Activities for toddlers
Playtime activities are really important for your child's development. Have a look at these ideas for activities you can do together.
How much activity do toddlers need?
Toddlers love to move around. All physical activities help their muscles, bones and brains develop, whether it's walking, running, climbing, jumping or dancing.
Ideally, they need 180 minutes of activity a day. But don't worry, it doesn't have to be all at once – 10 or 20 minutes here and there all counts towards the total.
And all sorts of activity counts too, whether it's indoors or outdoors. It's just about getting them moving every day.
Playtime activities are equally important and really helpful for language development, cognitive growth (thinking, concentrating, problem-solving, decision-making) gross and fine motor skills (big and small physical movements), and social interaction.
Activities at home and outdoors
At home
There are lots of ways you can get your child moving at home. Have a game of hide-and-seek, see who can do the most star jumps, create an obstacle course or stick some music on and have a dance-off.
You can find lots of fun activity ideas for 0 to 5-year-olds from the BBC's Tiny Happy People.
Toddling
There's a reason they're called toddlers! Practice makes perfect and it's an important part of growing up, so it's good to try to make sure your toddler is free to have a toddle when they get the urge.
Go to the park
Get them running around the park. Take a ball and practise throwing, catching and kicking it around. These simple activities teach skills like co-ordination, balance and agility.
Sensory play
Toddlers love sensory play, and it's a wonderful way to spend time with them and let them explore the world.
It's all about stimulating their senses through touch, smell, taste, seeing and hearing.
Walking
Once your little one has mastered walking, try to encourage this as much as possible.
If you're heading to the park for some exercise, try letting your toddler walk some of the way.
More ways to keep toddlers busy
Find loads more great ideas for fun activities for the whole family, including Disney inspired 10 Minute Shake Up games, indoor activities, accessible activities and a quiz to find ideas tailored to you!
