Toddler Quiet Time Activities - No Mommy Assembly Required!

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We've all had those seasons in life when we need some truly entertaining activities for our little ones that require minimal to no Mommy supervision or set-up time.

Maybe it's just a sick day or weeks of morning sickness.  Maybe you're going through a pretty big life transition like a new baby or moving. Or maybe Mommy just needs a little quiet time herself. Whatever the case, it's often hard to be able to creatively think about something your little toddler can do that will keep them entertained without needing a lot of help.

Maybe you're just looking for toy inspiration for your toddler during normal, everyday life. I am a firm believer in the need for daily quiet time with Mommy chosen toys to help grow a child's imagination and self entertainment/contentment skills. A child's imagination has absolutely no room to grow when they're surrounded with tons of toys all day. Taking a little time in a quiet space with one specific toy is so good for brain and skills development!

A lot of the ideas I have found take either a lot of involvement or a lot of money and sometimes we just don't have time for that! 

These are not your typical, creative "Pinterest" things. They're simple, they're not DIY and they're more along the lines of the traditional activities that our Moms might have picked up at the store for us because they did not take the time to make everything themselves. I personally believe that when we take so much time trying to make every project for our kids from scratch we risk stressing ourselves out and actually take away from effective, fun parenting. Most of the time anyway. Balance is always a good thing!

So anyway, here are a few of my toddler's favorite toys and activities I keep put away for those special times. 

4-In-A-Box Puzzles

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My kids love these! In fact, my {almost} 2 year old just put together his first puzzle from this set. There are 4 puzzles, one with 2 pieces, one with 4, one with 6 and one with 8, which makes it the perfect puzzle set for 2 kids because there's something for several different ages and they can each have their own! :)

​Melissa & Doug Water Wow

These are so awesome! Each book has about 5 different pages that your child can paint with water over and over again. There's all kinds of hidden elements you only see when they're wet. Each coloring book comes with a unique paint brush that stores water inside to keep it even more mess free. My kids love these. They're great for road trips and church too! You can buy the 3 pack, or pick and choose individual ones. There's plenty of options. :)

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​Melissa & Doug Noah's Ark

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This one is a bit of an investment. But it will last for a very long time! I keep ours in the closet and usually just pull it out for special quiet times, so it is a pretty big treat! This is a good one to keep and eye out for at any used kid's stores too - that's where we found ours! This also has the added bonus of being great for those fine motor skills since it doubles as a shape sorter!

​Wooden Train Set

Ok, this one does take a little bit of assembly from Mommy. Our 1 year old got one of these for Christmas and it keeps him entertained for a very long time! It takes me about 1 minute to put it together for him and then he's good to go! I love that this particular set doesn't have just tons of pieces. It's so much less overwhelming for me {wink} and for the litte ones!

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Calico Critters or Lil Woodzeez

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Seriously, these collections are SO cute! We got our little girl her first set for her 3rd birthday and it has provided her hours of fun! There are so many accessories, animal families and houses to mix and match and that your little one will have a special collection you can add to for years if you want to. Now, I provided links so you can spend as much time dreaming over them as I did. ;) But they are a little expensive and I ended up getting pretty much all of ours on Ebay. Zulily also often has the Calico Critters for less than list price. So if you don't mind buying used, that might be the way to go!
{So far she only has several animal families, a house and a set of bunk beds - the endless tiny little pieces aren't necessary, in our opinion.}

Magnets​

These magnets have provided lots and lots of quiet time fun at our house! My little girl's favorite way to play with them is in her room with a  cookie sheet. I'm going to be getting our little boy a horse or farm set pretty soon too.

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Little Golden Books

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Nothing beats the classic Little Golden Books! They are full of the most charming illustrations. My kids are always fascinated with the pictures and the stories. They can spend a long time looking at them! And most of them are under $4 on Amazon, brand new. It's an awesome investment, in my opinion. ;)

​Signing Time

Sometimes a movie is just a good thing. We're pretty picky with what our kids watch and if it's a season in life where we do more movie watching that normal, I pretty much stick with something educational. Signing Time is my favorite and I have never, ever met a kid that hasn't loved it. Even kids that never sit through a movie will sit through one of these! I found our entire set on ebay for significantly less than list price. If you're not sure if you'll like it or not you can always rent one on Amazon.
My kids love Signing Time and Baby Signing TIme, and I think they're both awesome!

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So there you have it - some of our favorite quiet time activities! I really hope they help inspire your structured quiet time for your kids - whether it's because you need some quiet time yourself or your simply helping your child grow their imagination in a fun way!

What are your favorite quiet time activities? I would love to hear!

Everything I mentioned above is accompanied with an affiliate link for reference sake. If you click on a link and purchase an item I will receive a small commission. I did not add links to make money off of you, but so that you can see what I am talking about. Any commission I might receive goes toward maintaining this blog because blogging is not free! :)
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