What are some simple ideas to play with your toddlers? Is your toddler always wanting you to play with them, but you’re not exactly sure how? It can be extra hard if you also feel like you have a million jobs to do round the house!
It’s true that, without a structured idea, most of us can forget how to play – particularly when we’re feeling tired, ill or stressed. And for neurodivergent parents – like a few of our team here at Happity – play can sometimes feel even harder!
Yet play is so important for so many aspects of our children’s development – their brain, resistance to stress and social skills, to name a few. There’s a reason why Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is based on play.
So let’s ditch the complicated play ideas for toddlers and opt for simple fun (even if we still need a little help with that!)
Looking for fun activities with your baby or toddler?
There are thousands of classes and groups on Happity. Find one you’ll love here.
Is It Bad That I Don’t Always Want To Play With My Toddler?
Not at all! We all need time to ourselves and to replenish our energy. In fact, toddlers seeing that you are taking time to sit down for a while, or complete other tasks, is valuable for them and will help them take the first steps to independent play. If they can play while you are doing something else close by, it can be beneficial for both of you. Feeling happy and secure is the key, so try the simple play ideas for toddlers below to help your little one learn how to play with just a few resources:
1. Try A Craft Activity Together
If you want to try a structured activity, look at one of our craft blogs, like these nature crafts or these rainy day activities. Some children, just like adults, find creative play difficult, so simple craft ideas you can join in with and adapt may be the way forward.
“I totally relate to finding play hard. I just can’t do role play or made-up stuff. It literally zaps my energy in about three seconds and I have no imagination! I have to have a structured activity like cooking, a class, or a board game.”
– Emily, Team Happity
2. Play A Card or Board Game
Orchard Games make tons of simple number, letter and fun activity board games aimed at toddlers.
Try and stick to games with simple rules. This will be enough to help your child develop problem-solving skills as they work out how to play. Some children will invent their own rules, so try and go with the flow!
3. Colour Or Paint – Simple Play Ideas For Toddlers
Blank paper and some simple finger paints are a good place to start. See this blog for some toddler painting ideas. Magic water painting books are also great for no-mess painting.
Keep a stack of colouring books, magazines and activity packs to hand so you can pull one out when you feel energy levels begin to dip! You can also order play kits or activity boxes for science and craft on subscription for a new idea every few months.
4. Play a Physical Game
If your toddler has loads of energy, you could try a game like Twister. They (or you) spin an arrow which points to a colour and body part, e.g. ‘put your left hand on red’. Twister’s a great game as you can read the spinner and sit back a bit while your child/children have fun twisting their bodies into all sorts of weird and wonderful shapes!
You can even make a home-made Twister. Grab some coloured cones, or coloured floor tiles and lay them out on the floor and voilà!
5. Cook Something Together
Anything where your toddler can mix and stir ingredients in a large bowl can be so much fun for them. Think gingerbread men, biscuits, pancake mix and cakes. There are loads of ‘first baking’ style books out there, or simple recipes on the internet. Toddlers will see this as ‘play’ as they are cooking with or alongside you.
If you or your toddler enjoy step-by-step instructions when it comes to activities, then following a recipe together can really help.
6. Complete A Jigsaw or Puzzle
Now can be a good time to encourage your toddler to have a go at that jigsaw that’s been hidden in its box. Your role can be as simple as passing pieces to your child or suggesting where a piece goes.
If you’re in a creative mood, try making your own jigsaw.
7. Plan a Trip Out Together
Zoos, museums and parks can all offer opportunities for you to explore and play with your toddler. Many National Trust properties are set up with adventure playgrounds you can help your child explore as they challenge themselves, or activities specifically for children. Check out this ‘Top 50 Things To Do in Autumn’.
8. Arrange A Playdate
Having a friend round can take the pressure off playing. Your toddler will discover new ways of playing alongside or with another child or parent, and you’ll be amazed how a long-forgotten toy will suddenly regain its magic when another child picks it up!
9. Do Some Yoga Together
Most toddlers are still remarkably flexible, so will love to stand or sit alongside you stretching and ‘being a tree’! This cute book ‘Yoga Babies’ by Fearne Cotton is great as it tells a story, as well as showing the moves, or you can follow the story being read online by the author.
10. Go To A Toddler Group
There are loads of baby and toddler groups out there, from playgroups to ‘Stay and Plays’, nature groups and craft groups. Many of these have activities you can help your toddler to do, and they should help you with inspiration too once you’re back home.
If you do attend any baby or toddler classes, keep an eye out for simple craft ideas and games. Make notes on your phone or take photos to help you remember! Check this article for more ideas.
