipe cleaners, yarn, sandpaper, etc., all bonded together with glue.

How to Do:

1. Cut cardboard or thick paper into base shapes.
2. Glue pipe cleaners, yarn, or sandpaper onto the base to form patterns.
3. Demonstrate tracing lines with fingers to your child.
4. You can watch our reel to perform this activity better.

Ring Stacking Activity

The Ring Stacking activity is a enjoyable way for children to improve their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and problem-solving abilities. By stacking rings of different sizes, kids can also learn about sizes and colors while having fun.

Materials: Cardboard or thick paper, scissors, and either tape or glue.

How to Do:

1. Cut out rings of various sizes from cardboard or thick paper.
2. Construct a central pole using a cardboard tube or rolled-up paper, securing it to a base for stability.
3. Encourage your child to practice stacking and unstacking the rings, exploring different sizes and arrangements.
4. To know better, watch our reel.

Counting Activity

Counting activities are an interactive way for children to learn about numbers and quantities. By counting and matching numbers to objects, kids can develop their math skills and enhance their ability to recognize and understand numbers.

Materials: A printable counting worksheet along with pencils and erasers.

How to Do:

1. Print a counting worksheet with objects and numbers.
2. Give pencils and erasers to your child.
3. Instruct your child to count items in each row and circle the matching number.

Shapes Stamping Activity

Shapes Stamping activities are a creative way for children to learn about different shapes and colors. By using stamps to create patterns, kids can improve their fine motor skills and shape recognition while enjoying an artistic activity.

Materials: Sponges, washable paint, paper, and trays or plates.

How to Do:

1. Cut sponges or foam into shapes like circles, squares, triangles, and hearts.
2. Pour washable paint onto trays or plates, spreading it evenly.
3. Encourage your child to explore various shapes and colors, making patterns and designs.

Rescue Toys Activity

The Rescue Toys activity is a engaging way for children to develop their problem-solving skills and fine motor abilities. By “rescuing” toys trapped under strings or rubber bands, kids can enjoy a playful challenge while enhancing their dexterity and coordination.

Materials: Small toys or figurines, along with a container or box, and rubber bands.

How to Do:

1. Put small toys in a container.
2. Create a web over the container.
3. Guide your child to rescue the toys by navigating through the web.
4. Support your child in developing problem-solving and hand-eye coordination.

Bingo Cards Activity

Bingo Cards activities are a lovely way for children to learn about animals while enhancing their memory and matching skills.

Materials: Printable animal bingo cards..for that you can use our printables, scissors, and markers or chips for marking.

How to Do:

1. Print animal bingo cards and corresponding animal pictures.
2. Cut out animal pictures and place in a container.
3. Provide each child with a bingo card and markers.
4. Draw an animal picture, let children mark matching animals.
5. Keep drawing until a child completes a row, column, or diagonal and calls out “Bingo!”

Cotton Bud Push & Pull Activity

The Cotton Bud Push & Pull activity is a simple way for children to improve their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. By pushing and pulling cotton buds through holes in a container, kids can enjoy a tactile and engaging experience.

Materials: A box with small holes and cotton buds.

How to Do:

1. Prepare a box with small holes in the top.
2. Scatter cotton buds around the box on a flat surface.
3. Demonstrate pushing and pulling buds through the holes.
4. Encourage using different fingers for dexterity.
5. You can watch our reel, which my kid performed.

Spray Painting Activity

The Spray Painting activity is an exciting way for children to explore their creativity and develop their fine motor skills. Using spray bottles filled with paint, kids can create beautiful and unique artworks while having a lot of fun.

Materials: Spray bottles, paint, water, and large sheets of paper.

How to Do:

1. Fill spray bottles with a mix of washable paint and water.
2. Set up a large sheet of paper or canvas.
3. Demonstrate spraying paint onto the paper.
4. Encourage your child to explore colors and techniques.

I Spy Animals Activity

The I Spy Animals activity is a fun way for children to improve their observation and cognitive skills. By finding and identifying different animals on a sheet, kids can enhance their attention to detail and animal recognition while enjoying a playful challenge.

