We know that parenting a toddler can be both rewarding and challenging, so we’ve put together a list of activities to help your little one learn and grow while having lots of fun. Welcome to our guide of 20+ fun and learning activities for 2 year olds!
From simple crafts and games that help with fine motor skills to more active pursuits that will get your toddler moving, there’s something here for everyone. And the best part is that most of these activities can be done using things you already have around the house, so there is no need to go out and buy anything special.
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We hope you enjoy trying out these activities with your toddler and that they help make your days a little bit brighter.
8 Educational Activities for 2 Year Olds
1. Color Sorting
What you’ll need: Construction paper in different colors, crayons, markers, or paint
What to do: Cut out different shapes from each color of construction paper. Talk about the different colors with your toddler as they sort the shapes. You can also have them trace the shapes with crayons, markers, or paint.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting color recognition and fine motor skills. Toddlers also learn about shapes as they play.
Related Reading: Free & Fun Colouring Pages for Kids to Foster Creative Development
2. Listen to Fun Number Songs
Introduce your 2-year-old to numbers with this super easy nursery rhyme. This engaging song teaches kids to count from 1 to 10 through fun activities like collecting eggs and connecting stars. Oolzoo and his friends make learning to count an exciting adventure, encouraging toddlers to sing along and enjoy the process. This mix of fun, play, and learning helps your little one master counting while having a great time.
3. Letter Matching
What you’ll need: Construction paper, scissors, crayons, markers, or paint
What to do: Cut out different letters from construction paper. Talk about the different letters with your toddler as they match them up. You can also have them trace the letters with crayons, markers, or paint.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting letter recognition and fine motor skills. Learning letters early can also help your toddler with reading and writing later on.
4. Pattern Matching
What you’ll need: Construction paper, scissors, crayons, markers, or paint
What to do: Cut out different patterns from construction paper. Talk about the different patterns with your toddler as they match them up. You can also have them trace the patterns with crayons, markers, or paint.
Some patterns that toddlers can work with include stripes, polka dots, and zigzags.
What kids will learn: This activity promotes pattern recognition and fine motor skills. It also helps toddlers develop their problem-solving skills.
5. Play Math and Reading Games Online
What you’ll need: A computer with internet access
What to do: Many great math and reading games for toddlers are available online. Spend some time playing these games with your toddler to help them learn new skills. Ensure that children aren’t spending too much time looking at screens. For toddlers, 20–30 minutes is enough screen time.
What kids will learn: This activity encourages children to improve their math and reading skills. Toddlers also learn about computer use and basic game skills.
6. Put Together a Simple Toy Train Set
What you’ll need: A toy train set, such as the Thomas the Tank Engine Wooden Railway Starter Set.
What to do: Let your toddler help you put together a simple toy train set. They can connect the track pieces, place the trains on the tracks, and press the buttons to make them go.
What kids will learn: This activity promotes problem-solving, fine motor skills, and hand–eye coordination. Toddlers also learn about cause and effect as they play.
7. Paint With Watercolors
What you’ll need: Watercolors, paintbrushes, water, and paper.
What to do: This is a classic activity that toddlers will love! They can experiment with mixing the colors, painting different strokes, and adding water to create different effects.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting art and creativity. Toddlers also learn about colors and mixing different shades.
Related Reading: Painting Ideas Kids Can Have Fun With & Easily Pull Off
8. Talk to Your Baby
What you’ll need: Nothing!
What to do: One of the best activities for 2 year olds, this is a great way to promote language development. Talk to your toddler about anything and everything. Describe what you’re doing, such as “I’m making lunch.” or “I’m putting on my shoes.” You can also ask them questions and encourage them to answer.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting language development. Toddlers also learn about communication and conversation.
7 Developmental Activities for 2 Year Olds
1. Trace the Body
What you’ll need: Paper, a pencil, and some crayons or markers
What to do: Help your toddler trace their body on a piece of paper. Then, they can decorate it however they like! This is a great way to encourage creativity and self-expression.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting art and creativity. Toddlers also learn about their own bodies and how to use different art supplies.
2. Get Dressed
What you’ll need: Some clothes, shoes, and a mirror.
What to do: One of the most important activities for 2 year olds is to learn how to get dressed independently. You can start with simple clothing items, such as a shirt or pants. Show them how to wear clothing and then let them try it themselves. As they get better at dressing themselves, you can add more items, such as shoes, socks, and jackets.
