Toddlers are some of the busiest people on the planet, actively exploring their worlds — and keeping parents and caregivers on their toes. Instead of investing in toys and games that your tot will quickly outgrow, print out some fun free toddler games you can enjoy together.
“Games aren’t just for fun,” says Hayley Rose, who creates children’s books and companion toys, including the “Today I Feel Emotion” coloring book. “They not only expose kids to new sights and sounds, but can teach them problem-solving, cooperation and strengthen hand-eye coordination.”
Babies and toddlers first engage in “parallel play” — playing alongside other kids, but not really interacting. But when they get a bit older, they will begin to play with others, says parenting expert Armin Brott, author of “Fathering Your Toddler” and several other titles.
“This is where children first learn many of the lessons about social interaction — taking turns, being a good sport, sharing — that will stay with them for life.”
The games your tot plays don’t have to be complicated, either. “Toddlers are like sponges, so something as simple as a memory card game might teach them about colors, shapes or animals,” says Rose.
These 8 free toddler games won’t cost you a dime, so if your child doesn’t like one game, just recycle the paper and try another. (If you have a hit on your hands, laminate the page to help it last.)
- Catch a Bug
There are a few ways to play this game, including the version that helps teach toddlers how to follow rules and take turns as they fill their “jar” with colored paper bugs. All you need is the printable from Picklebums, dice, scissors and glue.
- Match Silhouettes
Here’s a cute silhouette matching game with a transportation theme. Download the printable from The Connection We Share, print it out and cut out the shapes. There are two very easy ways for toddlers to play — putting the correct shape on top of the silhouette, or putting the matching cards side-by-side.
- Pin the Cherries on the Ice Cream Sundae
A fun take on the classic “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” game, you instead print out an ice cream sundae from Woo! Jr., along with several sets of cherries. Kids take turns being blindfolded and seeing who best tops the dessert with the cherries!
- Roll-a-Rainbow
This simple game teaches colors, numbers and turn-taking. Kids roll the dice, look up the color for each number, then work to fill in the blanks on the rainbow with the colored candies. Start with Things to Share & Remember’s downloadable game board and dice, then add candy-coated chocolates or other colored candy.
- Sort or Match
Use these animal, vehicle and fruit match game sets from Mama’s Learning Corner to play a memory-style game with your toddler. For younger kids, lay the cards face up and let him or her find the match. To get started, you need the printable, a printer and scissors.
- Escape the Volcano
This game turns your house into a life-size game board! Print the game pieces, each of which has a direction on it (such as “count backwards from 10”), or print blank templates and fill in your own tasks. Tape them in a path through your house and roll the printable die to move through the course, completing each task you land on. This clever game from Toddler Approved helps teach several skills, including learning shape names, color recognition, counting and following directions. All you need are the game board pieces, the dice templates, scissors, tape and little toys to serve as game pieces.
- Go Fishing
Help your favorite toddler learn his or her colors with this cute fishing game! Get the printable fish and sand pages from Moms Have Questions Too, then add your own paperclips, paper bag, scissors and a “fishing pole” with a magnet at the end. Your child will try to catch fish with the magnet before you can move it safely to a sand mound, and he can work on both identifying colors and trying to get fish only of certain colors.
- Sort Letters
This easy alphabet sorting game helps introduce toddlers to the alphabet, letter sounds and sorting. Download the cards with letters and pictures from Tot Schooling, then cut them apart and have your little one sort by letters. You may also want little baskets to hold the sorted pieces.
Soon, you’ll see that game play benefits the whole family, not just your toddler. “With our lives so often overloaded with activities and obligations, we sometimes forget to slow down,” says Brott. “Having a regular family playtime — even if it’s just for a few minutes — can bring families together emotionally.”
Want more ideas to keep your tot busy? Try these 7 Easy-to-Play Toddler Games.
Nancy J Price is an Arizona-based mother of four, as well as a writer, editor and web developer. One of the original co-founders of SheKnows.com, she now writes for several websites, including Myria and Click Americana.
