Any busy mom knows that self-guided toddler activities are a lifesaver. If you’ve ever made dinner while your toddler stacked the tupperware or gone shopping as your little one played with toys in the cart, you’ve experienced this magic. Self-guided activities are an important part of your baby’s growth and development. They’re also a great opportunity to squeeze some studying into your day! Explore these safe, fun, and age-appropriate self-guided toddler activities whenever you need a few minutes to work.
Sensory Play For Toddlers
Sensory play helps your toddler develop their senses: taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound. Games that work on balance and spatial awareness are also part of sensory self-guided toddler activities.
Why Is Sensory Play Important For Toddlers?
Sensory play is hugely powerful in your child’s life. Toddlers who play sensory games learn about physical objects, themselves, and the world. Sensory play encourages children to explore objects, see what their bodies and do, and figure out how the world works.
Think about the last time your children saw something for the first time. Maybe it was a banana, a kitten, a leaf, a coat, or anything else. What did they do with this new object? Toddlers are hugely curious. Your baby probably wanted to touch their new discovery, pick it up, squeeze it, carry it around, see what noises it makes, and maybe even taste it. All of these actions help your toddler learn about the world.
Sensory play recreates these opportunities to learn: plus, toddlers find it fascinating. Explore some easy ways to add sensory play to your day.
Clay And Play-Doh For Toddlers
Play-Doh is a classic for a reason. Kids love to squish, sniff, play, and build with this soft modeling clay. Play-Doh is perfect for sensory play because it encourage toddlers to use sight, touch, and smell. Make homemade, edible dough to add tasting to the mix. The next time you need to work with your toddler, just bring out the Play-Doh. Your toddler will be busy exploring while you study.
Self-Guided Toddler Activities Using Water Toys
Playing with water is endlessly fascinating. Most children love splashing in the bathtub or playing in puddles because it offers so many new experiences. Water has unique sights, sounds, and textures. You can add food coloring or flavoring extracts to give it a taste and color, too.
There are lots of ways for your child to learn about water. Bath toys are a great idea. If your little one plays independently in the tub, you can get some work done while watching them. Other ways to explore water include filling up a kiddie pool in the backyard, playing with ice cubes on a plate, pouring water from glasses or measuring cups, and lots more.
(This goes without saying, but always keep a close eye on your child during water play to avoid the risk of drowning.)
Texture Play For Toddlers
Toddlers love textures! Whether something is fuzzy, furry, sticky, ruffled, smooth, slick, or any other texture, little ones want to find out what’s going on. Exploring textures helps toddlers build fine motor skills, learn about colors, make comparisons, and more.
You can probably put together a texture sensory station using things around the house. Your closet is a good place to start. Look for silky tops, soft flannel, fuzzy sweaters, rugged denim jeans, smooth shoes, and other contrasts. Then let your child explore the different textures. Try this activity on the bed, away from anything that could stain, to make sure nothing happens to your clothes!
The great outdoors also offers endless textures to explore. Your toddler can explore fallen leaves in the fall, soft grass in the spring, and even snow in the winter. Take your study materials outside and hang out with your little one while they enjoy natural self-guided toddler activities.
Art For Toddlers
Drawing, coloring, painting, scribbling, and many other types of art are perfect activities for toddlers. Your little one can make art from things around the house, use child-safe art supplies, or even a mix of both.
Why Are Artistic Self-Guided Toddler Activities Important?
Children are natural artists. It’s never too early for your baby to start making art! Toddlers get many benefits from art like motor skills, self-esteem, increased attention, symbolic thought, and more.
Making art helps children learn to use their bodies and minds. Your child is building their hand-eye coordination and motor skills as they figure out how to use crayons, paintbrushes, and other tools. Art is a fun way to learn colors, plus it teaches children how symbols work. A yellow blob in a painting isn’t actually the sun, but art helps children make symbolic connections that will eventually help them learn to read.
Finally, making art gives children an amazing confidence boost! Encourage your child to showcase their personality and perspective through art. Talking about their artwork and proudly displaying it in the house will help your toddler benefit even more.
