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Safety first: Always supervise little ones, and skip small parts for kids who still put things in their mouths. Please read our play safety notes before you start.
Key takeaways
- Match the activity to the energy: move first, then busy hands, then calm.
- Most of these 31 ideas take 5 minutes or less to set up.
- For kids who still mouth toys, skip anything small enough to fit in a toilet paper tube.
- Use balls bigger than 1.75 inches across for under 3s. Smaller balls are a choking risk.
- Rotate 3 or 4 ideas a day instead of pulling out everything at once.
In this post40 sections
- How to pick the right indoor activity for your toddler
- Big energy: gross motor indoor activities for toddlers
- 1. Pillow stepping stones
- 2. Hallway water bottle bowling
- 3. Pool noodle hurdles
- 4. Bubble wrap stomp road
- 5. Chair tunnel crawl
- 6. Laundry basket ball pit
- 7. Bean bag bucket toss
- 8. Tape line balance beam
- 9. Paper plate color hop
- Busy hands: indoor activities for toddlers that hold attention
- 10. Sticky note peel and stick
- 11. Cardboard box coloring house
- 12. Magnetic tile towers
- 13. Rigatoni threading tower
- 14. Clothespin box rim
- 15. Crayon texture rubbings
- 16. Cardboard ramp car races
- 17. Paper tearing basket
- Calm down: quiet indoor play for the afternoon slump
- 18. Laundry basket book boat
- 19. Audiobook picnic
- 20. Feely bag guessing game
- 21. Belly breathing buddy
- 22. Raindrop race at the window
- 23. Family photo book chat
- Indoor activities for toddlers under 2
- 24. A yes cupboard
- 25. Ball roll back and forth
- 26. Hide it under a cup
- 27. Couch cruising line-up
- Daycare and playgroup indoor activities for a group of toddlers
- 28. Marching band parade
- 29. Red light, green light with paper
- 30. Pass the bean bag song
- 31. Group floor mural
- Bonus: a full rainy day plan for toddlers
- Supplies worth having for indoor days
- FAQ
How to pick the right indoor activity for your toddler
Look at your toddler before you look at the list. A child who is climbing the bookshelf needs to move, not sit with a puzzle. A child who is whiny and rubbing their eyes needs something slow.
| What you see | What they need | Try |
|---|---|---|
| Running laps, climbing furniture | Big movement | Ideas 1 to 9 |
| Restless but able to sit for a minute | Busy hands | Ideas 10 to 17 |
| Whiny, clingy, late afternoon | Calm and close | Ideas 18 to 23 |
| Baby or young toddler under 2 | Simple cause and effect | Ideas 24 to 27 |
| A room full of toddlers | Group games | Ideas 28 to 31 |
If you want ideas sorted by age instead, our toddler activities at home by age list has 50 more. For snowy days, see the winter activities for toddlers list.
Big energy: gross motor indoor activities for toddlers
Do one of these first thing on a stuck-inside day. Fifteen minutes of climbing, kicking and hopping makes the rest of the morning easier.
1Pillow stepping stones
Spread couch pillows across the rug a small step apart. Your toddler steps from pillow to pillow without touching the floor. Move them closer for younger kids and farther apart for 3 year olds.
Ages: 2 to 3.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: couch pillows, floor cushions.
Safety: no small parts. Use a rug, not a slippery wood floor, so pillows do not slide. Stay close to catch wobbles.
2Hallway water bottle bowling
Stand 6 empty water bottles at the end of a hallway. Roll a soft ball and knock them down. Toddlers love setting the pins back up almost as much as knocking them over.
Ages: 18 months to 3.
Prep: 3 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: empty plastic bottles with caps on, a soft ball, painter's tape for a start line.
Safety: take off loose labels and keep caps screwed on or remove them, since bottle caps are a choking size. Use a foam ball, not a hard one.
- Add an inch of water to each bottle for 3 year olds so the pins are harder to knock down.
3Pool noodle hurdles
Lay pool noodles across two stacks of board books to make hurdles just a few inches high. Toddlers step over, jump over or crawl under. Line up three for a mini course.
Ages: 2 to 3.
Prep: 3 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: pool noodles, books or blocks to rest them on.
Safety: keep hurdles low (ankle height). If you cut the noodles, toss the crumbly bits so they do not get chewed.
4Bubble wrap stomp road
Tape a long strip of bubble wrap to a hard floor. Your toddler stomps, marches, tiptoes and jumps down the road to hear the pops. Drive toy cars over it next.
Ages: 1 to 3.
Prep: 3 minutes.
Mess: low: popped plastic.
Supplies: large-bubble packing wrap, painter's tape.
