Fun Activities for Toddlers, Young Children

Inexpensive Kids’ Activity Ideas – Imagination Play, Coloring Pages

Nov 1, 2009 Lena Gott

Need inexpensive activities for kids? These fun children's activities involve imagination play. Find free coloring pages online and learn fun indoor toddler activities.

Toddlers are easily entertained. They love exploring their world, and they can create the most simplistic games out of everyday items.

Fun Activities for Toddlers

Parents don’t need to spend money on expensive toys to keep toddlers occupied. Household items and a little imagination are all the only requirements for creating fun indoor activities for young children.

Inexpensive Activities for Kids

For a quick and inexpensive toddler activity, consider using everyday household items to create matching games and encourage imagination play. Here are several household items that can be used for indoor toddler play:

Blankets and chairs – Drape blankets across sturdy chairs for an instant play house.
Cardboard boxes – Before throwing out old cardboard boxes, let a toddler turn it into a house or a huge collecting bin for toys.
Old magazines – Children see adults reading all the time. Let a toddler feel like a grown-up by “reading” a magazine. A fun way to do this is to send the little one on a scavenger hunt throughout the magazine. Just ask him or her to find all of the puppies, flowers, cars, houses, or other recognizable images in the entire magazine.
Plastic containers with lids – Toddlers can find many uses for plastic containers. Matching the lids with the appropriate containers creates a fun matching game. Open containers can be stacked in multiple configurations, knocked over, and stacked again. Filling up the containers with toys or other objects can also be fun for little ones.
Pots and pans – Toddlers like to mimic adult activities, so let them “cook” with actual pots and pans (on the floor, of course)!

Household Chores as Children’s Activities

Since kids like to mimic adult activities, a toddler might also like to be mommy’s or daddy’s big helper by assisting with indoor household chores. These toddler activities don’t take up a lot of time, but they will give a toddler a sense of accomplishment. Even children as young as 18 months old can throw individual items in the trash, hold a dust pan, help load clothes in the washing machine, sort laundry, or pick up after themselves. To toddlers, these are ways to be a big kid, not chores.

Free Printable Coloring Pages for Young Children

Another inexpensive children’s activity is printable coloring pages from websites like Disney Family or Crayola.

Around the holidays, consider finding cute coloring pages with holiday themes. The following articles profile sources of Easter, Christmas, and Halloween coloring sheets.

Free Easter Coloring Pages

Free Kids Christmas Coloring Pages

Printable Halloween Coloring Pages for Kids

The copyright of the article Fun Activities for Toddlers, Young Children in Kids Activities is owned by Lena Gott. Permission to republish Fun Activities for Toddlers, Young Children in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Inexpensive Kids' Activities – Free Coloring Pages