Best Free Games to Play With Your Toddler

When your baby becomes a toddler, it may seem like it only gets more difficult to keep them entertained.  They have so much energy, and they are always on the move.  If you need some fun ways to play with your child and keep them entertained, then you can play a game with your child that will help them learn at the same time. 

You don’t need to spend a fortune at the toy store – these games need nothing other than you, your toddler, and a few common household items.  With a few of these simple games, you can teach your child how to help you with some chores, how to count, and how to sort through items. 

Learning can be a really rewarding experience if you can incorporate some basic skills into a fun game for your toddler.

Play “One for You and One for Me”

Probably one of the simplest games that you can play with your child is the “one for you and one for me” game.  All that you need to do is get some objects that you have a lot of from around your house like crayons or puzzle pieces (make sure your child can’t swallow the pieces), and then say, “you give me one and then you keep one.”  This will help them learn how to share and how to count.

As your child gets better with the game, you can ask them to give you more of whatever object you choose – “Two for me and three for you” – and you can modify the game as you need.

Toddler Scavenger Hunt

This is a fun one.  Ask your child to find some objects around the house and bring them to you.  This can help them learn about the different types of objects around the home and where they are located.  If you really want to make it a great experience, let them go find their favorite sweet treat or a fun toy which you have hidden inside a pair of shoes or under a couch cushion. 

While your child is young, they may only be able to remember where a few items are, but as they get older, you can give them a longer list of items to go find for you.

Matching Socks

This is a great game for when you fold the laundry.  Separate your socks out and show them the difference between your socks and their socks.  Let them pick out the socks that match, and eventually you can give them more socks to match, making it a little more challenging and fun for your child.

Games to Test Your Child’s Senses

Pick out some sweet smelling items in your house for this game.  Jams, juices, shampoo, and perfumes are good options.  Let your toddler look at the jars and then cover his or her eyes so that your child can smell the objects.  Then see if your child can identify which jar that he smells.  You can do the same type of thing with a selection of foods and candies, to test your child’s sense of taste.

Remember that early on your toddler may not be as responsive to the game as their attention span is shorter, but as your child gets older, they will be more interested in learning to play fun games with you.