6 Ideas to Try Right Now
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#1·10–15 min
Toy Hide and Seek
🛒Materials: Favorite stuffed animal or toy
- 1Hide your child's favorite toy in an easy-to-find spot in the same room.
- 2Say 'Where is Teddy?' and let them search.
- 3Help them with hot/cold clues ('You're getting warmer!').
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#2·30+ min
Building Block Free Play
🛒Materials: Lego, Duplo, or any blocks
- 1Set out a bucket of blocks.
- 2No instructions — free build.
- 3Only rule: must name what they built when done.
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#3·5–10 min
Sensory Sound Shaker
🛒Materials: Plastic bottle, dry rice or pasta, tape
- 1Fill a clean plastic bottle with dry rice or pasta.
- 2Tape the lid shut securely.
- 3Let your toddler shake, roll, and make noise!
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Use different fillings (beans, bells) for different sounds.
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#4·10–15 min
Toy Car Wash
🛒Materials: Plastic toy cars, tray of soapy water, toothbrush
- 1Fill a shallow tray with warm soapy water.
- 2Give your toddler plastic toy cars and a toothbrush.
- 3Let them scrub the cars clean.
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#5·10–15 min
Pom-Pom Post
🛒Materials: Empty tissue box or container with hole, pom-poms
- 1Cut a hole in the top of a container (or use a tissue box).
- 2Show your toddler how to 'post' pom-poms through the hole.
- 3Dump them out and repeat — toddlers love the repetition.
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This is a classic Montessori object permanence activity.
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#6·15 min
Sponge Squeeze Tray
🛒Materials: Sponges, shallow tray, water
- 1Soak sponges in water and place in a shallow tray.
- 2Let your toddler squeeze, squish, and pat them.
- 3Add food colouring to water for extra sensory interest.