Safety: plastic film is not for mouthing. Stay close, and roll it up and put it away as soon as play ends.
Start lines, balance beams and bubble wrap roads that peel off floors cleanly.
5Chair tunnel crawl
Line up 3 or 4 kitchen chairs and drape a sheet over the tops. Toddlers crawl through the tunnel to find a stuffed animal waiting at the end.
Ages: 1 to 3.
Prep: 3 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: kitchen chairs, a large sheet, a stuffed animal.
Safety: use heavy, stable chairs and push them together so they do not tip. Do not let toddlers climb on top.
Folds flat and gives crawlers a tunnel without moving the chairs.
6Laundry basket ball pit
Fill a laundry basket with ball pit balls and let your toddler climb in, dump them out and toss them back. It is a great place to burn off energy in a small apartment.
Ages: 1 to 3.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: low: balls everywhere.
Supplies: a laundry basket, ball pit balls.
Safety: the CPSC bans balls 1.75 inches across or smaller for children under 3, so use bigger balls (about 2.5 inches). Stay close while they climb in and out.
Big enough for under 3s and turns a laundry basket into a ball pit.
7Bean bag bucket toss
Set out three buckets or bowls at different distances. Toss bean bags in. Count each one that lands, or call a color and toss to that bucket.
Ages: 2 to 3.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: bean bags or rolled socks, buckets or bowls.
Safety: use store-bought bean bags that are sewn shut. Homemade ones can split and spill beans, which are a choking hazard.
Soft to throw indoors and stitched shut, unlike homemade ones that can leak.
8Tape line balance beam
Put a long, straight line of painter's tape on the floor, then a zigzag one. Walk it heel to toe like a balance beam, then sideways, then backwards.
Ages: 18 months to 3.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: painter's tape.
Safety: no small parts. Pull the tape up the same day so torn bits do not end up in mouths.
9Paper plate color hop
Color paper plates red, blue, yellow and green and tape them to the floor. Call out a color and your toddler runs or hops to it. Add animal moves for 3 year olds: hop like a frog to blue.
Ages: 2 to 3.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: paper plates, crayons or markers, painter's tape.
Safety: tape the plates down well so they do not slide on hard floors.
Busy hands: indoor activities for toddlers that hold attention
These work after a big-movement game, when your toddler is ready to sit for 10 or 15 minutes. Most practice fine motor skills too. See our fine motor activities for toddlers for more.
10Sticky note peel and stick
Stick 20 sticky notes on a door or wall at toddler height. Your toddler peels them off and moves them onto a sheet of paper taped lower down. Older kids can sort them by color.
Ages: 18 months to 3.
Prep: 3 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: sticky notes, a sheet of paper, tape.
Safety: paper is not food. Watch toddlers who chew, and pick up every note when you are done.
11Cardboard box coloring house
Cut a door in a big box and drop a basket of crayons inside. Toddlers climb in and color the walls from the inside and out. It turns into a playhouse when the coloring is done.
Ages: 18 months to 3.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low: crayon on cardboard.
Supplies: a large box, chunky crayons.
Safety: grown-ups do the cutting. Remove staples and packing tape before play.
Thick and hard to snap, so small hands can grip them.
12Magnetic tile towers
Hand over a set of magnetic tiles and build flat squares, then walls, then towers. Toddlers mostly love snapping two tiles together and pulling them apart, and that counts.
Ages: 2 to 3.
Prep: 1 minute.
Mess: low.
Supplies: magnetic building tiles.
Safety: check tiles for cracks. If a tile breaks, throw it out, because swallowed magnets can cause serious injury.
Big, flat pieces toddlers can stack, and they get years of play.
13Rigatoni threading tower
Stand a paper towel holder on the table and set out a bowl of dry rigatoni. Your toddler slides the tubes onto the pole until it is full. Big tubes are easier to grab than penne.
Ages: 2 to 3.
Prep: 1 minute.
Mess: low.
Supplies: an upright paper towel holder, dry rigatoni.
Safety: dry pasta is a choking risk. Sit with your toddler the whole time and skip it for kids who still put things in their mouth.
14Clothespin box rim
Show your toddler how to pinch a clothespin open and clip it onto the edge of a shoebox. Fill the whole rim. This is hard work for little fingers, so expect help at first.
Ages: 2.5 to 3.
Prep: 1 minute.
Mess: none.
Supplies: wooden clothespins, a shoebox or paper plate.
Safety: clothespins can pinch fingers. Use the big spring kind, not mini craft pins, which are a choking size.
15Crayon texture rubbings
Lay thin paper over something bumpy, like a doormat, a big leaf or bubble wrap. Rub the side of a peeled crayon over it and watch the pattern show up.
