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8 Fun (Mess-Free) Activities for Toddlers

Try out these clever ideas to keep your little ones happy and entertained throughout the day!
Activities for Toddlers: Kids Drawing

Toddlers seem to have boundless energy and a healthy curiosity that can, at times, create some pretty big messes around the house. You can stay one step ahead of the game by putting together a few fun activities for toddlers at home that will keep your little ones entertained for hours.

More: 75 Activities for Kids at Home

Color Sorting Activity

Activities for Toddlers: Color Sort Game

Photo source: Teaching Mama

Toddlers make messes. But, oddly enough, they also love to sort and organize. Create a color-sorting activity by taping paint swatches inside of a plastic tray, one per section. Provide small pom poms that match the colors in the tray, then allow your toddler to sort the pom poms by color.

Homemade Play Dough

Activities for Toddlers: Homemade Playdough

Photo source: We Love Being Moms

Everyone loves play dough, and you can easily and inexpensively create a big batch for your toddler to play with only a few supplies. Simply combine 1 part water, 1 part salt and 2 parts flour, then mix well with a spoon or your hands. Add in a few drops of food coloring if you want colored play dough, and store in an air-tight container until use.

Looking for more playdough recipes? Check out our video that gives you step-by-step instructions on how to make homemade playdough.

Mess-Free Finger Painting

Activities for Toddlers: Mess-Free Finger Painting
Photo source: Living Well Mom
Painting with a toddler can be tricky, but not if you create a mess-free finger painting activity. Simply fill a gallon-sized Ziploc bag with tempera paint, then seal it. Lay the bag flat on a table or against a window, and tape around all the edges with masking tape. Your little ones will have a blast using their fingers to mix, mash, and move the paint around inside the bag.

Masking Tape Race Track

Activities for Toddlers: Masking Tape Speedway
Photo source: Kids Activities Blog
Grab a roll of masking tape and create a toy car track for your toddlers across your living room. This activity keep your children quietly busy and entertained with minimal clean-up involved — just pull up the tape afterward!

Bubble Wrap Walkway

Activities for Toddlers: Bubble Wrap Walkway

Photo source: Run Like Kale

Have a hilarious afternoon with your kiddos by creating a bubble wrap walkway across the floor. You just need a large roll of bubble wrap and masking tape, which you can find at any shipping store. Lay down the bubble wrap and tape along the edges so that it doesn't move. Then stomp, jump, and hop to pop all the bubbles.

Cardboard Box Fort

Activities for Toddlers: Cardboard Box Fort

Photo source: Family Focus Blog

Who doesn't have a heap of cardboard boxes hanging around? Make use of those boxes by creating a play fort for your toddler to hang out in. For large boxes, you can cut out windows and doors, and your toddler can decorate the outside and inside with markers and crayons. Throw in a few dress up clothes and you have an afternoon of imaginative fun!

Contact Paper Art

Activities for Toddlers: Contact Paper Art

Photo source: Mess for Less

If you have leftover tissue paper around your house, use it to create a colorful art activity for your toddler on a window. Start by cutting the tissue paper into small pieces. Peel off the backing to a sheet of contact paper, then lay it onto a window with the sticky side facing you. Tape the edges of the contact paper to the window using masking tape. Your child can stick the pieces of tissue paper directly onto the contact paper in a colorful display.

Cardboard Tube Beads

Activities for Toddlers: Cardboard Tube Beads

Photo source: The Imagination Tree

Save all of those cardboard tubes from paper towels or toilet tissue, because your little one will love this cardboard bead activity. Cut the tubes into 2- to 3-inch long pieces. Paint the tube pieces in different colors using tempera paint. After they dry, your toddler can string the cardboard "beads" onto yarn or chenille sticks.

Looking for more fun activities for toddlers at home? Try these 10 Toddler Art Projects to Do This Weekend.

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