17 Educational Activities for Little Ones at Home

How do you Entertain Your Kids While You’re Stuck at Home?

With a worldwide pandemic impacting us all, families are now spending most of their time at home. Working moms are getting very creative to keep their small children entertained with activities at home, especially if they are working from home. It’s hard enough adjusting to virtual relationships, but now moms are having to balance work with ensuring their small children’s development is still on track. 

Cognitive, social and physical development in young children is especially important to ensure they make it through this pandemic. The importance of play in relation to a child’s development is undeniable. Children need daily activities at home that keep them engaged and it’s not hard to find toys that are both educational and fun! 

While I was on maternity leave and at the start of quarantine, I had to get very creative with keeping a 4 year old entertained with activities at home so I could take care of a newborn. Needless to say, I did a lot of research finding the best educational toys on the market. I wanted to ensure my 4 year old was having fun while learning new things that were age appropriate. There are activities and toys that can be great for independent play or those where you can interact and learn with your child. 

I also researched newborn activity toys to help make sure we were hitting developmental milestones with Xander. Tummy time is so important for development in young babies so a lot of the toys in that age range focus on hitting that milestone.

[convertkit form=3749577]

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

Baby Activities at Home (0 – 1 year) 

Inflatable Water Mat

This water mat is so fun! It’s an alternative to the standard toys you usually see that promote tummy time. It’s interactive and easy to take on the go. It’s the perfect activity at home for babies. Xander loved pushing down on the mat and seeing the fish move around! It’s a great price too!

Tummy Time Prop and Play Mat

I love that this has multiple uses. You can prop the mat up for babies who need some extra support during tummy time or use the extra pillow. You can also use it for babies starting to sit up. This is easy to travel with as well if needed. 

Bendy Ball Rattle Toy

This ball not only acts as a rattle, but also helps develop your baby’s motor skills. The large holes make it easy for baby to grip the ball. The plastic is also BPA free, easy to clean and small enough for your diaper bag. 

Wiggle and Crawl Ball

When your baby starts showing interest in crawling, this toy is great to keep them progressing. Usually you’ll see your baby start trying to balance on all fours and that’s a sign they will begin crawling soon. This interactive ball wiggles and wobbles on its own encouraging your little one to chase after it. It has 45+ songs, melodies and animal sounds. Buttons encourage fine motor skill development and flashing lights keep your baby engaged. 

Toddler Activities at Home (1 – 3 years)

Flashcards: Learn Letters, Colors, Shapes & Numbers (58 cards)

These larger sized flash cards will help with establishing memory and concentration for your little one. Sometimes little ones get frustrated with not remembering things. Start with shorter sessions and make them fun. Work your way up to going through the whole deck in one sitting. They are also waterproof and tear resistant so they will hold up to constant use.

LeapFrog Book 100 Words

Nora has this book and she loves it! You are able to toggle between English and Spanish. Each page is a different category of items that you can touch and the book will repeat the word and a sound to the child. This is great if you’re just starting out with teaching your little one some Spanish words!

Fine Motor Hedgehog

Build fine motor skills with the chunky, peg-shaped pieces that fit to the back of this friendly hedgehog. The pegs are the perfect size for little toddler and preschool hands to hold. The colorful quills help kids build color recognition as well. 

Interactive Wall Chart

Get your children excited about learning the alphabet, word association and numbers with this awesome interactive wall chart. The chart even has a quiz feature that interacts with your child to find the matching number or letter. This chart also has popular kids songs built in: the ABC song, Bingo, Five Little Monkeys, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, If You’re Happy and You Know It!, Three Little Kittens, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Wheels On The Bus! Batteries are even included!

Drill/Construction Toy (STEM Approved)

This toy is so awesome to get kids’ imagination and coordination skills thriving. Children can sort and count the colorful bolts, map out all kids of designs, and develop critical preschool math skills. This toy also helps develop their fine motor skills with use of multiple tools. 

Butterfly Growing Kit (STEM Approved)

I placed this under the 1-3 year old category because depending on your child, they may be very interested in this activity between 2-3 years, but can also be used for older children as well. 

Once you receive your kit (caterpillars ship separate with provided voucher), you watch the caterpillars grow and form chrysalis’ in the container they shipped in. Once ready, you move them into the provided mesh habitat. You then begin adding food to their habitat and watch them become butterflies. Once all the butterflies emerge, you release them into nature. 

We had so much fun with this. This is a longer activity as it happens over several days. However, we made sure to check on our butterflies every single day. We discussed what was happening and Nora was so interested and engaged. She took personal responsibility to check on her butterflies and was so excited once it was time to release them. We did it in our backyard and took pictures. They don’t fly away instantly so you get to watch them for a bit. 

Preschool Activities at Home (3 – 5 years)

GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope (STEM Approved)

This talking microscope is awesome! It comes with 20 slides that fit nicely in the storage pull out bin at the bottom. As you look at the images, the voice of Bindi Irwin, Wildlife Warrior will expand your knowledge of the animals and plants shown on the slides. 

Disney Electronic Reader Set

We love these book sets! Nora has at least 3 sets so far. These books are great for kids who are starting to become interested in reading on their own. They foster a feeling of independence and because they don’t need someone to read to them, it’s the perfect way to get a break, but keep them learning and entertained. The hands on interaction engages young readers, helps connect words with pictures to build vocabulary, and offers a multisensory reading experience that stimulates their imagination. These are also great for car rides. 

BOHS Literacy Wiz Lowercase Sight Words

This is for kids who are beginning to learn letter recognition and how to spell. There are 60 double sided printed cards (120 words) that you place on the holder. The child uses the tiles provided to recreate the word below. This helps with early vocabulary, fine motor skills, and attention span and memory. 

Alphabet and Number Puzzle Pack

This wooden puzzle pack will help your child begin learning to identify letters and numbers. They can use the letters to form words and start identifying sight words. A new reader focuses on sight words first as a way of memorizing groups of letters then grows into reading. Puzzles also help with eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills, creativity, visual perception skills, imagination, curiosity and discovery skills.

Magna-Tiles (STEM Approved)

These 3D magnetic tiles are a fun twist to the classic building blocks. They are a bit more advanced and feed into a child’s imagination and critical thinking skills. Kids can create 2D or 3D shapes with them so they are great for a wide age range. These are also STEM approved and helps your child develop important math, science, spatial and tactile skills. 

Aquabeads

Ok, I have to admit, I even had fun making these! These are water-activated beads that adhere to one another after a quick spray and dry time. Each set (there are so many) comes with templates and a spray bottle. Nora spent hours having fun with these. She was so excited she went through the whole set in one day. 

LeapFrog Reading and Writing System

This tool is so great for new readers and writers! This electronic pen helps sound out words and guides letter strokes to help build comprehension. It’s also mess fee writing so that’s a win-win for moms! Once you have this kit, there are several other interactive books and writing activities you can purchase to further expand your child’s library. 

What Activities At Home Are You Doing?

Since the start of the pandemic, many of us have been quarantined in our homes at some point. What activities have you all been doing to keep busy at home? I’d love to hear what’s working for you! Now more than ever, mamas need to stick together and support one another by sharing our tips and tricks to surviving at home throughout this pandemic. Keep it up mama, you’re doing great!

Related Work from Home Articles