160 Fun and Educational Toddler Activities for Indoors and Outdoors

Entertaining a toddler can be quite a task, especially when you’re trying to balance fun with education.

You might find yourself constantly searching for new ideas to keep your little one engaged and learning.

The good news is, we’ve compiled a list of 160 toddler activities that are both enjoyable and educational.

From indoor games to outdoor adventures, these ideas will help your child develop important skills while having a blast.

By trying out these activities, you’ll be able to:

Keep your toddler entertained for hours
Promote their physical, cognitive, and emotional development
Bond with your child through fun and meaningful play

Let’s explore these 160 ideas and make the most of your time together!

Indoor Activities

Arts & Crafts

Crayon Drawing: Provide non-toxic crayons and paper. Crayons are economical and plentiful and serve as the perfect base for crafting.
Finger Painting: With edible paints or washable non-toxic paints. Use non-toxic, natural, and organic art supplies for kids.
Playdough Fun: Making shapes and figures. Playdough is a great sensory activity that helps develop fine motor skills.
Make a Collage: Use old magazines and glue. Use scissors to cut out pictures and words from old magazines and glue them onto paper to create a collage.
Stamping: Using rubber stamps and ink pads. Use rubber stamps and ink pads to create unique designs on paper.
String Beads: Onto a shoelace or yarn. String beads onto a shoelace or yarn to create bracelets, necklaces, or other jewelry
Sticker Art: Stick stickers on paper to make a picture. Use stickers to create a picture or scene on paper.
Chalkboard Drawing: If you have a small chalkboard. Use chalk to draw on a small chalkboard
Pasta Art: Glue different shapes and sizes of pasta onto paper. Use different shapes and sizes of pasta to create unique designs on paper.
Torn Paper Art: Tearing and gluing paper. Tear paper into small pieces and glue them onto paper to create a unique design

Sensory Activities

Sand Tray: Playing with kinetic sand. Kinetic sand is a fun sensory activity that can be molded and shaped like wet sand, but doesn’t dry out.
Water Table: Splashing and pouring. Fill a sensory table with water and let kids splash and pour with cups, funnels, and other water toys.
Rice Bin: Digging and scooping. Fill a sensory bin with rice and let kids dig and scoop with spoons, cups, and other tools.
Sensory Bags: Filled with different materials like gel or rice. Fill a plastic bag with gel or rice and let kids squish and play with the texture.
Bubble Wrap Stomping: Lay down some bubble wrap and let them pop it. Bubble wrap stomping is a fun and satisfying sensory activity that can help with stress relief.
Texture Walk: Walk on different textured materials taped to the floor. Create a sensory path by taping different textured materials to the floor and let kids walk on it with bare feet.
Smell Jars: Identify smells in different jars. Fill jars with different scents like vanilla, lemon, or lavender and let kids identify the smells.
Sound Shakers: Make shakers with different sounds. Fill plastic bottles with different materials like rice, beans, or beads and let kids shake them to create different sounds.
Feely Box: Guess objects inside a box without looking. Fill a box with different objects and let kids guess what’s inside by feeling it with their hands.
Play with Slime: Make sure it’s non-toxic. Slime is a fun sensory activity that can be made at home with non-toxic ingredients like glue, borax, and food coloring.

Physical Activities

Indoor Obstacle Course: Using cushions, chairs, and tables. Create an engaging course that includes a variety of motions like jumping, crawling, balancing, etc. and uses a large area.
Balloon Volleyball: Keep the balloon off the ground. Use a small kiddy hockey stick or make your own out of cardboard to navigate a balloon into a net.
Dance Party: Put on some music and dance. Dancing is a fun and easy way to get kids moving and active.
Simon Says: Exercise and listening skills. Simon Says is a classic game that helps kids develop listening skills and promotes physical activity.
Hide and Seek: Classic indoor game. Hide and Seek is a fun game that can be played indoors and helps kids develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Hopscotch: Using painter’s tape on the carpet. Use painter’s tape to create a hopscotch board on the carpet and let kids jump and play.
Ring Toss: Using homemade or store-bought rings. Use homemade or store-bought rings to create a ring toss game and let kids practice their hand-eye coordination.
Bean Bag Toss: Into different sized containers. Use different sized containers and bean bags to create a bean bag toss game and let kids practice their throwing skills.
Musical Chairs: Toddler version. Play a toddler version of musical chairs by having kids walk around a circle of chairs and sitting down when the music stops.
Scavenger Hunt: Find toys or objects around the house. Create a scavenger hunt by hiding toys or objects around the house and giving kids clues to find them.

