If you’ve been following along with our weekly workbook activities, here’s Part 19. These are simple, low-prep activities that build early math, literacy, and fine motor skills – and most importantly, they’re actually fun for toddlers!
All of these were done at home with basic supplies, and several of them she asked to repeat, which is always a win.
Here is the link to my 52 Workbook Activities Guide (workbook focused). I also have an 8 Week Activity Guide (list of themed activities to do at home/outside). I also made matching flashcards for Weeks 1-4 and Weeks 5-8!
Here are the links to the 3 main supplies I use – other than colored markers!
- Sketchbook – It doesn’t bleed through even with sharpie or markers.
- Dot Markers – Use this for color, number or letter recognition. There is so much you can do with these markers!
- Dot Stickers – Use this for color recognition and creative crafting. My toddler loves them!
1. Grass Cutting Reveal Activity
Skills: Fine motor, hand strength, visual surprise play
Supplies:
I glued strips of green paper across the bottom of a page and cut them into fringe to look like grass. Underneath, I drew flowers, a ladybug, a butterfly, and a dragonfly.
As she “cut the grass,” it slowly revealed the pictures underneath. The surprise element made this one especially exciting for her. It turned simple cutting practice into something playful and engaging.
Tip: If your toddler is new to scissors, draw thick cutting lines or use child-safe training scissors.
2. Fruit Number Match
Skills: Counting, number recognition, one-to-one correspondence
Supplies:
- Paper
- Markers
On the left side of the page, I drew groups of fruit — strawberries, oranges, bananas, and watermelon — each in different quantities. On the right side, I wrote the numbers.
She counted each group and matched it to the correct number.
This activity supports early math skills in a very visual and hands-on way. If your toddler isn’t ready to draw lines independently, you can have them point while you draw the line for them.
Extension idea: Use stickers instead of drawings for an even quicker setup.
3. Letter A & B Trace + Dot
Skills: Letter recognition, pre-writing skills, fine motor control
Supplies:
- Paper
- Marker
- Dot markers
I wrote large uppercase A and B letters for her to trace. Underneath, I wrote several lowercase a’s and b’s for her to dot.
This was incredibly simple, but she really enjoyed it. Tracing helps with muscle memory, and dotting adds a little extra engagement without overwhelming them.
Tip: Keep the letters large and spaced out to make tracing easier.
4. Complete the Roof Activity
Skills: Pre-writing lines, shape awareness, hand control
Supplies:
- Paper
- Markers
I drew nine different colored homes but left the roofs incomplete. I added dotted guide lines to show where the roof should be.
She traced along the dots to complete each roof.
This was another very simple activity that she loved — so much so that she asked for more. Sometimes the most basic line work activities are the most effective.
You can vary this by:
- Making triangle roofs without guide dots
- Drawing different shaped buildings
- Adding windows for tracing squares
5. Tape Length Match
Skills: Visual discrimination, comparison (long vs short), fine motor
Supplies:
- Colored construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
I cut different lengths of colored construction paper and glued one set down as the “base.” Then I gave her matching loose strips and had her match and glue each strip on top of the correct length.
This introduces early measurement concepts in a very concrete way. She had to visually compare each piece before gluing.
Extension idea: Talk through vocabulary like longer, shorter, longest, shortest.
Why These Simple Activities Work
At this age, repetition and simplicity are key. These activities:
- Strengthen fine motor skills
- Support early math foundations
- Build letter familiarity
- Encourage independence
- Keep learning playful
You don’t need elaborate printables or complicated setups. A piece of paper and a marker go a long way.
If you recreate any of these, I’d love to know which one your toddler enjoyed most.
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