Easy Activities For Curious Toddlers 

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Keeping a curious toddler busy can be challenging, especially if you are trying to homeschool older children! While screen time can be an option, sometimes we prefer something more hands-on to keep those little ones learning and exploring. The following activities are ones I have used with my kids. They were sometimes big hits; other times, the kids were more interested in something else. It depends on your child’s temperament, personality, and feelings that day. Let’s take a look at the following activities for toddlers below. 

Coffee-Can Sorter

The first activity to try is a DIY coffee-can shape sorter. I used this one for Miss L about a year ago, and I was surprised at how much she enjoyed it. Ensuring the holes are big enough and the edges are not sharp after cutting is very important. Toddlers will put their hands in everything. You need the following materials: 

Materials

1. A used and clean coffee container
2. Scissors or box knife
3. Puff balls 
4. Pipe cleaners

Instructions

1. First, gather all your materials to make this a very easy DIY sorter. Next, clean the coffee can container and dry it off. 
2. Take the lid of the coffee container and cut holes in it. Ensure the holes are big enough and not sharp for little fingers! 
3. Place the lid back on the container and give your child the pipe cleaners and puff balls to place inside the sorter! Easy-peasy, and for some toddlers, it can provide lots of fun!

Disclaimer: Please supervise young toddlers playing with small materials like puff balls and pipe cleaners. These can be choking hazards. 

Moonsand

Making your own moon sand can be fun and easy! You most likely have materials on hand. One of my kids’ favorite things to do with moon sand is to put their play figurines or animals in it and use their imagination. 

Materials

1. Flour, any type, will work; I used almond flour because that’s what I had on hand.
2. Canola oil
3. Food dye (we used green, but you can use any type you want)

Instructions

1. Mix the flour and canola oil and heat the mixture for 20-30 seconds. I eyeballed the measurements; you’ll want the consistency to be malleable. Feel free to experiment and add more flour or oil if it’s different from what you want. 
2. Once the mixture is done, mix in the food dye until the flour is completely covered. It may help to pour the mixture into a large ziplock bag with the food dye and then mix. 
3. When the mixture is cool enough, give it to your toddler and let their imaginations run wild! 

Popsicle Ice Painting 

Popsicle ice painting is also a super easy DIY project that kids of all ages love. You will need the following:

Materials

1. Water
2. Paint
3. Popsicle sticks
4. Ice trays

Instructions

1. Mix the paint and water and pour into the ice tray holes. 
2. Place in the freezer until slightly frozen.
3. Then, pull out to stick popsicle sticks in each ice tray hole. 
4. Freeze completely. 
5. Once the paint sticks are ready, give your child some white paper and let them paint away. 
6. This activity is a great one to do outside! 

Beach Sensory Bin 

One day several years ago, it was raining outside, and my child didn’t know what to do. She kept saying she wished she was at the beach. So I made her a beach of her own. It wasn’t as good as the real beach, but she was happy. If you have regular play sand lying around, a large tube, and water, this activity is easy to make! 

Materials

1. Play sand
2. Water
3. A large tub
4. ocean animals (optional)
5. Blue food dye

Instructions

1. I first placed some play sand on the side of a large tub/bin. It covered about half of the tub, and I made it slope down so the water could come up over the sand. 
2. Next, in a separate bowl, dye some water with the blue food dye. This option is optional. However, the blue dye gave a fun, real ocean vibe. 
3. Then, pour the water into the bin and use as much as you want; I filled it about halfway until it was evenly covering the top of the sand. 
4. Lastly, give your child some ocean animals, and let them play away! 

Colorful Spaghetti Noodles 

I have noticed with my children that this activity is a hit or miss. If your child loves sensory activities, they may enjoy playing and squishing these spaghetti noodles. Other times, I have found my kids play with it for a couple of minutes, and they are done—especially my child, who prefers not to touch slimy things. However, the colors are fun and an excellent option for those adventurous souls! 

Some fun options are to hide different toys or even ABC or letter magnets in the spaghetti and let your child find them. 

Materials

1. Spaghetti Noodles
2. Paint or food dye (food dye is a better option if your child likes to put things in their mouth)
3. Wax paper
4. Cooking Sheets
5. A bin or tube
6. Large plastic ziplock bags

Instructions

1. The first thing you do is cook the spaghetti noodles.
2. Next, allow the noodles to cool.
3. Then, separate the noodles into several different ziplock bags depending on how many different colors you are using. 
4. In each bag, place drops of paint (you do not need much for this step! I over-saturated some of them.) Mix the paint and noodles until the desired color has been reached. Another option is to use food dye; we didn’t do this, so a few drops of vinegar may help the food dye stick. 
5. Place wax paper on a few different cooking sheets and spread the noodles, taking them out of the bag and giving them time to dry. This step may take a couple of hours, depending on what type of paint and dye you use and how much you use.
6. Once the noodles are dry, place them in a tub or bin, and let your toddler play! 

More Fun Activities For Kids

Coming up with activities for your kids may seem daunting. If you have time to prep, it can be manageable. But there are so many easy and cheap options out there! Here are some fun activities we have enjoyed through the years.

Paper Plate Animals

Some of our favorite activities have been creating paper plate crafts. From lions to frogs, many easy and cheap ways exist to create these fun paper plate crafts. We buy many of our materials at Dollar Tree and then use what we have. Check out some of our favorites below:

1. Paper Plate Moon
2. Paper Plate Rainbow
3. Paper Plate Zebra
4. Paper Plate Lion
5. Paper Plate Snake

Invitation to Create Trays

When I’m busy and want to give my children something fun and creative to do, or if I see they just need to stretch their imaginations, these trays work great. I bought the trays at Dollar Tree, and honestly, you can use whatever you have on hand. All you do is gather some of their favorite materials, place them on the tray, and viola! We have used materials like Play-Doh, googly eyes, paper scraps, paper plates, cotton balls, puffballs, and more. Below are some fun ideas and suggestions to help get your creative juices flowing. 

Fun Snack Ideas

One of our favorite things is adding creativity to our snacks and meals! This works great when we are focusing on different unit studies. Take a look below at some of our fun past ideas.

1. Mummy Rice Krispy Treats 
2. Butterfly Snack
3. Paintbrush Rice Krispy Treats
4. Peanut butter and Apple Butterfly
5. Animal Track Snacks
6. Ocean Snack Ideas For Kids

Follow me on Instagram for more ideas and fun activities to do with your toddlers and big kids!