20 Super Fun Toddler Learning Activities

Inside: These 20 toddler learning activities are super fun, getting young children engaged with a hands-on approach.

You are a teacher who is putting together a curriculum for your toddler classroom. Or you are a parent that wants to add some learning to your toddler’s day.

But how?

It’s really much easier than you probably think. You don’t need flashcards. You don’t need fancy materials.

I’ve put together a collection of learning activities that your toddlers will love! And they are learning at the same time!

Activities that are age-appropriate and engage as many senses as possible. These learning activities involve concepts such as shapes, colors, numbers and letters in a fun, playful way. They can be done at home or in a classroom environment, with one child or a group of children.

Easy hands-on fun.

The Best Playful Learning Activities for 2 Year Olds

Art

Touch and explore colors.

Learn about the farm while driving farm vehicles through paint.

Paint pigs (using free printable) using golf balls.

Stamp toys into paint for some fun shape art.

Grab some small brushes and use with paint for a fun process art activity.

Stamp spools into paint on big sheets of paper.

Include a no-mess sensory art activity to your day (free printable).

Drive cars through shaving cream rainbows to make roads.

Paint with fire trucks.

Squeeze paint onto pine cones and strengthen fine motor skills.

Roll a ball through paint.

Learn about the colors of the rainbow while painting on bubble wrap.

Get the hands involved while color mixing.

Learn about the shape of a circle while stamping with a paper tube.

Water Table

Make some alphabet soup using foam letters.

Sort colors in the water table.

Strengthen fine motor skills while using basters with water.

Learn about farm animals while washing them in a water table.

Sensory Bin

Explore letters in the sensory bin.

Push construction vehicles through kinetic sand.

Put together a flower sensory bin that includes letters.

Scoop and pour colored pasta. (My Bored Toddler)

Make some 2-ingredient (toddler safe) cloud dough. (Happy Hooligans)

Practice pincer grip while transferring rainbow cereal. (The Resourceful Mama)

Literacy

Make an alphabet train to put on the wall. (Thriving Home Blog)

Add some fine motor with this ping pong name recognition activity. (Fantastic Fun and Learning)

Press letter stamps into playdough. (This Little Home of Mine)

Wipe letters that have been written on a window. (Busy Toddler)

Put alphabet pieces into a bin of rice. (Autistic Mama)

Colors

Mix colors while driving cars through rainbows.

Learn what happens when yellow and blue are mixed using paper tubes.

Strengtehn fine motor skills while making rainbow sun catchers.

Go on a toy color scavenger hunt. (Hands On As We Grow)

Create your own color toss activity with bean bags. (Minne-Mama)

Collect leftover paint swatches to make a color book. (Craftulate)

Make your own 2-ingredient bath paint for color exploration in the bathtub. (Laughing Kids Learn)

Experiment with colors by painting with cotton balls and clothespins. (Domestic Mommyhood)

Numbers

Match numbers using stickers. (Learning 4 Kids)

Add literacy to your day with foam letters.

Put pom poms into numbered ice cream “scoops”. (Happy Tot Shelf)

Work on color skills and numbers with this count and sort posting box. (The Imagination Tree)

Shapes

Recycle paper tubes for some simple circle shape art.

Work on triangle shape recognition while pressing buttons into playdough.

Invite your toddlers to go on a circle hunt.

Feed the hungry shape monsters. (The Imagination Tree)

Roll the ball on the taped shape. (Hands On As We Grow)

Paint giant shapes on paper. (Happy Toddler Playtime)

Fine Motor

Strengthen fine motor skills with some DIY cardboard beads. (The Imagination Tree)

Press colored tissue paper to a big sheet of contact paper for a fun window display.

String Cheerios on spaghetti. (Juggling with Kids)

Balance dinosaurs (or other toys) on blocks. (Moments Enriched)

Science

Cooking

Invite your toddlers to make some pumpkin muffins.

Put together a simple chocolate chip banana muffin cooking activity.

Make some applesauce using a steamer – quick and easy!

Outdoors

Explore nature with a scavenger hunt. (Childhood 101)

Take a nature walk, notice the birds, and make a bird feeder. (Happy Hooligans)

20 more fun toddler activities:

Need some help coming up with activities for your toddler?

Play: Playful Activity Plans for Your Busy Toddler

These are 35 hand-chosen activities that you can actually do with your toddler. You’ll be guided on how to find that extra 15 minutes (that you don’t have) to make time for the most important part of your life: your family.