,By Amy Morrison, Founder of Pregnant Chicken
Mom of two boys | Researching pregnancy & parenthood since 2010
Last Updated: December 22, 2025
Toddlers are surprisingly easy to entertain – the typhoid-covered bead maze in a doctor's office proves this daily – the hard part is coming up with enough variety to keep them interested.
When my kids were toddlers, my challenge wasn't finding elaborate activities. It was the sheer volume needed to hold their attention for more than five minutes (okay, maybe six if we're being optimistic).
That's why I've compiled this master list of boredom busters. Some are quick five-minute wins, while others require a bit of prep work. But here's my thinking: if you spend one afternoon building a DIY puppet theatre, you might get a whole week of sitting on the couch with your coffee while watching puppet shows. I feel like the ROI is worth it.
I've also included links to creators who have worked out all the logistics for many of these ideas, so be sure to check them out!
In This Guide:
- 🎨 Creative & Arts Activities
- 🏃 Physical & Active Play
- 🧩 Sensory & Learning Activities
- 🎭 Pretend & Imaginative Play
- 🌳 Outdoor Adventures
- 🔨 DIY Projects That Keep Giving
Activity Key
- ⏰ = Quick activity (5-15 minutes)
- ⏰⏰ = Longer activity (15+ minutes)
- 🔨 = Requires prep or setup time
🎨 Creative & Arts Activities
These are perfect for quieter moments when you need to keep little hands busy:
- Painting with brushes or sponges ⏰
- Coloring books or free drawing ⏰
- DIY painting with cotton swabs ⏰
- Bubble painting with bubble solution and food coloring ⏰⏰
- DIY sandpaper art ⏰⏰
- Paint rocks for a rock garden ⏰⏰
- Paper plate crafts ⏰
- Paper airplane making and flying ⏰
- Paper plate masks ⏰⏰
- DIY cardboard crafts ⏰⏰
- Fence painting with water ⏰ (surprisingly entertaining!)
- DIY painting with cotton swabs ⏰⏰
💡 Pro tip: Keep a dedicated art bin stocked with washable paints, brushes, paper, painter's tape and smocks. Add toilet paper rolls, packing paper, or anything that can be used as a 'crafting' material down the road.
🏃 Physical & Active Play
When the energy levels are sky-high and you need to burn off some steam:
- Dance party in the living room ⏰
- Play with balloons ⏰ (keep track of them so there's no choking hazard afterward.)
- Obstacle course around the house ⏰⏰
- "Simon Says" or "Red Light, Green Light" ⏰
- Hide and seek ⏰
- Play hopscotch indoors ⏰
- Indoor treasure hunt ⏰⏰
- Parachute play with a sheet or blanket ⏰
- Play with bubbles ⏰
- Build a fort with blankets and pillows (works outdoors too) ⏰⏰
💡 Toddler truth: A "dance party" is just you playing music while they run in circles. And yes, it counts as an activity.
🧩 Sensory & Learning Activities
These activities engage their developing minds and senses (and tend to keep them locked in for a bit):
- Sensory bins (rice, beans, water beads) ⏰⏰
- Play with sand or kinetic sand ⏰
- Water play in a tub or water table ⏰
- DIY sensory board ⏰⏰🔨
- DIY sensory bottles ⏰⏰🔨
- DIY sensory bags ⏰⏰
- Play with magnetic letters or numbers ⏰
- Color sorting with household objects ⏰
- Sorting and matching games ⏰
- Play with stacking cups or blocks ⏰
- Play with stacking rings ⏰
- Shape puzzles ⏰
- "I Spy" game ⏰
- Make homemade playdough ⏰⏰🔨
- DIY slime making ⏰⏰🔨
- Kitchen experiments (baking, mixing colors) ⏰⏰
💡 Note: Sensory bins are messy. But they buy you 15-20 minutes of focused play, which in toddler time is basically a vacation.
🎭 Pretend & Imaginative Play
Let their imaginations run wild with these creative scenarios:
- Shadow puppet show ⏰
- DIY puppet theatre ⏰⏰🔨
- DIY sock puppets ⏰⏰
- Play with dolls or action figures ⏰
- Play dress-up with recycled materials ⏰
- Pretend fashion show with dress-up clothes ⏰
- Tea party with stuffed animals ⏰
- Picnic in the backyard or living room ⏰
- Play with toy animals and create a zoo ⏰
- Play with toy dinosaurs in a sensory bin ⏰
- Play with a toy doctor set (give check-ups to stuffed animals) ⏰
- Play with a toy tool bench (fix things around the house) ⏰
- Play with a toy cash register (pretend store) ⏰
- Play with a toy camping set (indoor camping adventure) ⏰
- DIY photo booth with props ⏰⏰
- Paper plate masquerade ball ⏰⏰
- Storytime or book reading ⏰
- Duplo or Lego building ⏰
- Play with a train set ⏰
- Play with magnetic tiles ⏰
💡 Note: Toy rotation or packing away the Duplo for a specific time makes it feel special and kids are more likely to stick with it while, oh, I don't know, you can actually drink your coffee hot.
🌳 Outdoor Adventures
Fresh air activities that get them exploring and so it's not like the Shining the winter months:
- Outdoor scavenger hunt for nature items ⏰⏰
- Plant seeds or small plants ⏰⏰
- Play in a kiddie pool ⏰
- Feeding pigeons ⏰
- Toy car wash station ⏰⏰
- Sidewalk art (dry or wet) ⏰
- Snow painting ⏰
- Water balloon toss ⏰
💡 Keep a "nature collection box" by the door for rocks, leaves, and sticks they insist on bringing home. It contains the chaos.
🔨 DIY Projects That Keep Giving
These require some setup time but provide extended play value:
- DIY marble run ⏰⏰🔨
- DIY mini golf course ⏰⏰🔨
- DIY cardboard castle ⏰⏰🔨
- DIY cardboard car for pretend driving ⏰⏰🔨
- DIY felt board ⏰⏰🔨
- DIY ramp for toy car races ⏰⏰🔨
- Make homemade musical instruments ⏰⏰🔨
- DIY musical instruments with household items ⏰⏰🔨
- Play with cardboard boxes ⏰ (the ultimate free toy)
- Create a DIY obstacle course ⏰⏰
- Treasure hunt with clues around the house ⏰⏰
What to Keep Stocked for Easy Activity Access
Based on this list, here are the supplies that give you the most activity options:
- Washable paints and brushes
- Construction paper and cardboard
- Playdough (store-bought or homemade)
- Rice, beans, or water beads for sensory bins (be mindful of age and choking risks)
- Building blocks or Duplo/Lego
- Dress-up clothes and accessories (Thrift stores are gold for this)
- Bubbles and bubble solution
What Would You Add?
I've tried to keep this list cost-effective and relatively safe, but feel free to bust out the ponies and pillow fights if that works at your house. The list of things to do with toddlers is truly as endless as their energy supply.
What creative activities have worked at your house? Leave them in the comments below and I'll add them to the list!
Also check out: Games To Play With Your Toddler When You're Tired AF
About Amy Morrison
Amy Morrison is the founder of Pregnant Chicken, where she's been writing about pregnancy and parenthood since 2010. As a mom of two energetic boys, she's tested more toddler activities than she can count (and thinks glitter is the devil). Her approach to parenting advice is refreshingly honest: no Pinterest-perfect promises, just real solutions that work for real families.
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