How do you entertain your 2 year old indoors?

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My little boy has just turned two and this week where he would usually be entertained by his toys or sometimes telly, he just seems to be bored.

Any ideas of good indoor activities I can do with him? He’s very, very active and so far not one for sitting still with play doh or anything like that - although he might be a bit young for that.

We do a toy rotation so he doesn’t get bored of his toys but he just seems to be bored in general and quite grumpy because of it

I should say we go to the park in mornings and for a walk but this is for when we are home or when it’s too dark and cold to go out.

Cushions off the sofa for homemade soft play
Messy play with lentils or rice
Water beads with scoops, bottles etc
Ramps for cars or balls (just a card board box or some kitchen roll tubes!)

I found that things like play doh, painting and stickers really only worked after 2.5 with my active DD.

Stickers (Melissa & Doug does a great reuseable sticker book)
Colouring/drawing
Playing with sprinkles/dried beans/beads, etc with a few bowls, spoons and jugs to pour
Baking with one of those kits you just add an egg/oil to to make cupcakes
Reading in a pop-up tent
Kicking/catching a soft ball
Skittles
Having a rummage through a drawer/box of safe things they haven't seen before/not usually allowed in

My 2 year old quite likes to help put the washing away and it can easily kill 30 mins/an hour. She will help sort things into baskets, put small things like socks away, or put things into the laundry basket. We changed her bed the other day and she was kept quite entertained pretending to be a dinosaur/running up and down the bed while I put new sheets/quilt cover on.

A friend with a 2 year old makes little trails for him - follow the cardboard footprints; step on the different textures (foil/paper/baking paper). She also brought their slide indoors for him to use.

I'm not very good with messy play but she does painting, play doh, water play etc at her nan's. She might be a bit young for it atm and has a limited attention span for most crafty things.

Am in exactly the same boat as you op.. Following with interest...

My 20 month old really likes “colouring in” and has just discover stickers - can pass a whole load of time. Cooking/baking is always a good shout too

I came on to say colouring, mine turns 2 tonorrow and he sits for ages scribbling in a note book with crayons. Interested in other ideas

Ugh mine is 2.5 and it's so hard to entertain her at home. Her attention span with anything but telly is soo short, lucky if I can get 15 mins out of a game. Unless it's the first time she's ever played with it, then she will spend longer, but once she's done something once, the novelty factor is gone and it's so hard to entertain her.

Anyway things that work for a small amount of time hah:

• Stickers/sticker books
• Reading story books
• Making birthday cards for people with upcoming birthdays
• Drawing/colouring
• Drawing on a whiteboard
• Playing pretend games with her dolls' house
• Painting with pen paints

Balloons!

Mine are 5 and 6 now, and still delighted by balloons 😅 Balloon tennis, balloon keepie-uppie, balloon races, balloon sticky up hair, blown up then whizzing as they deflate balloons...

Toddlers do have attention spans of gnats, but at that age mine enjoyed

Stickers
Drawing
Painting
PlayDoh
Gluing
Kinetic sand
Pouring water
Mixing stuff
Making lines of toys
Assault courses made from furniture
Dancing
Playing in the bath

Sleeping bunnies song on YouTube. They lay down, jump up, skip etc. Good for bit of movement when stuck inside.
Obstacle course- go under a chair, over the next, climb into bed etc etc.
Bath. With loads of bath toys. Or splashing in sink.

Homemade play dough
Homemade cloud dough
A big tray on the kitchen floor with rice, pasta etc and things to scoop it up with or diggers and cars
Duplo
Brio
Puzzles
Painting
Making shakers with yogurt pots and rice
Blocks
Blanket fort
Music CD/Alexa
Blowing bubbles
Hide and seek
Little jobs like loading the washing machine
Anything involving pouring water