This is a great activity to do when you are vacationing with the family as you can afford the time and patience it needs to help your kids learn how to button their shirts or tie their shoes correctly.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting fine motor skills and independence. Toddlers also learn about different types of clothing and how to put them on.
3. Put Toys Away
What you’ll need: A toy box or bin and some toys.
What to do: Show them how to put the toys away in the toy box or bin. As they get better at this, you can add more toys or make it a game by timing them to see how fast they can put the toys away.
What kids will learn: This is a great activity for teaching toddlers about organization and responsibility. It is also a good way to promote problem-solving skills. Toddlers thus learn about cleaning up.
4. Clap to the Beat
What you’ll need: Some music or you can clap your hands yourself
What to do: Help your toddler clap their hands to the beat of the music. As they get better at this, you can add other body parts, such as their feet or head.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting music and rhythm skills. Toddlers also learn about following directions.
5. Read to Your 2 Year Old
What you’ll need: Any good picture books, like The Very Hungry Caterpillar or The Cat in the Hat.
What to do: This activity is great for promoting literacy skills. Sit down with your toddler and read one of their favorite books. As they get better at this, you can start asking them questions about the story or having them point out different objects in the book.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting literacy skills. Studies show that early exposure to reading is linked with higher reading achievement later in life. Toddlers also learn about communication and conversation.
Related Reading: Funny Children’s Books to Read With Your Kids That Will Have Them ROFL
6. Imitate Animal Sounds
What you’ll need: A video or audio recording of animal sounds, or you can make the sounds yourself.
What to do: This activity is great for promoting listening skills. Help your toddler identify different animal sounds. You can play a recording of the sounds or make them yourself. As they get better at this, you can start asking them questions about the animals, such as “Where does a lion live?” or “What does a cow eat?”
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting listening skills. Toddlers also learn about animals, their sounds, and maybe their habitats.
7. Play Kitchen Assistant
What you’ll need: A play kitchen, some pots and pans, and some plastic food
What to do: Show your toddler how to pretend to cook in the play kitchen. Let them help you stir the pots and pans or cut up the plastic food. As they get better at this, you can start asking them to make specific dishes.
Some 2 year old development activities that can be done in a real kitchen include; helping to pour ingredients into a bowl, using a child-safe knife to help cut soft foods, or helping to stir—all with adult supervision!
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting imaginative play. Toddlers also learn about cooking and following directions.
Related Reading: Extracurricular Activities Examples for Kids: The Best List
8 Fun Activities for 2 Year Olds with No Prep, No Mess
1. Pillow Roller Coasters
What you’ll need: Pillows, blankets, and a lot of space on the floor.
What to do: Create a pillow roller coaster for your toddler to ride. They will love going up and down the hill. As they get better at this, you can start asking them to go faster or slower.
You could create a smaller pillow road for their toy vehicles. Children can hold a race with their toy cars and make them go up and down the road.
Remote-controlled tanks or any other remote-controlled toy can also be used for this activity.
After your 2-year-old is done playing with the pillow roller coaster, you can just put the pillows, blankets, and toy cars away—no mess to clean up!
What kids will learn:
This activity is great for promoting gross motor skills. Toddlers will also learn about ramps and the energy needed to go up and down the slopes. This basic experiential learning can help them in their future physics classes.
2. Rescue Animals (from zip-lock bags)
What you’ll need: Clear zip-lock bags and small plastic animals.
What to do: Put their animals in clear zip-lock bags. Now ask them to help the animals get out by using their hands or opening the zip.
You can say, “I see the lion is roaring. It wants to come out. Can you help him?”
You can also put different kinds of objects in the zip-lock bags, like fruits, vegetables, leaves, etc. This will help your toddler learn about different textures and shapes.
After they are done playing with this activity, you can store animals and zip-lock bags separately or throw them in the toy box just as they are.
What kids will learn: Such games and 2 year old activities help kids learn about animal names, sounds, and textures. It also helps them develop their fine motor skills.
3. Balloon Pop
What you’ll need: Balloons and a sharp object (like a pin or a needle).
What to do: Help your toddler blow up the balloon and then let them pop it with the sharp object. Be sure to supervise them closely so that they don’t hurt themselves.
Your toddler will have a blast popping the balloons. The toddlers love the loud noise of the balloons popping and the feeling of popping them.
This activity can get a little messy since the balloon bits will be scattered around. But, it is easy to clean up—gather all the pieces and throw them away.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting gross motor skills and hand–eye coordination. Toddlers will also learn about cause and effect as they see that their actions (popping the balloon) result in the desired outcome (the balloon makes a loud noise and pops).
