Toddler quiet time activities that can buy you more time, less tantrums and lots of peace!
Are you a busy parent whose toddler has stopped napping in the afternoon? No nap doesn’t need to mean an afternoon filled with noise and chaos. Instead, you can replace nap time with quiet time.
Quiet time is essential for kids (and adults too!) It gives them a chance to wind down and immerse themselves in a simple activity that helps them relax. This can really help keep the tantrums at bay!
Quiet time is crucial for all toddlers, whether they still take naps or not. This period of rest calms the mind and body, giving your little one a chance to break away from constant stimulations.
babysparks.com
It is important to note that quiet time activities need to be balanced out with activities where you play with your child and bond. If you’re spending time doing bonding activities, then your little one will be a lot more interested in the quiet time activities too.
This post is all about toddler quiet time activities
Quiet time activities are ideally those activities:
a) that your child can do independently without much supervision from you
b) where kids can take charge and make all the decisions
c) which are mess free. Because who wants to spend 30 minutes cleaning up once the activity ends??
d) which your child can do without creating a lot of noise…duhh, thats why they’re called quiet activities!
e) which are low prep and don’t require much effort to set up. After all, aren’t we trying to get more time on our hands?
These quiet time activities can replace afternoom nap time but they are also perfect for rainy days!
So if you’re a parent trying to squeeze in some extra time to get chores done or a teacher managing a preschool classroom full of energetic kids, these activities should help buy you some extra time.
10 No Mess No Prep Toddler Quiet Time Activities
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1. Making Puzzles
Puzzles are a favorite activity in my home and that’s why I’ve put them at #1. Making puzzles has so many benefits for kids including fine motor skills, hand eye coordination and problem solving skills.
The secret to making it an activity in which your toddler engages in for long periods of time is to keep some puzzles in storage and others out.
This way you can keep switching up the puzzles. When you take the other puzzles out of storage, your toddler will be seeing them after a while and think of them as brand new.
Here are some best-selling puzzles ideal for toddlers:
Melissa & Doug First Shapes Jumbo Knob Wooden Puzzle
Melissa & Doug Old MacDonald’s Farm Sound Puzzle
Playtime by Magifire Wooden Puzzles for Toddlers Set of 6
2. Books Never get Old
Seeing your child snuggled up cozily reading a book is pure joy for a parent to witness. It makes for a perfect quiet time activity.
But how do you get your toddler interested in flipping through pictures independently?
The key is to create the right environment. Setting up a cute reading corner is a fantastic way to encourage your little one to do some independent reading and thoroughly enjoy it.
Psst: If you’re interested in getting your child to actually read, you can read my post here where I go over how I taught my child to read fluently before her third birthday.
Here are some bestselling picture books that encourage independent reading in toddlers:
My First Library : Boxset of 10 Board Books for Kids
Around the Farm 30-Button Animal Sound Book – Great for First Words
First 100 Board Book Box Set (3 books)
3. Mess Free Art
Like I said, quiet time activities are ideally mess free. It’s great for kids to get messy with paint but quiet time is not one of those times!
Luckily there are so many mess free art activities that toddlers can engage in including:
- Coloring on a coloring book with jumbo crayons
- Using washable dot-a-dot paint markers to paint on a coloring pad
- Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow
- Jasonwell Aqua Water Doodle Mat
4. Building Toys
Building toys like chunky Blocks, Lego or Magna tiles are great for quiet time in our home. Whenever I’m about to sit down for some blog work I ask my toddler what she will be doing to stay busy.
And the most often answer I get is: I’m going to make a tower’ or ‘I’m going to make a house for my stuffies’.
Building toys encourage creativity and are open ended, there are so many ways to create with it! So its an ideal quiet time activity that can easily keep toddlers busy for at least 20 minutes.
