TODDLER GROUP ACTIVITIES:

Here are some ideas for Toddler Activities for Groups (or Daycare) or Mom's groups.  List your Toddler Center free for 6 months in our NEW Toddler Directory!

Toddler Duck Duck Goose Game!
Here's a fun way to play Duck Duck Goose with Toddlers. Print out the sheet of ducks and a goose and then cut them out and lay them face-down on the floor. Have all the kids stand around in a circle and then tell them all to pick up one off the floor. Go around the room and have each toddler show you what the picture is and say Duck if it is a duck. For the toddler that has the Goose, yell Goose and have all the kids run around a circle. Then have them all put the pieces of paper down and do it again!

Pool Party!:
Have each child bring a blow-up pool, or just buy a few for yourself. Then blow them up and put them next to each other. Have the kids climb from one pool to the other. If you want to do this indoors, then don't add water, just put in some confetti or cut up blue paper to simulate water. If you decide to have some fun outside, then just put an inch or two of water in each pool. It will be great exercise for all the kids to climb between the different pools! And they can even wear their swimsuits and bring some beach balls to add to the fun!

Trip to the Library!
Print out the sheet of library cards and have each toddler "sign" his/her name on the line. Then cover with some contact paper and cut out. Next put some books on the couch, table, shelf and have the toddlers walk around and choose a book to "borrow" from the library. Set up a small table at one end of the room where you can let them check out a book and present their library card! Have fun and let them bring a special library bag that day! Then let them actually take the book home and show mom/dad and then bring it back another day! 

Toddler Happy Hour!
Get ready for an hour of happy faces! Have each toddler bring a photo of himself crying. When they arrive, tell them that it is happy hour and it's time to leave the sad faces behind. Put a small basket near the door and tell them to show everyone their sad face photo and have them put it in the basket. Then everyone is only allowed to smile and laugh for the next hour. (That goes for you too, adults!) Then print out the sheet to the right for each toddler and have them look at it and identify the eyes, and mouth. Spell out the word happy and let them color in the smiley face. Next get ready to sing "If you're Happy and you know it!" Click here for music and lyrics.  (Why not have everyone B.Y.O.S.C....Bring Your Own Sippy Cup for the drinks!)

Toddler Bucket Brigade!
Take some empty cottage cheese containers or small sand pails/buckets and a bag of beans ( or some other small items that will fit in the small bucket) Then have the toddlers stand in a line and put the beans in the bucket of the toddler at the end. Have him pour his bucket contents into the next toddler. Then that toddler pours it into the next toddler's bucket. The last toddler will get to pour the contents into a big bucket or box. You can do it again and go the other way, or mix the kids around. If they have different colored buckets then talk about the colors of the buckets as they are pouring them between two. Like "Hey John, pour the beans from your blue bucket into Sally's yellow bucket!"

A Toddler (Dora) Treasure Hunt Puzzle!:
Have each toddler bring a special backpack for this event. Then put a plastic spoon, plastic fork, napkin, sippy cup, bib or straw  hidden around the room. Then put one of same of each item in a backpack (So each backpack only has one item). Then tell each toddler that it's time to figure out the treasure hunt puzzle. Next go around the room and when you find an item, ask each toddler to open up his/her backpack to see who has that item in his/her backpack. Celebrate when a toddler finds the item in his backpack. Talk about what it is, what color, and what you do with it. Then look for the next item. After you have found all the items and matched them with all the backpack items. Ask the toddlers what they think the treasure is!!! A Snack!!! Have a nice snack ready for them to nibble on. Click here for some Theme Party Supplies (Dora)

Toddler Drum Circle!
Save up a bunch of small containers and boxes for a fun time with your toddlers. Cottage Cheese containers, Oatmeal containers, and small boxes work great for a little toddler drum. Give each toddler a container or box and have them all sit in a circle with the container between their legs. Let them pat the "drums" with their hands or some markers. Try to have them all beat together and count along. Then sing some songs and beat the drums in rhythm. Then let each toddler do a solo and have everyone else listen then applaud! 

Toddler Kickball
Take a big fitted sheet from the linen closet and lay it down in the middle of the floor. Then have all the toddlers sit on the sheet making a circle inside so that it forms a wall to keep the toddlers inside. (So pull the sides of the sheets so that they go along the backs of the toddlers at the waist or higher.)  Then put a small ball inside and let your toddlers kick their feet around to move the ball around. The fitted sheet will keep the ball inside the circle so no one has to chase it!

