I remember when my kids were younger how hard it was to keep them busy without electronics. I was always looking for quiet time activities that would help them play independently and give me a little free time to make dinner!

While my kids are all grown up now, I thought it would be fun to share some great ideas from other moms for keeping their toddlers and preschoolers busy!

Whether you’ve got a one year old, or an older kid getting ready to go to Kindergarten next year, here are some great quiet time activities for your kids!

Mix and Match Creature Blocks @ And Next Comes L

Kids will love creating different creatures with this simple idea using pool noodles. You can find pool noodles at the dollar store!

Felt Button Chain Activity @ Kids Activities Blog

Buttoning is a fine motor skills that kids love to practice. This is a fun activities that lets kids create a chain of colored buttons and felt.

Block Puzzles Busy Bag @ All Our Days

Print off shapes and have your kids fill the shapes in with colored wood blocks. You can buy square wood dowels and cut them into squares.

Sponge Blocks Activity @ Inner Child Fun

Make your own building blocks out of inexpensive and light sponges. Kids will love creating whole towns with this easy idea.

Easy Busy Bag Ideas @ Powerful Mothering

Busy bags are perfect to take on-the-go as well as at home. Fill them with activities and kids will spend hours playing in the car or at church this this idea.

Fishing Quiet Game @ Suitcases and Sippy Cups

All you need are some magnets, felt, a wooden stick and string to create your own fishing game.

Magnetic Chalkboard Activity Tray @ Must Have Mom

Dollar store baking sheets become magnetic chalkboards which can be used at home or in the car to help kids learn their letters and even spell.

Simple Salt Tray @ My Nearest and Dearest

This is an idea that you have the ingredients for right now. Just spread some salt on a tray and kids can use their fingers or items in the house like a comb to create patterns and designs for hours of fun!

Cupcake Play Dough Kit @ Mama Papa Bubba

Homemade play dough is so easy to make and provides hours of imaginative play. Just keep the play dough in an air-tight container to use over and over.

Q-Tip Maze @ How Wee Learn

Show kids how to lay Q-tips in a row to create a maze for their action figures or toy cars to explore.

Rainbow Color Sorting Busy Bags @ Learning & Exploring Through Play

One of the first lessons toddlers learn are colors. Create colored felt bags and sticks that they can sort.

Bean Sorting Busy Bag @ All Our Days

Another sorting idea with items that you already have is this bean sorting idea. Keep different types of dried beans in a bag and have your toddler sort them by type into an empty egg carton.

Contact Paper Art @ Teaching Mama

Contact paper art is an easy quiet time activity that kids will love.

Fine Motor Play @ Teach Me Mommy

Take you recyclables and turn them into a fun motor play activity that your toddler will love!

Simple & Cheap Quiet Time Boxes @ Perfection Pending

Use this idea to create and sort toddler quiet time activities so they are easily accessible and organized.

Portable Lego Kit with Activity Cards @ Fun at Home With Kids

Toddlers love legos. Have them create shapes by drawing different configurations on cards with coordinating colored legos.

Simple Sticky Cutting Tray @ Pickle Bums

Let your toddler create their own shapes with this simple sticky cutting tray idea.

Scoop & Transfer Tray @ Busy Toddler

Using utensils is a fine motor skill that toddlers love learning. Have your toddler sort different sized dried beans into a ice cube tray or egg carton for hours of fun.

Sticky Easel @ Learn With Play At Home

Create a sticky easel that your toddler can stick things to and create shapes and even words for soothing quiet time.

Fish Tank Sensory Bag @ Adventures of Adam

A zip lock can become a fish tank with this fun idea. Kids will love moving items around to create their own underwater world.

DIY Zipper Board @ Laughing Kids Learn

Learning to zip up zippers is another fine motor skill that toddlers are perfecting. Create a board where they can zip to their hearts content during quiet time.

Peek-A-Boo Sensory Board @ Motherhood & Other Adventures

Toddlers LOVE playing peek a boo. Create a board where they can see their reflection as well as open surprises for hours of quiet time fun!

Spider’s Web Discovery Basket @ The Train Drivers Wife

Toddlers love a challenge. This idea uses items you already have! Take a laundry basket and string to create a spiders web that toddlers can navigate to save their favorite toys.

DIY Tugging Box @ Laughing Kids Learn

Turn a onx into hours of fun with this easy quiet time idea.

Button Tree Quiet Bin @ Hands On As We Grow

Buttons and pipe cleaners provide hours of fun in this button tree quiet bin idea.

What’s your favorite activity for keeping your little ones happy during quiet time?

More Kids Quiet Time Ideas

How to Make Potty Training Easier

Struggling with potty training? This article will help you make it an easier experience for you and your toddler!

Easy Fall Tree Activity

Your toddler will love designing their own tree with this fun and easy idea.

Tell me what you’ve been working on in the comments – I would love to come see YOUR ideas!!

xoxo

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