Educational Activities

Counting Game: Using objects like blocks. Use blocks or other small objects to teach kids how to count and recognize numbers.
Letter Recognition: Using flashcards. Use flashcards to teach kids how to recognize letters and their sounds.
Color Sorting: Sort objects by color. Use different colored objects and have kids sort them into groups by color.
Shape Matching: Match shapes to their outlines. Use shape puzzles or cutouts to teach kids how to match shapes to their outlines.
Animal Sounds Game: Mimic and identify animal sounds. Play a game where kids mimic and identify different animal sounds.
Simple Puzzles: Large pieces for easy handling. Use simple puzzles with large pieces to help kids develop problem-solving skills.
Name Spelling: Using letter blocks. Use letter blocks to teach kids how to spell their name and other simple words.
Weather Chart: Teach them about different weather types. Create a weather chart and have kids track the weather each day to learn about different weather types.
Simple Science Experiments: Like vinegar and baking soda volcanoes. Conduct simple science experiments like vinegar and baking soda volcanoes to teach kids about basic scientific concepts.
Reading Time: Reading simple and colorful books. Read simple and colorful books to help kids develop their reading skills and foster a love of reading.

Imaginative Play

Tea Party: With stuffed animals. Host a tea party with stuffed animals to teach kids about socializing and manners.
Grocery Store: Use play food and a cash register. Set up a grocery store with play food and a cash register to teach kids about shopping and money.
Dress-Up: Pretend to be different characters. Encourage kids to use their imagination and dress up as different characters to promote creativity and storytelling.
Camping Indoors: Build a fort and pretend to camp. Build a fort indoors and pretend to camp to teach kids about nature and camping.
Fire Station: Use toy cars and fire trucks. Use toy cars and fire trucks to create a fire station and teach kids about fire safety and emergency services.
Veterinary Clinic: Using stuffed animals. Set up a veterinary clinic with stuffed animals to teach kids about pet care and responsibility.
Restaurant: Take orders and serve food. Set up a restaurant and let kids take orders and serve food to teach them about dining out and customer service.
Airport: Use toy planes and make tickets. Use toy planes and create tickets to simulate an airport experience and teach kids about travel and transportation.
Post Office: Make and “mail” letters. Create letters and “mail” them to teach kids about communication and postal services.

Music and Rhythm

Drumming: Use pots and wooden spoons. Use pots and wooden spoons to create a fun and engaging drumming activity that teaches kids about rhythm and percussion.
Shakers: Make your own with rice and empty containers. Make your own shakers with rice and empty containers to teach kids about sound and music.
Sing-Alongs: Nursery rhymes or favorite songs. Sing nursery rhymes or favorite songs with kids to promote language development and foster a love of music.
Musical Instrument Matching: Match pictures of instruments to their sounds. Teach kids about different musical instruments by matching pictures of instruments to their sounds.
Dance to the Beat: Dancing with rhythm sticks. Use rhythm sticks to create a fun and engaging dance activity that teaches kids about rhythm and movement.
Simple Instruments: Like a toddler-sized keyboard or xylophone. Use simple instruments like a toddler-sized keyboard or xylophone to teach kids about music and sound.
Make a Band: With friends or family members. Encourage kids to make a band with friends or family members to promote teamwork and creativity.
Clapping Games: Simple rhythm and clapping patterns. Play clapping games with kids to teach them about rhythm and coordination.
Name That Tune: Play or sing snippets of familiar songs. Play or sing snippets of familiar songs and have kids guess the name of the song to promote music recognition and memory.
Sound Story: Create a story using instrument sounds for effects. Use instrument sounds to create a story and teach kids about sound effects and storytelling.

