Five Fun Weekend Activities for Toddlers

Though toddlers are undoubtedly a lot of work, they’re an easy group to satisfy when it comes to entertainment. At this precious age, the world is viewed as an incredible, wide-open place and there’s much yet to be discovered. For example, things like dominos and toilet paper and couch cushions can charm them for hours, and both solo and family time can go far in terms of development and happiness.

“You don’t even have to leave the house or spend much money to entertain toddlers and create family bonding moments,” noted Brett Graff, a parent and author who’s been dubbed the The Home Economist. “It’s important to capitalize on this now because when they’re teenagers these things may lose their appeal.”

Below we’ve outlined five fun, inexpensive weekend activities that are ideal for toddlers and family.


Have an Indoor or Outdoor Picnic
Picnics make eating more fun, and are an easy way to spice up an otherwise mundane Saturday or Sunday. “Take a blanket out on the front lawn or to the backyard and have your sandwiches and snacks outside,” advised Graff. “Bad weather? No problem. Eat lunch or dinner on the living room floor. Shaking things up makes them more fun.” Other ways you can make a meal more exciting is by turn off all the lights and eating by candlelight, suggested Graff, or call it opposite day and make pancakes and waffles for dinner instead of breakfast.


Create a Domino Chain and Watch It Fall
“Create an amazing domino chain reaction with your toddler, and let your child bring the dominoes to you and help you determine the shape of the set-up,” suggested Varda Meyers Epstein, a parenting expert and writer at Kars4Kids. Once you’ve completed your masterpiece together, let your toddler be the one to tip the first domino.

“Your child will feel so powerful as the cause of all those dominoes falling down just with one little flick of the finger, and will see that you’re willing to go to the trouble of setting things up for just that one moment of toddler joy,” she said. “It may be difficult to keep your child from setting off the dominoes before you are finished, but to just go with the flow, laugh along, and start over again. It costs nothing but time and goodwill, making it the perfect weekend activity.”


Let Your Toddler TP A Room in the House
Sounds weird, right? But imagine being gifted the opportunity to wreak innocent havoc with no repercussions! Not to mention, this is something your child can do on his or her own, allowing you a little time to checkoff items on your weekend to-do list.

“Get out a few rolls of toilet paper and let the toddler have at it,” said Epstein. “Your child will have fun unrolling the paper, throwing it around, and jumping up and down in it. Just the sheer expanse of paper will be thrilling to your child! It will take some time for your child to ‘need’ you again since she or he will be too busy having a blast.”
Build a Pillow Fort or Sand Castle
It wouldn’t be surprising to hear that building a pillow fort is one of your favorite pastimes as a child. Gift your child with the same adventure! This is something your toddler can do on his or her own, with siblings, or with friends as part of an organized play date.

“Doctors want to see our kids playing, and that means making up the game and making up the rules,” explained Graff. “Building both pillow forts and sand castles are highly educational since they both involve physics.”


Create a Collaborative Painting with the Whole Family
“Make a collaborative painting by having each family member dip a hand into poster paint and placing a print on poster board. Let the paint dry and then label each print with the correct family member’s name,” suggested Epstein. “Frame it and hang it where your toddler can see it, and every night before bed, bring your toddler to the painting and have the child name the prints as you point to them. This helps reinforce the idea that these prints and the people that own them are a single family unit, the toddler’s family unit.”



Wendy Rose Gould is a writer based in Phoenix, Arizona. She covers women’s lifestyle topics for numerous digital publications, including InStyle, xoVain, Refinery29, Revelist, PopSugar and ModCloth. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram or at WendyGould.com