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Play ideas for 18 to 24 months

Here are 17 screen-free play ideas for 18 to 24 months, each using things from around the house. The American Academy of Pediatrics says infants under 18 months learn best from real-world interactions, so these are about you and your child, a few minutes at a time. Stay close, and follow each safety line.

Checked October 29, 2026.

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17 things to do

  • Teddy's tea party8 min · you need plastic cups and plates, a few stuffed animals · Pretend play lets toddlers practice caring for others and using words.
  • Add a word5 min · nothing to get · Adding one word shows your toddler how words join up into short sentences.
  • Tower of boxes6 min · you need empty cereal boxes and food boxes · Stacking takes balance and care, and counting each box adds numbers.
  • Wash the baby doll10 min · you need a plastic doll or toy, a dish tub with a little water, a washcloth · Taking care of a doll lets toddlers act out the care they get every day.
  • Find something red6 min · you need a basket · Hunting for one color helps toddlers notice how things are alike.
  • Big paper scribbles8 min · you need a big sheet of paper or an opened paper bag, chunky crayons, tape · Holding a crayon and making marks is the start of drawing and, later, writing.
  • Little helper wipe-up5 min · you need a damp cloth · Real jobs make toddlers feel useful and grown-up.
  • Frog jumps4 min · nothing to get · Squatting and bouncing build leg strength on the way to real jumping.
  • Sock puppet hello5 min · you need a clean sock · Toddlers often talk more easily to a puppet, and puppets can show feelings.
  • Nature bag walk15 min · you need a paper bag · Collecting turns a walk into a hunt, with a word for every find.
  • Pillow path6 min · you need pillows and cushions · Stepping on soft, wobbly things builds balance.
  • Big and little5 min · you need two baskets, pairs of big and little things: a big shoe and a little shoe, a big spoon and a little spoon · Big and little are early ideas toddlers can see and hold.
  • Itsy Bitsy Spider fingers3 min · nothing to get · Finger actions give toddlers a way to join in with the words.
  • Dance and freeze5 min · nothing to get · Stopping on a signal is early practice at controlling their own body.
  • Car ramp6 min · you need a long piece of cardboard or a baking sheet, a couch cushion, toy cars · Changing the ramp and watching the car is an early experiment.
  • Puddle stomp10 min · you need rain boots or old shoes · Stomping in a puddle is pure joy, and a rainy day turns into an adventure.
  • Act out the story8 min · you need a favorite picture book · Acting out a story helps toddlers understand what the words mean.

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