Toddler Activities

Activities to keep your toddler occupied and out of trouble!

10 ways to keep your toddler busy

`1A variety of hands-on activities using household items can help to keep your toddler engaged and out of trouble.

When it comes to taking care of kids, toddlers are arguably higher-maintenance than both babies and school-age children. Kids five years old and up will sit, play games or read books. As for babies, well, they need to be fed and carried around, but they're usually happy enough.

But with toddlers, look out: Turn your back for a moment and they'll be scurrying up stairs or rummaging through a garbage bin. That's why you have to keep them busy.

"Toddlers love hands-on activities," says Janet Loo, a schoolteacher in Toronto with three years of experience teaching kindergarten. "They like anything to do with baking, play-dough, muddy sand, even filling a little bin with water," she says.

Whether it's your own tyke you have to occupy a rainy day or it's someone else's bambino you're babysitting, here are helpful tips and fun activities that will keep a toddler occupied using household items.

1. Plan multiple activities

"Toddlers are all different, but most of the time, activities can keep them interested anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. If they like the activity, they will do it for longer than that," says Loo. "It's always nice to give them choices so they can anticipate another activity later. You can let them know that after this one, they can do another one later." So share your plans with them.

2. Let them play dress-up

Take out some old items of clothing and accessories you don't mind getting dirty or mangled, and let them dress up, says Loo, who teaches children as young as three years old.

3. Build a fort

Pull down the sofa cushions, bring out a blanket and help the tots build a fort. Even the youngest of toddlers usually enjoy this activity. "Or put the blanket on the floor and have a picnic," she suggests.

4. Help them wash dishes

"Fill a basin with dishwashing soap, bubbles, plastic dishes and a rag and the kids will love to pretend to wash them," says Loo. Careful supervision is required around water and detergent, of course.

5. Don't bring everything out all at once

Keep activities limited to one at a time, but be sure to have enough to keep them engaged and busy.

6. Use the paper and cardboard in your recycling bin

Make a wand using an empty paper towel roll and some ribbon and tape. Got a paper bag? You can decorate it to make a cute puppet. Empty cereal boxes can become a mailbox.

7. Teach clean-up time

Playing with toddlers also means teaching them to clean up their messes. Let them know that in order to move to the next activity, they've got to clean up after the first one.

8. Make crowns

No kid-friendly craft materials? No problem. All you need for this craft is scissors, plain paper and tape. 

9. Bake together

Let them help you mix and pour ingredients to create muffins or cookies. Even small toddlers like to watch the mixing and measuring that takes place. Lots of supervision is needed when the oven is on.

10. Let them watch age-appropriate TV

If toddlers are left with you unexpectedly, it's okay to let them watch television. "I recommend shows that have a problem and it's solved by the end," she says. "Arthur, Franklin and the Berenstein Bears are good at that," she adds.

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