Here is a list of my 25 favorite quiet activities for toddlers –
1. Picture flash cards
2. Small cars
3. Animal figurines
4. A memory game
5. Colors and paper
6. Board books
7. Lacing cards
8. Busy bags (post on my ideas coming soon)
9. Baby with a blanket and bottle
10. Pictures of family and friends (I laminate them first)
11. Counting/Sorting set
12. Large lego type blocks
13. Wooden stacking blocks
14. Clothes with zippers and strings
15. Wooden beads and string
16. Colander and pipe cleaners
17. Measuring cups/spoons and beans to scoop and pour
18. Safety scissors and paper (you know when your child is ready for this some are older than others)
19. Playdough and cookie cutters
20. Stickers and paper
21. Foam shapes
22. Plastic eggs with pompoms inside
23. Round cereal and yarn (put tape over the end to make a safe “needle”)
24. Hats, Gloves, Socks and a large baby they can dress
25. Dominoes (they sell fun ones with pictures even!)
There you have it, some of my favorite quiet activities for toddlers. I not only use these for quiet time at home but some of these are portable and I rotate through them for church and meetings and even doctor’s appointments. Now, please do not expect your toddler to just magically sit and do these things for 20-30 minutes. It is a training process and takes very consistent, hard work. It has to be worked on more than just on Sunday’s in a pew or every couple of months at the doctor’s office. But, by making quiet time a part of your toddler’s routine they will begin to lengthen their attention span and to learn to occupy themselves with whatever simple things that you give them. Just remember that when you sit them down for quiet time, less is best. Don’t cover their whole space with countless toys that have lights and music and talking animals on them. You want them to learn to sit when you tell them and to play contentedly with whatever you give them. Start short and praise, praise, praise each time they stay quietly where you put them. It is hard work but so very worth it.
You can read other posts about training toddler from Our Heart and Home –
Toddler Training -Obedience and Sitting Still
An In-Depth Look at how I train my toddlers to sit still
Homeschooling with Little Ones
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