Materials: Printable I Spy Animals worksheet and pencils.

How to Do:

1. Print an I Spy Animals worksheet with various animals.
2. Give your child pencils.
3. Explain how to find and circle each listed animal.
4. Let your child search for and circle animals, assisting and celebrating their findings.
5. Watch our reel for better guidance.

Growing Worms Fun Activity

The Growing Worms activity is an exciting way for children to learn about science and nature. By creating “growing” worms with simple materials, kids can explore the concept of absorption and expansion while having fun.

Materials: Tissue paper or paper towels, washable markers, and a spray bottle filled with water.

How to Do:

1. Cut tissue paper or paper towels into strips.
2. Color the strips with washable markers.
3. Give your child a spray bottle filled with water.
4. Watch as the strips absorb water and expand, resembling worms.

Peeling Tape Activity

The Peeling Tape activity is a simple way for children to develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. By peeling tape off a surface, kids can enjoy a satisfying sensory experience while improving their dexterity.

Materials: Various colored or patterned tape.

How to Do:

1. Stick colored or patterned tape onto a flat surface.
2. Demonstrate peeling off tape carefully.
3. Let child practice peeling, guiding and celebrating their efforts.
4. My kid has performed this activity, watch for better understanding.

Salt Tracing Activity

The Salt Tracing activity is a fantastic way for children to practice their writing and fine motor skills in a fun and tactile manner. By tracing letters, shapes, or patterns in salt, kids can enjoy a sensory-rich learning experience.

Materials: Salt paper and pencil.

How to Do:

1. Draw patterns, letters, or shapes on paper.
2. Demonstrate tracing in salt with a finger.
3. Encourage practicing various patterns and letters, smoothing salt as needed.

Feed the Butterfly Activity

The Feed the Butterfly activity is an engaging way for children to improve their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. By guiding small objects into specific areas, kids can enjoy a playful challenge while enhancing their dexterity.

Materials: A box, a printed butterfly image, small objects such as beans or beads, and glue.

How to Do:

1. Glue a printed butterfly image to the bottom of a box.
2. Add small objects like beans or beads into the box.
3. Demonstrate tilting and moving the box to guide objects towards the butterfly.
4. Encourage your child to practice guiding objects, enhancing hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
5. You can watch our reel to perform this activity better.

DIY Ball Drop Fun Activity

The DIY Ball Drop Fun activity is a simple yet entertaining way for children to develop their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. By dropping balls into designated slots, kids can enjoy a playful challenge while learning about cause and effect.

Materials: A cardboard box, colored balls, scissors, and tape or glue.

How to Do:

1. Prepare a cardboard box by cutting slots for balls to pass through.
2. Scatter colored balls around the box.
3. Encourage your child to practice with various balls, enhancing coordination and understanding.

Car Parking Activity

The Car Parking activity is an engaging way for children to improve their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving abilities. By parking toy cars in designated spots, kids can enjoy a fun and educational playtime.

Materials: A cardboard box, toy cars, markers, scissors, and tape or glue for crafting.

How to Do:

1. Prepare the cardboard box by cutting one side to make an entrance for toy cars.
2. Use markers to draw parking spots inside, numbering them for learning.
3. Encourage your child to park all cars, enhancing coordination and understanding of numbers and space.
4. To know better, watch our reel.

Alphabet Matching Activity

The Alphabet Matching activity is an educational way for children to learn about letters and improve their recognition skills. By matching alphabet pieces to their corresponding outlines, kids can enhance their literacy skills and fine motor coordination.

Materials: Alphabet pieces, a large sheet of paper, and markers.

How to Do:

1. Draw outlines of alphabet pieces with markers.
2. Scatter alphabet pieces around the paper.
3. Encourage your child to match pieces, aiding letter recognition and shape learning.
4. You can watch our reel, which my kid performed.

