oddler activities do not have to require a long supply list or complicated setup to be engaging. These five simple toddler learning activities use mostly paper and markers while working on skills like name recognition, counting, color matching, number sequencing, fine motor control, and visual discrimination!
I love activities like these because I can quickly draw them in a workbook or on a blank sheet of paper and adjust them based on what my toddler is currently learning. They are also an easy way to add a little focused learning time into our day while still keeping everything playful and hands-on.
Here is the link to my 100+ 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!
Activity 1: Crayon Name Recognition
Supplies needed:
Paper, markers, scissors, and glue.
How to set it up
Draw a simple crayon box on the page and write your toddler’s name across the front. On a separate piece of paper, draw and cut out individual crayons with one letter of their name written on each crayon.
Have your toddler use the name written on the crayon box as a guide to place the letters in the correct order. Once they have figured out the order, they can glue the crayons onto the page and color them in.
Skills it works on: Name recognition, letter recognition, sequencing, visual matching, fine motor skills, and early literacy.
Activity 2: Number and Dot Matching
Supplies needed:
Paper and markers.
How to set it up
Write the numbers 1 through 5 down the left side of the page. In the middle, draw groups of dots representing numbers 1 through 5, and then write the numbers 1 through 5 again along the right side in a mixed-up order.
Have your toddler count the dots and connect each number on the left to the matching group of dots and the correct number on the right.
Skills it works on: Number recognition, counting, one-to-one correspondence, visual matching, and fine motor control.
Activity 3: Collect the Fish
Supplies needed
Paper and markers.
How to set it up
Draw several fish around the page and label each one with a number. Add an ocean at the bottom of the page to create a little destination for the fish.
Have your toddler start with the first number and draw a line from fish to fish in numerical order, eventually bringing all of the fish back home to the ocean.
Skills it works on: Number sequencing, number recognition, counting, pencil control, and visual tracking.
Activity 4: Connect the Matching Colors
Supplies needed
Paper and several different colored markers.
How to set it up
Choose several marker colors and draw two dots of each color around the page. I used eight different colors and kept each matching pair generally close together so the lines would not overlap too much.
Give your toddler the same colored markers and have them search for each pair of matching dots. Once they find a pair, they can connect the two dots using the matching marker.
Skills it works on: Color recognition, visual discrimination, matching, scanning, and fine motor skills.
Activity 5: Finish the Butterflies
Supplies needed
Paper and markers.
How to set it up
Draw several simple butterflies on the page. I made six butterflies and colored in one side of each butterfly with a different color.
Have your toddler look at the color on the completed side and use the matching marker to color the other half of the butterfly.
Skills it works on: Color matching, visual discrimination, attention to detail, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills.
Simple Toddler Activities for Everyday Learning
What I love most about these activities is how easy they are to recreate with supplies you probably already have at home. A piece of paper and a few markers can turn into activities that practice letters, numbers, colors, counting, sequencing, and fine motor skills without needing anything elaborate.
You can also make each activity easier or more challenging depending on your toddler’s age and current skills. Use fewer numbers or colors for a younger toddler, or add more letters, numbers, and matching choices as they get older.
These are the kinds of simple, hands-on activities I keep coming back to because they are easy to prep, keep little hands busy, and give us another playful way to practice the skills we are already working on at home.
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