Summer with toddlers can be a joyful, high-energy season filled with laughter, curiosity, and endless questions. But for many parents and caregivers, it also comes with the challenge of keeping little ones engaged in meaningful ways, especially as routines shift and attention spans waver. Play-based learning supports early development while keeping toddlers happily occupied. In this article, we’ll explore playful summer activities that nurture growth, all while embracing the spirit of summertime fun.
10 Unique Toddler-Friendly Summer Activities for Endless Fun
Sponge relay
With just a couple of buckets and sponges, the whole family can dive into this splashy race and toddlers love the thrill of squeezing the sponge as fast as they can. The supplies you will need are at least 2 buckets and one sponge, and water. Set the two buckets a couple of feet apart and fill one of the buckets with water. Have your toddler use the sponge to soak up water from one bucket and race to the other bucket and ring the water out. If you want to include the whole family, have enough buckets and sponges for everyone, and let the race begin to see who can fill their second bucket up with water the fastest. You can make this more or less challenging by increasing or decreasing the distance or changing the size of the buckets. This is a great way to have your toddler engage in their motor skills.
- Materials Needed: 1 sponge, 2 buckets, or 2 – 3 different colors of sponges, 4 – 6 buckets of the sponge colors (2 Matching)
- Safety Tips: Guardian supervision advised
https://www.pocketfulofparenting.com/blog/summer-activities-for-toddlers-and-preschoolers
Frozen peas sensory bin
A frozen pea sensory bin is the perfect cool-down activity for toddlers on hot summer days! Simply fill a shallow bin with frozen peas, add a few measuring cups, spoons, and containers, and let your little one scoop, pour, and explore. Let your little one scoop and pour frozen peas, it’s not just cool on a hot day, it’s perfect for learning to grip, pour, and use tiny hand muscles. hand-eye coordination, and introduces early math concepts like measuring and sorting. The chilly texture also stimulates sensory exploration and helps toddlers practice descriptive language skills, like “cold,” “smooth,” and “hard,” making it both fun and educational.
- Materials Needed: A shallow bin, Frozen peas, measuring cups, spoons, and small containers
- Safety Tips: Guardian supervision advised
https://taminglittlemonsters.com/frozen-pea-sensory-bin-for-kids/#1-more-taste-safe-sensory-activities-to-try
Sidewalk Chalk Magnetic Tile Puzzles:
Combine outdoor creativity and puzzle-solving with Sidewalk Chalk Magnetic Tile Puzzles! Start by arranging magnetic tiles on the sidewalk and tracing their outlines with chalk. Remove the tiles and invite your toddler to match each shape back to its chalk outline. This engaging activity supports cognitive skills such as spatial awareness, shape recognition, and problem-solving. It also strengthens fine motor abilities as toddlers manipulate and align tiles. Plus, being outdoors encourages gross motor movement and exploration, making it a colorful, stimulating summer experience!
- Materials Needed: Washable Sidewalk Chalk, Magnetic Tiles (Click this link to shop here for magnetic or Picasso tiles). Magnetic tiles are great for any age, the tiles will remain relevant as your toddler grows.
- Safety Tips: Stay away from busy roads. Guardian supervision advised.
- https://happytoddlerplaytime.com/sidewalk-chalk-magnetic-tile-puzzles/
Feed the Shark:
Turn snack time into playtime with the “Feed the Shark” activity! Create a friendly shark using a cardboard box with a cut-out mouth, and provide your toddler with cut-out fish to “feed” their hungry new friend. This playful task promotes hand-eye coordination and motor skills, as toddlers practice putting the fish into the shark’s mouth. It also sparks imaginative play, encouraging storytelling and language development as your child narrates their shark-feeding adventures. Ideal for active little learners, “Feed the Shark” combines physical movement with creative, pretend-play fun. For more of a challenge, you can make the fish different colors, or even add numbers, and call out which color or number for the toddler to “feed” the shark.