Stroller races!
Find some play strollers for dolls and set up a race track in your living room. Tell each toddler to bring over their favorite stuffed animal to be their "driver"!  Using some masking tape, make a "road" on your floor wide enough for the toddlers to push the stroller on. Then have all the toddlers take turns pushing the baby stroller between the lines of the road and have everyone cheer each other on! You can even have a couple go at a time or put two lanes next to each other and have them race. Toddlers love to push and walk so this activity will be lots of fun for them.  If the weather is nice enough outside you can do this fun activity with chalk on the driveway!
Dora the Explorer Doll Stroller (Only $14.99)

A Poster Party!:
Put out a bunch of white poster board sheets and write each toddler's name on the top in big letters. Then let each toddler draw with some crayons/markers on their own sheet while some music is playing. Then stop the music and tell each toddler to move to a different sheet to color on. At the end, each toddler will be able to take home a big poster board sheet that has been decorated by all his/her friends. (If you want to brighten it up, you can use some of those fluorescent poster board sheets. Just tell the toddlers to wear their sunglasses!)
10 Pack of White Poster Board only $4.59

Toddler Sumo Wrestling
Have each toddler wear a size 4-6 t-shirt. Then stuff a throw/toddler pillow inside the shirt on the front side. Let them bounce into each other, safely, or against some other pillows leaned up against a couch. You can even put a big bed pillow inside a big t-shirt you are wearing and ask the toddlers to come give you a hug! Then let them try to hug each other. Tons of FUN!

Have a Puppet Hunt
All kids love puppets! Here's a fun way to introduce the puppets to a group of toddlers. Before the kids arrive, put one puppet to the side (for example, Peter Pan) and hide the rest around the room. When the kids arrive have Peter Pan talk to them and ask them for some help with finding the others. Have Peter Pan tell the kids that he is looking for a friend that has wings and a blue skirt and he last saw her on the couch. Then let the kids look on the couch to find Tinkerbell. Now have Tinkerbell tell the kids that she saw an animal like a crocodile near the plant in the corner of the room. Have the kids find the plant and the crocodile puppet. You can do this until all the puppets are found. During the hunt you can introduce "under, behind, on top, between, etc.". And you can let the kids review their colors by talking about the colors of the puppets. It's a fun way to find all the puppets! Five Puppets Special-Peter Pan Puppet Special

Egg Crate Stomping Party!
Kids love to crush things so here's a fun way to let them have fun! Save up a bunch of styrofoam egg crates. Now find a spot in a room where you can line them up on the floor in a circle. Open the crates up and lay them upside-down in a circle. Have each child stand by a crate and get ready to turn some foot stomping music on. When the music starts playing tell the kids to start stomping on the crate in front of them and when the music stops, they should stop. Then have them walk in a circle and find a new egg crate to stomp on. Then play the music and let them STOMP!

Make a Friends Tree:
Invite up to 7 other toddlers/friends over. Click on the "Friends Tree" to the right to print. When each toddler arrives, use your digital camera to take a photo of each friend. (If you don't have a digital camera you can ask your friends to bring photos of themselves.) Then print out x number of copies of each friend. (x being the number of friends you invited. ) Then cut the photos to the size of the circles on the Friends Tree printout. Let your toddlers glue the photos to their tree and take home with them!!! They can put the tree up on their wall and use it to review the names of each one or to show visitors who their friends are.

Disco Party Toddlers can have a disco too!! Invite all your toddler friends over and ask them to bring a toy that lights up. Set up one of your rooms so that you can make it dark, either by using curtains or throwing sheets over the windows. Then when all the kids arrive have them all go into the room and put the toys down on the floor and turn them on. Dim the lights and see all the fun lights going off. Some of the toys will probably have their own music, but if not, then play some fun disco music for them and dance around!! GROOVY!

Large Rotating Disco Ball Lamp

Mini Toddler Obstacle Course
Get those toddlers working and having fun! Clear out some floor space and then set up a couple of plastic bins ( as used in the Toddlerobics activity) about a foot apart. Then put down some pillows in a line. Have the toddlers line up in front of one plastic bin, climb up on top, jump down, then climb up on the second plastic bin, jump down and then roll on the pillows to the end. After all the kids have done it, do it again!! Remember to cheer those little guys on and help the less stable ones while climbing up, jumping down and rolling. This is a great activity to wear them out!

Toddler Golf!
Set up an indoor/outdoor miniature golf course for those toddlers! Tell your friends to wear their golf shirts and knickers...because it's time for a game of Toddler Golf! You can buy inexpensive golf club sets for toddlers at most toy stores. Use boxes and books to make a lane and a hole. Or just have them hit balls around the back of the couch into the kitchen, around a chair and then into the living room for the last hole that needs to go up a ramp of books into a small bucket! Be creative and you can also let your toddlers come up with ideas of where to putt the golf balls!

 Junior Golf AddOn (pictured)

Teddy Bear clothes fun!:
Invite kids over and have each one bring an extra shirt and pants. Then find a doll/bear that is big enough to put the kids' clothes on. Put each shirt and pants on the bear, one over the other and not matching. Then have the kids sit in a circle and pass the bear around. When they see one of their pieces of clothing they can take that article off. Talk about the colors of the clothes or the pictures on them.

Indoor Nature Walk
It's time for a walk through nature in your living room! Take all the plants in your house and put them in one room. Line them up along a wall or just put them around the room. Print out the sheet of Garden Fun or Butterflies, cut them out and put them around/in the plants. Then have all the kids walk around the room looking at the plants and finding all the flowers and butterflies. As they are wandering about, you can talk about the different sizes of the plants, leaves, flowers, pots and all the different colors. Then when they find the butterflies and flowers you can talk about the colors of each.

