Young children can have seemingly limitless energy and tireless curiosity. Keeping one entertained and engaged is a challenge for any parent or baby-sitter. Though it may be tempting to sit them in front of cartoons and coast, consider keeping this list of alternatives handy when you need an idea that’s more interactive.
1. GET STARTED! Cut up all of these ideas and put them in a jar. Choose a new activity together whenever you can!
2. Stage an at-home scavenger hunt, searching for items of a particular shape or color.
3. Don bathing suits and goggles and play in the bathtub.
4. Get a roll of brown paper, trace an outline of the child’s full body lying down and then commence with coloring.
5. Make English muffin pizzas.
6. Put on some music the kid has never heard and have a dance party.
7. See who can come up with the most new words.
8. Write a letter to someone special. (Toddlers can dictate to you and draw pictures.)
9. Make a list of favorite things (food, color, book, activity), then date it and stash it as a memory.
10. Make cookies and deliver them to friends.
11. Buy a disposable camera and let the toddler use it on a walk outside.
12. Learn a new song. (Google “Great Campfire Songs.”)
13. Tell a favorite story and help draw corresponding pictures with sidewalk chalk.
14. Go fly a kite.
15. Make a roadway for tiny cars using tape on your floor. (Tip: Pantry items make great buildings.)
16. Cut up old Christmas cards to make new ornaments or placemats for the holidays. (Clear contact paper can preserve your work!)
17. Foster your inner architects using grapes and toothpicks to make bridges, castles and other edible art.
18. Make macaroni jewelry, using markers or glitter to decorate the noodles first.
19. Buy supplies and plant a flower in a container.
20. Paint! (Rocks, a pumpkin, old sneakers, paper plates, cups, etc.)
21. Hang a mailbox outside the child’s room and place another somewhere in the home and then write notes back and forth.
22. Set up indoor miniature golf using a few obstacles and a salvaged can to catch the ball.
23. Put Play-Doh inside un-inflated balloons for a new, squishy experience.
24. Pack a picnic lunch or dinner and visit a park you’ve never been to before.
25. Look at old photo albums or scrapbooks together.
26. Purchase packs of buttons and pipe cleaners at the dollar store to make long-legged spiders or other colorful bugs.
27. Make an indoor fort.
28. Give your child an incentive to read a certain number of books quietly each day. (For example: five books earns dessert, a sticker or a computer game.)
29. Have a pots and pans rock-band session.
30. Create a personalized photo album of loved ones. (The child chooses who goes in and can make nametags for everyone.)
31. Make a storybook using only stickers to tell the tale.
32. Make homemade Halloween costumes or trick-or-treat bags.
33. Create an indoor obstacle course. (Think the tiny-person version — and safe — of “American Ninja Warrior.”)
34. Make a mystery bin or coffee can. Put a few common items inside, have the toddler place his or her hand inside and guess what the item is without looking.
35. Create a kitchen “sandbox” using dried beans or rice.
36. Cut up pool noodles into giant beads and use thick yarn or rope to make a decoration.
37. Cut a pool noodle in half lengthwise to create a mini racecar track or marble ramp.
38. Have bath time for baby dolls or other toys.
39. Get out a map of the world or United States and discuss different regions or identify where friends and family live.
40. Create a “night sky” cave using Christmas lights and a large cardboard box. (Pop holes in the top of the box and put individual lights in each hole.)
41. Set up a birdfeeder together and then keep a list of what you see.
42. Practice fine motor skills by allowing the child to hammer golf tees into a cardboard box or pumpkins using a wooden mallet or small hammer.
43. Cut kitchen sponges into basic shapes and use them as stamps in washable paint.
44. Bring a backpack on a hike and challenge the toddler to find 20 treasures from nature to bring home in the bag. (Skip the bugs!)
45. Teach the kid a few basic yoga moves.
46. Make bathtub paint using shaving cream and food coloring. (Use a muffin tin for a palate.)
47. Play dress-up and then take pictures of the fabulous outfit combinations.
48. Call a local children’s hospital or nursing home to see if anyone would appreciate a card or drawing from your toddler. (Or even a pen pal.)
49. Make a paper chain for decoration or to count down to a special day.
50. Break out your top five board games and have a marathon.
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