Ages: 2.5 to 3.
Prep: 3 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: printer paper, peeled chunky crayons, bumpy things from around the house.
Safety: skip coins and small objects as rubbing items for under 3s. Tape the paper down so it does not slide.
16Cardboard ramp car races
Prop a long piece of cardboard on the couch to make a ramp. Line up toy cars at the top and let them go. Tape lanes on the ramp and race two at a time.
Ages: 18 months to 3.
Prep: 3 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a flat piece of cardboard, chunky toy cars, tape.
Safety: use chunky cars without small removable parts for under 3s.
17Paper tearing basket
Fill a basket with junk mail, tissue paper and old magazines. Toddlers tear it into strips and stuff it into a box. It sounds silly, but tearing is great hand work.
Ages: 18 months to 2.5.
Prep: 1 minute.
Mess: medium: paper scraps.
Supplies: scrap paper, a basket, an empty box.
Safety: remove plastic windows, staples and glossy inserts. Watch for paper chewing.
Calm down: quiet indoor play for the afternoon slump
Use these in the late afternoon or after a meltdown. They work best with you nearby. For a longer daily rest block, see how to start quiet time for toddlers.
18Laundry basket book boat
Line a laundry basket with a blanket and a pillow and call it a boat. Add board books and a stuffed animal. Your toddler sails away and reads.
Ages: 1 to 3.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a laundry basket, a blanket, board books.
Safety: keep it on the floor. Do not let toddlers stand up in the basket.
19Audiobook picnic
Spread a blanket, add a snack and play a short audiobook or songs. Toddlers lie down, listen and look at the matching picture book if you have it.
Ages: 2 to 3.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: a blanket, a speaker or audio player, a snack.
Safety: pick snacks safe for toddlers, cut small and soft. Seated eating only.
20Feely bag guessing game
Put 4 or 5 familiar things in a pillowcase: a sock, a spoon, a ball, a toy car. Your toddler reaches in, feels one and guesses before pulling it out.
Ages: 2.5 to 3.
Prep: 3 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a pillowcase, 4 or 5 everyday objects.
Safety: only use objects too big to swallow. Nothing sharp or breakable.
21Belly breathing buddy
Your toddler lies on their back with a stuffed animal on their tummy. Breathe in slowly to lift the animal up, breathe out to bring it down. Do 5 slow breaths together.
Ages: 2 to 3.
Prep: none.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a stuffed animal.
Safety: no small parts. Pick a stuffed animal without loose buttons.
22Raindrop race at the window
Sit by a window on a rainy day. Each of you picks a raindrop and cheers it down the glass. Trace the drops with a finger from the inside and talk about which one is winning.
Ages: 18 months to 3.
Prep: none.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a window and some rain.
Safety: keep window cords tied up high and out of reach.
23Family photo book chat
Pull out printed photos or a photo album. Name the people, pets and places. Ask simple questions: who is that? where is the dog?
Ages: 1 to 3.
Prep: none.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a photo album or printed photos.
Safety: no small parts. Use a sturdy album rather than loose glass frames.
Have a big brother or sister home too? For ages 3 to 8, our Christmas Activity Pack has a 24-day countdown of low-prep activity cards, bingo boards and coloring pages, so the cold December days come with a plan.
Indoor activities for toddlers under 2
Babies and young toddlers do best with simple cause and effect: open, close, drop, find. Keep everything big and mouth-safe.
24A yes cupboard
Empty one low kitchen cabinet and fill it with safe things: plastic containers, lids, wooden spoons, a pot. That cupboard is always a yes. Swap a few things each week.
Ages: 1 to 2.
Prep: 10 minutes once.
Mess: low.
Supplies: plastic containers, wooden spoons, a pot, silicone cups.
Safety: latch every other low cabinet, especially where cleaners are kept. Nothing glass or sharp in the yes cupboard.
25Ball roll back and forth
Sit on the floor facing each other with legs out in a V. Roll a soft ball back and forth. Count each roll, or sing a song while you go.
Ages: 1 to 2.
Prep: none.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a soft ball.
Safety: use a ball bigger than 1.75 inches across.
26Hide it under a cup
Hide a small toy under one of three plastic cups while your child watches. Ask where it went. Start with one cup and add more as they get it.
Ages: 12 to 24 months.
Prep: 1 minute.
Mess: none.
Supplies: plastic cups, a toy too big to swallow.
Safety: the hidden toy must be bigger than a choking size. A plush duck or block works.
27Couch cruising line-up
For new walkers, line toys along the couch cushions. Your child cruises along the couch to reach each one. Move the next toy a little farther every time.