11. Build A Bridge or Tower – Simple Play Ideas For Toddlers
Playing can be simple and fun. Grab some Lego, Duplo or blocks and see who can build the tallest tower/longest bridge. For extra fun, try balancing a soft toy or figure on the bridge or tower and see if it holds.
If you have a train set or road pieces, you can add to this game by helping them make a layout.
12. Race A Car Or Truck Down A Ramp
You can use anything to make a ramp, such as placemats, bits of cardboard, blocks, lego boards. Then have fun racing cars down the slope with your toddler!
Any activity where you are engaging and playing with your child will really help connect you emotionally, as well as helping to promote their brain development.
13. Make A Hideout
You can slot floor tiles together to make a box or hideout for your toddler to crawl in or out. Or grab some sheets and drape them across chairs for a simple ‘den’.
14. Blow Bubbles – Simple Play Ideas For Toddlers
Blowing bubbles around the house or garden with your child to pop is a really easy way to play with them. This game can last for ages, particularly if your toddler wants a go at blowing bubbles too. Try giant bubble makers or rope bubbles.
Sometimes the simpler an idea, the better it works.
15. Make Playdough Animals
Try to let your child lead when it comes to creative activities, but if they seem like they don’t know where to start, try giving a few ideas. Start by getting a tub of playdough and prompting your child, ‘What shall we make today?’
Rolling playdough into balls can be really relaxing (for both of you) and you may find this turns into making balls of different sizes, squishing balls together to make towers, making food out of balls. If your child is into a particular animal, you could see who can make the tallest/smallest/funniest-looking animal. Or you could make a whole herd of them, wobbly legs and all.
16. Catch Or Roll A Ball
Throwing a ball or balloon up in the air for your toddler to bounce around is simple and can take away the pressure of playing. Try kicking a football round the garden or a basic game of catch and throw. If you’re indoors, try sitting on the floor opposite your toddler and rolling a ball towards them.
17. Set Up A Scavenger Hunt
Hiding small items around the house for a simple scavenger hunt can be really fun too. Just grab something you have multiple items of (like toy cars, or play money) and see if your toddler can find them. They will probably want to hide them for you as well! (this game can last for hours)
Nine times out of ten, your toddler will come up with their own ‘game’ based on your original simple suggestion.
18. Do A Simple Sorting Task
Sorting things into categories can help develop mathematical skills, logic, problem-solving and fine motor skills.
Try sorting blocks into colours, buttons or bricks into sizes. You can put tupperware boxes or baskets on the floor for your toddler to put the objects in.
19. Read A Story Together – Simple Play Ideas For Toddlers
Reading may not feel like play but as reading and repetition is so good for your child’s development, you may find them ‘reading or singing’ along with you and repeating words and phrases. Maybe you can read a story to their favourite soft toy and see if your toddler can read to their toy as well?
20. Craft A Cardboard Box
Why not grab a large cardboard box/boxes, some colouring pens and see what your little one does with it? Will it be a rocket, car, castle, or something else?
Rather than feeling you have to plan out every minute of the day, see where an idea or object leads you and your child. This will help you give your child choices in what they want to do and helps make their play child-focused.
21. Pull Out Something Different
We’ve all heard about parents rotating their toys, but why not try introducing something random from a shelf or cupboard?
Sometimes children can find things belonging to adults even more exciting than actual toys! Try giant plastic spoons from the kitchen, picnic hampers (take out any sharp objects first), measuring jugs, large buttons to sort, old postcards and stamps, balls of wool, pairs of shoes, hats. Anything lying around could be a potential source of play. Even sorting, matching and rolling socks can be a really fun activity. Follow your child’s lead and see what happens.
“We have a door draught excluder which looks like a sheep. In summer, this has become a soft toy which enjoys going for walks on a lead, a bendy wall for a castle (!), a ‘sheep snake’ involved in a zoo…the list is endless!”
– Liz, Team Happity
22. Turn Household Tasks Into Games
Your toddler will love helping you. You’re going to sweep the floor. Give your toddler a dustpan and brush so they can join in. Look, we’re sweeping the floor together! Maybe sing a little song – I’m sweeping the floor, you’re sweeping the floor, we’re sweeping the floor. Use whatever tune comes to mind. Wheels on the Bus or Old Macdonald you can adapt to pretty much anything. Activities like washing the car (just give your toddler a bucket of soapy water and a large sponge) or sweeping up the leaves can be a real treat for many toddlers!
