toddler painting with watercolors

99 Toddler Friendly Non-Screen Time Activities

By Amy Morrison

Toddlers are pretty easy to entertain, but thinking of a variety of activities can be surprisingly hard.

When my kids were toddlers, my issue was less about elaborate activities and more about variety to hold their interest. So, I've set out to find as many boredom busters as possible that would hold a toddler's attention for more than five minutes (maybe 6 minutes but what are you going to do).

Some are more involved than others, but my thinking is that if you take a day to make the DIY puppet theatre, you might get a week of sitting for 10 or 15 minutes with a coffee on the couch while watching puppet shows. It's worth a shot, anyway.

Many are pretty self explanatory, but I've included links to some of the DIY versions to help you figure out what you'll need.

Non-Screen Activities to Keep a Toddler Busy  

  1. Indoor treasure hunt
  2. Arts and crafts (painting, coloring, drawing)
  3. Build a fort with blankets and pillows
  4. Dance party
  5. Make homemade musical instruments
  6. Sensory bins (rice, beans, water beads)
  7. Nature walk scavenger hunt
  8. Play with bubbles
  9. Play with dolls or action figures
  10. Water play (in a tub or with water table)
  11. Picnic in the backyard or living room
  12. Dress-up time
  13. Kitchen experiments (baking, mixing colors)
  14. Make a DIY sensory board
  15. Duplo or Lego building
  16. Storytime or book reading
  17. Play with cardboard boxes
  18. Build a race track for toy cars
  19. Play "Simon says" or "Red light, green light"
  20. Play with balloons
  21. Obstacle course around the house
  22. Puppet show
  23. Plant seeds or small plants
  24. Play with toy animals and create a zoo
  25. Play with sand or kinetic sand
  26. DIY paper plate crafts
  27. Play with magnetic letters or numbers
  28. Color sorting with objects around the house
  29. Make a homemade playdough
  30. Play with a train set
  31. Sorting and matching games
  32. Play with watercolors
  33. Play with stacking cups or blocks
  34. Play "I Spy"
  35. Play hide and seek
  36. DIY sensory bottles
  37. Toy car wash station
  38. Play in a kiddie pool
  39. Play dress-up with recycled materials
  40. Shadow puppet show
  41. Build a cardboard castle
  42. Play with toy dinosaurs in a sensory bin
  43. Paint rocks for a rock garden
  44. Water balloon toss
  45. Paper airplane making and flying
  46. Play with a dollhouse or doll set
  47. Make paper plate masks
  48. Have a tea party with stuffed animals
  49. Play with building blocks
  50. Blow bubbles with household items
  51. Make a DIY marble run
  52. Play with a toy kitchen set
  53. Create a DIY obstacle course
  54. Play with a parachute (sheet or blanket)
  55. Play with magnetic tiles
  56. Make a DIY mini golf course
  57. Play with a toy tool set
  58. Play hopscotch indoors
  59. Play with stacking rings
  60. Create a DIY felt board
  61. Play with a toy cash register
  62. DIY sensory bags
  63. Play with a doll stroller
  64. Make a DIY puppet theatre
  65. Play with a shape puzzle
  66. Play with a toy farm set
  67. DIY sock puppets
  68. Create a treasure hunt with clues around the house
  69. Play with a toy cash register and pretend to run a store
  70. Outdoor scavenger hunt for nature items
  71. Play with a toy construction set
  72. Have a pretend picnic indoors
  73. Play with a toy animal figurine set
  74. DIY painting with cotton swabs
  75. Play with a toy spaceship and have a space adventure
  76. Have a pretend fashion show with dress-up clothes
  77. Play with a toy tool bench and fix things around the house
  78. DIY slime making activity
  79. Play with a toy doctor set and give check-ups to stuffed animals
  80. Play with a toy dollhouse and act out different scenarios
  81. Make DIY musical instruments with household items
  82. Play with a toy superhero set and create a superhero story
  83. Have a dance party in the living room
  84. DIY bubble painting with bubble solution and food coloring
  85. Create a DIY cardboard car for pretend driving
  86. Play with a toy zoo animal set and create a zoo in the living room
  87. Create a DIY ramp for toy car races
  88. Play with a toy tea set and have a tea party
  89. Feeding pigeons
  90. DIY sandpaper art activity
  91. Play with a toy castle set and pretend to be knights and princesses
  92. Create a DIY photo booth with props for dress-up fun
  93. Play with a toy race track and have a race competition
  94. Play with a toy camping set and have an indoor camping adventure
  95. Create DIY paper plate masks and have a masquerade ball
  96. Play with a toy train set and build different track configurations
  97. Fence painting with water
  98. Dry or wet sidewalk art
  99. Snow painting

What Toddler Activities Would You Add?

Hopefully, this sparks some ideas. I've tried to keep the list fairly cost effective and relatively safe, but feel free to bust out the ponies and pillow fights if that's what works at your house!

The list of things to do with toddlers is as endless as their energy supply, but I would love to hear what creative ways you've kept them busy. Leave them in the comments below, and I'll add them!

Also check out: Games To Play With Your Toddler When You're Tired AF

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