Five-minute activities

Some of the best toddler activities take five minutes, which is about how long a toddler wants to do anything anyway. These are the ones to reach for in the gaps: the wait for the pasta to boil, the twenty minutes before the school run, the moment after a nap when nobody has quite woken up. No set-up beyond fetching one thing, no clean-up worth mentioning. Each has steps, what it builds and a way to stretch it if it lands well and five minutes turns into fifteen.

135 activities

A Different Brush illustration A Different Brush from 12 months · 5 min Ball Hand To Hand illustration Ball Hand To Hand from 12 months · 5 min Brushing in the Mirror illustration Brushing in the Mirror from 12 months · 5 min Chair Crawl Under illustration Chair Crawl Under from 12 months · 5 min Copy My Face illustration Copy My Face from 12 months · 5 min Copy My Sip illustration Copy My Sip from 12 months · 5 min Copycat Chat illustration Copycat Chat from 12 months · 5 min Finger Family on Your Hand illustration Finger Family on Your Hand from 12 months · 5 min Gentle Hum Rock illustration Gentle Hum Rock from 12 months · 5 min Go Again? illustration Go Again? from 12 months · 5 min Head in Your Lap illustration Head in Your Lap from 12 months · 5 min Lights On, Lights Off illustration Lights On, Lights Off from 12 months · 5 min Mirror Quiet Look illustration Mirror Quiet Look from 12 months · 5 min Peekaboo Sleeves illustration Peekaboo Sleeves from 12 months · 5 min Point and It Comes illustration Point and It Comes from 12 months · 5 min Ring Pass illustration Ring Pass from 12 months · 5 min Round and Round the Garden illustration Round and Round the Garden from 12 months · 5 min Snow Globe Shake & Watch illustration Snow Globe Shake & Watch from 12 months · 5 min Sock Tunnel illustration Sock Tunnel from 12 months · 5 min The Two-Minute Song illustration The Two-Minute Song from 12 months · 5 min Two Brushes illustration Two Brushes from 12 months · 5 min Two Hands Full illustration Two Hands Full from 12 months · 5 min Uh Oh Drop illustration Uh Oh Drop from 12 months · 5 min Warm Cloth Face Wipe illustration Warm Cloth Face Wipe from 12 months · 5 min Where Did It Go illustration Where Did It Go from 12 months · 5 min Where Is Everyone? illustration Where Is Everyone? from 12 months · 5 min Which One? illustration Which One? from 12 months · 5 min Who Says Moo illustration Who Says Moo from 12 months · 5 min Whose Nose? illustration Whose Nose? from 12 months · 5 min Bye-Bye, Bath Water illustration Bye-Bye, Bath Water from 14 months · 5 min Cheers! illustration Cheers! from 14 months · 5 min Coat Pocket Treasure Hunt illustration Coat Pocket Treasure Hunt from 14 months · 5 min Hands on Hands illustration Hands on Hands from 14 months · 5 min Hello, Park! Bye, Park! illustration Hello, Park! Bye, Park! from 14 months · 5 min Peekaboo, Hello! illustration Peekaboo, Hello! from 14 months · 5 min Pick Your Brush illustration Pick Your Brush from 14 months · 5 min Rip the Velcro illustration Rip the Velcro from 14 months · 5 min Sock Pull illustration Sock Pull from 14 months · 5 min Special Delivery illustration Special Delivery from 14 months · 5 min Stuffed Animal Heartbeat Listen illustration Stuffed Animal Heartbeat Listen from 14 months · 5 min The Hello Song illustration The Hello Song from 14 months · 5 min Top Ones, Bottom Ones illustration Top Ones, Bottom Ones from 14 months · 5 min Watch Me Do Mine illustration Watch Me Do Mine from 14 months · 5 min Wave From the Window illustration Wave From the Window from 14 months · 5 min Wellies On illustration Wellies On from 14 months · 5 min Wipe The Mirror illustration Wipe The Mirror from 14 months · 5 min You Pull the Last Bit illustration You Pull the Last Bit from 14 months · 5 min Sock, Shoe, Coat illustration Sock, Shoe, Coat from 15 months · 5 min Under the Blanket illustration Under the Blanket from 15 months · 5 min A Short Goodbye illustration A Short Goodbye from 16 months · 5 min Before We Eat illustration Before We Eat from 16 months · 5 min Big Sock, Little Sock illustration Big Sock, Little Sock from 16 months · 5 min Big Steps, Little Steps illustration Big Steps, Little Steps from 16 months · 5 min Dry Them Properly illustration Dry Them Properly from 16 months · 5 min Dust The Shelf illustration Dust The Shelf from 16 months · 5 min Feet First Down illustration Feet First Down from 16 months · 5 min Hand Me the Duck illustration Hand Me the Duck from 16 months · 5 min Knock And Count illustration Knock And Count from 16 months · 5 min Music Box Wind & Listen illustration Music Box Wind & Listen from 16 months · 5 min My Turn, Your Teeth illustration My Turn, Your Teeth from 16 months · 5 min One Shoe, Then the Other illustration One Shoe, Then the Other from 16 months · 5 min Rub With Me illustration Rub With Me from 16 months · 5 min The Bottom Step illustration The Bottom Step from 16 months · 5 min The Front Doorstep illustration The Front Doorstep from 16 months · 5 min Tiptoe And Stomp illustration