Screens are very tempting when you need a quick way to keep your toddler busy — but there are tons of fun, creative things they can do without one. Screen-free play is excellent to help little ones use their imagination, stay active and explore in hands-on ways, and it’s also a wonderful excuse to slow down and have a little fun together. Whether you’ve got 10 minutes or a whole afternoon, these ideas are easy to pull off and entertaining.
Most of these activities use stuff you already have lying around the house, and they’re easy to change depending on your kid’s age or mood. We’re talking messy crafts, silly pretend games and a few low-key favorites for when everyone needs a break. No screens, no stress — just good old-fashioned fun.
Sensory play ideas
Toddlers need to have sensory play. It is how they learn, explore and make sense of the world around them. Interacting with different textures, smells and sounds helps the brain make connections in the areas of language, problem-solving and motor skills. Pouring, stacking, squishing and scooping strengthen coordination and hand muscles, which helps make writing, dressing and eating easier. Sensory play also helps language development, emotional regulation, creativity and curiosity.
There are so many options for sensory play, but these are the easiest ones to do at home without buying much, if anything.
- Homemade play dough: Combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of water, 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar, ⅓ cup of salt, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and food coloring in a 2-quart saucepan. Cook over low-medium heat and stir until the mixture thickens and clumps around the spoon. Let it cool on wax paper before using.
- Water play: All you need are cups, spoons and a bin of water. It’s such a simple idea and kids love it.
- Sensory bins: Place dry beans, rice or pasta in a bin with some scoops or spoons and small toys. Children can hide their toys, scoop and pour.
“My 1-year-old is happiest helping with everyday stuff — pulling socks out of the laundry basket, banging wooden spoons on pots or putting lids on containers while I’m actually doing chores. It’s five to 10 minutes of focus for her, takes a few extra minutes for me to get the job done, but no screens, we spend time together — it feels like a win!”
— Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju, Urban Farmie
Movement and music
Movement and music are a powerful combination that offers emotional, social, academic and physical benefits for toddlers. They help develop gross and fine motor skills, as well as self-expression and confidence. Repetitive songs and dances help toddlers develop memory and language skills. Movement and music help stimulate imagination and creativity.
No matter how you help your child develop these skills, they will benefit greatly. Most of these activities don’t require any trips to the store.
- Freeze dance: Play music and pause it randomly. Challenge your child to freeze for a few seconds when the music is paused.
- Marching band: Play marching band with pots, pans and wooden spoons. March around the house making sounds. Challenge your child to copy your rhythms.
- Animal charades: Act like animals and have your child guess what you are. Then switch roles.
Pretend play and imagination
Pretend play boosts creativity and lays the foundation for problem-solving. It also builds social skills and supports language development. Toddlers work through emotions by acting them out, which develops emotional intelligence and helps them understand and express big feelings. Pretend play also strengthens cognitive development through planning, decision-making and using memory.
Imaginative play requires few, if any, materials. To help kids get started, you can give them a few things and make suggestions to spark their imagination. These ideas can help get you started.
- Dress-up time: Put hats, scarves, old clothes and shoes in a big box or bin. Your toddler can use them to be a superhero, an animal or anything else they come up with.
- Stuffed animal vet: Line up stuffed animals and let your child listen for their heartbeats, add Band-Aids and check their eyes and ears.
- Transportation time: Set up chairs like a car, airplane or bus. They can drive and pick up passengers — stuffed animals — or go on pretend trips.
Arts and crafts
Making arts and crafts helps develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. They also help advance focus and patience, as well as confidence and self-expression. Toddlers gain an understanding of shapes, colors and patterns while being creative and having fun.
Many arts and crafts can be created with things you have around the house. A few ideas are shared here, but the possibilities are endless.
- Tear and glue projects: Have your child tear old newspapers and magazines into small pieces and glue them onto a piece of paper.
- Nature art: Collect leaves, twigs, grass and other objects and let your child make a masterpiece.
- Sticker collages: If you have extra stickers lying around, let your child make a collage. This activity is great for fine motor skills.
“When my kids were little, I would fill up a storage bin with rice and then add little toys and other objects like small spoons and plastic Easter egg halves and even mismatched baby socks in them and have my kids use my big wooden spoons or their hands to dig for treasures. They absolutely loved it, and it was so easy for me to change up and create something new for them. It was super cheap, too!”
— Michelle Price, Honest and Truly
Quiet time activities
Even if toddlers have outgrown naps, they still need some downtime to help them rest and recharge. Quiet time helps them recharge and reduces overstimulation after a busy morning of activities and outings. It helps improve focus and patience while children concentrate on one thing at a time in a quiet and slow-paced environment.
Quiet time is less structured and more open ended, but you can set out activities for your child to choose from and give suggestions. These activities are often in the child’s bedroom or at the kitchen table, but are meant to be done alone in a quiet environment.
- Sorting games: Sort items like small toys by color or shape. Color paper plates or pieces of paper, then your child can place the items on the paper by color or shape.
- Puzzles and nesting toys: Set out simple puzzles or nesting toys for your child to do independently.
- Reading fort: Make a simple blanket fort and put some favorite books and stuffed animals inside. Encourage your child to look at books and show them to their stuffed animals.
Final thoughts
You don’t need fancy toys or screens to keep a toddler busy — just a little creativity and a few everyday items. Whether your kid loves making noise, getting messy or pretending to be a superhero, there’s something here for every kind of day. These activities help build important skills and give your child the freedom to explore, imagine and play. And best of all, they give you a chance to slow down and enjoy the fun right along with them.
Heidi is a Certified Elementary School Teacher in the Inland Northwest and has been teaching for 18 years. She is also a vintage recipe blogger at Real Life of Lulu, where she focuses on recipes that are at least 50 years old, many from her grandparents’ kitchens. When she isn’t teaching or baking, she loves spending time with her husband and three kids.