10 Super Easy Indoor Activities for Toddlers

Discover engaging indoor activities for toddlers to keep them entertained and stimulated. From imaginative play to sensory experiences, explore fun ideas to nurture your little one’s development

Providing Quality Childcare Since 2012 • Infants, Toddlers & Preschool • Daycare Centre

Days when the little ones can’t go outside may seem endless to them, but you can have fun inside at home.
Whether for rainy days, hard snowy days, or days when the kids are sick, we have prepared a list of indoor activities for toddlers that you can enjoy together so they can burn off some of their energy.

Indoor Activities for Toddlers

How do I Entertain My 2-year-old Indoors?

2-year-olds are very curious and ready anytime to explore everything around them. Engage them in the activities below and watch how their faces light up.

Make an alphabet workout

This activity stimulates physical activity indoors: Choose a simple exercise for each alphabet letter. For example, A can be for five hops like a frog, B for three exercises of bending the waist and touching the ground, C for 3 minutes playing “Simon Says”, and D for 10 Jumping Jacks.

It is a fantastic toddler activity as it combines a physical workout with learning the letters of the alphabet.

Play with a sensory bin

Sensory bin play is one of our favourite indoor activities for toddlers, as it helps develop their sensory skills. Use a large container and fill it with everything a 2-year-old loves, from slime and sand to ice cubes. You can equip the bin with other materials like shredded paper or corn meals and use them to teach your children a little science in a fun way.
Have fun with balloons

This activity is perfect when you don’t have time to prepare a more elaborate one: take two balloons, one for you and one for your toddler and hit them in the air. The only rule of the game is to prevent the balloons from touching the ground. Trust us, your little one will chase the balloon around the house for a long time with a big, happy smile.

More Indoor Activities for Toddlers

Get creative with straw painting

Straw painting is a valuable activity for kids who need to exercise their concentration skills, as it entails calm and focus.

Place a few generous drops of watercolour paint slightly diluted with water on a sheet of paper. Give your toddler a drinking straw and ask him to spread the paint by blowing in the straw. This will require the child to breathe gently, calm down and focus on the painting process without any distractions.

Play with shaving cream

This activity is very entertaining because toddlers are fascinated by the shaving cream’s colour and consistency. Put shaving cream in a large container and invite your little one to dig in. Mix the shaving cream with some toddler-safe food colouring for more fun so your child can create more amazing shapes or objects.

Make drawings on the windows

Another easy-to-prepare indoor activity for toddlers is drawing on the windows. Give your children some washable window markers and watch their creativity at work. Hand them some wiping clothes so they can erase and start over.

Play with playdough

Whether you buy or make it yourself, playdough is one of the top indoor activities for toddlers. Playdough is a fun and calming activity because your toddler will adore creating different objects with the moulds you give him. Children love the mushy, flexible texture of playdough and will spend hours testing their imagination with it.
Give them a cardboard box and watch what happens

Toddlers can turn anything into a game. Give your little one a cardboard box and watch how he turns it into an endless line of objects, from a train, home for a stuffed toy or a desk to an aeroplane or a piece of art filled with creative drawings. There is no limit to his fun and imagination!

Indoor Activities for Toddlers Continued

Create an obstacle course

An obstacle course is a toddler activity that helps exercise indoors. Create an obstacle course by combining different movements like rolling an exercise ball across the room, jumping over small piles of clothes or following a line of coloured sheets of paper. Watch them have fun and consume their energy at the same time.

Have fun with kinetic sand

Playing with kinetic sand is one of the most rewarding indoor activities for toddlers because it has several benefits for children:

chases away boredom;
improves fine motor skills;
promotes a sense of calm;
help with sensory processing;
encourages creative thinking.

Prepare a big sensory bin by pouring kinetic sand into a large plastic box. Put inside toddler-size letters and numbers, beach toys and any other objects your children would like to play with. Join them for a fun time indoors.

Indoor Activities for Toddlers Outside the Home

Where Can I Take My Kids on a Rainy Day in Auckland?

Auckland has several indoor activities for toddlers to keep them busy and entertained when they can’t play outside. Here is our selection:

Experience winter games at Snowplanet

The only indoor ski slope in Auckland, this venue has something for everyone: snowboarding, skiing, child-friendly tracks for tobogganing and tubing, separated from skiers and snowboarders. With the indoor temperature set to winter and the snow all around them, your children will have a wonderful experience.

For more details, check the Snowplanet website.

Jump around at JUMP/BOUNCE

Jumping is on the list of all-time favourite toddler activities, and it seems they can do it for hours without getting tired. Bounce Inc is the right place to be on a rainy day, as this venue offers hundreds of square meters of trampolines, basketball hoops and a mini bounce zone. Here, your child will develop his coordination, balance and agility and express himself in freestyle jumps, a physical activity contributing to his health.

Learn more about Bounce Inc.

Spend the day at MOTAT

Auckland’s Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) is an exciting place to visit as it is the home of fantastic permanent and temporary exhibitions. Here, your little one can see up close the firehouse with all its equipment, including the 1935 Ford V8 fire engine or the Shand-Mason horse-drawn telescopic ladder.