Bath Toy Animal Play Activity

The Bath Toy Animal Play activity is a wonderful way for children to enjoy bath time while learning about different animals. This playful activity helps kids develop their imagination and sensory skills as they splash around with their favorite animal toys.

Materials: A tub or sink filled with water, various toy animals, and optionally, bubble bath for extra fun and sponges for cleaning.

How to Do:

1. Fill the tub or sink with water, adding bubble bath if you like.
2. Place the toy animals in the water and encourage the child to give them a bath.
3. The child can use sponges to ‘clean’ the animals and improve their fine motor skills.

Finger Painting Activity

Finger painting is a fun way for children to express their creativity and explore different colors and textures. This activity allows kids to use their fingers to create beautiful artwork, enhancing their fine motor skills and sensory development.

Materials: Paints and a large sheet of paper, along with a tray or plate.

How to Do:

1. Lay out a large sheet of paper and a tree trunk with branches.
2. Pour various colors of paint onto a tray.
3. Guide your child to dip their fingers into the paint.
4. Inspire creativity by experimenting with color mixing and finger mark-making.

Animal Babies Matching Activity

The Animal Babies Matching activity is a lovely way for children to learn about animals and their babies. By matching baby animals to their parents, kids can improve their memory, recognition skills, and understanding of the animal kingdom.

Materials: Printable animal and baby animal cards, scissors, and Velcro dots.

How to Do:

1. Print and cut out animal and baby animal cards.
2. Provide baby animal cards to your child.
3. Guide them to match each baby animal with its parent.

Cuddle Cow Activity

The Cuddle Cow activity is a wonderful way for children to connect with nature and animals. By spending time with cows, kids can learn about these gentle creatures, develop empathy, and enjoy the calming effects of animal interaction.

Materials: A secure space with supervised cows and provide comfortable attire, along with hand sanitizer.

How to Do:

1. Ensure the cow area is safe and supervised.
2. Dress your child in outdoor-appropriate clothes.
3. Teach gentle approach to cows, letting them acclimate.
4. Supervise cow interaction, use hand sanitizer before and after.

Shape Puzzle Playtime Activity

The Shape Puzzle Playtime activity is a fun way for children to learn about different shapes and improve their problem-solving skills. By fitting shapes into their corresponding slots, kids can enhance their fine motor skills and shape recognition.

Materials: Wooden shape puzzle pieces and a puzzle board with corresponding shape slots.

How to Do:

1. Place the puzzle board on a flat surface and spread out the shape pieces.
2. Demonstrate to your child how to match each shape with its corresponding slot.
3. Allow your child to complete the puzzle, praising their progress along the way.
4. My kid has performed this activity, watch for better understanding.

Role Play Activity

Role Play activities are a wonderful way for children to use their imagination, develop social skills, and understand different professions or scenarios. By pretending to be doctors, chefs, or any other roles, kids can learn through play and enhance their creativity.

Materials: Costumes or props like a doctor kit or chef hat, as well as stuffed animals or dolls.

How to Do:

1. Create a play area with relevant costumes and props.
2. Encourage dressing up and using props to act out roles.
3. Guide your child in using their imagination.
4. Participate in the role play, asking questions and engaging with them.

Slide Play Activity

The Slide Play activity is an exciting way for children to develop their gross motor skills and enjoy outdoor play. Sliding down a slide not only provides a thrill but also helps kids improve their balance, coordination, and physical fitness.

Materials: A safe and sturdy slide and comfortable clothing, with supervision from an adult provided.

How to Do:

1. Set up the slide on a flat, obstacle-free surface.
2. Dress your child in comfortable clothing.
3. Guide your child up the steps and onto the top of the slide.
4. Encourage them to hold onto the sides for balance.

Fish Watching Activity

Fish watching is a calming activity for children. By observing fish in an aquarium, kids can learn about different species, their behaviors, and their habitats. This activity helps promote relaxation and curiosity about marine life.

Materials: A safe and sturdy slide, along with comfortable clothing, under adult supervision.

