10 THINGS TO DO WITH 2-YEAR-OLDS: FUN AND EASY ACTIVITIES
When you’re planning activities for 2-year-olds, it can feel tricky to find ideas that are fun and naturally engaging. They’re curious about everything, eager to explore their surroundings, and excited to learn something new every day. With that curiosity, though, comes growing independence and short attention spans.
This is where age-appropriate activities for 2-year-olds become especially important! These toddler-friendly ideas are designed to target key developmental skills—like fine motor development, sensory exploration, movement, and early learning—while keeping play fun and manageable. But with all of the options out there, where do you start?
Today, I’m sharing a round-up of my favorite activity ideas for 2-year-olds. From bright colors and squishy textures to STEM-inspired learning and fine motor activities, each hands-on activity blends learning and play beautifully. Let’s get started!
10 Things to Do with 2-Year-Olds: Fun and Easy Activities
At 2 years old, those tiny toddler brains are experiencing a huge growth spurt! They begin learning new words, developing a sense of self, recognizing emotions, and building critical thinking skills. Equally as important, they become incredibly creative, curious, and yes, self-determined.
That’s why it’s essential to pick activities that meet toddlers where they are—supporting growth while letting them have fun. But with how quickly our little ones’ interests change? Sometimes you’re not even sure what they enjoy! So before we dive into all of the toddler activities, let’s talk about what they actually like doing for fun.
What Do 2-Year-Olds Like to Do for Fun?
It feels like 2-year-olds like nothing and everything all at once—and even that changes by the day! This is why I rely on two super handy tools: sensory play and arts and crafts. Both offer open-ended opportunities for toddlers to explore, experiment, and create without strict rules. They also both focus on everything toddlers tend to enjoy, like imaginative play, texture exploration, process art, and hands-on discovery. But let’s get a little more specific…
Babies and toddlers primarily use their senses to learn, explore, and make sense of the world around them. This is exactly what I talk about in my post, “What Is Sensory Play and Why Is It Important?” Sensory play is activities that engage and stimulate the senses in an encouraging, unlimited way.
Arts and crafts are equally beneficial, as I discuss in “How Arts and Crafts Help Child Development.” It’s more than gluing and coloring—it’s an opportunity to practice fine motor skills, promote language development, and nurture confidence.
There’s one more reason I love incorporating sensory play and arts and crafts into toddler playtime… They’re the BEST way to encourage independent play! As I discuss in my book, Playful by Design, independence is the foundation of problem-solving, resilience, and confidence.
And as you’ll learn in the resource, my girls actually prefer to be in their play spaces rather than on tablets, televisions, and other screens. (No bribery or brainwashing included!) And, trust me, it’s not too-good-to-be-true, it’s just the simple magic of incorporating independent play activities from a young age.
So, now that we know what toddlers like to do and why, let’s explore play ideas that excite, engage, and encourage both your littles and their growing brains!
What to Do with 2-Year-Olds?
Toddler Bundle Activity Pack
I’m a huge fan of Printable Activity Packs, no matter the age. In each unique pack, every page offers a fun way for children to explore new skills and practice hands-on learning. For 2-year-olds, though, this Toddler Bundle Activity Pack is hands-down my favorite.
This pack offers over 50 pages of activities, from practicing weather and primary colors to discussing emotions and counting numbers. And the best part? It’s full of age-appropriate activities that work for any occasion and time of day—even on the go. Just pack up your pages and tools in this Kids Travel Organizer (that’s water-resistant and sturdy) and enjoy playtime anywhere!
Taste-Safe Play-Dough
Dealing with a toddler who tries to put everything in their mouth? Been there! That’s exactly why I created this Taste-Safe Play-Dough Recipe. Not only is it a better alternative for younger toddlers and babies, but the texture is so soft—and salt-free!
It requires a handful of household ingredients, like all-purpose flour, cornstarch, vegetable oil, and lime juice, and comes together within minutes. Whether toddlers are molding shapes or squeezing it throughout the day, it’s a fantastic material for encouraging fine motor development.
Shaving Cream Slime
Taste-safe play-dough isn’t the only easy, toddler-friendly material to make—so is Shaving Cream Slime! If you’ve seen my Cloud Slime DIY recipe, then you know shaving cream is one of my go-to ingredients. It turns traditional slime recipes into something light, airy, and buttery soft.
As a result, this material is just as fun to squish, stretch, and squeeze—perfect for 2-year-olds still developing their grasp. But, in my opinion, that’s only half of why it’s so great! It also doesn’t stick to your hands (or everywhere else, for that matter!) as easily.
Taste-Safe Fizzy Blocks
As I mentioned in my post, “Science with Toddlers,” it’s never too early to introduce the topic. In fact, the earlier you introduce STEM concepts, the better! It’s excellent for building problem-solving skills, boosting language development, nurturing curiosity, and improving fine motor skills.
