Indoor Winter Activities for Babies and Toddlers by Age

The chilly winter season is starting, forcing many families to spend more time indoors. Families are eager to find new activities to keep their little ones entertained inside. The good news is, there are many ways for babies and young toddlers to enjoy indoor play time this winter. From art projects to dance parties, here are some of our favorite ways to keep your children from going stir crazy during the cold winter season!

Indoor Winter Activities by Age

Match the activity to your child's stage. Every child grows at their own pace, so use this as a loose guide.

- Newborn to 6 months: Talk, sing and read to your baby, and play when they're awake and alert. Short tummy time sessions on a play mat a few times a day count as play too, as long as you're watching closely.
- 6 to 12 months: Peekaboo, "what's under the blanket?", touch-and-feel board books and a pots-and-pans drum set. Babies this age explore with their mouths, so every toy should be bigger than your baby's mouth.
- 1 to 2 years: Couch-cushion obstacle courses, dance parties, stacking cups, shape sorters and simple puzzles. Ask your toddler to find things for you or name body parts while you play.
- 2 to 3 years: A pretend kitchen, a cardboard box fort, finger painting and play dough, with you sitting right there. If your child still puts things in their mouth, keep small pieces out of reach.

Indoor Play Essentials For Babies and Young Toddlers

Create a safe and engaging play area with a few throw blankets, soft pillows, and a foldable play mat. If you're worried about your indoor decor, take time to ensure the play area is free from any choking hazards and breakable objects.

Set up a designated play space that encourages exploration and discovery. Make sure the play area is well-ventilated and at a comfortable temperature. Consider setting up a play area near a window for natural light and a view of your backyard. Make sure the play room engages your child's senses.

You can let your child pick out some of the decor, but parents can use things like wall decals, bright paint, educational posters, plush rugs, cozy throw blankets, and tents or forts to create a wonderful playroom designed just for indoor activities.

Safety Checks for Babies and Toddlers Under 3

Choking is the biggest risk at this age. Federal safety rules ban small parts in toys made for children under 3, and the same thinking works for anything you set out for play at home.

- If it fits in your child's mouth, it's too small for a child who still mouths things. That includes rice, dried beans, dry pasta, pom-poms, beads and the little toys hidden in sensory bins.

- Balloons, balls, marbles, broken toy pieces and food cause the most choking deaths in children, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Balloons stay a choking risk up to age 8.

- Keep button batteries and strong magnets out of reach, and check toys, remotes and decorations for loose ones.

- Take loose ribbons and strings off toys, and leave strings out of play setups, to prevent strangulation.

- For a sensory bin with an under-3, use big items like large blocks, plastic cups, wooden spoons and scarves. Save small fillers for older kids who've stopped mouthing toys, and stay close while they play.

Sensory Play

Sensory activities are a great way to keep kids entertained during the winter. Sensory toys and games engage the senses, and are lots of fun no matter your child's age. Even adults can enjoy sensory activities alongside their kids!

Engage your baby’s senses with sensory play activities like play dough, finger painting, and sensory bins.

Fill a sensory bin with rice, beans, dry pasta, or sand and hide small toys for an older toddler or preschooler to find (for babies, see the safety checks above). Create a sensory experience with different textures, smells, and sounds.

Some parents enjoy shopping for sensory bin items, but you can use everyday objects like pots, pans, and wooden spoons to create a sensory-rich environment without spending extra money.

Explore the senses with activities like tasting, touching, and smelling. Great sensory items include cotton balls, tissue paper, water, kinetic sand, dry rice or pasta, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, and anything else you can think of that will spark your child's creativity for children who no longer put things in their mouths.

Sensory bins are some of the most fun indoor activities and are a versatile way to keep kids interested for long periods of time.

Bath time is another easy sensory activity. A few plastic cups, a watering can or some floating toys are all you need. Get your towel and supplies ready first so you can keep a hand on your baby the whole time. Babies can drown in as little as 1 or 2 inches of water, so never leave your child alone in the tub, even for a moment. A bath seat doesn't replace you. When they get out, a cozy towel like the KeaBabies Hooded Towels keeps them warm and snug.

Fine Motor Skills Development For Children

Winter is a time when you can focus on developing your baby’s fine motor skills with activities like arts and crafts, play dough, and finger painting.

Always use child-safe scissors and paper to practice cutting and pasting, and do all activities with supervision. Engage your baby in activities that promote hand-eye coordination, like stacking blocks or cups.

Use play dough to practice rolling, squeezing, and shaping. Let your baby explore different textures and use their skills to imagine and explore.

Create a DIY sensory bin with different textures and objects to explore. There are many ideas for sensory bins for kids available on parenting blogs - or you can use your creativity to come up with your own idea!

Interactive Games For Kids

During the winter, play interactive games like peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake, and I Spy to encourage bonding and development. Learn hand motions for kid-friendly songs, have a dance party, or listen to holiday music together.

Use stuffed animals or toys to play a game of hide-and-seek. Even babies can enjoy crawling around looking for a special toy or stuffed animal that you hide.