4. Origami for Toddlers
What you’ll need: Square pieces of colored paper
What to do: Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding. There are many simple origami shapes that even toddlers can make.
You can start with something simple like a paper airplane or a boat. Just fold the paper in half and then in half again. Then, help your toddler make the folds to create the shape. Once they get the hang of it, they’ll be able to do it on their own.
We all know 2-year-olds love to display their creations, so be sure to have a spot ready to showcase their origami masterpieces.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting fine motor skills and concentration. Toddlers will also learn about following instructions and different shapes.
5. Magnetic Letters
What you’ll need: Magnetic letters (you can find these at your local dollar store or online) and a metal surface
What to do: Stick the magnetic letters on the fridge or any other metal surface. Then, help your toddler spell out words with the letters. You can start with simple three-letter words and then move on to more difficult words.
You can even use these magnetic letters to offer clues to your toddler during a treasure hunt or pass on messages like a detective.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting literacy skills and creativity. Toddlers will also learn about the alphabet, spelling, and simple words.
Related Reading: Best ABC Song for Kids That Will Make Them Dance & Enjoy
6. Decorating with Clothes Pegs
What you’ll need: Clothes pegs and containers or surfaces to decorate
What to do: Accept it: Painting with your baby can be a messy affair. Clothes pegs allow you to bring a pop of color and beautiful works of art together. And, with this method, you don’t have to worry about paint stains.
Just let your toddler put clothes pegs around the containers or surfaces. You can even use them to create patterns or shapes.
If you want, you can paint the clothes pegs before your toddler starts decorating or buy cheap plastic clothes pegs in different colors. This will add an extra layer of color and fun to the activity.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting creativity and imagination early in children. They will learn that anything can be turned into a work of art with a little bit of creativity.
7. Transfer Books and Toys From One Box to Another
What you’ll need: Two cardboard boxes with lids and some toys or books
What to do: You will be surprised how much a toddler loves to help you do a chore and win compliments and hugs from you. It is a great way to keep them occupied while you’re busy with other things.
To set up, put some toys or books in one box and then close the lid. Then, have your toddler transfer the items into the other box. You can even make it a race to see who can transfer the most items in a minute.
You can easily make this a sorting and organizing activity, asking them to sort books, toys, or other objects by colors, shapes, or sizes.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting fine motor skills and concentration in toddlers. It is also a good opportunity for parents to inculcate a sense of responsibility and ownership in their toddlers and build their confidence.
Related Reading: Best Concentration Games for Kids to Develop Super Focus & Attention Skills
8. Play with Kinetic Sand
What you’ll need: Kinetic sand and some plastic toys
What to do: If you haven’t played with kinetic sand before, you’re in for a treat. It’s a type of sand that’s moldable and easy to shape. And it’s also very therapeutic to play with.
Let your toddler explore the sand and mold it into different shapes. You can even use the sand to make patterns or write words. If you want, you can add some plastic toys to the mix and see how your toddler plays with them.
And it does not create any mess! You can easily store the sand in a container when you’re done playing.
What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting creativity and imagination in toddlers. They will also learn about different textures and how they can be manipulated.
Related Reading: Easy Activities for Preschoolers [With Tutorials]
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Learning activities for 2 year olds must be creative, hands-on, and FUN! Parents must realize that a young child’s attention span can be short. So, the activities must be structured to maintain their interest, even outdoor activities for 2 year olds must be engaging and interesting. The key is to keep it short and sweet.
Do you need some “you” time? Engage your toddlers in one of the fun activities for 2 year olds mentioned above and take that five-minute break. These activities will not only occupy your toddler but also help their overall development.
Here are more online educational resources for kids that will help with their learning experience and make them smarter.
Related Reading: Enjoyable Kids’ Activities for a Whoopee Time!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to decide which activity is age-appropriate for 2 year olds?
Most two-year-olds can start with sorting shapes and colors, finding things hidden under objects, and doing simple puzzles. They may complete sentences in books they read regularly, follow two-step instructions, and love make-believe games. Activities built around developmental milestones for toddlers can help them progress to the next level.
What are some engaging indoor activities for two year olds that require few or no equipment?
Here are some indoor activities for 2 year olds that don’t require much equipment, if at all:
- transferring books and toys from one box to another
- sorting objects by colors, shapes, or sizes,
- playing with kinetic sand or clay,
- playing online learning games.
