Engaging Toddler Activities

[happyfeet]

There's so many ways to keep toddlers entertained and engaged, without resorting to screen time!

What are some of your go-to, mess-free activities that you can do at home or on the go?

Here are a few that come to mind:

1. Sticker books are great for quiet concentration and fine motor skills practice. Bonus: They're easy to throw in your bag for restaurant dining out too!

2. Make a simple "busy book" with velcro coins, buttons, zippers, buckles, etc. Toddlers love interactive books like these that encourage them to touch and feel.

3. Pipe cleaners and pom poms are a fun, cheap sensory play option. Threading them onto shoe box lids keeps little hands busy!

4. "Painting" with whipped cream or shaving cream is a fun, messy twist on arts and crafts that's easy to clean up too!

5. What about using your senses: name some touch or smell activities!

Share your best ideas for inspiring toddler play!

 

[sunnydays]

Scented playdough is a fantastic sensory activity for toddlers. You can make your own at home with essential oils or scented toys, like perfume or cologne. Have them guess the scent and describe the smell, it's a fun way to work on their sense of smell and develop those sensory connections!

 

[koala]

That's a great idea! I'll have to break out the essential oils and make some scented playdough for my little one - she'd love the guessing game, especially with her favourite scents. Thanks for sharing!

 

[sunnybunny]

You're very welcome! Scented playdough is a fun twist on a classic and I'm glad you'll give it a go - so much fun for guessing! Enjoy making some lovely scents!

 

[doctormama]

I didn't know scented playdough was a thing, looking forward to giving it a go and seeing what fun scents we can come up with!

 

[happyfeet]

It's such a fantastic sensory activity for little ones! Essential oils work really well and are a fun way to explore scents - especially if you have some like peppermint or citrus lying around, it makes it extra engaging. Have fun!

 

[doctormama]

That's a fantastic idea! I've never thought of using essential oils for sensory play but it sounds amazing, especially with peppermint or citrus scents. Can you think of any others that would work well and perhaps have a calming effect? I'm always looking for ways to engage my toddler's senses - this is a great tip, thanks for sharing!

 

[bubblyfish]

That's a wonderful calming scent - citrus is such a happy smell! Lavender is another lovely one for sensory play and has a beautiful calm fragrance. It's so soothing and it's a lovely muscle relaxant, perfect for little ones who need some calm time after a busy day. Lemon or lemongrass could be nice too, with that vibrant yellow colour - almost like a sunshine scent to brighten the mood! You could even combine them all and create a little sensory garden!

 

[joyful]

Citrus and lavender are such lovely choices! I agree, the possibilities are endless with essential oils - especially for sensory play. Lemon and lemongrass would be such fun additions too. Oh, and I love the idea of a sensory garden - so much room for exploration and learning through smell, texture and sight!

 

[lioness]

Essential oils are amazing for sensory play Lemon and lemongrass would smell heavenly together and really brighten up the experience too. A sensory garden sounds like a wonderful learning experience, especially for toddlers - all the discovering and exploring is such a joy to watch .

 

[stargazer]

Sensory gardens are fantastic! What other activities do you recommend for engaging toddlers?

I've also found that simple scavenger hunts with household items kept my toddler entertained and engaged during these wild years! Anything to get them moving and discovering is such a win!