Favorite Toddler Play Ideas

1. Felt Boards (I have discovered that my little guy loves felt pieces.  My brother's girlfriend bought him a beach theme one when she was out of town, and he's finally old enough to play with it, and it fits in the diaper bag so we can take it to church and restaurants.  I even got creative and made several of my own.  I stick them in individual baggies and we only get one set out at a time.  I did mine according to Bible stories,, but have also made some for my nephew for each month of the year:decorate the jack-o-lantern's face, decorate the tree, add accessories to the potato head, etc.  Look up quiet books or busy books and you will find all kinds of ideas.)He's playing with the Armor of God set right here.
2. Coloring with crayons and markers (My little guy is constantly asking to "color".  He will even get specific when he wants markers.  He asks us every time we go into a restaurant if he can color so be sure to keep a coloring book and crayons in your diaper bag.)
3. Painting: watercolors, finger-painting, painting their hands and feet, water painting books for on the go, etc. (Edible paint, baby food, and water painting are great ideas when they're younger than 1).
4. Magic marker books (These are like coloring books but only comes with one clear marker.  When he colors it shows up on the book, but no where else.  It is amazing and great for on the go!)
5. Lego's, Mega Blocks, etc. (He loves to build! When he was younger he loved to knock over what we built.  Now, he actually tries to build his own towers.)
6. Foam blocks, cardboard blocks (Melissa and Doug sells really nice ones that were passed down to my little guy from his cousins.)
7. Books, books, and more books! (Toddler love when you read to them! My little guy will sit for well over twenty minutes now listening to stories he loves. His favorites are the ones you flip open pockets and look inside or the ones that you press the buttons and they play sounds or songs.)
8. Sensory play with all sorts of objects such as formula, play dough, flour, sugar, Easter grass, snow, water, ice, socks, cards, baby food for the younger ones, etc.
9. Putting things into something else such as: pennies in a piggy bank, pom pom balls in a water bottle, pipe cleaners in a container with holes, etc. (def. need adult supervision with these ideas).
10. Little figurines (We have all sorts but his favorite ones are his cowboys and Sesame Street characters)
11. Stickers (Let them stick them everywhere on them.  We stick them on our face, clothes, feet, hands, etc.  He loves sticking stickers on himself and others! And honestly stickers work great as rewards for folding their hands when we pray, cleaning up their own messes, picking up their toys, etc.  We use them often!)
12. Magnets (We have magnets that look like the picture below called Magformers.  The toddlers love them!) 
13. Puzzles (Puzzles with pegs are perfect for little hands.  The ones with matching pictures on the board along with the piece are even better.)