Activities for Infants and Toddlers at Home

Infants and toddlers are easily entertained at home through basic activities that utilize their toys and environment. Rather than doing the same things every day, children should have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities. Parents and other caregivers should take the child's current developmental abilities into account when facilitating activities for infants and toddlers.

  1. Hide and Seek

    • Infants enjoy playing peek-a-boo, which is a preliminary version of hide and seek that offers them a surprise whenever a person reappears after being hidden. Variations include hiding a toy under a blanket and helping the infant find it or calling to the infant from another room to get him to come to you. As toddlers begin to understand the concept of "object permanence," which is the fact that an item still exists when it is out of view, they can start playing games where the parent hides a favorite toy and challenges the toddler to find it.

    Sorting

    • Help infants and toddlers recognize and compare different features of items by sorting them into categories. Infants can start with sorting by size by placing items into a container with a small opening and seeing which ones fit. Older infants and young toddlers can start learning to sort by color. As children get older, they can complete more complex sorting activities. For example, an older toddler might be able to sort plastic foods from a kitchen play set into food group categories of fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains and desserts.

    Imitation

    • Infants and toddlers can develop social skills by playing games that involve imitating their caregivers. With younger infants, change the game so the caregiver imitates the infant. One of the simplest forms this activity takes is imitating facial expressions. In another variation, the caregiver can sit down next to a playing infant or toddler and do the same things the child is doing. Then the caregiver can add a new action and try to get the child to imitate it. Older toddlers can imitate tasks adults complete, such as vacuuming with a toy vacuum alongside an adult using a real one.

    Kitchen Activities

    • Parents who need to prepare a meal can facilitate kitchen activities with infants or toddlers while they cook meals. Infants enjoy exploring kitchen cabinets and banging items together, so fill a low cabinet or drawer with safe toys, such as plastic containers, light pots or pans, wooden spoons and colanders. For toddlers, show the child food in different stages of preparation, describe it and let the child taste it. Give the toddler simple tasks to complete, such as helping to stir a batter or carry napkins to the table.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • How to Help a Child Catch a Ball
      Catching a ball is no easy thing for a 2- or 3-year-old child. It requires coordination of eyes, hands, and body. Learning to catch a ball is a progression, says Stephen Sanders, Ed.D., author of Active for Life: Developmentally Appropriate Movement
    • How to Make Christmas Cookies With Your Toddler
      Baking with your little one can be a whole load of fun. Its a great bonding activity for both of you, and your tot will love being Mommys Little Helper in the kitchen -- and making a mess, of course. Its also a fun way to develop your childs motor sk
    • Dramatic Play Ideas for Toddlers
      Dramatic play provides a way for toddlers to learn about their world. Even though pretending may sometimes look like it is frivolous or that it does not provide a real learning experience, dramatic play actually helps develop vital skills. One- and t