Ages: 9 to 15 months.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a couch, 4 or 5 favorite toys.
Safety: clear the floor of hard toys and move the coffee table away from the couch.
Daycare and playgroup indoor activities for a group of toddlers
These work for a home daycare, a playgroup or cousins on a holiday. Keep the rules to one sentence and play for 5 to 10 minutes.
28Marching band parade
Hand out shakers, wooden spoons and pots. Play a song and march around the room in a line. Stop when the music stops, then switch leaders.
Ages: 18 months to 3.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: pots, wooden spoons, shakers, music.
Safety: use sealed store-bought shakers. Homemade bottle shakers with rice or beans can open.
29Red light, green light with paper
Hold up a green paper to walk and a red paper to freeze. Toddlers learn the signal faster than the words. Add yellow for tiptoe once they get it.
Ages: 2 to 3.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: red, green and yellow paper.
Safety: play in a cleared space with no furniture corners in the way.
30Pass the bean bag song
Sit in a circle and pass a bean bag while singing a short song. Whoever holds it when the song ends gets to pick the next move: clap, stomp or wave.
Ages: 2 to 3.
Prep: 1 minute.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a sewn bean bag or a soft toy.
Safety: use a sewn bean bag that cannot split open.
31Group floor mural
Tape a long sheet of butcher paper to the floor and put crayons in the middle. Everyone draws at once. Hang it on the wall after and talk about who made which marks.
Ages: 18 months to 3.
Prep: 3 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: butcher paper or a paper roll, chunky crayons, tape.
Safety: chunky crayons only. Watch for crayon chewing.
Bonus: a full rainy day plan for toddlers
Most lists stop at ideas. This is how to string them together so the day has a rhythm: move, then busy hands, then calm, and repeat.
| Time | Energy | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 am | Big | Pillow stepping stones |
| 9:15 am | Busy hands | Sticky note peel and stick |
| 10:00 am | Big | Laundry basket ball pit |
| 10:45 am | Calm | Laundry basket book boat |
| After nap | Busy hands | Cardboard box coloring house |
| 4:00 pm | Big | Hallway water bottle bowling |
| 5:00 pm | Calm | Raindrop race or photo book chat |
Got snow instead of rain? Our snow activities for kids list has ideas for bringing real snow inside.
Supplies worth having for indoor days
Indoor activity supplies for toddlers
- Most used
Painter's tape, 2-pack
Typically $5 to $10
Used in 6 of these 31 ideas: start lines, balance beams and stomp roads.
Check price on Amazon for Painter's tape, 2-pack -
Ball pit balls (about 2.5 inch)
Typically $15 to $30
Big enough for under 3s and turns a laundry basket into a ball pit.
Check price on Amazon for Ball pit balls (about 2.5 inch) -
Pop-up play tunnel
Typically $15 to $30
Folds flat and gives crawlers a tunnel without moving the chairs.
Check price on Amazon for Pop-up play tunnel -
Sewn bean bags for kids
Typically $10 to $20
Soft to throw indoors and stitched shut, unlike homemade ones that can leak.
Check price on Amazon for Sewn bean bags for kids -
Magnetic building tiles set
Typically $25 to $60
Big, flat pieces toddlers can stack, and they get years of play.
Check price on Amazon for Magnetic building tiles set -
Chunky toddler crayons
Typically $6 to $12
Thick and hard to snap, so small hands can grip them.
Check price on Amazon for Chunky toddler crayons
Want 50 more ideas on cards you can grab in a hurry? The free pack below sorts them by setup time.
Frequently asked questions
What can I do with my toddler indoors all day?
Mix three kinds of play: a big-movement game like pillow stepping stones, a busy hands activity like sticky note peeling, and a calm activity like a book boat. Repeat the cycle through the day. The sample plan above shows one way to fill a full day.
How do I entertain a toddler at home on a rainy day?
Pick ideas that use what you have: pillows, boxes, tape, laundry baskets and bottles. Start with something active, since a toddler who has moved for 15 minutes will settle into quieter play much more easily.
What are good gross motor activities for toddlers indoors?
Pillow stepping stones, pool noodle hurdles, a tape balance beam, a chair tunnel and paper plate color hops all build balance and big muscles in a small space.
What indoor activities work for toddlers under 2?
Keep it simple and mouth-safe: a yes cupboard of plastic containers, rolling a ball back and forth, hiding a toy under a cup and cruising along the couch to reach toys.
How long do toddlers stay busy with one activity?
Every toddler is different, so expect a few minutes for younger toddlers and longer for older ones, especially with something new. Rotating a few ideas works better than pushing one activity.
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