Toddler Activities: Great For a Rainy Day

I love crafts, but sometimes I do not have the creativity or time in me to create over the top sensory bins. They have plenty of toys, but we also like to switch it up to keep things interesting. Especially on days where it feels like time is inching by. Our daughters are two and four years old and we have found some ideas over the past few years that they love to do. All of these are great for screen-free time. Most of these have also given me mornings where I can finish a whole cup of coffee in one sitting.

Alphabet post its

Take a pad of post it notes and write a letter of the alphabet on each post it.
On a sheet of paper taped to a table or wall, write out the letters of the alphabet.
Stick the alphabet post its all over the house so that your kids have to go find them.
Once they find them, have them stick them to the corresponding letter on the paper.

Color sorting on paper

Take a few different sheets of construction paper in different colors.
Have your kids go around the house to find “red things” and “blue things” and whatever other colors of paper you have.
Mix all the toys or objects up and have them color sort onto the paper.

Pizza toppings

Put a piece of butcher block paper on the floor or table and draw a pizza (or two).
Cut out pizza “toppings” out of different colors of construction paper. We did mushrooms, pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions, spinach, and pineapple.
Put the toppings in a container and have your kids make a pizza!

DIY stickers

Cut out any picture (from a cheaper dollar store calendar, a book, or a drawing)
Place it on contact paper. Peel back the sticky top, place pictures down, and press the sticky side down.
Cut out the pictures, leaving a small border around them.
Peel off the backing and stick to any surface.

Popsicle stick bridge

Stretch painters tape across two surfaces and stick to both sides.
Do this with two pieces of tape a few inches apart.
Take popsicle sticks and have your kids line them up along the tape to create a bridge.
Take animals, dolls, lego people, etc and walk them along the bridge.

Pom poms and cups

Tape butcher block paper to the floor and draw circles with different colors
Place clear cups over the colored circles.
Color sort pom poms in the corresponding cups.

Nail salon

Take a piece of cardboard and use a sharpie to draw the outline of a hand.
Draw “nails” on the hand.
Use shipping tape to cover the cardboard.
Your kids can “paint nails” with markers and erase it with a wet or dry paper towel.

Shaving cream paint

Take a muffin tin and put shaving cream in each opening.
Add a pump of soap (you can use whatever soap you use for the bath) and a few drops of food coloring.
Mix each color.
Give your kids brushes and put them in the bath or shower to “paint” the tile/walls of the bath.

Rainbow bears

Tape a piece of butcher block paper on a table or the floor.
Draw a rainbow with markers.
Put a container of rainbow bears close by and have your kids line the corresponding color up on the rainbow lines.

The days are long - you might as well fill them with things that are new and exciting for everyone!

Toddler Activities: Great For a Rainy Day