23. Pick Three Things – What’s In The Box?
Help your child problem-solve. Hide three things in a box (e.g. car, floor mat, teddy), put the box in the middle of the floor, and see what your toddler does with them. Resist the urge to jump in and help straight away. Try asking some questions first. Ooh, what’s in the box today? What shall we do with it? If they struggle to think of a game to play, see if they can suggest a swap for one of the items.
You can sit back a bit after setting your child off, and your toddler will feel you’re involved because you’re actively asking questions about what they’re doing. They’ll also be engaged with brain-boosting problem-solving as they work out what and how to play.
24. Balance A Dinosaur
If your child is into dinosaurs, you could try something like trying to get a toy dinosaur to climb up a chair leg. Give yourself permission to be silly. Have I got a dinosaur balancing on my head? I bet I could walk to the kitchen with this dinosaur on my head. Can you do it too?
Asking questions and commenting on what’s happening can really help spark play with your toddler too. Just repeat back what your toddler is doing. So you’re putting the dinosaur on the block? Oh, the dinosaur fell over. You’re picking it back up.
25. Tell A Story Using Lego
You might find building Lego easy but what happens once you have built cars, houses and other sets lying around the house?
If you struggle “making something up”, why not try re-enacting a favourite film, book or storyline with your toddler?
26. Role Play Using A Soft Toy
Role play can be tricky for many parents so maybe try this idea.
Pick up a favourite soft toy at snack time and prop it up at the table. Look, teddy is joining in today. Do you want to give them a snack? Your child might want teddy to have their own plate or cup. Maybe they’ll try and help teddy eat. Maybe you’ll end up with a whole teddy bear’s picnic, with all the soft toys and animal figures involved. Or it could lead to cooking (pretend or real). Or maybe you’ll end up somewhere else entirely.
It’s hard, we know, but try to relax and see where your child’s imagination leads you.
“I’ve got much better at role play having a kid that literally forces me to do it! So there are definitely ways to up your game (no pun intended!)”
– Lisa, Team Happity
27. Be A ‘Play Guide’ – Simple Play Ideas For Toddlers
Studies have shown that play is so important to help with children’s brain development, and it can help an adult’s brain as well!
So it’s great they want to play with you, but this can be exhausting if it’s for a long time and you feel you’re in the role of a high-energy ‘entertainer’. Sometimes we want to help our children to be able to play a bit more independently as well as with their peers/siblings.
Try and see yourself as more of a ‘play guide’ and give yourself permission to step back. Maybe set a timer (this can be in your head or a silent timer on your phone so it doesn’t interrupt play). Try and fully engage with what your child is doing for that time period. Sometimes children just want to feel we are interested. If you find this difficult, try mimicking what your toddler is doing. Maybe they’re pushing a car. You could copy and also push a car. Most toddlers will see this as you ‘playing’ with them (which you are – it doesn’t have to be complicated).
After five, or ten minutes, or however long you want, move away slightly or take a seat nearby, and see if your toddler will play for a bit with you watching on.
After a while, you should find it easier to set them off playing and for them to play a bit more independently or with siblings and friends for longer. You can still dip in and out and be their ‘play guide’.
Why Am I Still Finding It So Difficult to Play?
If you still find it hard to play at home, why not go to a ‘Stay and Play’ where you can sit down and grab a coffee with other parents while your toddler plays alongside other children? You may pick up some more ideas about how your child can play while you are there.
If you’re a neurodiverse parent or have a neurodiverse toddler, you may find play can open up a whole new world of challenges and that more (or less) structure is required. So check out this resource.
What Is Depleted Mother Syndrome And Could I Be Suffering From It?
Depleted mother syndrome (DMS) is a recognised condition where you feel totally overwhelmed by everything to do with looking after your child or newborn. This can present as physical, mental and/or emotional exhaustion. If you feel like this, you are not alone. Definitely seek help and support if you think you may be suffering from burnout or DMS by either talking to your GP or contacting someone on our Mental Wellness page.
Want to get out and about, have fun with your baby or toddler, and meet other parents?
Search Happity to find everything that’s happening for the under-5’s in your local area – from music and singing classes, to messy play, arts and crafts, baby massage, gymnastics and more. Simply enter your postcode and child’s age to search, and then book your spot in a few taps. Enjoy dedicated fun time with your little one, watch their skills develop, and make friends at the same time. Mums, dads, grandparents and carers will all find something to love!
If You Found This Post Useful, You May Also Like:
4 Stimulating Play Ideas For Babies -(From Early Years Experts)
0 Comments