And what better way to do so than with Taste-Safe Fizzy Blocks? An easy twist on the classic baking soda-and-vinegar experiment: simply drop vinegar onto the blocks and watch them fizz into bright, bubbly colors. It’s vibrant, exciting, and perfectly toddler-friendly!
Rainbow Tapioca Pearl Sensory Jar
If you have a 2-year-old, chances are you’re no stranger to water beads. They’re squishy, slippery, and tons of fun. However, let me introduce you to the safer, more toddler-friendly alternative: tapioca pearls! All the same excitement, they’re just taste-safe and non-toxic—it truly is the best of both worlds.
Combine the rainbow pearls into a sensory jar to create a hands-on activity that encourages sensory exploration and open-ended play. Not only that, but sensory jars are also naturally calming and foster emotional regulation!
Taste-Safe Squishy Blocks
There’s seriously nothing more satisfying than squeezing these Taste-Safe Squishy Blocks! Made only with gelatin and a bit of food coloring, this activity is totally taste-safe (though not yummy) for 2-year-olds. You can use Jell-O, but I recommend sticking with the gelatin; it’s less sticky and less sugary.
Aside from their vibrant hues and squishy texture, these blocks are excellent for introducing littles to new hand movements! From squishing and squeezing to pressing and flattening, there are so many ways to manipulate the blocks and encourage fine motor skills.
DIY Paper Crown
Sensory play and arts and crafts actually share a lot of overlapping benefits! Sensory exploration, self-expression, cognitive development, creativity—these are just a few examples. For 2-year-olds, one of my favorite activities blends both elements: DIY Paper Crowns!
They’re super simple to make and offer plenty of versatility depending on your child’s age, interests, and personality. The crafts part comes from them creating and assembling the crown. The sensory play part is all from the decorations! Pipe cleaners, pom-poms, sequins, glitter, foam stickers—your options are endless.
Best of all, there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to create the crown! It’s the perfect way to encourage imaginative play while keeping littles engaged and happy.
Toddler-Friendly Sensory Bin
I will always be a huge supporter of sensory bins—as you can tell from my post, “Sensory Bin Benefits!” They immediately transform playtime into an immersive adventure, full of unique sounds and textures that are entirely new to toddlers.
It’s more than just a fun way to spend the day, though. It’s a multi-sensory experience that encourages self-regulation, language development, and emotional expression. Simply fill a bin up with small, toddler-friendly objects and let them explore each one at their own pace!
Looking for ideas on what to fill your bin with? Check out…
DIY Bubbles
It’s no secret that bubbles are one of the most engaging materials for 2-year-olds. But when you’re buying bottle after bottle—and they run out in minutes—they become a hard purchase to justify! That’s exactly why I shared my DIY Homemade Bubble Recipe. They’re easy to make, inexpensive, and, believe it or not, better than the store-bought alternative.
Seriously, all it takes is dish soap, glycerin, water, and corn syrup—ingredients you probably already have at home! And once your little ones are worn out from running around the yard with their wands? Try out this bubble painting activity!
Puffy Paint Crafts
Some of my most exciting fine motor activities involve puffy paint, especially for toddlers! As much as we want to incorporate traditional paint during playtime, things can get chaotic—quickly. Puffy paint (AKA no-drip paint!) is, on the other hand, a much more enjoyable alternative for everyone involved.
Not only can kids create with it, but it’s a paint they can feel as much as they can see. Using just shaving cream, glue, and food coloring (see my step-by-step Homemade Puffy Paint Recipe!), this paint is both vibrant and texturally dimensional. It’s PERFECT for colorful days spent indoors!
Transform playtime into an exciting, immersive experience with these activities for 2-year-olds!
Finding age-appropriate activities for 2-year-olds can feel a challenge. You want something easy enough for them to enjoy but challenging enough to encourage growth! Fortunately, the ideas above check off all the boxes. From bright colors and engaging textures to STEM activities and taste-safe materials, playtime with toddlers can be as beneficial as it is fun!
Looking for more ways to encourage independence and self-guided play? Don’t forget to check out Playful by Design, my stress-free guide for raising confident, creative kids through independent play. This resource gives parents all the tools they need for kid-directed play using materials and spaces you already have. And, the most exciting part? You finally get an opportunity to slow down and catch your breath.
Don’t stop there, though! Head over to the Mothercould blog, where you’ll find sensory activities, holiday gift guides, kid-friendly recipes, and my weekly favorites. Also, don’t miss out on joining the Mothercould In Your Pocket Resource! As soon as you join, you’ll gain access to 60+ printable recipes, guided play tutorials, and effective clean-up strategies. See you there!