Check out some of our favorite art activities the next time you need to study with your toddler.
Coloring Books For Toddlers
Coloring books or pages are a great way to keep toddlers busy. We love coloring books because they’re portable and easy to use almost anywhere. On-the-go self-guided toddler activities can be a lifesaver. Add a coloring book and a few crayons to your mom bag to entertain your little one wherever you go.
Does your toddler have a favorite movie or TV character? You can find coloring books with most popular children’s characters. These products are a fun way to support your child’s interests.
There’s no right or wrong way to use a coloring book. Scribbling all over the page is completely normal for toddlers. Children need to build their hand, arm, and shoulder muscles before they have full control over a crayon or marker. Give your child full artistic license to color however they’d like. Going outside the lines and making wacky color choices are all part of the fun.
Chalk Games For Toddlers
It’s easy to make art an outdoor activity when you have chalk. Look for large outdoor chalk sets with bulky pieces that are easy for toddlers to hold. Drawing on the ground is a classic choice. Your child can draw on the sidewalk or driveway while you study next to them.
Want more options? Chalk is a washable material, so there are lots of surfaces to explore. Try decorating the sides of your house or apartment for a fun change of pace. Fences are another interesting option. Once your child is finished, you can wait for the next rain to wash away their work. Rinsing chalk away with a hose or bucket is another interesting way to keep your toddler busy.
Getting Messy With Toddlers
Making a mess can be part of the artistic process. If your toddler loves smushing paint between her fingers or trying to color his bedroom wall, this is all part of the normal learning process. Small children want to explore everything around them and see what happens. Luckily, you can encourage this exploration without ruining your house or losing your deposit.
First, pick someplace that’s easy to clean. The bathtub or outside in the grass are two common choices. You can also put a shower curtain or vinyl tablecloth on the floor to keep it clean. Next, choose supplies that make a big mess! Paint is a great choice because kids love to spread it around. Look for children’s watercolors or poster paints that are easy to clean and non-toxic.
Dress your toddler in clothes they can get dirty—or go without clothes for less to clean up. Then, it’s time to get messy. Your baby will have endless fun playing with paint, giving you a good chance to get things done.
Imaginative Play For Toddlers
Imaginative play lets children explore the world and society in a safe, non-threatening way. Toddlers love playing with friends, siblings, parents, and other loved ones, but solo play also helps them learn.
Why Is Pretend Play Important For Toddlers?
Imaginative play, pretending, and playing alone or with others might look like fun, but it’s one of the most important parts of your toddler’s life. Children are practicing real-world situations when they pretend. Imaginative play helps kids learn rules, know what to expect in different situations, and start to regulate their emotions.
Think about times you’ve seen your toddler playing: you’ve probably seen them repeat situations from their life while they were pretending. Children rehash real situations in play to make sense of what happened. Toddlers who get stuffed animals ready for bed or feed pets a pretend meal are practicing normal parts of their routine. This type of imaginative play helps little ones understand their lives.
Children also re-enact unusual events, including both fun and unpleasant activities. Your toddler might throw a party for their favorite toy around a family member’s birthday, or give it a dose of yucky medicine after they were sick. Pretending puts your child in control of the situation. This gives toddlers a safe way to navigate big life events.
Your child’s imagination is the most important tool they need for playing! However, you can also provide some toys, props, and tools to make their games come to life. Explore some amazing options to support pretend play.
Dress Up Activities For Toddlers
Toddlers love to pretend they’re grown-ups. Little ones pretend to be people they know, like their parents, grandparents, teachers, and other adults in their lives. They pretend to have different jobs, like dancers, astronauts, doctors, pilots, and more. Being an imaginary animal is also a favorite toddler game.
Costumes and dress-up options help children explore who they want to be when they grow up. Hats and other accessories let your toddler imagine they’re someone else. A firefighter’s helmet, police badge, doctor’s stethoscope, or athlete’s jersey helps a pretend situation come to life. You can also look for animal ear headbands, fabric wings, and tie-on tails to make animal games feel realistic. These delightful details enrich self-guided toddler activities like playing pretend.
