Is your toddler bored of the same toys and activities they do on a daily basis? I have four crazy simple activities to share so you can enjoy them with your little one too! The best part is that they take little to no prep! These activities are appropriate for 9 months and up from my experience trying them with my son.

The summer months are coming, and you may be dreading having so much time on your hands with not so many easy, accessible activities for your little ones in your parent toolbox. That’s where I step in! I can’t take all the credit for these activities being my original idea, but, I wanted to give my experience of why I love them just as much as my 13 month old and share them incase you haven’t seen or tried them out yet!

1. Cheerio Sand Sensory Bin

Mama, it is as simple as it sounds! Get yourself some Cheerios, blend ‘em up, add them to a bin with some animals and you got yourself a taste safe sensory bin! Make sure to use regular cheerios for babes under 12 months to stay away from honey.

I saw this idea on Aspyn Ovard’s Youtube Channel and tried it right away. Baylor loved it so much! He cried when it was time to clean up, and kept reaching for the bin on the kitchen counter later in the day. He loved to throw the “sand” like confetti, so beware if you have a toddler who loves tossing things too!

I recommend doing this activity outside if you can or with a towel under babe’s workspace. There are SO many different ways to utilize this sand. I want to try it with beach toys and ocean animals. Also, I can’t wait to do this with his new dump truck toys he got for his birthday! There are endless opportunities for this type of sensory bin. Such a fun and cute activity.

2. Warm vs Ice Water Sensory Bowls

Again, very little prep for this one! Grab some bowls, some warm water for one bowl, and some cooler water for the other. Put some ice cubes in the cold bowl and let your baby explore the different temperatures.

Please supervise your baby with this one! Make sure the water is not too hot or cold and keep an eye on what they do with the ice cubes. They could be a possible choking hazard if they find their way to their mouth. I threw some bath toys in and called it a day! You could even add measuring cups or spoons for baby to scoop with.

B enjoyed this one, especially feeling the ice cubes. It took a total of 5 minutes to put together and would also be super fun outside on a warm day.

3. Fine Motor Straw & Tumbler Activity

This one is super simple and works on your little one’s fine motor skills and pincer grasp. I made a Reel/Tiktok all about this activity! Head over to my instagram @motherhoodbymalorie or my Tiktok @maloriebeard_ to see the How To Video. All you need is some straws, scissors, and a tumbler cup. Cut the straws into about 2 inch pieces and hand them to you baby one at a time to fit in the hole of the lid.

I love watching B’s focus doing this activity and it is surprisingly something he wants to do over and over. When the cup fills with straws it even doubles as a rattle or shaker toy! So much fun! Also make sure you are supervising this activity because of the small straw pieces. I always make sure to put them all in the cup and put them away when I am not sitting right next to him. :)

4. Scarf Sensory Play

These Amazon scarves are honestly one of Baylor’s most favorite toys! He loves waving them, playing hide and seek with them, and just exploring their different colors. We practice waving them around, tossing them in the air, and I run them over his faces or skin so he can feel the light sense of touch. He is always mesmerized when we pull the scarves off of his toy rotation shelf.

Another fun way to use scarves is for a pulling activity. You can use an old cardboard box, or even the Amazon one your scarves come in, and cut a hold in the top similar to a tissue box. You can individual stuff the scarves in the box or tie them together to make one long string of scarves to stuff in. Then, baby can practice their pulling skills! If you baby or toddler is always pulling wipes out of the wipe container, try this out! Here’s a picture I found on Pinterest since I forgot to take pictures of ours.

Let me know if you try any of these activities on my latest instagram post! I hope you and your little one enjoy experiencing something new together.

Go get ‘em mama!