And that is not all: the Taiwhanga Rererangi – Aviation Hall is another permanent exhibition where toddlers will enjoy watching the collection of commercial, recreational and military aircraft like the giant Sunderland Flying Boat.

MOTAT is the proud home of the McLaren Traction Engine, one of the most advanced beam engines in the world, back in 1877 when it started to supply clean water from Western Springs to the residents of Auckland. If your toddler loves engines, he will be fascinated by the sound, smell and heat of this iconic landmark of New Zeeland.

Check the MOTAT website to learn more about their exhibitions and events.

We've put together some helpful articles about childcare and daycare in New Zealand

Meet the Team: An Interview with Lu Li, Toddler Room Team Leader

Meet Lu Li, the passionate Toddler Room Team Leader at Bright Beginnings Mount Roskill. In this Q&A interview, she shares her teaching philosophy, favourite activities, and what makes the toddler room a joyful, nurturing space for every child

Helping Your Toddler Adjust to a New Sibling

Toddler adjusting to a new sibling? Get practical, research-backed tips on preparing your older child for the new baby and managing jealousy with love.

Meet the Team: A chat with Sudha Sharma, Mount Roskill

Get to know the amazing "kaiako" who make Bright Beginnings feel like a home away from home. In this story, we chat with Sudha Sharma from our Mount Roskill centre about her love for teaching and guiding tamariki

Natural Materials in Early Childhood Education at BBELC

Using natural materials in ECE nurtures imagination, joy, and resilience | Discover how nature helps tamariki grow through play, discovery, and connection

20 Hours ECE NZ: How the Childcare Subsidy Works for Parents in Auckland

How the 20 Hours ECE NZ and the WINZ Childcare Subsidy can help your family get the full support available | Bright Beginnings Early Learning Centres in Howick, Mount Roskill, and Panmure

Quick, healthy meals that kiwi kids will actually eat

Discover quick healthy meals that kiwi kids will actually eat with joy every day even the fussiest eaters will ask for seconds

Our Early Learning Centres

Our early childhood centre environments strongly reflects our inspiration – The Reggio Emilia philosophy, from Reggio Emilia, Italy.

We provide a creative and open ended environment that encourages infinite learning for the children and strong relationships between teachers, children and families.

The day’s routines are flexible. At the same time, care is taken to recognise and respect each child’s needs.

Why Choose a Bright Beginnings Early Learning Centre?

Encouraging the use of natural materials
A strong transition into school
Teaching team inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach supports your child’s creative potential.
Healthy, tasty hot meals cooked fresh on site
20 ECE hours available/free sessions for 3 year olds
A boutique, homely feel to our centres
Strong connections between teachers and whanau.

Here's what our parents say about our childcare centres

We are so happy that our son is a part of the Bright Beginnings family. The staff have been so welcoming and caring since the day he joined here. He has the freedom to explore and experiment as he learns about the world around him. With each passing day, he is growing into a confident and independent young boy, while building friendships and learning important life skills. We are also especially happy that he gets nutritious meals everyday, an important concern for us as parents. Most importantly, he loves it so much here that he can't wait to be back at the Centre every morning! As parents, we can go about our day with the assurance that our son is in good hands within a safe environment. Thank you to the entire BBELC team for that, Devika.

Bright Beginnings has and is a second home to both my son and now my daughter. Amber loves coming to the centre everyday and to see the relationship she has with the teachers is very special. We love everything Bright Beginnings embodies and are thankful to have found this centre. - Best price - Best service. From Jade Tavita

I was absolutely blown away by the presentation and the effort that went into the parent teacher interviews. I have not seen anything like it before and it made me feel very comfortable and welcome as a parent. From Darren Masters

Super duper loving, caring teachers. Awesome environment where our boy can flourish everyday. Thank you, Brad and Joanna.

Dillon absolutely loves his new big boy class. He even asks us if he can go on a Saturday and Sunday. Thanks all for making going to school so easy for us. Thanks, Anika.

I love and enjoy watching April develop and grow, I am so happy and grateful that she is in an amazing environment filled with people who care and look out for each other. Beautiful Daycare. Thank you all.- Best price from Zara. - Best service

Cherry: Our family is very grateful that we found BBELC. So far it is the best daycare we have seen. We are glad to enrol our kids here. Having peace of mind that our kids are safe, well fed, looked after and enjoy activities with the teachers and other kids is PRICELESS!!! THANK YOU for helping my kids explore new things. You are all amazing. Like what I always say to the teacher, I don't know how you all do it but the teachers here at BBELC are SUPERHEROES! As parents we feel your passion, dedication and love.

Come and visit one of our childcare centres and see for yourself why your child will love it

Talk to the Centre Manager, meet the team, see the natural outdoor play areas and educational rooms, learn about how we develop our programs and find out more about our unique approach to partnering with our families.

Our latest parent reviews from Google

What are the Different Types of Early Childhood Centres?

Selecting the right Early Childhood Centre for your child is very important. As they will spend a lot of their time in these learning spaces, feeling comfortable here is paramount. Read our article to ensure you choose the right one for you and your child.

What are the Core Values of the Reggio Emilia Approach?

The Reggio Emilia Approach sees children as valuable members of communities where they are encouraged to explore, wonder, question and learn to understand the world around them and reach their full potential in the first five years of life.