- Materials Needed: A small empty box(an example is an empty tissue box.) Paper to draw/print and cut out the shark and fish. The adult needs scissors to cut out the fish and shark, and to create an opening for the fish to get into the box, aka the shark’s mouth.
- Safety Tips: Keep scissors away from the toddler, and use soft, rounded edges when cutting out the fish.
https://www.pocketfulofparenting.com/blog/summer-activities-for-toddlers-and-preschoolers
DIY bird feeder
A DIY pinecone bird feeder is a simple, nature-inspired activity that gets toddlers involved in outdoor learning. Start by tying a string to the top of a pinecone, then have your child spread peanut butter over it and roll it in birdseed. Hang it on a tree branch and wait for feathered friends to stop by! This hands-on project builds fine motor skills through spreading and rolling, introduces toddlers to basic science concepts like animal care and observation, and encourages patience and curiosity about nature. It’s a fun and rewarding way to connect kids with the world around them, right from your backyard.
- Materials Needed: Pinecones, Peanut butter, Birdseed, String
- Safety Tips: Guardian supervision advised.
https://hellopediatrics.com/fun-summer-activities-for-kids-and-toddlers/
Ice Painting
Ice painting is a vibrant and refreshing summer activity that turns art into sensory play. Simply fill an ice cube tray with kid-friendly paint, insert popsicle sticks into each compartment, and cover the tray with aluminum foil to help hold the sticks in place while freezing. Once frozen, pop the colorful cubes out and let your toddler glide them across paper to create beautiful, melting masterpieces, or have them dip the ice paint in some water to experience the different textures and colors. This activity encourages creativity, introduces color mixing, and enhances fine motor skills as little hands grip and paint with the melting cubes. The cool sensation also adds a fun sensory element, keeping kids engaged while staying cool in the summer heat.
- Materials Needed: Ice cube tray, Kid-friendly paint, Popsicle sticks, Aluminium foil, Paper of some kind to paint on, water
- Safety Tips: It is suggested to use a newspaper or cardboard under the paper that the toddlers will paint on. It is also suggested that this activity be experienced outside. Guardian supervision advised.
https://happytoddlerplaytime.com/ice-painting-summer-process-art-idea-for-kids/
Outdoor Obstacle Course
Get your toddler moving and having fun in the sun while developing their motor skills! Use whatever outdoor materials you have on hand to create a simple obstacle course. Items like chalk, soft balls, or hula hoops work great. Draw shapes with chalk for your child to trace by walking, set up hula hoops for them to toss bean bags or soft balls into, or create paths for them to weave through. It’s a fun and engaging activity for the whole family!
Start with easy challenges and gradually make the course more difficult. Incorporate numbers, letters, or even time their run for added excitement. The possibilities are endless for keeping your toddler entertained through this play-based learning activity.
- Materials Needed: Use whatever you have on hand that is toddler-safe. Example Supplies are hula hoops, cones or dots, chalk, and soft throwing balls.
- Safety Tips: Guardian supervision advised, avoid busy streets.
- https://hellopediatrics.com/fun-summer-activities-for-kids-and-toddlers/
Summer is a wonderful opportunity to incorporate playful learning experiences right at home. Activities such as Frozen Pea Sensory Bins, Sidewalk Chalk Magnetic Tile Puzzles, and Feed the Shark not only provide toddlers with endless entertainment but also nurture critical developmental skills. Through these hands-on games, children strengthen fine motor coordination, cognitive thinking, language abilities, and imaginative play—all essential building blocks for growth. If you want to learn more about play-based learning, give this blog article a read. I encourage you to give these fun toddler-friendly summer activities a try and take delight in watching your little one’s excitement, exploration, and remarkable development unfold.
Resources for the article:
https://www.researchpublish.com/upload/book/The%20Role%20of%20Play-Based%20Learning-31072024-10.pdf
https://ies.ed.gov/learn/blog/prioritizing-play-importance-play-based-learning-early-education
