Easy & Fun Activities for 2- to 3-Year-Olds

Hear the squeals of delight as 2- and 3-year-old children partake in enjoyable activities that are age-appropriate. Kids, especially younger children, love to be involved in games that encourage them to be creative. Show them a fantastic time and plan activities that encourage them to get messy, be inventive and boogie the day away.

  1. Shaving Cream Art

    • Spread out a large, white plastic tablecloth outside on the ground or over a kitchen table. Put smocks or old T-shirts on the children to prevent ruining their clothes. Spread white, unscented shaving cream in the center of the tablecloth and have the kids "paint" with the shaving cream. Add nonstaining food coloring to it and let the children blend colors. When finished, wrap the tablecloth up and throw it away for easy cleanup.

    Making Music

    • Stay inside and create music. Look around your house for a small box with a lid such as a plastic container or shoebox to use as a drum. Give the child a stick or encourage him to use his hands to beat on the "drum" to make music. Make a rain stick using a paper towel or toilet paper holder, dry beans, two 6-by-6-inch pieces of fabric and rubber bands. Let the children draw on the outside of the tubes and then fill the tubes with a handful of beans. Wrap the fabric around the top and bottom of the tube and secure with the rubber band. Move the tube back and forth to hear the "rain."

    Finger and Sponge Paint

    • Let the children paint with sponges and fingers. Place a large plastic tablecloth over an indoor surface or outside in the grass and fill paper plates with various colors of paint. Purchase different-shaped sponges from a craft supply store or cut your own shapes from a large piece of foam. Let the kids dip their sponges in paint and either stamp shapes directly onto the tablecloth or onto paper. Children who prefer not to use the sponges can simply paint with their fingers.

    Dancing with Bubbles

    • Crank up the music, set up a bubble machine and let the kids dance their way through the bubbles. Kids love to dance and, when you involve bubbles, it makes the event even more enjoyable. Purchase bubble wands and soap solution from the store and pour the solution into large plastic bowls and plates. Show the kids how to dip their wands into the solution and twirl the wands around to create large, oversized bubbles.

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