Petting Zoo in your house!
Tell each friend to bring a stuffed animal to the gathering. In a room in the house set up some open boxes to put the stuffed animals in. You can put some straw on the bottom of each box or pretend grass ( like the Easter basket grass). Then when everyone comes over, put an animal in each "cage". Have the kids walk around and identify the different animals and pet them. You can talk about the sounds that each animal makes and maybe even let them pretend to feed them some snacks. You might even let each child take their own stuffed animal and walk it around to the others so that they can all pet it. This is a great opportunity to present the concept of sharing.

Time for Tea-ball!
That's right... time to get those toddlers together for a game of ball while the moms have some tea!! Tell your toddler friends to wear their favorite team apparel and baseball cap. Then when the kids arrive let them have some fun with some empty 12 oz water bottles and ping pong balls. ( You can draw some fake stitching on the balls to make them seem like baseballs by using a permanent marker.) Let them try to hit the balls on the floor, or off the chair, and then run from couch to couch or chair to chair. Meanwhile have some nice tea brewing for the parents to enjoy. You can also practice playing catch with each parent and tot, or between two kids. This is a great way to allow the kids to play together, while getting some exercise and the moms can take a sip of tea.

Play Tent Extravaganza!:
This will surely make your toddlers feel like they are at some fancy amusement park. Invite some other toddlers over and ask each one to bring a play(PopUp) tent. They are easy to pack up and set up. Before guests arrive, make space in a room or outside for plenty of running around. Then when the other toddlers arrive set up all the tents in one room. IT WILL BE CRAZY and your toddlers will think they are in a fun house!! Let them crawl, toddle, and run in and out of the tents. Playing hide and seek is also a favorite with this activity! If you don't already have a play/popup tent here are some to think about: (Click here for Playtents)

Hidden Letters!: Toddlers love to hide and find things. Spread the word to a few of your toddler friends that you think some letters might be hiding in your house and you need some help finding them! Before guests arrive take your magnet letters, or cut out some letters from construction paper and hide them around the room/house. When all of your guests arrive give them a small party bag and ask them to help you find the letters! Each time they find a letter have everyone celebrate and yell out the name of the letter! Once the whole alphabet is found, lay them out on the floor and have everyone sing the alphabet song! If there's time left, have the toddlers hide the letters and the parents find them.

Alphabet Peek-a-Blocks

Time for a Jam Session!:
All kids love music and research has also shown that music helps kids learn. So invite some other toddlers over and have a jam session. Ask each child to bring a special "instrument" (rattle, drum, etc.). Find some fun cds from the library and when everybody arrives have them march around the house/room playing to the music. For an added activity, find a picture book from the library that shows all the different kinds of instruments and try to have the kids find their instrument (the one they brought with them) in the book.  You can get some muic on the internet: Download SpongeBob SquarePants on iTunes or Download Dora the Explorer on iTunes

Story Time at the Book Store/Library:
Find a local book store that is holding a family story time at night. Invite another couple with children to meet you there and swap turns watching all the kids. While you keep-an-eye on the kids at the story time, the other couple has a free half hour to spend in the cafe by themselves. At the next story time, you and your spouse get to enjoy the time in the cafe while your friends keep-an-eye on all the kids.

Have a Camp out!:
Invite a few friends and moms over for a fun time camping. Set up your tent in a bedroom and lay sleeping bags and pillows on the floor. Tell your toddler friends to bring their favorite stuffed animal and a flashlight. Turn off the light in the bedroom and let them turn on their flashlights. Give them some books and toys to play with in the tent. While the kids are playing in the tent the moms can sit at the table and enjoy some finger sandwiches.
Lil Frog Play Tent
Ladybug Play Tent

 

It's a colorful party!:
This is a great way to learn your colors! Invite a few friends over and ask them to wear clothes in their favorite color and bring a toy that has their favorite color. When everyone arrives you can sit in a circle and have each toddler tell the group what color he/she is wearing. You can help them identify the colors by pointing out the similarities between kids..."Hey look! Joe and Jill are both wearing yellow shirts!" Some fun things to add to the party are color balloons, plates, or napkins to match each outfit. For the healthy side of things, have some green apples, red apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, and blueberries and let the kids find the fruit that matches their outfit!

Streamers, Streamers, Streamers!: Invite some other toddlers over for a fun time with streamers. When each toddler arrives give him/her a roll of streamers (each gets a different color). Designate a playroom where all the toddlers can be creative with their roll of streamers. You'll be amazed at what they will do! You can help them get started by hanging some strips of streamers from the ceiling or across a doorway for them to walk through. This is also a great time to review colors. Also, let them practice sharing and working together. Have a couple toddlers work together to make something. For example say "Hey, the red streamers and blue streamers can make a skirt". The kids will be entertained for quite a while. Let them be creative and at the end, have them help to clean up all the mess!