We’re officially on part 4 of our low-prep toddler learning activities series—and we’ve already used up over half the pages in our workbook! Each of these ideas took just a few minutes to prep and kept my toddler busy for anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. If you’re in the season of needing quick, simple learning prompts at home, these might be just what you need.
Here is the link to my 8 week activity guide. I also made matching flashcards for weeks 1-4 and weeks 5-8!
Here is the sketchbook I have. It doesn’t bleed through even with sharpie, dot markers or the Crayola markers we use!
I also have several other blog posts for more activity workbook ideas! Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
1. Matching Emotions
Supplies:
- Crayons or markers
- Construction paper (various colors)
- Scissors
- Glue stick
What We Did:
I drew six different faces – each representing a feeling like happy, excited, tired, nervous, sad, and angry – and colored each one a different color. Then I cut out construction paper circles in those same colors for her to match and glue on top.
What It Helps With:
Emotional recognition, color matching, gluing skills, language development
2. Snail Shape Matching
Supplies:
- Crayons or markers
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
What We Did:
I drew six colorful snails, each a different color. Then I cut out six matching shapes (like a heart, triangle, square, circle, rectangle, and diamond) that coordinated with each snail’s shell. She matched and glued each shape on top of the right snail.
What It Helps With:
Shape recognition, color matching, hand-eye coordination, gluing practice
3. Number One Search
Supplies:
- Black marker
- Dot markers
What We Did:
I drew a large number one and filled it with small numbers from 1–4. Her goal was to find and dot all the number ones using her favorite dot marker.
What It Helps With:
Number recognition, visual scanning, fine motor control
4. Ladybug Dot Matching
Supplies:
- Black marker
- Black construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
What We Did:
I drew a ladybug and added little black dots on its back. Then I cut out small black paper circles and had her glue them on top of each drawn dot to complete the ladybug.
What It Helps With:
Spatial awareness, gluing skills, visual matching
5. Shape Dotting
Supplies:
- Crayons or markers
- Dot markers
What We Did:
I drew a triangle, square, and circle with little dots inside each shape. She used dot markers to fill in the dots while staying within the lines.
What It Helps With:
Fine motor control, color awareness, shape recognition, focus
These workbook pages continue to be one of my favorite ways to keep her learning and busy while I prep meals or nurse the baby. They’re quick, fun, and easy to swap out week to week. Save this post for your next quiet activity block—and tag me if you try any of these at home!
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