I’m going to be really honest with you, I’ve had those days where my toddler was so fussy and wouldn’t even let me get one thing done,l – those days are usually so exhausting. And yes… I’ve handed over a screen to my toddler, absolutely no guilt, but It was the easiest option at the moment, that would occupy her, and honestly, sometimes you just need that. So I’ve been leaning more into simple toddler activities I can pull together in minutes using what I already have at home, such as: Toilet paper rolls, pompoms , paper plates… and all the random stuff I might have lying around.
So here are 9 low-prep toddler activities I set up for my toddler when I need to direct her attention to somewhere that’s not me.
If you need something for quiet afternoons or outings for older kids.,I shared my go-to ideas in 5 Must-Have Travel Activities That Keep Kids Busy.
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1. Flour tray play (Might be messy)
screen-free activities for toddlers and preschoolers
I set up this activity for my toddler while I was prepping lunch. I poured some flour into a tray, then I added magnetic tiles to make it more fun.
Yes, there was a lot of smearing and quite a bit of mess, but since we were already in the kitchen, I didn’t worry too much about it. Apart from the fun part, here’s why this activity is good for toddlers: It supports sensory play, builds and encourages imaginative play, all in one.
2. Scribble & draw free play
This one I set up for my 15-month-old. She’s already fallen in love with scribbling everywhere, so it was easy to keep her busy with this. You know, sometimes we moms like to overcomplicate things for no reason… forgetting that our toddlers don’t need complicated, all they just need are paper and crayons, and it’s amazing how the simplest screen-free activities are the ones that actually work the best for our kids.
Here’s what she did with this activity:
- She scribbled freely without interruption from me
- She mixed different colours because I gave her several to use (She really enjoyed picking out the colours)
- Most importantly, she practised gripping, which is great for her fine motor skills
If you want, you can grab affordable toddler crayons here. They are great for tiny fingers to grip and are shatterproof, too. And if your child is ready for the next step, you can try these simple cutting activities. I put together a super easy guide here: Preschool Cutting Practice: Free Printable
3. Pompom colour wall drop
I love this one so much for my toddler, and if you’re looking for an activity that builds hand-eye coordination, this is it. I wrapped five toilet paper rolls in different colours and taped them onto cardboard in a row, then hung the cardboard on the wall. I placed a little bin of pom-poms just beneath the hanging cardboard and encouraged my 15-month-old to pick a pompom and drop it through the rolls. She kept repeating it over and over, and even though she’s not fully matching colours yet, it was still such a great introduction. It’s one of those toddler activities that looks so simple but keeps them engaged for a long time.
4. Egg carton & pipe cleaner (Fine motor play)
You already know I love egg carton activities… because they just WORK. All I did was grab an egg carton, make holes in each cup and push pipe cleaners into the holes. It didn’t take up to five minutes to set up at all, and the idea was to get my toddler to pull them back out with her pincer grip. Did it work? Oh yes, it did and saved me some minutes for myself. What surprised me was that even my older child joined in for a bit, which rarely happens with toddler activities. This is one of those easy activities that takes minutes to set up but keeps their hands busy.
5. Toilet paper rolls sorter
For this one, I reused what I already had from the previous activity and kept it super simple. I set up this activity to encourage colour-matching skills in my toddler, and I didn’t need to prep anything more than this. It turned into a quiet, focused activity where she just sat and worked through it at her own pace. You can easily turn this into a counting game if you have older kids, which makes it one of those flexible activities for toddlers.
6. DIY kitchen roll ball tube
This one might look like something that would take forever to set up, but it really didn’t. I taped toilet rolls along the wall in a way that allowed the pom poms to roll down from top to bottom, and my kids kept going back to it, dropping the pom poms and watching them fall, then adjusting things to make it more fun. It’s one of those screen-free activities for preschoolers that feels like play but actually keeps them thinking.
7. Paper Plate tower building challenge
I gave my kids paper plates and toilet rolls, and they immediately started building towers without any direction from me. It quickly turned into a challenge to see who could build the tallest one. Of course, my toddler loved knocking everything down, which made it even more fun in its own chaotic way, but it’s one of those activities that naturally turns into play without you needing to guide it.
8. Toilet roll stacking game
This one needed absolutely no prep. I just dropped a bunch of toilet paper rolls in front of them, and they turned it into a stacking and building game right away. They built towers, created little structures, and even drove toy cars through them to knock everything down again. It’s one of the easiest toddler activities you can set up without thinking twice.
9. Pompom pick & drop (Sensory & Fine Motor)
I stuffed some pompoms in a whisk, the kind you use to beat eggs or hand mix cake batter and handed it to my toddler. All she had to do was pick the pompoms out of the whisk and drop in a container. The picking them out and dropping them in the container was what kept her entertained for good ten minutes and she kept repeating the same motion over and over, which is exactly what toddlers love. It’s calm, simple, and one of those perfect toddler activities that works when you just need a few quiet minutes to yourself.
Extra toddler activity ideas you can try
If you want to mix things up, here are a few more ready-made screen-free activities for toddlers and preschoolers that you can easily add to your shelf:
- Sewing kits for kids (great for fine motor skills)
- Glow-in-the-dark stone painting (Your kids would love this in the dark)
- Ready-made craft kits (perfect for low-prep days)
