99 Toddler Friendly Non-Screen Time Activities

Toddlers are pretty easy to entertain, but thinking of a variety of activities can be surprisingly hard.

When my kids were toddlers, my issue was less about elaborate activities and more about variety to hold their interest. So, I’ve set out to find as many boredom busters as possible that would hold a toddler’s attention for more than five minutes (maybe 6 minutes but what are you going to do).

Some are more involved than others, but my thinking is that if you take a day to make the DIY puppet theatre, you might get a week of sitting for 10 or 15 minutes with a coffee on the couch while watching puppet shows. It’s worth a shot, anyway.

Many are pretty self explanatory, but I’ve included links to some of the DIY versions to help you figure out what you’ll need.

Non-Screen Activities to Keep a Toddler Busy  

1. Indoor treasure hunt
2. Arts and crafts (painting, coloring, drawing)
3. Build a fort with blankets and pillows
4. Dance party
5. Make homemade musical instruments
6. Sensory bins (rice, beans, water beads)
7. Nature walk scavenger hunt
8. Play with bubbles
9. Play with dolls or action figures
10. Water play (in a tub or with water table)
11. Picnic in the backyard or living room
12. Dress-up time
13. Kitchen experiments (baking, mixing colors)
14. Make a DIY sensory board
15. Duplo or Lego building
16. Storytime or book reading
17. Play with cardboard boxes
18. Build a race track for toy cars
19. Play “Simon says” or “Red light, green light”
20. Play with balloons
21. Obstacle course around the house
22. Puppet show
23. Plant seeds or small plants
24. Play with toy animals and create a zoo
25. Play with sand or kinetic sand
26. DIY paper plate crafts
27. Play with magnetic letters or numbers
28. Color sorting with objects around the house
29. Make a homemade playdough
30. Play with a train set
31. Sorting and matching games
32. Play with watercolors
33. Play with stacking cups or blocks
34. Play “I Spy”
35. Play hide and seek
36. DIY sensory bottles
37. Toy car wash station
38. Play in a kiddie pool
39. Play dress-up with recycled materials
40. Shadow puppet show
41. Build a cardboard castle
42. Play with toy dinosaurs in a sensory bin
43. Paint rocks for a rock garden
44. Water balloon toss
45. Paper airplane making and flying
46. Play with a dollhouse or doll set
47. Make paper plate masks
48. Have a tea party with stuffed animals
49. Play with building blocks
50. Blow bubbles with household items
51. Make a DIY marble run
52. Play with a toy kitchen set
53. Create a DIY obstacle course
54. Play with a parachute (sheet or blanket)
55. Play with magnetic tiles
56. Make a DIY mini golf course
57. Play with a toy tool set
58. Play hopscotch indoors
59. Play with stacking rings
60. Create a DIY felt board
61. Play with a toy cash register
62. DIY sensory bags
63. Play with a doll stroller
64. Make a DIY puppet theatre
65. Play with a shape puzzle
66. Play with a toy farm set
67. DIY sock puppets
68. Create a treasure hunt with clues around the house
69. Play with a toy cash register and pretend to run a store
70. Outdoor scavenger hunt for nature items
71. Play with a toy construction set
72. Have a pretend picnic indoors
73. Play with a toy animal figurine set
74. DIY painting with cotton swabs
75. Play with a toy spaceship and have a space adventure
76. Have a pretend fashion show with dress-up clothes
77. Play with a toy tool bench and fix things around the house
78. DIY slime making activity
79. Play with a toy doctor set and give check-ups to stuffed animals
80. Play with a toy dollhouse and act out different scenarios
81. Make DIY musical instruments with household items
82. Play with a toy superhero set and create a superhero story
83. Have a dance party in the living room
84. DIY bubble painting with bubble solution and food coloring
85. Create a DIY cardboard car for pretend driving
86. Play with a toy zoo animal set and create a zoo in the living room
87. Create a DIY ramp for toy car races
88. Play with a toy tea set and have a tea party
89. Feeding pigeons
90. DIY sandpaper art activity
91. Play with a toy castle set and pretend to be knights and princesses
92. Create a DIY photo booth with props for dress-up fun
93. Play with a toy race track and have a race competition
94. Play with a toy camping set and have an indoor camping adventure
95. Create DIY paper plate masks and have a masquerade ball
96. Play with a toy train set and build different track configurations
97. Fence painting with water
98. Dry or wet sidewalk art
99. Snow painting

What Toddler Activities Would You Add?

Hopefully, this sparks some ideas. I’ve tried to keep the list fairly cost effective and relatively safe, but feel free to bust out the ponies and pillow fights if that’s what works at your house!

The list of things to do with toddlers is as endless as their energy supply, but I would love to hear what creative ways you’ve kept them busy. Leave them in the comments below, and I’ll add them!

Also check out: Games To Play With Your Toddler When You’re Tired AF