20 Easy Toddler Learning Activities You Can Set Up in Minutes

As my little one, Scarlett, continues to grow, this list keeps evolving right along with her. You might notice different age notes here and there because I’ve been adding new ideas as she moves through each stage.

These activities are the ones that truly kept her busy, curious, and happy during those toddler months. Each one is simple to set up and designed to help little hands explore, move, and learn through play while keeping things fun for both of us.

Sticking Foam Letters to the Window

This simple setup gave me a few minutes of quiet time while keeping Scarlett happily busy. Foam letters easily stick to windows or mirrors when wet, so I sprinkled a little water on them and handed her the container.

She was amazed that they could stick to the glass and had fun taking them off and putting them back on. It’s also a great way to introduce letters in a playful way.

Build a Tower and Crush into It with a Truck

There’s something so fun about building a tower and knocking it down. We used stacking cups to build tall towers and then drove toy trucks right into them. Scarlett couldn’t stop laughing as the towers came crashing down. It’s a fun and active game that helps with coordination and cause-and-effect learning.

Color Sorting

What you’ll need: Construction paper in different colors, crayons, markers, or paint.
What to do: Cut out different shapes from each color of construction paper. As your toddler sorts them, talk about the colors together. You can also let them trace the shapes using crayons, markers, or even paint.
What kids will learn: This activity helps toddlers recognize colors and shapes while building fine motor skills. It’s a fun and hands-on way to mix learning with creativity.

Move the Buttons into the Circle

Put a few buttons inside a ziplock bag, add some hair gel, draw a circle on the back of the bag, and tape it to the window. The goal is to move all those buttons inside the circle. It’s a great way to help develop fine motor skills and keep little fingers busy.

To make it extra fun, I drew the eyes and nose of a cat so it looked like he was eating the buttons. Another variation is to use buttons of two colors and draw two matching circles so your toddler can move each button to the circle of the same color.

Shape Monster Activities

Follow for more: Fun Crafts for Bored Toddlers

These cute shape monsters were first made for stringing, but we ended up finding so many ways to play with them. They’re made from stiff felt sheets cut into squares, triangles, and circles with googly eyes added on top and a small slit in the middle of each shape.

If your child still tends to put things in their mouth, you can skip the eyes. Scarlett wasn’t interested in pulling them off, so I kept them. I made identical pairs for each shape. The slits make them perfect for little finger puppets, so Scarlett wears one and looks for its matching pair for the other hand.

We also use a sectioned plastic box from a takeout meal for sorting the shapes by type. Another fun way to play is to make two piles of shapes and have your toddler find matching pairs. You can even glue or tape them to craft sticks or straws to create monster puppets.

Magnetic Letters

What you’ll need: Magnetic letters and a metal surface, such as a refrigerator.
What to do: Stick magnetic letters onto the fridge and help your toddler identify them. Start with easy three-letter words or just explore letter names and sounds together. You can even use the letters to leave playful messages or clues for a mini treasure hunt.
What kids will learn: Playing with magnetic letters builds letter recognition and early literacy. It helps toddlers understand the alphabet while encouraging curiosity about words and spelling.

Paint on Ice

Painting becomes even more exciting when your toddler gets to paint on something unexpected, like ice. We tried it and it turned into a great sensory and art activity. Scarlett was fascinated watching how the paint moved and mixed as the ice melted. We used regular finger paint and brushes, and she loved every moment of it.

Matching Socks

I noticed how much Scarlett enjoyed helping me sort clean laundry, so I gave her a small pile of baby socks to practice matching. These socks had cute animal faces on them, which made the activity even more fun. She loved finding the matching pairs, and I got a few quiet minutes while she played.

Origami for Toddlers

What you’ll need: Square pieces of colored paper.
What to do: Introduce your toddler to the joy of folding paper. Start with simple shapes like boats or airplanes. Fold step by step, showing them how to crease and shape the paper. When finished, display their creations proudly or let them “fly” their paper airplanes around the room.
What kids will learn: Origami helps toddlers strengthen fine motor control and focus. It also teaches patience, shapes, and creativity in a hands-on way.

Discover Family Members in Boxes

This activity works great as both a discovery and a memory game. I made small boxes and placed photos of family members inside each one. You can decorate the boxes differently so it’s easier to remember who is where.

