Activity ideas for
you and your
toddler
Activity Ideas:
• Ice cube play. Freeze water in an ice cube tray and then turn out into bowl or
onto high chair tray for her to explore. For extra stimulation add colours (natural
food colour) or freeze plastic toys into larger pieces of ice for her to get to. Allow
her to explore the temperature and sensation of melting.
• Shaving foam (if skin isn’t too sensitive). Squirt onto a tray or in a bowl and allow
her to explore the texture of it. Help her avoid putting it in her mouth. Perhaps
invest in a long sleeved apron to protect her clothes.
• Homemade play dough- 1 cup water to 2 cups flour (plain or self-raisingcheapest kind is fine), cream of tartar, ¼ cup oil and 1 cup salt. Mix all dry
ingredients and then slowly add the wet ones. Add more flour or water as
needed until it is a dough like consistency that isn’t sticky or crumbly. Add paint
or food colouring if you want to colour it and drops such as peppermint, lemon or
vanilla for an interesting scent. Give objects such as spoons, rolling pin, cutters or
toy tea set to play with it. When finished wrap in cling film, it should last in the
fridge for a week.
• Gloop- Mix corn flour and water in a bowl (more corn flour than water- add
gradually until it is at the right consistency) it will become a liquid that is a solid
when touched- very strange and great to explore! Again add paints or food
colouring to colour and scents for different smells.
• Mud tray- Mix soil from the garden with a little water and items such as stones,
shells and twigs. Add dinosaurs or other washable toys to allow her to role play
and explore. (Maybe one for outside and the apron on!)
• Water play- Add funnels, spoons, jugs, bowls, whisks, cups and more to water to
experience emptying and filling, pouring and transporting water. Add bubbles for
extra fun. Can be incorporated into bath time.
• Frozen paint- Freeze paint in an ice cube tray and remove, allow her to put these
paint cubes onto paper to mark make.
• Balloon Play- Fill up some balloons with different fillings (air, water, flour [do this
with a funnel]) and allow her to explore the different effects of these fillings.
• Blowing Bubbles- Encourage her to reach for and pop the bubbles. Combine with
some relaxing music for a chilled out activity.
• Texture box- From a craft shop get a mixture of textured items and put into a box
to explore (ribbons, pompoms, silk, sand paper, metal items which are too big to
go in the mouth, etc) put into a big box or bowl and allow her to explore freely.
• Free mixing- Give her a mixture of food items which you are happy to be used
which she doesn’t necessarily see as food items (flour, herbs, ready brek powder,
water, dried rice or pasta, dried lentils etc.) in different containers and a big bowl
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with spoons of different sizes to mix with. Give her free reign to mix, explore and
create to see what different consistencies she can create. Add a sieve and allow
your child to explore what will go through and what is too big to fit.
Tube chutes- Keep any packaging you have which is a tube (kitchen roll etc).
Either cover both ends and put in a round object for her to roll around inside or
have both ends open and roll things down and through it (balls, cars etc)
Spray bottle mark making- Get a spray bottle (often in a gardening section of a
shop) and fill with water. Encourage her to spray it on an outdoor ground which it
will show up on (tarmac, stone, soil) or make targets for her to hit. This can be
taken out on walks as well and spray flowers or paths as you go)
Hide and seek toys- Hide small plastic toys in a container of sand, soil or flour and
encourage her to find them and then bury them again
Bowling- Line up some tubular items (kitchen roll, bottles) and use a ball to roll at
them to knock them down. Allow her to place them upright again.
Writing trays- Put items such as flour, sand or soil onto a flat baking tray and
encourage her to use her finger to trace marks into the mixture. Write letters or
numbers into it if she is interested.
Blocks and tongs play-Give her some Lego sized bricks and a pair of kitchen tongs
to pick up the bricks and transport into a provided box and then out again. You
could extend this by having different coloured boxes to sort into (e.g. red blocks
into red box etc.)
Threading- Get some pipe cleaners and a vegetable colander and show how to
thread the pipe cleaners into the holes.
Sensory bags- Fill some zip-lock bags with different items (jelly, body wash,
conditioner, flour, hair gel, shaving foam etc) and add toys to the ones which are
transparent e.g sea toys to green jelly, sequins to the hair gel etc. Reinforce the
top of the bag with tape so that she can’t open them and allow her to squash and
explore them. Sensory play with none of the mess!
Teabag painting- Get some different flavoured teabags dip in water and allow
your child to make marks with the teabags on paper. Use different flavours to
explore colour and scent.
Climbing- Make a pile of pillows or blankets or a bean bag, allow your toddler to
climb over them. Remember to watch out for any bumps on hard floors.
Sorting socks- When putting away the laundry lay the socks on the floor pick a
sock and ask your child to find you the matching one to make a pair. To extend
this you could roll the socks into balls and get your child to try and throw them
into a basket.
Welly walk- go on a welly walk with your child, take a basket and get them to
collect different items such as leaves, pine cones, conkers and twigs. Put these in
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a small box or bag allow your child to explore the different items and how they
feel. Talk to your child about the different items to extend their vocabulary.
Shredded paper- Fill a try with shredded paper and hide different objects such as
blocks, magnets or cars. You could also add glitter or stain the paper with food
colouring and watch the paper change colour.
Pillow Path- Line some pillows on the floor like stepping stones(on a non-slip
surface) show your child how to walk on them this is great for their balance.
Count the pillows with your child as they walk along.
Jelly Play- Make some jelly and before it sets add some toys. Your child will have
fun exploring the texture of the jelly and finding the different toys that are hiding
in there.
Toilet roll trail- Use toilet roll to create a trail for your child to follow, leave a
little treat at the end.
Spaghetti play- Cook some spaghetti and add food colouring to the pan. Once it
cooked and cooled down put it in a tray and allow your toddler to explore the
texture and colour.
Cardboard box colouring- Get a cardboard box big enough for you toddler to fit
in, give them some colouring pencils and let them decorate the box.
Ribbons in a bottle- Give your toddler various different ribbons and allow them
to explore. Add a plastic bottle with the top off for your child to put the ribbons
into. This will help with their fine motor skills.
Sensory tunnel- create your own sensory tunnel using a cardboard box big
enough for your child to crawl through. Make some small holes in the top to hang
different items such as socks and different material. As your child crawls through
they will love feeling the different materials hanging down.