Fine Motor Skills

Button Sorting: Sort buttons by size or color. Use buttons to teach kids about sorting and categorizing by size, color, or other criteria.
Peg Board: Insert pegs into holes. Use pegboards to teach kids about fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination by inserting pegs into holes.
Threading: Thread large beads or pasta onto string. Use large beads or pasta and string to teach kids about threading and hand-eye coordination.
Lacing Cards: Lace through holes in cardboard shapes. Use cardboard shapes with holes and string to teach kids about lacing and hand-eye coordination.
Paper Punching: Punch holes in paper with supervision. Use a paper punch to teach kids about hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills with supervision.
Tweezer Transfer: Use large tweezers to move small items. Use large tweezers and small items to teach kids about hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Clothespins: Pinning them onto the edge of a bowl. Use clothespins to teach kids about hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills by pinning them onto the edge of a bowl.
Locks and Keys: Matching and opening. Use locks and keys to teach kids about problem-solving and hand-eye coordination by matching and opening them.
Sticker Peeling: Peel and place stickers. Use stickers to teach kids about hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills by peeling and placing them.
Stacking Blocks: Tower building and knocking it down. Use blocks to teach kids about hand-eye coordination and problem-solving by building towers and knocking them down.

Miscellaneous

Puppet Show: Use socks or store-bought puppets.
Cooking: Simple recipes like making cookies.
Hand Shadows: Create animal shapes with your hands and a flashlight.
Photo Album: Look through family photos and name relatives.
Mirror Play: Making faces and mimicking each other in the mirror.
Bubble Blowing: Use a non-toxic bubble solution to blow bubbles indoors.
Treasure Hunt: Hide a “treasure” and create a simple map for them to follow.
Nature Exploration: Collect safe, indoor-friendly nature items like leaves or pinecones to explore.
Build a Cave: Drape blankets over furniture to make a dark “cave” and explore with flashlights.
Magnet Play: Use fridge magnets to stick to a metal cookie sheet, discussing what sticks and what doesn’t.

Outdoor Activities

Nature Exploration

Leaf Collecting: Pick up different kinds of leaves.
Rock Painting: Paint small rocks and stones.
Nature Scavenger Hunt: Look for specific natural items.
Planting Flowers: Simple gardening tasks.
Bug Watching: Observe ants, ladybugs, etc., without touching.
Feather Hunt: Find and collect different feathers.
Shell Collecting: If near a beach, collect different shells.
Cloud Watching: Lay on a blanket and identify different cloud shapes.
Birdwatching: Use a toy binocular to spot birds.
Tree Bark Rubbing: With paper and crayons.

Water Activities

Splash Pad: Running through water fountains.
Water Balloon Toss: With soft, small balloons.
Puddle Jumping: After a rainstorm.
Boat Racing: Small toy boats in a shallow stream.
Fishing: With a small, safe fishing kit.
Beach Day: Building sandcastles and wading.
Pool Time: Swimming with floaties.
Sprinkler Run: Running through a yard sprinkler.
Bubble Play: Large bubble wands.
Car Wash: Wash toy cars with water and sponges.

Movement and Physical Play

Toddler Soccer: With a soft, small ball.
Jump Rope: Simple skipping.
Bike Riding: With training wheels or a tricycle.
Tug-of-War: With a soft rope.
Kite Flying: On a not-too-windy day.
Hide and Seek: In a safe, confined outdoor area.
Duck, Duck, Goose: Classic group game.
Hopscotch: Drawn with sidewalk chalk.
Sack Race: Using pillowcases.
Hula Hoop: Spinning and rolling.

