18 Indoor Activities You Can Enjoy With Your Toddler at Home (And Have Fun!)

No, absolutely not. There are several reasons why you should avoid playing with your toddler all day:

Playing with little ones for 5-10 minutes a day is enough, according to CDC. You must put effort into that playtime, show enthusiasm and follow your child’s lead but don’t let your kid boss you around. If you can do it longer without burning yourself out, go for it.

Also, don’t think you're doing something wrong if you’re not paying your full attention to their every whim. Kids can and should play independently (or with their siblings and playmates), so encourage them to do so. Your main job is to supervise their safety while they enjoy their games.

The next question comes naturally.

There’s lots of stuff you two can do together to keep yourselves busy. Search for hidden objects, jump, paint, dance, and sing; the sky is your limit (or, in this case, the ceiling). 

The most important thing is that if you’re stuck at home, and have that valuable extra time to devote to your child’s indoor activities, try to make it as fun as possible for both of you.

Here are 23 games and learning activity ideas you can create and enjoy with your toddler at home.

Use paper or cards, adhesive tape, straws, crayons, or even watery paint. Cut out the animal's face shape and paint it together with your child. Even a simple design will do as long as you fill it out with exciting drawings and colors. Once you’re done, you can act out your favorite National Geographic documentary. 

This activity will boost your kid’s creativity, and they’ll also learn about wildlife. Of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to the wildlife theme. Let your child pick what they like the most. Toddlers have the best ideas.

Take some paper from your printer, a newspaper, or a magazine and crumble it to make a soft ball. Make sure you use enough to make a proper ball out of it. Arrange various targets around your house or shoot hoops with your toddler (for example, using a washing-up bowl as a hoop is a great idea). 

It’s also super fun for adults and an excellent activity for developing your toddler’s motor skills. You won’t break anything in the house since the paper “ball” is light. 

If you and your child are really ambitious, you can even practice counting by keeping score of your game. It all depends on your child's age, ability, and affinity. 

Some children enjoy being competitive and 'winning' a game, while others don't like that sort of play. Let your child choose what the game will be like, and enjoy your paper ball fun.

You can print out some of your family photos or images of your toddler’s favorite cartoon characters. You can even cut out pictures from magazines. Use a double-sided tape glue stick, and have your kid arrange them however they like on a big piece of paper. This is a great way to train your kid’s focus and attention to detail.

For this one, you’re going to need another playmate. It doesn't matter whether it’s another parent, a caregiver, another sibling, or a neighbor, as long as the children are having fun. 

The rules are simple - One of you leads by doing all sorts of silly acts (jumping around, spinning, sticking their tongues out, etc.), and the others have to follow. 

The traditional version of the game says the one who can’t follow what the leader does is out. Since you’re playing with a toddler, that’s not an option. Simply take turns in leading.

Use your toddler’s favorite building blocks or a toy like the Montessori Wooden Stones, and take turns stacking them on each other. See how far up you can go before a large piece of your construction falls apart.

Get your kid's favorite five toys and wrap them in some wrapping paper. Whatever you’ve got at hand works. Hand them over to your toddler individually and see if they can guess which is which. This can become a great fine motor activity if your toddler peels off the tape carefully while unwrapping it.

The good old classic. It’s suitable for all ages, especially toddlers who love active play. All you need to do is give instructions that your toddler can quickly understand and follow. Take turns and see what your kid’s got in store for you.

Get that old shoe box, cardboard rolls, toilet paper rolls, and everything else that can become a wagon. Use cardboard box packaging that toothpaste or deodorants come in. There’s a lot of other stuff that comes in similar, smaller cardboard boxes.

Connect those “wagons” with a knitting thread and make your toddler a train they can play with. Let your child paint it if they want to have an additional busy time with their new toy.

It’s a long-time favorite of numerous generations, toddlers included. Take turns hiding around the house looking for each other. Hide under the blanket, and once your toddler finds you - it’s cuddle time. Encourage your child to explore new places to hide and get creative.

This is the type of pastime a person can start while their child is still a toddler and continue doing until they’re gray and old. However, when your toddler first gets into puzzles, you should start with something simple, like the Montessori Happy Puzzles. 

Once your kids are older, you can explore 3D puzzles that are just brilliant and play with them together. If your child lets you, of course.

Besides these play ideas with your child, remember there's nothing wrong with simply offering kids educative toys to play with and have fun on their own. Remember that your toddler has much more energy for play than you do.

Pace yourself but make sure you two fill your day with quality time and that your toddler learns something new in your every play session. If you have any further questions or suggestions on how to play with toddlers at home, write to us at info@montessorigeneration.com.