Tiptoe And Stomp from 16 months · 5 min Trace The Lid illustration Trace The Lid from 16 months · 5 min Twenty Seconds of Soap illustration Twenty Seconds of Soap from 16 months · 5 min Up on the Step illustration Up on the Step from 16 months · 5 min Up to Bed, One Hand illustration Up to Bed, One Hand from 16 months · 5 min Wellies Off illustration Wellies Off from 16 months · 5 min Backs and Fronts illustration Backs and Fronts from 18 months · 5 min Basket Dip illustration Basket Dip from 18 months · 5 min Fetch Your Shoes illustration Fetch Your Shoes from 18 months · 5 min Hang Coat on Hook illustration Hang Coat on Hook from 18 months · 5 min Here's Your… illustration Here's Your… from 18 months · 5 min Milk or Water? illustration Milk or Water? from 18 months · 5 min Quiet Mouse, Loud Lion illustration Quiet Mouse, Loud Lion from 18 months · 5 min Steamy Window Circles illustration Steamy Window Circles from 18 months · 5 min Tap the Top illustration Tap the Top from 18 months · 5 min Teddy's Bedtime Story illustration Teddy's Bedtime Story from 18 months · 5 min Turn the Tap illustration Turn the Tap from 18 months · 5 min Under the Cushion illustration Under the Cushion from 18 months · 5 min Walk Into It illustration Walk Into It from 18 months · 5 min Water The Plant illustration Water The Plant from 18 months · 5 min All Gone illustration All Gone from 20 months · 5 min Bye-Bye Everything illustration Bye-Bye Everything from 20 months · 5 min Coat Off, Light Off illustration Coat Off, Light Off from 20 months · 5 min Hold the Banister illustration Hold the Banister from 20 months · 5 min A Napkin Each illustration A Napkin Each from 22 months · 5 min Clear Your Plate illustration Clear Your Plate from 22 months · 5 min Coat by the Door illustration Coat by the Door from 22 months · 5 min Cup to the Table illustration Cup to the Table from 22 months · 5 min Fetch the Towel illustration Fetch the Towel from 22 months · 5 min Incy Wincy Fingers illustration Incy Wincy Fingers from 22 months · 5 min Row Your Boat illustration Row Your Boat from 22 months · 5 min Socks, Then Shoes illustration Socks, Then Shoes from 22 months · 5 min The Same Job Each Night illustration The Same Job Each Night from 22 months · 5 min Your Own Cup illustration Your Own Cup from 22 months · 5 min Your Plate to Your Place illustration Your Plate to Your Place from 22 months · 5 min Bus Song Gaps illustration Bus Song Gaps from 24 months · 5 min Drum Roll, Then Hush illustration Drum Roll, Then Hush from 24 months · 5 min From the Next Room illustration From the Next Room from 24 months · 5 min Hand Sandwich illustration Hand Sandwich from 24 months · 5 min Hand, Then Rail illustration Hand, Then Rail from 24 months · 5 min How Tall Am I? illustration How Tall Am I? from 24 months · 5 min Last Word Lullaby illustration Last Word Lullaby from 24 months · 5 min Name Everything on the Table illustration Name Everything on the Table from 24 months · 5 min One Foot Down illustration One Foot Down from 24 months · 5 min Pick a Fruit and Bring It illustration Pick a Fruit and Bring It from 24 months · 5 min Sticker Steps illustration Sticker Steps from 24 months · 5 min Two Little Birds illustration Two Little Birds from 24 months · 5 min Up and Down Lines illustration Up and Down Lines from 24 months · 5 min Whisper Game illustration Whisper Game from 24 months · 5 min Wind The Bobbin Up illustration Wind The Bobbin Up from 24 months · 5 min Your Turn Round The Garden illustration Your Turn Round The Garden from 24 months · 5 min Bottom Button First illustration Bottom Button First from 26 months · 5 min Pinch and Push illustration Pinch and Push from 26 months · 5 min Round and Round illustration Round and Round from 26 months · 5 min The Last Bit illustration The Last Bit from 26 months · 5 min Turn The Dial illustration Turn The Dial from 26 months · 5 min Undo the Big One illustration Undo the Big One from 26 months · 5 min All By Myself Wash illustration All By Myself Wash from 28 months · 5 min Drop and Kick illustration Drop and Kick from 28 months · 5 min In the Mirror illustration In the Mirror from 28 months · 5 min Snack Time Pourer illustration Snack Time Pourer from 28 months · 5 min Spit, Don't Rinse illustration Spit, Don't Rinse from 28 months · 5 min Coat On at the Park illustration Coat On at the Park from 30 months · 5 min Copy My Clap illustration Copy My Clap from 30 months · 5 min How Many Are Eating? illustration How Many Are Eating? from 30 months · 5 min Rail Up, Rail Down illustration Rail Up, Rail Down from 30 months · 5 min Sticker Shoe Pairs illustration Sticker Shoe Pairs from 30 months · 5 min Teddy Tummy Breathing illustration Teddy Tummy Breathing from 30 months · 5 min The Coat Flip illustration The Coat Flip from 30 months · 5 min Goodnight Rhymes illustration Goodnight Rhymes from 38 months · 5 min Three Good Things illustration Three Good Things from 38 months · 5 min

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No-mess toddler activities · All activities