Engage your baby in a game of “what’s under the blanket?” to promote problem-solving skills. Simply hide random objects under the blanket, and have your little one have fun figuring out what's inside.

Play a game of “touch and feel” with all kinds of textures and objects. You can also check out "touch and feel" board books from your local library.

Create a simple obstacle course using couch cushions and pillows. Foldable play couches are perfect for these kinds of activities. They can be pricy, but play couches are great for keeping kids engaged and active while they have to spend more time indoors.

Music and Movement

Music and movement is a great way to keep little ones entertained indoors. Engage your baby in music and movement activities like dancing, clapping, humming, drumming, snapping, and singing.

You can use household objects like pots, pans, and wooden spoons to create a makeshift drum set - no need for fancy instruments! Create a DIY instrument, like a shaker bottle, using everyday objects.

Teach your baby how to play the game “follow the leader” to promote gross motor skills.

Use music to create a fun and engaging atmosphere, even when you're stuck inside! Music and dancing are easy activities all kids love to do, and is a perfect way to spend rainy days or snow days this winter.

Imaginative Play

Encourage imaginative play with activities like dress-up, pretend play, and storytelling.

Use cardboard boxes and other household objects to create a DIY playhouse or fort. An old cardboard box can easily become a tent, a house, or a fort. Grab some markers and stickers, and let your child decorate it however they please.

Engage your baby in a game of “make-believe” using stuffed animals or toys. Have a stuffed animal pretend to read stories to your child, use the stuffed animals to put on a show, or throw a bunch of stuffed animals into a pile for your toddler to jump on.

Use everyday objects to create a pretend play scenario, like a kitchen or store. A play kitchen, grocery store, or playhouse is an excellent way to keep your child engaged for long periods indoors.

Keeping a play kitchen in the play room or living room is a simple way to keep your baby or toddler happy all winter long. Encourage your little one to cook a pretend meal, form their own restaurant, pack up foods for a picnic, or go grocery shopping. The opportunities are endless!

Reading, Storytelling, and Art

Reading stories together is a wonderful way to bond with your little one and keep them happy indoors when the weather outside doesn't cooperate. Engage your baby in reading and storytelling activities to promote early language and literacy skills. Even newborn babies can benefit from being read to by their parents.

Reading is one of the easiest activities to keep your little one entertained during the cold winter months. Use board books and cloth books to fill your home library, and design a cozy reading nook complete with soft blankets, pillows, and kid friendly furniture. You can visit your local library to grab more books to rotate through your collection.

Create a DIY storybook using pictures and objects. You can print photos or cut pictures out of magazines. Encourage toddlers to use their creativity to come up with their own storybook! Help your toddler cut and paste pictures into a book, and "read" the stories together.

Engage your baby in a game of “point and name” to promote vocabulary skills. This can be done with board books, picture books, magazines, catalogues, the newspaper, advertisements, and more.

Use storytelling to promote emotional development and bonding. Babies and toddlers love being read to. Reading is a great activity for caregivers to bond with their children, and an easy way to keep busy inside the house.

You can also use this time to add to your baby's memory book using the KeaBabies Inkless Ink Pads . These pads leave no residue on your baby or toddler, and are the perfect way to remember how little their hands and feet were! You can use their hand or footprint to create art projects as well (just look up ideas online, there are plenty!) and work on those fine motor skills.

Indoor Obstacle Course

Looking for a fun way to keep your kids active during the winter? Create an indoor obstacle course using household objects like couch cushions, pillows, and chairs!

Other ways to create an indoor obstacle course:

• Encourage your baby to play “crawl and climb” to promote gross motor skills.

• Use a play tunnel or play house to hide behind and play peek a boo.

• Create a DIY balance beam using a broom handle, large blocks, or a line on the floor made with painter's tape.
  

• Play "the floor is lava" with a timer or a radio.

• Make a "laser maze" from painter's tape stuck across a hallway for your toddler to crawl under and step over, and take it down after playtime.

• Use tape to form an indoor hop scotch course.

Final Tips for Indoor Play

Make the most of indoor play time by creating a schedule and sticking to it. Using everyday objects you can find around the house is a great way to make a fun and engaging play environment. Consider setting up a play area near a window for natural light and a view - a great way for your kids to watch the rain, wind, or snow!

Encouraging your babies or toddlers to explore and discover new things is a wonderful way to pass the time during the colder winter months when you have to spend more time indoors. Use music, movement, and books to create a fun and engaging atmosphere.

The winter months don't have to be dreary and boring - use this time to focus on indoor activities that can keep your little one having so much fun, they won't miss their outside play time.

Meet Our KeaMommy Contributor: Kaitlyn Torrez I’m Kaitlyn Torrez, from the San Francisco Bay Area. I live with my husband and two children, Roman and Logan. I’m a former preschool teacher, currently enjoying being a stay at home mom. I love all things writing, coffee, and chocolate. In my free time, I enjoy reading, blogging, and working out.