Best buiding toys for toddlers on Amazon:
MEGA BLOKS 80-piece Building Blocks
The Original Magnetic Building Tiles For Creative Open-Ended Play
Melissa & Doug Wooden Building Set
Are you an over tired parent who can’t seem to get your child to sleep? Do you wish there was a way to sleep train your child WITHOUT using the cry-it-out method?
I was in the same boat. I wanted to use a gentle approach that minimised any crying and at the same time helped my little one successfully sleep by herself.
After much research I stumbled upon a method that worked wonders for us.
Within a week, my little one was happily sleeping by herself. The best part was that it didn’t involve any crying! You can read my detailed post where I go over the step by step process I used to get my little one sleeping in her own bed within a week!
You can also check out the Sleep Lady Shuffle and see for yourself why this method has helped over a million families find gentle, customized sleep solutions—and get some rest.
5. Play Tents to Spark Imagination
Play tents are a superb tool to have in your home for quiet time. They spark your child’s imagination – the tent can be their secret hide out, their princess castle or a home for their stuffies.
Play tents have the potential to lead to loooong periods of independent play. Kids can use their other toys inside the tent and make it like their very own fort to play inside.
This one is foldable, washable, includes fairy lights and is a favorite with parents and kids alike.
Other favorite options include:
6. Stuffies, dolls and action figures
These are again great for encouraging independent play. And they can be used in combination with play tents and blocks to create a whole imaginary world.
It’s important to keep in mind though to pick just a few toys and let your toddler play with those.
If you have toys, stuffies, action figures all out at the same time your child will feel overwhelmed and end up playing with nothing.
Research shows that the too many toys syndrome is real. And the best solution for that is to set up a toy rotation system.
This is simply when you keep a few toys out to play and pack away the rest of them out of sight. You switch up the toys every few weeks or months and this way your child engages in meaningful play with greater concentration.
7. Busy Books Are Your Best Friend
Busy books do just as the same suggests. They keep your child busy. And they do a fantastic job at it!
The Sweet n Sour Busy Book has been designed to not just keep your toddler highly engaged and busy but to also learn critical skills while having tons of fun.
Toddlers get to match, sort and trace away as they develop their gross motor skills, fine motor skills and critical thinking skills.
Check out the Sweet n Sour Busy Book for yourself and see why it’s a parent favorite!
8. Busy Bag Activities
Busy bags are similar to busy books and include activities that your child can engage in while having fun and also learning tons.
I have 5 absolutely awesome busy bag activity printouts that you can get for free. Put in your email address below and we’ll deliver the goodies straight to your inbox. You’re welcome 🙂
9. Magnets and stickers
Toddlers never tire of magnets and stickers. There’s something about them that keeps them engaged for long periods. And that’s why it’s an ideal quiet time activity. Plus it’s totally mess free so it’s a double win.
This Melissa & Doug Puffy Sticker Play Set includes 52 puffy reusable stickers and a sticker book that will keep your tot busy for agesss!
And if your toddler likes to hang out near the kitchen while you cook then the Melissa & Doug 20 Wooden Animal Magnets in a Box will quickly become your child’s fave activity!
10. Audiobooks
Lastly, listening to stories is a superb alternative to screen time. You can find lots of audiobook stories for kids on youtube. Toddlers can listen to these stories while lying down and resting or even if they’re doing another activity side by side.
Listening to audiobooks is super beneficial and helps improve literacy skills as well.
This post was all about toddler quiet time activities
I hope these ideas helped give you some inspiration for quiet time activities you can do with your toddler at home. What did I miss? Let me know in the comments section if you have more ideas to share.
Check Out Our Best-Selling Printable – the SweetnSour Busy Book for Toddlers!
This adorable Busy Book is currently available for more than 60% off! We also have 2 amazing bonuses that you can get for FREE: 7 adorable educational posters ideal for a toddler bedroom/playroom along with 2 of our best selling bedtime routine charts!
Read these posts next:
13 Easy Toddler Activities to Keep your Toddler Out of Trouble | No Prep Indoor Activities
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