Sensory Play

Mud Kitchen: Playing with mud and kitchen utensils.
Sidewalk Chalk: Drawing on the driveway.
Sandbox: Digging and making sand shapes.
Sensory Walk: Barefoot on grass, leaves, etc.
Texture Rubbing: Different outdoor textures.
Flower Petal Play: Gently touching different kinds of petals.
Water Bead Play: In an outdoor tub.
Outdoor Playdough: With natural items like sticks.
Ice Play: Melting and holding ice cubes.
Gardening Tools: Let them dig and rake with you.

Arts and Crafts

Nature Collage: Stick leaves, flowers on paper.
Stick Painting: Paint sticks with non-toxic paint.
Outdoor Easel: Hang paper on fence for painting.
Sun Prints: Lay objects on sun-sensitive paper.
Fruit and Veggie Stamps: Use cut veggies for stamping.
Chalk Outlines: Trace shadows or each other.
Nature Bracelets: Stick small leaves to tape bracelets.
Stone Towers: Stack and balance small stones.
Leaf Imprints: In clay or playdough.
Fairy Houses: Build with sticks, leaves, and stones.

Music and Sound

Outdoor Concert: With toy instruments.
Sound Hunt: Identify what makes each sound they hear.
Nature Drumming: Use sticks to drum on logs.
Wind Chimes: Make simple wind chimes with household items.
Music Bottles: Fill bottles with varying levels of water and blow over the tops.
Stomp and Listen: Make different sounds by stomping on various surfaces.
Shakers: Shake bottles filled with rice or beans.
Leaf Whistle: Make a whistle from a blade of grass.
Animal Sounds: Mimic and identify animal sounds.
Nature Symphony: Create a soundtrack using natural items like sticks and stones.

Group Activities

Relay Races: Simple and short-distance.
Frisbee: Soft, toddler-friendly frisbees.
Tag: Running and giggles.
Treasure Hunt: Find “treasure” using simple maps.
Parachute Play: Using a small parachute or large sheet.
Toddlers’ Picnic: With stuffed animals.
Balloon Pop: Step or sit to pop balloons.
Musical Statues: Freeze when the music stops.
Fishing Game: Fish for toy fish in a small pool.
Story Time: Read a book in a circle.

Animals and Pets

Visit a Petting Zoo: With supervision. Take kids to a petting zoo to interact with and learn about different animals. Make sure to supervise them at all times.
Animal Tracks: Identify tracks in mud or sand. Teach kids how to identify animal tracks in mud or sand by taking them on a nature walk or creating a
sensory activity with paint and animal figurines.
Feed the Ducks: At a safe pond or lake. Take kids to a safe pond or lake to feed the ducks and teach them about different types of waterfowl.
Horse Riding: On a small pony, with assistance. Take kids on a small pony ride with assistance to teach them about horses and horseback riding.
Doggy Playdate: Play with a well-behaved dog. Set up a playdate with a well-behaved dog to teach kids about pet care and responsibility.
Watch Tadpoles: At a pond. Take kids to a pond to watch tadpoles and teach them about the life cycle of frogs.
Insect House: Build or observe a small bug hotel. Build or observe a small bug hotel to teach kids about different types of insects and their habitats.
Bird Feeding: With a toddler-safe bird feeder. Set up a toddler-safe bird feeder and teach kids about different types of birds and their diets.
Animal Yoga: Mimic animal poses. Teach kids about different animals and their movements by practicing animal yoga poses.
Watch Farm Animals: Visit a local farm. Take kids to a local farm to watch and learn about different farm animals and their roles in agriculture.

Wrapping Up

We hope this list of 160 fun and educational toddler activities has given you plenty of ideas to keep your little one engaged and learning.

So, go ahead and try out some of these ideas with your toddler.

You might be surprised at how much joy and learning can come from even the simplest activities.

If you found this list helpful, please share it with other parents who might be looking for new ways to entertain and educate their toddlers.

And if you have any favorite activities that we didn’t mention, feel free to leave a comment below – we’d love to hear from you!