Easy Activities for Young Children

Toddlers and preschoolers need a whole lot of attention! The internet is full of elaborate and beautiful children’s activities and toys, but sometimes you’re tired, busy, or just need a little break. A no or low prep activity is the perfect way to keep your child entertained without wearing yourself out even more. Here are a few ideas for no and low prep activities for young children!

Young children absolutely love jumping, rolling, and tumbling. If you want a quick break, place a mat or mattress on the floor and tell them they can jump all they want! Just toss a crib mattress or the mattress from their "big kid bed" on the ground and they’ll be thrilled. You can also add pillows and/or stuffed animals for extra padding.

Another fun way to let your child practice gross motor skills (while you catch a bit of a break) is creating a tape "balance beam" on the floor. Use an easy to remove tape, like painters tape or masking tape, to create a long line. Your kids can practicing walking the line and playing the floor is lava!

Free printables are another low-prep way to entertain children. Just snag a free activity pack, like these nature activity printables for preschoolers, and pick out the pages that don’t require any preparation except printing. Free printable coloring pages, mazes, and tracing sheets are also fun for your child but require very little preparation or effort on your part.

Little kids adore water. You can take advantage of this to entertain them with water painting! All you need is a bucket of water and a paintbrush. Set them up in the driveway or on the deck and let them paint with their magical, disappearing paint! If you don’t have a bucket, simply use a dishpans, plastic bin, or just a non-breakable bowl.

If you don’t mind your child getting more wet, set up a sprinkler to create your own backyard water park! Let your child put on a bathing suit and play around in the water.

Classic word games like "I spy" and 20 questions are a no-prep way to entertain children without any materials or preparation. They work best for slightly older children, though, and if you only have one child you will need to participate.

If you have multiple children in your care, easy games like freeze tag, Simon Says, and hopscotch can provide a fun distraction. This is especially true on rainy days if you allow these games in the house when you normally wouldn’t permit running or jumping inside.

If you don’t mind a bit of noise, pull out pots, pans, lids, and spoons to create an impromptu drum set.

If you have a little energy and the inclination to do a small amount of preparation, these rainy day crafts for children can keep your kids busy. There are suggestions for young children and toddlers as well as older children.

Parenting can be exhausting, especially when you have young children at home all the time. Keeping a mental list of no-prep and low-prep activities will help you find something for your kids to do, even when you’re too worn out for one of those elaborate Pinterest projects!

Natasha is a certified high school history teacher and blogger at The Artisan Life where she shares her love of crafting and gratitude.