Open-Ended Toys For Self-Guided Toddler Activities
If you’ve ever given your kid a new toy and they ignored it to play with the package, you know that toddlers love boxes. Your little one isn’t picky, a minimalist, or ungrateful when they pick boxes over presents. They like the box because it can be anything.
A box has endless potential. It can be a house, a car, a bed, a boat, a table, a store, an elephant, a spaceship, and so much more. Toddlers gravitate to boxes and other open-ended toys because they fit with any game.
Open-ended toys are easy to find around the house. Your toddler might have already claimed things like boxes, large bowls, pillows, scarves, and blankets for their games. When you’re buying toys, look for items that don’t have one set purpose. Blocks and dolls are classic toys because they can be used in endless games. Other amazing open-ended toys that make it easy to work with a toddler include train tracks, balls, and stuffed animals.
Toddler-Sized Versions Of Your Favorite Things
Toddlers like to pretend to be grownups. Even better, they like pretending to be their favorite grownup: you! Little children love their parents, grandparents, and the other adults in their lives. They want to do the things they see you doing. You can encourage these pretend games with child-size accessories to match.
Toy kitchen and workbench playsets are a great way for your child to mimic your routine. Making dinner or fixing things around the house might seem like a chore to you, but your toddler can’t wait until they’re big enough for these activities. You can also look for child-sized versions of your favorite hobbies. Toy cameras, mini sports equipment, small backpacks, and other tiny tools help your toddler pretend to be you.
Mirroring For Toddlers
When toddlers mirror or mimic, they’re busy doing the same thing as the adults around them. Mirroring can include pretending to put on makeup while you’re getting ready, talking into a block when you’re on the phone, stirring an empty pot while you cook, and lots more.
Why Is Mirroring Important For Toddlers?
Remember that toddlers love pretending to be grownups. Mirroring is one of the self-guided toddler activities your child probably does on their own, without any encouragement from you. This type of play helps little ones learn about the people around them. Pretending to be a doctor or a dancer lets children imagine what they can do as an adult. It also helps them understand more about the world they live in.
Mirroring is like a super-charged version of pretending to be a grownup. When kids mirror their moms and other caregivers, they’re copying what you do while you do it. Toddlers build their self-esteem, learn useful skills, improve hand-eye coordination, and enjoy many other benefits.
Check out some easy strategies help you work with your toddler.
Special Study Materials For Self-Guided Toddler Activities
Make your child their own special study kit to help them stay busy. Fill a child-sized backpack with age-appropriate versions of your school supplies. Think picture books instead of textbooks, coloring pages instead of notes, crayons instead of pens, and more.
Make Studying A Special Occasion With Your Toddler
Create a fun environment for your child when you’re studying. Only bring out their study toys whenever you need to get some work done. This makes the occasion feel like a treat instead of a chore. Take the experience even further by sharing a special snack or drink while you study.
Create Positive Associations
Your toddler will be happy “working” next to you when they have happy memories of this activity. Do your best to make studying a fun time for your little one. Your toddler will feel special to get to work with you and will look forward to doing it in the future.
References
Balk, S. J., & Etzel, R. A. (2020, December 15). Choosing safe art & craft supplies for children. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Choosing-Safe-Arts-and-Craft-Supplies.aspx
Cleveland Clinic. (2022, March 18). What is sensory play? The benefits for your child and sensory play ideas. HealthEssentials. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-sensory-play-ideas/
Yogman, M., Garner, A., Hutchinson, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., Baum, R., Gambon, T., Lavin, A., Mattson, G., Wissow, L., Hill, D. L., Ameenuddin, N., Chassiakos, Y. (L., Cross, C., Boyd, R., Mendelson, R., Moreno, M. A., Radesky, J., Swanson, W. S., … Smith, J. (2018). The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. Pediatrics, 142(3). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2058