How to Do:

1. Visit an aquarium or set up a cozy spot near a fish tank at home.
2. Prompt your child to observe fish closely, noting colors, shapes, and movements.
3. Engage in discussions about fish behaviors and interactions to encourage learning and curiosity.

Sand Play Activity

Sand play is a fantastic outdoor activity that encourages children to use their imagination and develop fine motor skills. By digging, building, and creating with sand, kids can enjoy endless fun and exploration.

Materials: Sand play include a bucket and a shovel, along with other sand toys, all set up in a designated play area.

How to Do:

1. Find a safe and clean sand play area.
2. Give your child a bucket, shovel, and sand toys.
3. Encourage digging, building, and shaping with molds.
4. Let your child explore and play freely.

Pet Playtime Activity

Pet playtime is a wonderful activity that allows children to bond with their pets while learning about responsibility and empathy. Engaging in play with pets can provide both physical exercise and emotional connection.

Materials: A safe and comfortable play area for pets, along with various pet toys.

How to Do:

1. Create a safe play zone for your child and pet.
2. Offer pet toys for interactive play.
3. Guide your child to play gently, using toys for activities like fetch.

Mini Basketball Play Activity

Mini basketball play is an energetic activity that helps kids develop their hand-eye coordination and motor skills. It’s perfect for indoor or outdoor play and provides a great way for children to enjoy some physical exercise.

Materials: A mini basketball hoop and ball, along with a safe playing area, whether indoors or outdoors.

How to Do:

1. Adjust the mini basketball hoop to your child’s height.
2. Provide the mini basketball and explain the goal.
3. Motivate your child to practice shooting.
4. Support and celebrate their progress, offering advice when necessary.

Dough Playing Activity

Dough playing is a fantastic sensory activity that encourages creativity and fine motor skills in kids. It provides a hands-on way for children to explore shapes, textures, and colors while having fun.

Materials: Colorful play dough, various molds, and a rolling pin to flatten the dough.

How to Do:

1. Give your child a play dough to squish and knead.
2. Show them how to roll it flat with the rolling pin.
3. Help them press the cutters into the dough to make shapes.
4. Encourage them to tell a story with the shapes they create.

Soft Toy Playtime Activity

Soft toy playtime is a delightful activity that allows children to engage in imaginative play while developing social and emotional skills. With a collection of cuddly friends, kids can create their own stories, role-play, and enjoy comforting tactile experiences.

Materials:  A variety of soft toys, such as stuffed animals and plush characters.

How to Do:

1. Set the soft toys in the play area.
2. Encourage your child to choose a toy and create a story around it.
3. Let them use the wall decorations or other backdrops to set the scene for their story.
4. Act out the stories with the soft toys, giving each one a voice and a role to play.

Nature Frame Activity

The Nature Frame Activity is a wonderful way to connect children with the natural world. It encourages them to explore their environment, collect natural materials, and create beautiful frames showcasing their finds. This activity fosters creativity, fine motor skills, and an appreciation for nature.

Materials: Cardboard or pre-made frames along with tape, as well as a variety of natural materials such as leaves, flowers, and small twigs.

How to Do:

1. Cut out the center of cardboard to form a frame.
2. Secure clear contact paper or plastic sheet to the back.
3. Collect natural materials on a nature walk.
4. Arrange and press materials onto the sticky surface.

Yoga Poses Activity

The Yoga Poses Activity is a lovely way for children to engage in physical exercise while also fostering mindfulness and relaxation. Yoga helps improve flexibility, strength, and balance, and this activity can be a calming part of your child’s daily routine.

Materials: A yoga mat, comfortable clothing, and a calm space.

How to Do:

1. Spread the yoga mat on a flat surface.
2. Demonstrate a simple yoga pose suitable for your kids.
3. Encourage your child to follow along, ensuring they move slowly and breathe deeply.

Conclusion

In conclusion, activities for toddlers should prioritize sensory exploration, motor skill development, and social interaction. Incorporating simple games, outdoor play, and creative arts helps stimulate their curiosity and learning.

Your feedback on their engagement and developmental progress guides us in providing enriching experiences tailored to their needs and interests.