I’ve written before about how our family spent 1000 hours outside in 2021, and until recently, we had minimal issues with following through. Indoor activities for toddlers usually means our typical play-based learning schedule, but when we miss outdoors time, or have to curtail it, then indoor activities for toddlers needs to be supercharged! January 2022 has been unusual in that there have been days where the temperature feels like 4 or 5 degrees Farenheit and even with the best layers and gear, we can at best manage 45 minutes in one go before having to return indoors. I sure do admire everyone who lives further north than New York City – I don’t know how you do it!
Indoor activities for toddlers – physical
Use a different room
The saving grace to living in an apartment complex is that we have a playroom in the building. We typically go off-hours so that we can use the space as an indoor gym. By off-hours, I mean 9 pm because somehow we’ve ended up with a 3-year old who still needs a nap but can’t go to bed before 1030 or 11 pm. When I know the weather is going to be brutal, I plan for at least 30 minutes and closer to 60 minutes in the playroom.
If you live in a house, plan to spend time somewhere you don’t typically go to. The attic space, a basement, whatever your bonus space has been converted to. The point is to change up the scenery – it does not matter what the scenery is as long as it’s not the couch/living room/bedroom that your child spend the majority of his/her time in.
Bust a move
- Roll and Play – hands down this is one of the best indoor activities for toddlers. This was our son’s first game. It was terrific at 2 years old and still going strong at 4 years old with the bonus that now he’s starting to read some of the words!
- Found It Indoor Edition – A good scavenger hunt can’t be beat, indoors or outdoors!
- Get competitive – how fast can you run through the apartment? how many times can you jump and touch the picture? can you throw the ball and reach the ceiling? how far can you kick the ball?
- Indoor soccer – build your own goalposts, tape them to walls, and play soccer
- Flyswatter golf – set up an obstacle course with soup cans or other pantry containers, give your child some flyswatters, and use ping pong balls or other small balls to get through the course.
- Walking on the line – a true challenge to keep the bell silent while walking, or not to spill anything if carrying water
Indoor activities for toddlers – early learning
Mad scientist fun
- Baking soda and vinegar: Nothing beats a good food coloring, baking soda, and vinegar play invitation. Our son goes crazy for this every time and all we do is put food coloring in a muffin pan, baking soda on top of the food coloring, then give him a bowl of vinegar. In the pantheon of indoor activities for toddlers, this is a winner every single time.
- Make potions: sensory play is so much and indoor activities for toddlers should always incorporate this! You can definitely DIY your potion kit, but The Magick Folk has pre-made sets and add-ons to save you time. When our son turned three, we actually gifted him his own potion kit. We got a wooden treasure chest, glass bottles, scoopers, a cauldron, and some of the items from Magick Folk. He plays with this at least once a week.
- Early chemistry: this book is great at showing you what you need and why the science works. A winner!
Channeling Van Gogh
- Painting
- Drawing – these learn to draw books are so much fun!
- Decorating letters or numbers – literally draw a letter or number on a big sheet of paper and decorate with stickers, googly eyes, etc.
- Make fruit loop bracelets/necklaces on pipe cleaners – bonus! They can eat them:)
- Use beads to make bracelets/necklaces
- Play-dough party
Remember the basics
- Playing in the bathtub – set up a car wash or give the barnyard animals baths! Eat a popsicle afterwards! Or build legos and watch the structures float. Afterwards, wiping down all the toys is a secondary activity.
- Read books – and remember all the wonderful musical and sound effect books that are out there like Farty Pants. Also: I spy! My goodness, my toddler would spend at least 30 minutes on maybe two spreads.
- Making a snack or meal together
- Dance party to favorite music
- A movie or 2-3 episodes of a show to end the day
These indoor activities for toddlers can actually fill at least a weekend and there are so many early learning extensions too. There’s no need to fear inclement weather or quarantine – you just need a daily rhythm and this list!