The idea is to lift the lid and find familiar faces. Since Scarlett doesn’t get to see her grandparents often, this game helps her remember them. She especially loves finding her own picture, which always makes her giggle.

Matching Animal Figures to Book Images

Follow for more: Montessori Activities for Toddlers

This matching game was inspired by a Montessori idea. We used the First 100 Animals book along with small toy animals. The goal is simple: find the toy that matches the picture in the book and place it next to it. It helps toddlers connect objects they see in pictures with real-life items. We invested in a few Schleich animals because they look so realistic, but any toy animals you already have will work.

Rescue Animals from Zip-Lock Bags

What you’ll need: Clear zip-lock bags and small plastic animals.
What to do: Place the toy animals inside the bags and seal them. Encourage your toddler to “rescue” the animals by opening each bag and taking them out. You can say things like “The lion wants to come out. Can you help him?” For variety, try adding objects like fruits, leaves, or toys with different textures. After playtime, store everything easily in the same bags.
What kids will learn: This simple sensory activity builds fine motor skills and introduces toddlers to new textures, shapes, and animal names. It’s a fun way to practice using their hands with purpose.

Fishing Game for Toddlers

This one only took a few minutes to put together. Cut out fish shapes from cardstock, stick small magnetic discs on each one, and create a fishing pole using a strong magnet wrapped in tulle and tied to a pen or stick. Take turns catching and releasing the fish. It’s simple, quick, and always gets a laugh.

Finger Puppets Made Out of a Latex Glove

These little puppets took less than two minutes to make. Just cut the fingers off a latex glove and draw or glue tiny faces on them. They may not look exactly like ducks, but Scarlett loved it when I sang “Five Little Ducks” while using them.

She tried putting them on her own fingers and played along. Older kids can make this activity even more creative by gluing feathers or little decorations to their glove puppets.

Put Together a Simple Toy Train Set

What you’ll need: A toy train set such as the Thomas the Tank Engine Wooden Railway Starter Set.
What to do: Let your toddler help you put together a basic train track. They can connect the track pieces, place the trains on the tracks, and press any buttons to make them move. Encourage them to explore how each piece fits and how the train runs around the track.
What kids will learn: This fun activity helps toddlers build fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving abilities. It also introduces them to the concept of cause and effect as they see how their actions make the train go.

Animal Action Cards

These cards quickly became one of Scarlett’s favorite activities. She started trying some of the animal movements when she was around 18 months, and by 23 months she could do almost all of them except standing on one leg like a flamingo or puffing her cheeks like a chipmunk.

I showed her the actions the first time, and now she loves to do them on her own. We all clap and cheer when she gets it right. It’s such a fun way for the whole family to play and burn off some energy. You can find both digital and printed versions of these cards online.

Make a Tree by Flattening Playdough Balls

Playdough has become one of Scarlett’s favorite activities. When she was around 20 months old, we started using it regularly, and now she enjoys it even more.

For this activity, I drew a tree trunk on paper, rolled small green playdough balls, and showed her how to flatten them to make the tree’s leaves. It’s a simple sensory project that strengthens motor skills. Just make sure to supervise closely so none of the playdough ends up in little mouths.

Tickle Game

This is such a fun and silly activity. Hide a feather under one of several flip lids from baby wipes packs that you’ve glued to a board. Encourage your toddler to look for the feather. Once it’s found, use it to tickle your little one. You can also hide flat animal toys or small magnets for extra surprises.

I attached the lids with hot glue so they stay put, but you can also use them right after removing them from a wipes pack while they’re still sticky. This idea was inspired by The Tickle Book, which has flaps with tickle monsters hiding underneath.

Make Regular Stickers Reusable

Like most toddlers, Scarlett loves stickers, but she used to get frustrated when they wouldn’t peel off the paper again. To fix that, we placed a sheet of paper inside a clear plastic sheet protector.

Now, she can stick and peel the same stickers as many times as she wants. It’s such an easy little hack that saves stickers and keeps her entertained.

Quiet Time in DIY Lounge

We turned our old snow tubes into soft lounge chairs for summer use. They’re cozy, easy to move around, and perfect for quiet time. We added a few blankets for extra comfort, and Scarlett brought along her favorite stuffed animals.

She enjoyed reading her little books while her brother used watercoloring books. It’s a sweet and calm way to relax after playtime.